News

43 Years in Nursing for ’81 Graduate

Kathy (Eby) Mikel, a 1981 Southwestern Michigan College nursing graduate, “retired” last June from South Bend’s Memorial Hospital after almost 43 years. Memorial, a 647-bed hospital, is part of Beacon Health System. “I worked as an RN in NICU for 10 years and on the mother/baby unit as a lactation consultant for more than 32 years,” she said.

SMC Approves Faculty Contract, Adopts FY ’27 Budgets

At its regular monthly meeting on June 10, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement reached with the faculty union and adopted budgets for fiscal year 2027. The $30.7 million general fund for July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027, anticipates $13.4 million from tuition and fees, $8.5 million from property taxes on 2.3510 mills, $8.4 million in state appropriation and $0.4 million from other revenue.