Lake Superior State University (colloquially Lake State, Soo Tech, and LSSU) is a public college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States. It enrolls approximately 1,600 students. Due to its proximity to the Canada–United States border, LSSU has many Canadian students and offers joint programs with Sault College and Algoma University in the twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada across the St. Marys River. In a sign of this close relationship with its international neighbor, LSSU flies both the Canadian and United States flags on its campus.
LSSU offers primarily bachelor's and associate degrees, but also offers certificates. LSSU has regional centers in northern Michigan in the cities of Escanaba and Petoskey. It is one of three Michigan public colleges or universities that is also a community college.Links to Community Colleges
History
The area that makes up the campus of Lake Superior State University served as Fort Brady from 1894 to 1944; it is listed as "New Fort Brady" on the National Register of Historic Places, as the earlier incarnation of the fort was downhill.
Lake Superior State University was established in 1946 to address the needs of returning World War II veterans and to provide educational opportunities to the people of the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The campus includes several buildings which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The institution was originally a branch of Michigan College of Mining & Technology, which is now known as Michigan Technological University. It opened in 1946 as the Sault Ste. Marie Residence Center of the Michigan College of Mining & Technology, which was commonly shortened to Soo Tech. The original class consisted of 272 students. The institution was later renamed Lake Superior State College of Michigan Technological University in 1966. The college received autonomy from Michigan Tech in 1970 and was known as Lake Superior State College until 1987, when the institution was granted university status.Lake Superior State University :: Admissions :: LSSU History
The institution's college radio station is WLSO, and its student newspaper is The Compass.
Academics
Lake Superior State's most popular majors, by 2021 graduates, were: Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (46) Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (34) Fisheries & Wildlife Management (29) Exercise Science and Kinesiology (20) Business/Commerce (19) Biology/Biological Sciences (17)
Major buildings
Administration Building: The Administration Building houses the offices of the President and Provost, as well as human resources, purchasing, and public safety. Arts Center: The arts center is a $15 million facility which opened in 2005. The arts center houses a 674-seat auditorium, art, music and dance studios, classrooms and faculty offices. The Arts Center Gallery has a permanent display from the L. F. Noyes Collection of Native American and Western Art. Brady Hall: This building is currently being used as freshmen housing. The building is named after Colonel Hugh Brady. Col. Brady was the first commanding officer to serve at Fort Brady. Brady Hall was built as barracks for WACS or Women's Army Corps in 1938. Brown Hall: Built in the 1820s, this building served as the captain's quarters of Fort Brady. Brown Hall wasn't called by its present name until 1982 when it was named for retired employee, Edward J. Brown. In the 1940s, the school as well as this building became a guide for veterans of WWII. Remodeling of this hall took place in 1946. In the 1960s, Brown Hall was converted into a counseling and career center that provided academic advising. It was originally led by Steve Youngs and was later taken on by John Truckey. It once served as the location of the School of Education, and the Fine Arts Program. It now houses the Integrated Marketing Department. Much of the known information about this building can be recovered from the LSSU KJS Library Special Collections room. CASET: The Center for Applied Science and Engineering Technology is home to the School of Engineering and Technology, as well as the School of Mathematics and Computer Science. CASET also houses the LSSU Robotics Lab and the Product Development Center. Cisler Center: The Walker Cisler Student and Conference Center is the main food service and student life building on campus. Dining options include the Quarterdeck and Galley, which features the Grill 155 and a convenience store. It is also home to the Office of Campus Life and Housing, and hosts the Peacock Cove Coffee House, Student Government offices, Student Organization Center, the school newspaper (The Compass), and the University radio station (WLSO). Crawford Hall: This building focuses on the many science and allied health degrees offered at the university, from nursing to biology and chemistry, to geology and environmental science. In 2000, a $23 million renovation and expansion was completed, providing modern laboratory, classroom, and faculty and student research space. Crawford Hall also houses the LSSU Superior Analytics Laboratory, Ben Long Planetarium, the Cannabis Center of Excellence and Lion Labs Institute, the Environmental Molecular Biology Lab, Kemp Mineral Museum, and the Micro Analysis & Spectroscopic Characterization (MASC) Lab. Fletcher Center: Business Operations, Financial Aid, Registrar, and Scheduling can all be found in the former gymnasium for Fort Brady and later, the Soo Tech Hornets. It was named after LSSU benefactor, H. Thayer Fletcher Norris Center: This is the main building for recreation, and the School of Criminal Justice, Fire Science and Emergency Medical Services and the School of Recreation and Exercise Science. It is also the main building for the Athletic Department and includes the main office for the Athletic Director. Inside the building lies the Cooper Gym, home of the Laker basketball and volleyball teams; Taffy Abel Arena, home of the Laker hockey team; and the Student Activity Center (SAC), which hosts tennis, track, a weights area and climbing wall. The university has announced a renovation effort to several athletic Norris Center facilities. Shouldice Library: The Kenneth J. Shouldice Library facility houses offices for Social Sciences, Business, English and Communications, and two lecture halls. The main level includes the main circulation desk and audio visual, and the Testing Center. It also offers a student computer lab, interactive TV rooms and the Shouldice Gallery. The lower level is home to the Learning Center, Career Services, and academic supportive services. The second floor has a special collections room with five special collections including the Oschner Collection, and a group of Native American, Mayan, European, and African American artifacts and books. R.W. Considine Hall: Formerly South Hall, R.W. Considine Hall is the home to LSSU's Lukenda School of Business, and provides state-of the art teaching and meeting facilities for all campus programs. In 2017, a three-year, $13.5 million project took the existing 32,000 sq. ft. South Hall and added another 12,000 sq. feet to provide an interactive commons, new program and conference rooms, faculty offices and support spaces, a securities trading lab, the Frenchie LaJoie Board Room, and a Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation that will serve the twin Sault Communities on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border.
