Category: Academics

Challenger Learning Center to open on SC4 campus

Challenger Center, a nonprofit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization and St. Clair County Community College (SC4) are teaming up to open a Challenger Learning Center on the College’s campus. Challenger Learning Center at St. Clair County Community College will serve Michigan and Ontario students using programs that introduce STEM subjects and careers and inspire students to pursue these essential fields. The Center is scheduled to open in early 2022.

“SC4 is an ideal location for a Challenger Learning Center,” said Dr. Deborah Snyder, president of St. Clair County Community College. “We are committed to expanding student interest in STEM and encouraging STEM higher education opportunities on our campus. The addition of a Challenger Learning Center supports the college and our community by fostering a robust culture of STEM, strengthening STEM education opportunities, integrating business, industry and educational entities, and creating high-quality educational experiences for learners of all ages.”

The new Challenger Learning Center will be part of the Challenger Learning Center network that has reached more than 5.5 million students worldwide. Challenger Learning Centers offer a variety of hands-on STEM programs, with the core being its simulated space-themed missions that take place in a fully immersive Spacecraft and Mission Control and Briefing and Transport rooms. Aligned with national education standards and informed by real science data, these Missions excite students about STEM, introduce students to careers in various STEM fields, and help students build critical 21st century skills.

“We are excited to welcome St. Clair County Community College to the Challenger Center organization and look forward to seeing the students of Michigan and Ontario experience our unique STEM programs,” said Lance Bush, president and CEO, Challenger Center. “This year marks Challenger Center’s 35th Anniversary. For us, there’s no better way to recognize such an important milestone than to reach more students, and this new Center at St. Clair County Community College will do just that.”

Registration open for SC4 late-start winter classes

Registration is open for late-start winter semester classes at St. Clair County Community College. Seats are available in 12-week classes starting the week of Feb. 8 and eight-week classes starting the week of March 15.

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 winter include:

  • BUS 153-64 — Business Law
  • BUS 252-60 — Consumer Behavior
  • CIS 110-62 — CIS Concepts and Careers
  • CIS 115-81 — Microcomputer Applications
  • CIS 205-61 — Intro to Web Development
  • FR 102-02 — Introductory French II
  • GEO 233-60 — World Regional Geography
  • HE 101-65 — Math Related to Drug Admin
  • HE 102 — Medical Terminology (sections 62, 63, 65, 66)
  • HIS 102-63 — History of Western Civilization Since 1715
  • MTH 075-62 — Pre-Algebra
  • MTH 104-63 — Foundations of Math
  • MTH 113-64 — Pre-Calculus
  • MTH 120-65 — Introduction to Statistics
  • PE 128-01 — Weight Training
  • PSY 230-61 — Psychology/Effective Leadership and Supervision
  • THA 105-63 — Oral Interpretation

Current students can search for all courses and sections at sc4.edu/schedule. They can register and pay for classes in the SC4 Portal at portal.sc4.edu or on the SC4 mobile app.

New students can get started at sc4.edu/starthere.

For more information, contact Enrollment Services at enrollment@sc4.edu or (810) 989-5500.

Scholarships available for SC4 students

St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron is accepting scholarship applications from students who plan to attend SC4 for the 2021-22 academic year.

SC4 has many scholarship opportunities available. Some are geared toward students who plan to study a specific subject, while others are intended for students from a particular town or high school. There are also a number of awards open to students based on academic performance and extracurricular activities. Whatever your background, there’s likely a scholarship that you are qualified to apply for!

Visit www.sc4.edu/money to apply for available scholarships, including SC4 scholarships and scholarships through external sources. You can apply for multiple scholarships by filling out just one online application. Many scholarships require that you have filed your FAFSA. If you haven’t already done so, you can visit fafsa.gov to get started today.

SC4, the SC4 Foundation, community groups and private donors offer numerous scholarships to fit nearly all student academic records, backgrounds and financial situations.

The deadline to apply for scholarships is Sunday, March 14.

For details, call the Financial Aid Office at (810) 989-5530 or email financialaid@sc4.edu.

SC4 professor teaches to help students obtain their dream job

When Professor of Biology Janice Fritz started her Ph.D. program, she had no intention of being a teacher. As a student she was given financial support as a teaching assistant. “I was more than a little uncertain about teaching biology labs to undergrads,” said Fritz. “But it turned out that I loved it.”

The further she got in her Ph.D. program, the more she wanted to teach and the less she wanted to run a research program. After completing her postdoctoral training, she taught part-time at Wayne State University and Lansing Community College. “I really enjoyed both,” said Fritz. “But I really loved teaching at the community college level.”

“I love the focus on teaching, the variety of students, and the interactions I can have given the small class sizes,” said Fritz. “Truly, I have my dream job.” 

Fritz teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology, a core course for allied health programs like nursing and respiratory therapy, as well as pre-professional programs for students looking to go on to become doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants, and more. Given the importance of high-quality health care professionals, it’s important that SC4’s healthcare-related programs, and the courses that feed into them, like Fritz’s, are rigorous and provide students with the information and skills they need to succeed. Fritz wants her classes to be challenging and she tries to provide students with all the tools they need to meet the challenge.

Fritz notes that during the pandemic, it’s been harder to teach students in a virtual environment, but she’s worked hard to give them the best possible experience, using a combination of technology and hands-on experience to replace the activities done normally in the classroom. She uses online digital models to help students identify anatomical structures and students also received supplies for building models, dissecting specimens, measuring vital signs, assessing sensory function, conducting urinalysis, and more. She uses live sessions through Microsoft Teams (recorded for those who can’t attend) to review the activities and demonstrate procedures. She uses a large monitor to see the students and keep an eye on the chat window, a multimedia computer to project documents though an interactive projector so she can add annotations, a document camera for sharing physical objects, a phone for demonstrating apps, and a laptop for accessing other documents. So she has her hands full!

Fritz held a few live sessions where students were able to come to campus if they wanted help with their dissecting. With only a few students in the room, they could maintain social distancing requirements and Fritz used the document camera to show the dissection and point out structures. Sessions were streamed for the benefit of students who couldn’t, or preferred not to, be on campus.

Online learning is definitely a challenge for some students, who have had to cope with computer issues, software incompatibilities, Wi-Fi issues, illness, and more. “Overall, my students are doing a great job engaging, staying on top of the work, and learning the content,” said Fritz. “I have just as much confidence in the future success of my students this semester as any other semester.”

“I teach at SC4 so I can help my students get their dream job like I did,” said Fritz, smiling.

To learn more about available programs at SC4, visit sc4.edu/programs. If you are looking to start your educational journey, let us help, fill out an application today at sc4.edu/starthere.