Shortening the International Bridge

Sault College President Dr. Ron Common and Lake Superior State University (LSSU) President Dr. Tony McLain have taken a step to shorten the International Bridge between the Twin Soos.

In an educational sense, that is.

Officials from both postsecondary institutions gathered at Sault College Monday morning to sign a transfer agreement whereby Sault College Electrical Engineering Technology diploma students, upon graduating from Sault College, may transfer to LSSU and graduate with a Lake State Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.

The degree requirements can be completed with only three additional semesters of study after graduation from Sault College.

It should be noted, however, that Canadian graduates of the LSSU program will still be required to pass certain exams on this side of the border to satisfy Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) requirements. 

Graduates will then enter the workforce with both a diploma and a degree.

Present at Monday’s signing were (front row, left to right) Dr. Common and Dr. McLain, and (back row, left to right) Sault College Dean of Environment and Technology Colin Kirkwood and LSSU Dean of Business and Engineering Dr. David Finley.

While this does not represent the first study agreement between the two institutions, Dr. Common told SooToday.com  “this is historic in terms of our engineering program.  It’s one more ‘laddering’ opportunity for our graduates.”

“This initiative springs out of the concept of combining some very job-ready skills with the theoretical.  It’s a marriage of college programs, which are very focused on applied learning, with the more academic side of engineering.”

Kirkwood told us having two credentials can be a benefit.

“There are some employers who recognize degrees as a competitive advantage for people applying for jobs.” 

Kirkwood added “I think what is important about this arrangement is that the world is shrinking as far as employment goes, and an international credential is really valuable to a student, whether it’s a degree or a diploma.”

“When someone has a diploma from a Canadian institution and a degree from an institution from the United States, that opens up a lot of possibilities and credibility for that student internationally.”

LSSU President Dr. Tony McLain told us “we’re excited about it.”

“Unfortunately, in the last decade, that International Bridge between our two cities seems to have gotten a lot longer, as some of the (post 9-11) security issues seem to have lengthened it.”

“Our goal is to shorten it through these kinds of ventures.  We have a great time with Canadian students.  They do very well at our University, and we’re always very proud to say we’ve been a part of their education.”

“Every once in a while we get to keep one or two.  That’s a benefit to us too,” he smiled.

The most obvious benefit for Lake State is, of course, Canadian students paying tuition fees to the University.

However, Dr. McLain said there are other benefits.

“There is a need for international experience and working with people from other nations.”

“I think it’s really important to have that experience, and we gain that experience by having our students mix with Canadian students.”

The cross-over benefits are there after graduation, Dr. Finley added.

“We have several graduates who are Canadian who have come to the U.S. and garnered employment in Michigan and Wisconsin, and vice versa.  We have a couple of our graduates at Tenaris this year.”

Sault College Professor (and Coordinator, Electrical Department) Rob McTaggart said “historically we’ve had graduates out of the Electrical Technology program work in the States.”

Dr. Common told an audience gathered for Monday’s signing, “we look forward to many more innovative agreements in the future.”