Track Added to Skippers Athletics  

St. Clair County Community College is adding men’s and women’s track teams to its athletic offerings for next year. The new offering will complement the very successful cross-country program which was added in 2016. The teams will compete in the spring as part of the National Junior College Athletic Association.  

“Our cross-country teams have attracted some excellent runners from the local area and beyond,” SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos said. “We have had some outstanding teams and individuals for nearly a decade. The addition of track will allow our cross-country team members to compete in the spring and provide a new opportunity for sprinters and middle-distance runners to continue their career at SC4 and beyond.” 

The women’s cross-country and track teams will be led by head coach Andrea Rheaume, while Max Whittredge will lead the men’s teams. The teams are seeking an assistant coach. Interested candidates may apply online by visiting www.sc4.edu/jobs

With the addition of track, SC4 now provides 17 teams for students to compete at the collegiate level including baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, E-sports, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and wheelchair basketball. 

Athletes interested in joining the Skippers track team can contact the athletic office at (810) 989-5670. 

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, at srutallie@sc4.edu or 810-989-5545 

SC4 Faculty Spotlight—Dr. Michael Belleman

Dr. Michael Belleman is a professor of Economics at SC4 and has taught at the college since 2010. He was recently appointed to serve as president of the SC4 faculty association and has also served as treasurer and vice president. 

Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Marygrove College, two master’s degrees in taxation and economics from Walsh College and a doctorate in accounting, which he earned while teaching full-time at SC4. He also has extensive experience in corporate finance, taxes relating to health care, and patient cost modeling. He has also worked with Medicare auditors and the IRS and actively consults for businesses. 

When talking about his experience teaching, Mike recounted that he was terrified the first time he taught a college course. He recalled shaking behind his podium and giving his first lecture as an adjunct professor at Henry Ford Community College in 2002. However, he soon became comfortable in the classroom and grew to love the in-person interactions and “feeding off of the energy of his students,” as he puts it. 

The Socratic method is foundational to Mike’s teaching style. This method uses focused questions to guide students to think through issues and go deeper than surface-level answers. Using this technique, students actively participate in classroom conversations by developing their thoughts, and the fear of presenting the “correct answer” is mitigated.

Mike explains this process further by saying, “You can be wrong in the classroom. I want [students] to be able to fail. That’s the best teacher…. Our learning is a practice that we continue to develop throughout our lives.”   

In addition to academic content, Mike’s classes are aimed to help students develop soft skills, such as conversational skills and multitasking. This approach ensures students are occupation or transfer-ready at the completion of the program. 

Mike and his wife, Melanie, have two daughters who work in special education and speech pathology, three grandchildren, and a two-month-old puppy. In his free time, Mike enjoys playing golf and reading, especially about economics, history and current affairs.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Introduces Six New Full-Time Faculty Members

Pictured from left to right: Instructors Vinson, Johnson, Tindall, Bernard, Bullock and Platzer

As a new academic school year begins, SC4 is delighted to welcome back students and faculty. This semester, SC4 is thrilled to introduce six new full-time faculty members. SC4 proudly welcomes the following:

Belinda Bernard, instructor of English with extensive teaching experience, including instructing at Mississippi State University, Macomb Community College and twelve years as an adjunct faculty member at SC4.

Danyel Bullock, an SC4 alumni and clinical instructor for the SC4 Associate Degree Nursing program with twelve years of registered nursing experience and two years of teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at SC4.

Ryan Johnson, instructor of history with experience assisting with political campaigns and twelve years of teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at SC4. Ryan was a temporary full-time faculty member for the 2023–2024 academic year and recently accepted a permanent full-time position.

Joseph Platzer, instructor of criminal justice with thirty-six years of law enforcement experience, including as Chief of Police for the Port Huron Police Department and nineteen years of teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at SC4.

Kathleen Tindall, instructor of business with twenty-seven years of advertising experience, including for companies such as Ford, Jeep, Lincoln, McDonald’s, Little Caesars, Hungry Howie’s and Henry Ford Health and has thirteen years of experience teaching at Macomb Community College.

Jacob Vinson, instructor of art with twenty years of experience working with ceramics and four years of teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at SC4.

“We welcome our new full-time faculty as a continuation of our strong legacy of academic excellence. SC4 has outstanding faculty who provide high-quality higher education in our community,” said Kirk Kramer, President of SC4.

