At its regular meeting on Jan. 14, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees approved five new programs.

They include: a one-year certificate in criminal justice; an associate degree in respiratory therapy; a certificate in dental assisting, which will have a home on the upper floor of the Dale A. Lyons Building; a credential in child development associate; and a certificate in practical nursing.

Dr. Melissa Kennedy, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Services, said, “My goal is that students can have a credential, sit for a licensing exam and make a living wage no matter where they end our nursing program. This is the final phase. We already implemented Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for when they finish the first semester. This is the next step, for anyone who completes the first and second semester. They can take a seven-week pediatrics and mother/baby course and be eligible to sit for LPN licensing.

“Most Licensed Practical Nurses work in long-term care. We stopped offering it as a stand-alone program because there were not many jobs at the time, but with the growing nursing shortage, LPNs are coming back into hospitals and doctors’ offices, while still being the primary providers in long-term care facilities. LPNs can get work experience, then come in third semester for two semesters and move forward” to RN, Kennedy said.

In his president’s report, Brent Brewer said, “The Flywheel Effect is in full swing at SMC,” referring to a business concept popularized by Jim Collins, describing how sustained momentum builds from consistent, small wins, creating compounding returns and accelerating results over time.

“With a week of registration remaining, as of Monday, we are 151 students ahead of where we were at this time last year, which is 8.5 percent up in head count and 7.6 percent up in contact hours. Housing for spring is at 94 percent of occupancy, compared to 89 percent last year.”

“Intercollegiate athletics has certainly played a role,” Brewer said, “but the story is bigger than any single factor, the result of many deliberate pushes working together. High-quality online courses designed by our faculty and aligned with strong student demand. Growing dual enrollment participation – we are over 600 for the first time in many years. Improved retention. Technology that truly supports our learners. And more in-demand programs like the ones Dean Kennedy talked about. However, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we must keep pushing.”

Trustee Todd Obren presented Nursing Department Chair Rona Goodrich of Paw Paw with her 10-year service pin.

“Rona’s been a nurse for 33 years,” Dean Kennedy said. “She’s worked across a variety of practice settings throughout her career, including medical surgical nursing, home care, pediatrics, rehabilitation, long-term care, as well as nursing management and director-level roles. Her true passion, however, is teaching. She’s been a member of the SMC community since 2015.”

Goodrich is married and has two children, 19 and 24, who attend Western Michigan University.

Trustees acknowledged 24 gifts to the SMC Foundation totaling $18,846 and also accepted five donations to the college amounting to $5,516.