Jul 24, 2020
Lake Superior State University to Open Newest Location in Central Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, MI — Lake Superior State University will open its newest location in St. Helen, Mich., for the fall 2020 semester. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will occur at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at the area site, which is at Charlton Heston Academy in Richfield Township, Roscommon County.
“One of the priorities in LSSU’s strategic plan is to generate more community partnerships and engagement, and I can’t think of a better example than this,” said LSSU President Rodney S. Hanley. “Not only does it expand our Superior footprint once more. It also enhances the quality of life of the region, in this case in a part of the state that has limited access to the pursuit of higher education within reasonable driving distance.”
“It’s part of our mission to create opportunities for our CHA graduates and our community members to advance their college and career readiness. We’re thrilled at this latest initiative with Lake Superior State University to promote academic excellence,” said David Patterson, superintendent of CHA, a pre-k through 12th grade charter school that opened in 2012. “This is the definition of a win-win proposition.”
The two campuses earlier collaborated on a dual enrollment program that offers on-site and online LSSU college courses for CHA students in grades 8-12.
Those who enroll at LSSU with the intention of studying at the St. Helen site, a commuter venue, can earn degrees in the following: BSN (bachelor of science in nursing), BS in cannabis chemistry, BS in cannabis business, BS in business administration management, and BS in elementary education, with concentrations in language arts and math, plus associate’s degrees in cannabis science and general studies. All degree requirements can be fulfilled at LSSU’s St. Helen location.
Fall 2020 courses may include business, chemistry, biology, math, education, English, communication, and more. LSSU is determining how courses will be taught: on-site, online, or hybrid. An onsite orientation will be scheduled soon.
Applications are now being accepted at lssu.edu/admissions.
LSSU hosts regional centers in Escanaba, Iron Mountain and Petoskey as well as offering several certificate programs, including at Les Cheneaux Culinary School in Hessel.
About Lake Superior State University: Lake Superior State University is one of Michigan’s most affordable public universities with One-Rate at Lake State tuition for all. Surrounded by three Great Lakes, LSSU is an unsurpassed location for research, innovation, and real-world experiences. Signature programs include fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, nursing, criminal justice, business, robotics engineering, and fire science. In 2019, Lake State launched the first cannabis chemistry program in the nation. LSSU also was the first campus nationwide to offer an accredited four-year fire science program; it is one of three in the U.S. LSSU was the first campus nationwide to offer an accredited four-year robotics engineering technology program and is the only university nationwide to offer undergraduate education in industrial robotics. LSSU also offers several certificate programs, including a one-year culinary arts chef certificate at its 5,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Les Cheneaux Culinary School in Hessel. Regional centers are in Escanaba, Iron Mountain, and Petoskey. LSSU opened its newest location in St. Helen in 2020. Additional LSSU hallmarks include the annual Banished Words List that receives worldwide media coverage and a student-run Atlantic salmon hatchery at its renowned Center for Freshwater Research and Education. LSSU’s NCAA Division I hockey team has won five national championships; men compete in five other sports and women in six at the Division II level. Lake State was founded in 1946 in Sault Ste. Marie, the oldest city in Michigan (1668), on the site of the former U.S. Army’s Fort Brady. Lake State has approximately 2,000 undergraduate students, with 88 percent coming from Michigan, and with every county represented. Ninety percent of full-time students receive financial aid.
About Charlton Heston Academy: Charlton Heston Academy provides a free bona fide year-round academic program for all students from birth through grade 12. CHA was founded on the belief that all students deserve the highest quality educational experience and their pathway to success is individualized. Teachers and staff members are the most valuable assets within the school community; parents and students are partners and clients within the educational process. The primary goal of CHA is to prepare students for postsecondary success and for them to have a high quality of life.