Bay College West instructors Crystal Hendrick, left, and Britt Slade display the new refrigerator purchased by the Michigan Education Association for the student food pantry.

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Covid-19 pandemic has forced everyone into life adjustments, and the world of education has been particularly affected. For college students, classes, schedules, and daily lives have been altered –sometimes necessitating students to rely on assistance for basic needs.

The full-time faculty of Bay College has a long-standing commitment to help students succeed in college. Through their Michigan Education Association-affiliated Faculty Association, they focused on initiatives to keep students safe and healthy.

During the fall semester, they donated a refrigerator to the West Campus Student Food Pantry in Iron Mountain. Both Bay College campuses have Student Food Pantries to keep students food-secure and healthy. Bay West instructors Crystal Henderson and Britt Slade helped identify and meet this need.

Recently, they also donated $3,600 to the Bay College Student Emergency Fund, created to help students through crises and unexpected problems that arise that might keep them from attending school.

“Our faculty discussed various ways to respond to the current crisis but ultimately decided that this donation would make the greatest impact toward directly helping our students who need it the most,” association president Molly Campbell said.

Director of Student Life Dave Laur agreed, with a big thank you. “The need of our students is definitely great,” he said.

The Bay faculty also continues to support two ongoing projects. They sponsor monetary awards for the six Outstanding Graduate Award winners, given each May. They also have endowed and contribute annually to a Faculty Association Scholarship, which awards at least two scholarships per year focused on assisting current students with degree completion.

English instructor Nanci Love, also president of the local MEA 17B Coordinating Council, notes that union membership gives the faculty a forum to address such needs.

“Unions do more than just focus on labor topics. The union gives us a forum to discuss common concerns and issues. Helping students is our primary focus, and I’m proud of the charitable things our Faculty Association accomplishes,” she said.