Lake Michigan College
Encyclopedia
Lake Michigan College is a regional two-year community college
located in Berrien County, Michigan
. The main campus is located in Benton Township, Michigan, on US-31
/Napier Avenue, and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor
, Bertrand Crossing (Niles
), and South Haven
. The main campus is bordered by two major highways: Interstate 94
to the west and the US-31 freeway
to the east. The Mendel Center for Arts and Technology, a multipurpose theater and facility, is at the main campus.
when voters approved an initiative to create a junior college. In 1954 Benton Harbor Junior College was redesigned into the Benton Harbor Community College and Technical Institute (CCTI). In 1963 a vote in Berrien County was held and affirmed to plan to create a county college district. A tax of up to one mill was approved for operation and building needs and a six person board of trustees was established as the governing body of the college. CCTI was renamed again in 1964 to Lake Michigan College. Construction on the Napier Avenue Campus, which is now the main campus, began in 1965 when the board of trustees approved the purchase of a 259 acres (1 km²) parcel of land in Benton Township.
-Southwest extension can be found on the Napier Avenue Campus. The South Haven campus was completed in 2003 after South Haven School District residents vote to join the Lake Michigan College district, the M-TEC training facility was completed in 2000 and the Bertrand Crossing campus in 1998. After a proposed millage failed, the board of trustees put the M-TEC facility up for sale in 2008.
Athletic Director of the Year for 2005. The men's basketball team placed 7th in the nation in 2005. Lake Michigan College also has baseball, softball, and volleyball teams. The baseball and softball teams are very successful, having placed very high in the nation in consecutive years. Detroit Tigers pitcher Duane Below pitched for the baseball team in 2005-06. The biggest rivals of Lake Michigan College are the Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Cougars and the Ancilla College
Chargers.
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
located in Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
. The main campus is located in Benton Township, Michigan, on US-31
U.S. Route 31
U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
/Napier Avenue, and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, Bertrand Crossing (Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
), and South Haven
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
. The main campus is bordered by two major highways: Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
to the west and the US-31 freeway
St. Joseph Valley Parkway
The St. Joseph Valley Parkway is a freeway in the U.S. states of Indiana and Michigan, serving as a bypass route around Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend in Indiana and Niles in Michigan. The freeway runs to the south and west of Elkhart and South Bend and Niles and consists of segments of U.S...
to the east. The Mendel Center for Arts and Technology, a multipurpose theater and facility, is at the main campus.
History
Lake Michigan College was founded as Benton Harbor Junior College in 1946 within the city of Benton HarborBenton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
when voters approved an initiative to create a junior college. In 1954 Benton Harbor Junior College was redesigned into the Benton Harbor Community College and Technical Institute (CCTI). In 1963 a vote in Berrien County was held and affirmed to plan to create a county college district. A tax of up to one mill was approved for operation and building needs and a six person board of trustees was established as the governing body of the college. CCTI was renamed again in 1964 to Lake Michigan College. Construction on the Napier Avenue Campus, which is now the main campus, began in 1965 when the board of trustees approved the purchase of a 259 acres (1 km²) parcel of land in Benton Township.
Campuses
None of the campuses currently have living quarters. A Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
-Southwest extension can be found on the Napier Avenue Campus. The South Haven campus was completed in 2003 after South Haven School District residents vote to join the Lake Michigan College district, the M-TEC training facility was completed in 2000 and the Bertrand Crossing campus in 1998. After a proposed millage failed, the board of trustees put the M-TEC facility up for sale in 2008.
Athletics
Lake Michigan College is a member of the NJCAA Region 12 and the MCCAA Western Division. The current Athletic Director is Jason Cooper. Sam Cornett is the current head men's basketball coach. Doug Schaffer, former Athletic Director and Head Coach, was named Michigan Community College Athletic AssociationMichigan Community College Athletic Association
The Michigan Community College Athletic Association is an association of community college athletic departments throughout Michigan and northern Indiana....
Athletic Director of the Year for 2005. The men's basketball team placed 7th in the nation in 2005. Lake Michigan College also has baseball, softball, and volleyball teams. The baseball and softball teams are very successful, having placed very high in the nation in consecutive years. Detroit Tigers pitcher Duane Below pitched for the baseball team in 2005-06. The biggest rivals of Lake Michigan College are the Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
-History:The community college district was established by voters in 1966, enrolled its first students in the fall of 1968, and currently enrolls more than 13,500 students. With the selection of Marilyn J...
Cougars and the Ancilla College
Ancilla College
Ancilla College, near Donaldson, Indiana, is a two-year private liberal arts college that admits both men and women students. Ancilla College was originally founded by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1937 as an extension of DePaul University for the training of novices and candidates of the...
Chargers.