Southwestern Michigan College updated local educational partners at the annual Michigan Counselor Breakfast Sept. 18 in Mathews Conference Center East on the Dowagiac campus.

Counselors received a preview of the 2025-26 academic year and met SMC’s admissions team.

Eighteen counselors attended from Berrien Springs, Brandywine, Bridgman, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District (ISD, Cassopolis), Marcellus, New Buffalo, Niles, Phoenix High School of Kalamazoo and River Valley (Three Oaks).

Vice President of Student Experience Dr. Katie Hannah, a former school counselor, welcomed guests.

“We value your partnerships,” said Hannah, who has been at SMC for 11 years. “We know how much your students look to you for recommendations and guidance.”

SMC “had a fabulous year for enrollment,” she said. “Our enrollment is up 12 percent from last year, which had a lot to do with free community college in Michigan and our Green Light Guarantee. We’re focused on closing the attainment gap. In 2024 in Cass County, we had about 430 high school graduates. Only 39 percent went to any college.”

SMC’s Green Light Guarantee “goes farther than free in-district tuition,” Hannah said. “We basically provide scholarships for students in Berrien County, Van Buren County and Kalamazoo County, which are out-of-district. SMC closes the gap to come here tuition-free.”

Hannah introduced the admissions team:

• Executive Director of Enrollment Management and Educational Partnerships Steve Way.
• Manager of Admissions and Adult Recruitment Coordinator Ben Spencer.
• Senior Admissions Counselor and Event Coordinator Allyson Harris. She oversees Brandywine, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Marcellus, Heritage Southwest ISD and Niles.
• Admissions Counselors Ethan Saylor and Madeline Collins, like Harris, are SMC alumni. He is the contact in Berrien County for Berrien Springs, Bridgman, Eau Claire, New Buffalo, River Valley and St. Joseph. Collins is responsible for Indiana, Decatur and Phoenix High School.

Director of Dual Enrollment Juliann Jankowski reported there are 585 dual-enrolled students this fall.

“That is a 15-percent increase over last year,” she said. “Of those 585, 18 are Early Middle College students. We have 210 students out of that 585 enrolled in at least one online course.”

For the benefit of new counselors, Jankowski reviewed processes for registration, schedule changes, enrollment reports, academic warnings, books, disability services, billing and accessing Wired/Moodle.

“Dual enrollment continues to grow across the country,” Jankowski said. “We have the Michigan Transfer Agreement, so if you finish 10 courses that is the equivalent of the first year of general ed at any four-year institution. AP (Advanced Placement) courses, if they score high enough, can count.”

Academic Dean for the School of Health, Natural and Social Sciences Dr. Melissa Kennedy gave an update on new health-services degrees, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Technology and Radiography Technology, which are run in partnership with other Michigan community colleges.

“These programs are super expensive to run,” Kennedy said. “We couldn’t afford to buy our own MRI machine in Dowagiac, nor do we have a place that wouldn’t irradiate everyone else on campus. But these programs lead to highly paid positions. MRI classes are completed online, with hands-on clinicals for 24 hours a week completed alongside certified techs at local centers. These competitive pathways have specific prerequisites. For MRI, we get only eight to 12 seats a year. Radiography is brand-new and we just admitted our first four students.

“Health services has grown tremendously, with eight new programs in the last two years. Most of our MRI students go to Beacon in South Bend. Some opt to go to Bronson in Kalamazoo. One MRI student lives in Michigan City, so she got into the hospital there,” Kennedy said.

Harris highlighted upcoming campus events: Sept. 24, College Fair, with 53 colleges and universities expected; Oct. 3, Automotive Day for about 300 students; Nov. 14, a new event, Roadrunner Day: 365bet体育在线投注_365体育官网-365体育欢迎您 Life; March 19, Nursing Program Preview Night; two open houses, Oct. 17 and March 24; and May 17, Junior Day.