In the beginning of April, WAND TV aired quoting Representative Adam Brown who reported that Lake Land College was at risk for closing if the state budget was not approved. This statement is in fact untrue and may have been taken out of context. However in light of this TV report, our President, Jonathon “Josh” Bullock, PhD., has reached out to reassure the students of this false report. The following letter is a personal address to students whom may have continuing concerns about Lake Land College’s stability and if their education is secure.

Dear Navigator Editor and Lake Land College students,

Spring is an exciting time at Lake Land College. I truly look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you and to our upcoming Commencement ceremony.

As the year draws to a close, I must admit it has been one of the most unprecedented in the college’s history. I anticipate as you read this we will be in our eleventh month without state funding, leaving an $18 million hole in our operating budget. While this situation is challenging, it is my sincere hope that your Lake Land College experience remains unchanged.

Many of you may be wondering why your college is not feeling the pinch as great as many of the institutions your friends attend. There are several reasons for this. The first and foremost is that we began preparing for this situation more than two years ago by implementing cost savings. Throughout this entire process, our goal has been to make these adjustments with the least possible impact to you. All the decisions we make are designed to maintain quality programming and services to our students. We streamlined operations, reduced budgets by 25 percent and implemented layoffs for a handful of positions to generate savings.

While we have been able to mitigate the impact to your experiences here, we do know that the lack of MAP funding has been a hardship for many of you. We are hopeful that our legislators and governor will reach a resolution soon that restores MAP funding to you.

As the state’s fiscal year comes to a close on June 30, 2016, we are extremely hopeful that our elected officials will pass an appropriation to fund higher education and Lake Land College. As we head into July, the college may have to make some additional cuts. Our intent will always be to minimize the impact to you.

One way in which you can help the college is to register TODAY for your summer and fall classes. By registering before the semester ends you can create the schedule that you want and help us plan for the summer and fall. I urge you to check in with your adviser for clearance and register to continue working toward your goals.

Thank you for choosing Lake Land College to engage your mind and change your life. Go Lakers!

Dr. Josh Bullock

Lake Land College President