Lake Land College President Josh Bullock. Photo submitted by Lake Land College.
For Immediate Release – September 26, 2025
The following is an editorial from Lake Land College President Josh Bullock:
There’s something special about the Fall months at Lake Land College. It’s a time when campus truly comes to life as we welcome students back for another great year. As I see new and familiar faces here on campus, studying in our classrooms, using the technology in our labs, making new friends in our commons areas and cheering on the Lakers in our Field House, I’m reminded of just how much responsibility we carry as an institution to provide our students with an excellent campus experience. After all, a campus isn’t just a place to attend classes. It’s a place that holds the tools, resources and technologies that empower students to master their crafts and launch meaningful careers. It’s a place where ideas grow, friendships are formed and futures begin to take shape.
If there is any doubt about how crucial the campus experience is for students, consider a recent study by Forbes, which found that 84% of prospective students made campus visits a part of their college selection process. It’s evident that for students, seeing a college in person – and witnessing firsthand the culture, resources, technology and facilities that will help shape their futures – is a vital factor in any college choice. We can attest to this ourselves at Lake Land College. Our Laker Visit Day events, which allow local high school students to visit campus, tour buildings and meet our caring faculty and staff, are consistently among our most effective recruitment tools. During the 2024-2025 school year, 53% of Laker Visit Day attendees enrolled at Lake Land College.
With this in mind, it’s clear that strategic improvements in our campus are crucial investments in student recruitment, retention and success. That’s why it is my privilege to share with you some exciting updates that are new to campus for 2025 and which will provide a welcoming, supportive and inspiring experience for our students and communities for many years to come.
Over the summer, we renovated our Student Success Center, which provides vital services to help our students excel throughout their time at Lake Land. At the Student Success Center, students can access free tutoring in any subject, complete placement and accommodation testing, receive tips for productive homework and study habits and much more. The updated Student Success Center offers a modern, welcoming space more conducive to tutoring and testing than ever before, complete with improved soundproofing for the center’s private study rooms and designated testing area. The renovations for the Student Success Center were completed just in time for the start of the new semester, and it’s been incredible to see so many students already enjoying the upgraded space.
Across campus in the Northwest building lies our next major project: upgraded and remodeled science labs. This is another project we kicked off over the summer, and we’re excited to see the full vision for the labs nearing completion. The new labs will provide students with an enhanced learning experience, with technology and equipment on par with anything you’d find at a university. In fact, we often hear from our transfer students that they are better prepared than their peers for high-level university courses, having spent two years using equipment available only to university upperclassmen. We’re always proud to see how our hands-on approach to learning is giving our students a leg up, and we can’t wait to see how our new science labs continue to help boost academic success when they are completed in October.
We’re also wrapping up a couple of lofty campus improvements, with extensive renovations to both the West Building and Field House roofs. These projects are crucial investments in two of our key facilities, with the Field House roof in particular serving as a breathtaking sight for all campus visitors. The new roof is a striking Laker red, a bold symbol of our college pride and a beautiful showpiece for our campus. We hope you’ll come by soon to check out the new roof and stick around to catch a ballgame and cheer on our Lakers to victory!
Of course, our most significant campus improvement lies in Effingham, where we recently opened our newest extension center, the Effingham Technology Center. Spanning 100,000-square-feet, the building allows us to expand opportunities for higher education and workforce preparedness throughout the local region. The building offers dynamic, realistic learning opportunities in a number of cutting-edge facilities, including hospital simulation labs, a hands-on physical therapy lab, a spa-like massage clinic and a full chemistry and biology lab. The Effingham Technology Center also contains our first-ever Innovation Center, where virtual reality, augmented reality and makerspace labs provide an immersive space for students to test the limits of their imaginations.
As you can see, there is plenty for us to be excited about throughout the community as we start the new school year. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to promote academic success, foster a positive community and provide our students with a state-of-the-art experience through these strategic investments in our campus. As we move ahead into this new school year, I look forward to discussing with you the vital role that campuses play in creating inviting, sustainable and supportive spaces for our students while enhancing the reputation and long-term viability of our college.
For more of my thoughts about a range of innovative topics that impact higher education, our communities and our future, be sure to check out the Laker Advantage Podcast: Insights and Sidebars with Dr. B on Spotify.
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