The LSSU Foundation Office raised $3.6 million in its capital campaign for the project ($600,000 more than expected). The State of Michigan provided $9 million. The building's namesake - Robert W. Considine - partnered with LSSU's Foundation Office in 2014 to push the project over its funding goal by matching gifts up to $450,000.
Built in 1903, the original South Hall building was built to house Fort Brady's infantry soldiers. The infantry barracks were originally composed of twin buildings. South Hall's twin stood approximately 80 feet to the west of South Hall, and was known as the Forestry Building. The two buildings were connected by a third building, which was a one-floor 80 ft by 40 ft wooden structure consisting of an outer shell with a hard wood floor. The building was referred to as the "drill floor". ROTC cadets practiced marching in the building during inclement weather; otherwise, drills took place outside on the parade grounds, which is where the Kenneth Shouldice Library now stands.
The Forestry building was destroyed by fire in the early 1960s. The drill floor building was not damaged but was razed during the demolition of the Forestry Building. The floor itself was scavenged and sold. Prior to this time, South Hall was always referred to as the Library although the library only took up a portion of the building. The Campus Book Store used two floors before moving to the renovated Canusa Hall, which saw dining services move to the Cisler Center.
Admissions
+ Fall first-time freshman statistics 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 Applicants 2,309 1,709 1,657 2,846 1,180 1,457 Admits 1,680 1,180 941 1,785 661 1,320 Admit rate 72.8 69.0 56.8 62.7 56.0 90.6 Enrolled 324 303 296 338 294 379 Yield rate 19.3 25.7 31.5 18.9 44.4 28.7 ACT composite*(out of 36) 19-27 18-26 18-23 20-26 19-26 20-25 SAT composite*(out of 1600) 963-1178 950-1170 970-1160 990-1200 990-1180 * middle 50% range
LSSU is considered "selective" by U.S. News & World Report. For the Class of 2025 (enrolling Fall 2021), LSSU received 2,309 applications and accepted 1,680 (72.8%), with 324 enrolling. The middle 50% range of SAT scores for enrolling freshmen was 963-1178. The middle 50% ACT composite score range was 19-27.
Facilities Richard and Theresa Barch Center for Freshwater Research and Education: Previously known at the Aquatic Research Lab (ARL) was an off campus research and educational facility originally located in the east end of the Cloverland Electric Coop hydroelectric plant. Now the designated fishery for CFRE, the hatchery has released more than 40,000 Atlantic salmon into the St.Mary's River since 1984. The new $13.2 million CFRE building, funded by Richard and Theresa Barch, officially opened in December 2021, stands out as a significant attraction on the St. Marys River. The facility is fulfilling its core mission of conducting freshwater research and public outreach, teaching students with a K-12 discovery lab, and providing office space for university researchers and partners, such as members from the USFWS and USCG. Much of the research is geared toward fish culture and management, emerging contaminants in the St. Marys River, and managing invasive species throughout the region.
Superior Analytics Laboratory: The SAL is housed in the chemistry department at LSSU, and provides analytical services to LSSU researchers, government agencies, businesses, and private citizens. The SAL routinely conducts standard environmental testing, as well as trace level analysis of environmental contaminants such as pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, metals, and cyanotoxins. Revenues from the SAL assist the Chemistry Department in purchasing and maintaining state of the art analytical instrumentation, and provide students with employment opportunities and experience working in a professional lab.
Cannabis Center of Excellence & Lion Labs Institute: The Cannabis Center of Excellence, sponsored by Agilent Technologies, opened in 2019. As northern Michigan's leading center for mass spectrometry and chemical analysis, the CCE supports faculty and student research, and the undergraduate programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Cannabis Chemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Forensic Chemistry, and Geology. The Lion Labs Institute conducts research and education on the extraction and purification of natural products, and contains facilities for hydrocarbon extraction, ethanol extraction, and distillation/purification.