Author: Mark Rummel

Social justice educator Jen Fry to speak to SC4 campus community Oct. 9

St. Clair County Community College invites the community to attend a presentation by social justice educator Jen Fry at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. The presentation is offered through SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and will take place via Zoom.

Social justice education assists everyone in critically thinking of how to become culturally competent, how to self-reflect on one’s position, power and privilege, and how to create an inclusive culture that allows diversity to be a part of the culture, not BE the culture.

Jen Fry is a native of Arizona, a Division II athlete, and veteran volleyball coach with over 15 years of experience at the collegiate level with coaching stints at Elon University, the University of Illinois (2011 National Runner-Up), Washington State University, and Norfolk State University. She turned social justice educator when she realized there was a need for educating not only our student-athletes of all ages, but the administration, staff, and coaches who train them through an antiracist lens on issues of race, inclusion, intersectionality, diversity, and equity. She is also working on her Ph.D. in Geography at Michigan State University.

She spoke at TEDxDuke in February 2019 on the topic of “Radical Social Justice Education Through High Fives.” A video of her presentation can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/IvVIRx1ejz0.

To reserve your spot and receive Zoom login information, email SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at dei@sc4.edu. The deadline to reserve your spot is Thursday, Oct. 8.

Students overcome online lab limitations

Students in Professor Carrie Dollar’s BIO 272 class recently completed their own blood typing tests at home. Even though COVID-19 has presented challenges to our faculty and students, learning is continuing!

SC4 student finds college success in TRIO program

When Mikayla Phetteplace decided to restart her college career in 2018, she attended an orientation session for the TRIO program. With a six-month-old baby girl, Mikayla’s schedule wasn’t flexible enough for on-campus classes and she was going to need some help getting back into the swing of college classes. SC4’s TRIO Student Support Services program looked like a great choice.

“After [the TRIO] orientation, I had an advising appointment,” Mikayla explains. “The advisor highly recommended TRIO. I was amazed at the opportunities and benefits of being in the program, so I didn’t hesitate to fill out the application.”

Mikayla has been in the TRIO program for five semesters, and she’s sure she wouldn’t have had the success she’s had at SC4 without it. “Shawne (Jowett, then-TRIO advisor and current Interim Director of the program) kept me on track and made sure that the classes I was taking were online and needed for me to graduate. The early enrollment opportunity and the tutoring were the services I benefited from the most.”

With a full-time job and family responsibilities, Mikayla’s biggest challenge is time, and the help provided by her instructors and the TRIO team has been essential. “There are never enough hours in the day,” she says. “I have found that the trick to having the time is making it. It has seemed impossible sometimes, but things always get accomplished by the deadline. I try to remind myself to breathe and always ask for help when I need it.”

While it was important that she was able to complete her associate degree in computer information systems completely online, being able to travel 30 minutes to campus if she needed additional help was also important to Mikayla’s success. “SC4 is local, so unlike some online schools where literally everything is done online, if I need to come to campus I can.”

Mikayla has had support from many SC4 faculty and staff, but she is particularly thankful for the support of three people. “I’m most grateful for Professor Colleen Forsgren. She has been the most supportive, informational, and just all-around the best professor I’ve had at SC4. I’ve learned so much under her instruction,” Mikayla says. “I’m also grateful to Amy (Hengehold, TRIO Support Staff Member) and Shawne. They’re both so wonderful.”

Because of her overall success at SC4 and the impact that the college’s TRIO SSS program has had on her, Mikayla is the TRIO Student of the Month for September 2020.

Mikayla is planning to graduate in December with her associate degree, and eventually hopes to transfer to a university to complete her bachelor’s degree. She currently works as an administrative assistant and she and her husband hoping to buy a home in the area to give their daughter a place to grow up in and enjoy.

“TRIO has been one of the brightest spots of my college career,” Mikayla says. “There is nothing not to like about TRIO. They are helpful, kind, supportive, and always there if anyone has questions or concerns.”

Registration open for SC4 late-start fall classes

Registration is open for late-start fall semester classes at St. Clair County Community College. Seats are still available in 12-week classes starting the week of Sept. 21 and eight-week classes starting the week of Oct. 19. Classes are available in Port Huron and online.  

Late-start classes allow students to earn credits at a faster pace. Class topics include biology, business, English, history, math, political science, psychology, sociology and more.

Examples of some specific courses offered this fall include:  

  • BIO 271 – Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • BUS 110 – Human Relations
  • BUS 150 – Principles of Business
  • BUS 153 – Business Law
  • BUS 155 – Principles of Management
  • BUS 258 – Human Resources Management
  • CIS 115 – Microcomputer Applications
  • ENG 102 – English Composition II
  • GEO 101 – Earth Science
  • HIS 150 – History of U.S. 1877 to Present
  • MTH 120 – Introduction to Statistics
  • MUS 106 – Music Appreciation
  • PE 128 – Weight Training
  • PSY 180 – Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY 220 – Life Span Developmental Psychology
  • PS 101 ­– Introduction to Political Science
  • SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology
  • THA 105 – Oral Interpretation  

Current students can search for all courses and sections at sc4.edu/schedule. They can register and pay for classes online in the SC4 Portal at portal.sc4.edu. New students can start at sc4.edu/starthere.  

Registration service also is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at SC4’s One-stop Student Services Center located in the Dr. James C. Acheson Welcome Center on the corner of Erie Street and Glenwood Avenue on the Port Huron campus. Services are being provided in the public areas of the first floor only. Face coverings or masks are required to receive service. Online, remote, and phone services continue to be available.