Lake Michigan College Awarded $650,000 MiLeap College Success Grant to Transform Student Support Services

Student Success Center Initiative Will Provide Coordinated, Holistic Support to Improve Retention and Completion

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Lake Michigan College has been awarded a $650,000 MiLeap College Success Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) to establish a comprehensive Student Success Center that will transform how the college supports students from enrollment through graduation.

The Student Success Center represents a strategic response to critical challenges identified through qualitative and quantitative data analysis, including needed student support experiences, and equity gaps in retention and completion rates. By centralizing support services into one coordinated, student-centered hub, the initiative will integrate academic advising, success coaching, wellness services, and basic needs insecurity supports. "This grant allows us to fundamentally reimagine how we connect students to the resources they need to succeed," said Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, Lake Michigan College President. "Too many students struggle not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to or awareness of available help, lack a clear academic or career plan, and feel disconnected from institutional resources."

The Student Success Center will address these barriers through several key components:

Integrated Support Services: Academic advisors, success coaches, and student support specialists will work collaboratively to ensure students receive personalized guidance that adapts to their individual needs.

Proactive Outreach: Rather than waiting for students to seek help, the Center will use early alert systems and data analytics to identify students who may be struggling and connect them with appropriate interventions.

Formalized Success Scoring System: A structured assessment tool will guide advising and coaching caseloads, ensuring consistent, high-quality support for all students.

Holistic Approach: Beyond academics, the Center will help students navigate wellness resources, and basic needs support, essential for success in today's educational environment.

The initiative builds on extensive research and institutional data, including student surveys, focus groups, CARE Team insights, and stop-out and retention analysis. This evidence-based approach aligns with institutional strategic pillars of Academic Excellence and Student Success and reflects strong cross-departmental collaboration and planning.

“The Student Success Center will allow us to walk alongside students from the moment they consider enrolling until the day they complete their goals,” said Leslie Navarro, Associate Dean, Student Success & Well-Being and program lead for the initiative. “By bringing advising, success coaching, wellness, and basic needs support together in one place, we can respond more quickly, build stronger relationships, and remove barriers that too often derail students’ progress.”

Planning for the Student Success Center will begin this spring, and the college anticipates that this coordinated approach will significantly improve student engagement, planning, and success outcomes.

About Lake Michigan College

LMC is the region’s leader in high quality, affordable higher education, offering associate degrees, certificates, and transfer programs in more than 80 fields of study. LMC offers national-title-winning intercollegiate athletic teams, on-campus housing, and a wealth of extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations to create an authentic college experience close to home. For more information, visit lakemichigancollege.edu.

About MiLeap

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) provides funding to support innovative programs that improve educational outcomes and economic mobility for Michigan residents.