HFC president Dr. Stan Jenson has accomplished a great deal since beginning his tenure in May of last year. Thus far he has pulled the college out of a $16 million budget deficit, successfully passed a millage, and proposed the idea of a school name change, which would ultimately drop the word community from its name (hfcc.edu).

With the fall semester in full swing, Jensen hopes to accomplish more for HFC, which he discussed on the CBS 62 program, Michigan Matters on September 28.

The program, hosted by Detroit Free Press columnist Carol Cain, focuses on current issues concerning the Detroit metro area.

Since removing community from its name in May, Jensen has opened new doors for HFC, including the creation of a university center. Partnering with Siena Heights University, students can take the required classes needed for their associate’s degree and then continue to stay on campus to complete their bachelor’s. In addition, Jensen is developing plans for HFC to have their own four degree programs (hfcc.edu).

“A year from now, we hope to have a four year degree in culinary arts,” he told Cain. “We hope to also have the law changed to allow a degree from us in four year nursing.”

A bachelor’s program in nursing would greatly benefit the college. HFC currently has the largest RN program in Michigan, with over 250 students graduating this past May said Jensen. (detroit.cbslocal.com)

“The baby boom generation is getting older; I’m getting older so we need more and more nurses. We already have the labs, those kinds of connections, and we should be able to have that be even more of a dynamic part of who we are as a college.”

While HFC is revamping their brand to stay competitive in the workplace, the low tuition rates will stay the same at $87 per credit hour. The college is also giving high school students the chance to jump start their college education and limit their amount of loans by creating the Henry Ford Early College program (detroit.cbslocal.com).

The program begins when students enter their ninth grade year, where they will follow a high school and college curriculum reports the Dearborn Public School website. After five years of early college, students will have enough credits to have a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in a health related field or two years of transferable credit.

“We’ve recently had one of our RNs graduate, and at 19, is an RN at Henry Ford Medical Center and making an average of $50,000 a year” said Jensen.
Although things are going well for HFC (the school’s enrollment is up one percent this year Jensen states), Cain pointed out that Michigan’s economy is not where it could be and asked Jensen if that factor will cause students to move to other states.

Jensen seemed unfazed, stating that the automotive, nursing, and engineering industries are in demand at the moment and students will be able to thrive in those careers.

“Ninety-five percent of our graduates stay in the state” he said. “It makes a huge economic impact on Dearborn and its surroundings.”

Along with Dr. Jensen, Cain also had the presidents of Wayne State University and the University of Detroit-Mercy as guests in the episode.

Michigan Matters airs every Sunday at 11:30am on CBS.