Horner named dean of SMC Niles campus
Published 7:16 pm Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees announces the appointment of Dr. Stacy Horner as dean of the college’s Niles Campus. The announcement came during the board’s regular meeting Monday night.
Dr. Horner, who has held the position of chair of the college’s School of Business since 2007, was also named dean of the School of Business. She has been with the college since 2005 when she began teaching business classes.
Dr. Horner has a doctorate in leadership with an emphasis on higher education administration from Andrews University. She has a Master in Business Administration from Bethel College and a Bachelor of Arts from Manchester College.
Previously coming to SMC, Dr. Horner worked as an internal auditor and taught accounting and business classes at Davenport University.
“Under Dr. Horner’s leadership, the School of Business has grown more than 500 percent,” SMC President Dr. David Mathews said. “She will bring this same level of enthusiasm for service enhancements and program development to the Niles campus this fall including additional business and allied health courses, as well as developing more program choices and more course availability.”
The college announced in March a $3 million renovation project to its Niles campus. The 50,000-square-foot main instructional building is located in Cass County’s Milton Township along U.S. 12 just east of Niles. The campus also includes the college’s M-TEC Building that houses the Michigan Technical Education Center.
The renovation project will be completed in phases with the first phase currently underway which includes upgrades to the academic and advising areas as well as the Learning Center. Two collaborative science labs are being added that will facilitate the hands-on, student-centered approach to science instruction used by SMC faculty, Dr. Mathews said.
The college will also continue to offer a number of Advanced Technology programs at its M-TEC facility including robotics, precision machining technology, mechatronics, welding, and industrial technology.
A grand re-opening of the Niles Campus will be held on Saturday, August 10th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to come see the results of the Phase I renovations. Food and on-site registration and advising will be provided.
In other business, the board set the date for its public hearing on the proposed 2013-2014 budget. The hearing is scheduled at 7:30-8 p.m. June 17 in the second floor board conference room in the College Services Building on the Dowagiac campus. The budget hearing is a requirement of the Michigan Truth in Taxation legislation.
