Lake Michigan College is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
in
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county on the south line of Michigan, at the southwestern corner of the state. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 154,316. The county seat is St. Joseph.
Berrien County is included in the Niles- Benton Harbor, MI Me ...
. The main campus is in
Benton Township, Michigan with regional campuses in
Niles and
South Haven. The
Welch Center for Wine & Viticulture opened on the main campus in 2019.
History
Lake Michigan College was founded as Benton Harbor Junior College in 1946
[MCCAA - Lake Michigan College](_blank)
[CityTownInfo - Lake Michigan College](_blank)
/ref> within the city of Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, of ...
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 parcel of land in Benton Township.
Campuses
The college operates between three campuses: the main campus, located off Napier Avenue in Benton Harbor, the Niles Campus at Bertrand Crossing, and the South Haven campus. Classes are also offered at several off-campus locations and online. While primarily a commuter campus throughout its history, LMC began construction of the college's first on-campus residence hall, Beckwith Hall, at the Napier Avenue campus in the summer of 2013 and was occupied by its first residents in the fall of 2014. A Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University (SHU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Adrian, Michigan. It was founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919.
History
The institution was founded for women in 1919 as St. Joseph's College by the Adrian Domini ...
satellite campus is housed at the Benton Harbor campus, although Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
has transferred ownership of the building which housed its Southwest extension over to Lake Michigan College; this building is now known as the Todd Center, and houses the Business, Computer Science and Education departments as of Fall 2018. The South Haven campus was completed in 2003 after South Haven School District residents voted to join the Lake Michigan College district, the M-TEC training facility was completed in 2000 and the Bertrand Crossing campus in 1998.[Lake Michigan College History](_blank)
/ref> After a proposed millage failed, the board of trustees put the M-TEC facility up for sale in 2008.
In January 2015, Lake Michigan College sold the 44,000 square foot M-TEC building to the Whirlpool Corporation. Programs previously housed at the M-TEC facility were relocated to the Hanson Technology Center, which opened to the public at Lake Michigan College's Napier Avenue Campus in the fall of 2016. The campus consolidations should save Lake Michigan College money through operational efficiencies.
Athletics
Lake Michigan College is a member of the NJCAA Region 12
and the MCCAA Western Division. The college's athletic teams were known as the "Indians" from 1946 until 2012, representing the school's historic connection to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians ( Potawatomi: Pokégnek Bodéwadmik) are a federally recognized Potawatomi-speaking tribe based in southwestern Michigan and northeastern Indiana. Tribal government functions are located in Dowagiac, Michigan. ...
of Southwest Michigan. In February 2012, after several college staff and student meetings with the Pokagon Tribal Council, it was announced that the school would adopt a new team nickname in an effort put forward by student leaders to increase school spirit and mascot visibility while still honoring the historical connection to the Pokagon. On April 24, 2012, the college officially announced "Red Hawks" as its new team name for all sports, inspired by the red-tailed hawk
The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members with ...
which appears on the flag of the Pokagon Nation.[Lake Michigan College Changes Mascot and Logo](_blank)
/ref>
Former Women's Basketball Head Coach, Jason Cooper, led the LMC Women's Basketball team for ten years, compiling a 247–71 win–loss record, including six visits to the NJCAA
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...
National Tournament in eight years. The team finished the 2011–2012 season as the #2 ranked team in the country.[Athletics - Women's Basketball](_blank)
The LMC women are eighth in total NJCAA appearances, the most of any MCCAA team. The men's basketball team placed 7th in the nation in 2005, and Doug Schaffer, former Athletic Director and Men's Basketball Head Coach, was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association
The Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) is a junior college conference throughout Michigan and northern Indiana in Region 12 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
The men's sports organized by the MCCAA ...
Athletic Director of the Year for 2005. Lake Michigan College also has baseball, softball, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer teams as well as club sports.The Lake Michigan College Cheer Team has performed consistently well in Universal Cheerleading Association events, earning numerous awards, most recently two consecutive Leadership Awards in 2012 and 2013. LMC's mascot, Rocky the Red Hawk, has become a popular part of all sporting events and college activities since his debut in 2012. The biggest rivals of Lake Michigan College are the Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo ...
Cougars and the Ancilla College
Ancilla College was a private Roman Catholic junior college near Donaldson, Indiana. It was founded by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1937 as an extension of DePaul University for the training of Catholic novices and candidates of the Poor ...
Chargers.
Notable alumni
Eric Thompson
Eric Norman Thompson (9 November 1929 – 30 November 1982) was an English actor, scriptwriter and stage director. He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for ''The Magic Roundabout'', which he adapted from ...
, Maureen Bauer
Maureen Bauer is an American politician serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 6th district. She assumed office on November 4, 2020.
Early life and education
Bauer was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, whe ...
, Duane Below, Chokwe Pitchford are all notable alumni of Lake Michigan College. Eric Thompson is an American professional basketball player for CSO Voluntari
Clubul Sportiv Orășenesc Voluntari 2005, commonly known as CSO Voluntari or simply Voluntari, is a Romanian multi-sport club based in Voluntari who was founded at the initiative of the office of the Mayor of Voluntari. The club currently has 13 ...
of the Liga Națională. Maureen Bauer is an American politician serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...
from the 6th district. Duane Arthur Below is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
for the Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
and Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
. Chokwe Pitchford (Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...
to represent District 79. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1946
Two-year colleges in the United States
Community colleges in Michigan
Michigan Community College Athletic Association
Education in Berrien County, Michigan
Education in Van Buren County, Michigan
1946 establishments in Michigan
NJCAA athletics