The Fall 2024 semester has started for SC4, but interested students can still register to take classes this semester. Any student looking to register for traditional 16-week courses may do so up until Friday, August 23. If a student is not able to register or start on this date, SC4 also offers twelve and eight-week courses with delayed starts. These classes are perfect for students who have a restrictive schedule or are looking to quickly complete a class. Those interested in taking classes at SC4 can view a complete list of offered courses at sc4.edu/schedule.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Faculty Spotlight—Professor Steve Gura

Professor Steve Gura has been an instructor at SC4 for over six years, using his extensive experience to prepare students for a career in nursing.

Growing up, Steve moved around a lot. His family lived in Chicago and Vermont before moving to West Bloomfield, Michigan, when Steve was in high school. Steve’s interest in medicine developed during his freshman year of college after a close friend was diagnosed with Leukemia. In between classes, Steve would visit with his friend, which stirred him to enter to pursue a career in nursing.

After graduating from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Steve took a position at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac. He later transitioned to McLaren Port Huron Hospital, where he worked as the only male nurse on the pediatric floor for nineteen years.

Much of Steve’s career has been rooted in women’s and children’s health. He described his field by saying, “You’re not just taking care of the child, but the family. It isn’t just focusing on the medical care of the patient but caring for the entire family structure, and the sickness of a child disrupts that family structure. It is working with the family and teaching them how to take care of their baby. It’s also helping families understand the life changes that occur with maturation.”

Steve’s relationship with SC4 began when a college faculty member recognized his knack for helping visiting nursing students on his floor. Soon after this, Steve continued his studies while working at McLaren, earning his Master of Science in Nursing Education. Shortly after, Steve was hired as an adjunct professor at SC4. After two years of teaching, he was hired as a full-time faculty for the Practical Nursing Program in 2018 and was recently elected as the department chair for Health and Human Services.

“It’s the best job or career choice I’ve ever made in my life, and I mean that whole-heartedly. The creativity that is allowed as faculty and the exchange of ideas with other departments in your division and other departments at the college is amazing.”

Steve and his wife, Michele, have been married for twenty-six years and have two children, Ben and Sam. Ben is a recent high school graduate and will be attending SC4 in the Fall 2024 semester. In his free time, Steve enjoys hunting, reading, especially fantasy novels, and participating in wildlife rehabilitation of raptors. He takes great joy in helping prepare recovered birds to reenter the wild and currently has six screech owls that are ready for release.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Faculty Spotlight—Dr. Janice Fritz

Dr. Janice Fritz teaches biology, anatomy and physiology at SC4 and is the department chair of science, technology, engineering and math.

Janice grew up four miles outside of Brown City and recalls how intimidating it was to visit the “big city” of Port Huron. She remembers being flustered by the large number of cars on the road and the strange experience of having to wait for multiple green lights at an intersection before she could finally go through.

From an early age, Janice desired to pursue higher education. During high school, she completed seventeen credits at SC4 through an off-campus learning site at the Sanilac Career Center in Peck. Following her time in high school, she attended Saginaw Valley State University and later transferred to Western Michigan University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in biomedicine science and health chemistry.

Directly following her time at Western, Janice was accepted to study biological science at Wayne State University for her PhD program. During her studies, she coauthored three peer-reviewed publications on her study of the nervous system of fruit flies. She continued this work in her post-doctorate fellowship training, spending three years at the University of Iowa studying the auditory systems of fruit flies.

When she first started her graduate work, Janice was not interested in teaching. It wasn’t until her work as a teaching assistant at Wayne State that her passion for teaching began. She recalls “being scared to death” the first time she walked into a classroom, but that this teaching experience encouraged her to pursue a career as an academic scientist, which involves teaching as well as running labs.

Dr. Fritz excels at building relationships with her students and utilizing the “flipped classroom” method. She maintains a YouTube channel with her classroom lectures, which students take notes on outside of the classroom. This allows her to utilize class time for labs, hands-on group work, and student questions. She explained, “It’s one thing for someone to tell you about something; it’s another to try it. I want my students to try it.”

During her time at SC4, Janice served as the faculty union president for two years and was appointed as the faculty department chair for the science, technology, engineering and math division. She has a wide range of academic interests but takes joy in studying the nervous system, especially at the molecular level, illusion and perception in the brain, genetics and the cardiovascular system.

