Community Education

High School Completion and GED Program

Continuing Education Services

Cultural Heritage Center

The Library

Community Education Bay Mills Community College recognizes community service, as one of its contributions to the educational and cultural needs of the students and the community beyond the formalized classroom instruction. The Community Education Program component provides a variety of services to the communities of Michigan. Community Service Programs are proposed, initiated and developed to satisfy the unique and specific educational needs of the college's service communities. Conferences, seminars and workshops are provided to citizens of all ages.


Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents


High School Completion and GED Program Consolidated Community School Services (CCSS) offers Bay Mills Community College students who are not high school graduates an opportunity to earn a high school diploma through dual-enrollment in college courses. CCSS also provides GED test preparation on- campus. Acceptance into these programs is based on age and regular high school completion date.


Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents


Continuing Education Services Continuing education provides life-long learning opportunities within the college's service area. Offerings cover a variety of subjects designed to reflect the needs of the community, including professional development, academic credit and non-credit enrichment choices. Continuing Education Services also offers conferences, teleconferences and seminars in cooperation with other tribal, regional or national organizations to meet the needs of our community.


Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents


Cultural Heritage Center The Cultural Heritage Center is located within the library building of Bay Mills Community College. Featuring the James 0. Keene Native American Heritage Collection, the Center consists of a museum of historic materials representing many of the indigenous cultures of North America. Mr. Keene, of Birmingham, Michigan, was an "elder" who, throughout his life, collected a wide variety of Indian-made items, many of which date back to the 19th century.

Artifacts in the collection that represent the diverse native cultures of North America may be viewed in enclosed cases. The museum is open to the public throughout the year. There is a small admission charge for non-students of $1.00, and a donation box is present for those who wish to contribute to the facility's growth.

Unrestricted donations of new material are always welcome. The Center's goal is to both preserve cultural items used by native people and to support the educational curriculum of the Great Lakes Native American studies program at BMCC.


Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents

The Library The college library, through its varied and expanding collections, is a major academic resource for students at Bay Mills Community College. Its facilities stimulate intellectual curiosity, promote research and provide an atmosphere of learning. A full-time librarian and several part-time assistants work to provide assistance to students and other patrons using the library.

The book collection is arranged according to the Library of Congress system in open stacks. The reference collection contains dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, bibliographies, manuals, almanacs, atlases and other volumes that can be used for rapid information retrieval. A special part of the library is devoted to a collection of over 900 books dealing with Native American topics, many of which were authored by Native American scholars. In addition, the library collection features audio and videocassettes on Native American history and culture, language, law, literature, mythology, and handicrafts to support and enrich the Native American studies curriculum at Bay Mills Community College.

The library also maintains interlibrary loan agreements with nearby public and academic libraries. An arrangement with the Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation- Automated Library System allows the patron to have access to over 1,500,000 books by utilizing an online system linking many of the libraries of the Upper Peninsula. Books and other research materials are readily available to BMCC library patrons by means of interlibrary loan.

Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents

 

The Virtual College The Virtual College, Nishnaabek Kinomaadewin, is an Internet based program utilizing computer technology to create an interactive environment for and among students and faculty. It provides the convenience of online delivery of instruction that allows students to study from their own location and on their own schedules.

Students may complete individual courses or a complete Associate of Arts degree in early Childhood education or Business Administration. Course work may include weekly online discussions, readings, and individual and group assignments. As in face-to-face courses, instructors require students to demonstrate mastery of subject knowledge through exams, course projects and research papers.

Registration, financial aid, textbook ordering and advisement are completed online. There is a student services mentor who acts as liaison between students and faculty when needed. Textbooks are shipped from the college. To learn more about online courses, visit the virtual college homepage at http://www.bmcc.edu

Back to Top   Back to Table of Contents

The Virtual Library In addidition to maintaining a regular print library, the college provides a Virtual Library for patrons seeking information via the Internet. Students may go to http://www.bmcc.edu/vlibrary or select the Virtual Library link from the BMCC home page at http://www.bmcc.edu to access the Virtual Library.

From the BMCC help page students can take a tour of the Virtual Library, use a site map or site index, search the Virtual Library site, e-mail the librarians, and read the Frequently Asked Questions. When patrons choose to use the Virtual Library, they may access books and papers dealing with scholarly and/or contemporary topics, full text magazine articles, local library catalogs, Native American studies information, and reference materials.

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and almanacs are all on-line. Children who need help with their homework can use the "Just for Kids" section. To get to Kids, click "Library".

Back to Top    Back to Table of Contents

Back to Bay Mills Community College Home Page