Michigan lawmakers have appropriated $30 million in its fiscal year 2027 budget to support the renovation and expansion of Lake Superior State University’s Center for Applied Science and Engineering Technology (CASET).
The $40 million project will modernize the 46-year-old facility, which currently houses classrooms, laboratories and specialized learning spaces for the fire science, paramedic technology, mathematics and engineering programs. The state will cover 75% of the project cost, with the university providing the remaining 25%. The appropriation represents the largest capital investment Lake Superior State University has ever received.
The renovation and expansion will replace outdated infrastructure with more open learning spaces, modern laboratories, instrumentation and equipment designed to support interdisciplinary education, problem-solving and simulation-based learning. Students in fire science, mathematics and engineering will be able to collaborate across disciplines on complex challenges, while the criminal justice program will move into the CASET facility. University officials said the upgrades will help prepare students for high-demand fields and better align the facility with current workforce needs.
Lake Superior State University is located in Sault Ste. Marie along the Michigan-Ontario border and enrolls about 1,550 undergraduate students. The public university emphasizes small class sizes and hands-on learning, with a student-to-faculty ratio of about 15:1.
Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
For more of the latest from the expansive government marketplace, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals. Check out our national contracting newsletter here.