Dr. Fritz has been married to her husband for 25 years and has six children. She enjoys being in nature, tending her garden, and paddleboarding on the Black River.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

More than 1,300 SC4 Students Earn Honors

A total of 1,370 SC4 students earned a spot on the President’s Honors List for the 2024 winter semester.

“Academic success takes dedication, motivation and commitment,” said SC4 President Kirk Kramer. “All of us at SC4 applaud our students’ achievements and recognize their hard work.”

The criteria for this award is the completion of at least 6 credits with a semester grade point average of 3.0 or better.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Engages Families During Boat Week

SC4 has long been an active part of Port Huron’s Boat Week events. This year, SC4 had its largest group yet sign up to march in the parade on Thursday, July 17. A mixture of families, students, and faculty were present and handed out sunglasses, frisbees, and other SC4 apparel, making for a night of fun and excitement for the Port Huron community.  

Additionally, community members could find SC4 staff at OT Family Night. Staff members, including President Kirk Kramer and Chief of Staff Sarah Rutallie, were present to meet our community’s families. 

“We love all opportunities to engage our community,” said Kirk Kramer, President of SC4. “SC4 is about academics and higher education. Participating in and supporting a vibrant community through our collegiate presence benefits students and the residents of St. Clair County.”

Pictured: SC4 President Kirk Kramer pictured with staff and athletes.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

Free Tuition Programs

SC4 is joining the governor in making SC4 tuition-free to qualifying students.  Students may qualify for several programs to attend SC4 tuition-free, including the most recent program for 2024 high school graduates.

The state of Michigan budget now includes an opportunity for 2024 high school graduates to attend SC4 tuition-free.  The tuition support program, together with the direct admission to SC4 for high school graduates in St. Clair County, provides the most efficient path in the state of Michigan to college credits and a career path.

The SC4 Financial Aid Office is ready to assist each person with exploring options, identifying required steps and evaluating qualifications for tuition programs.  The state of Michigan has several programs to help students pay for college.  The SC4 Financial Aid Office is able to navigate the programs and help each student maximize program participation.

SC4 participates in federal and state of Michigan programs for tuition support such as Reconnect (students age 21+), Pell, Tuition Incentive Program, Michigan Achievement Scholarship and more.

Contact SC4 Financial Aid for program details. Financialaid@sc4.edu

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Summer Camps

It’s not too late to sign up for summer camps at SC4! SC4 offers a variety of camps, ranging from Esports to Galaxy STEM camps. This is the chance for students of all ages to take part in innovative learning opportunities and unforgettable sports coaching.

Jessica Smith, organizer of the SC4 STEM camps, reported, “We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from sessions that have recently ended.  Spots are still available for camps running in July and August.”

Dates for SC4 camps:

Basketball

Grades 5–12

July 15–16

Cross Country

Grade 5–12

July 29–31

Esports

Grades 5–12

July 29–31

Galaxy STEM

Grades 3–5

July 15–16

Grades 3–5

July 22–26

Grades 3–5

August 1–2

Volleyball

Grades 4–7

July 23–25

Grades 8–12

July 23–25

Grades 7–12

July 26

You can find more information about summer camps and other events at SC4 here

Image attachment: SC4 Basketball Camp Participants: Weston R. and Kyle S.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu

Fall Semester Classes

Now is the perfect time to sign up for fall classes at St. Clair County Community College.

SC4 offers hundreds of courses in 40 different disciplines. There are options for students pursuing nursing, criminal justice, management, graphic design, and many more.

SC4’s registrar, Carrie Bearss, has the following to say about the college’s fall offerings: “SC4’s fall semester class schedule includes courses for everyone. We offer outstanding occupational programs in wide-ranging disciplines from health sciences to engineering technology.”

She continued by saying, “Thousands of local students start their bachelor programs by taking one to two years of classes at SC4 before transferring to a four-year college or university. And for community members looking to take a class for fun or self-improvement, the college has many unique courses, such as BUS 130: Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship and PHL 168: Philosophy of Food.”

New and returning students can apply here. Current students can register via their Service Center accounts. Appointments with student advisors can be scheduled on the advising page.

Offered classes and schedules can be viewed on the scheduling page.

Fall classes have varied start dates; the fall semester begins Monday, August 19.

Contact the enrollment services office at (810) 989-5500 or enrollment@sc4.edu for information and registration assistance.

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu