Internal Promotion
Instructional Technology Specialist Justin Guillard has been promoted to Client Systems Administrator.
Wellness
2021 NMC Step Challenge begins the week of September 13!
Please join your colleagues for this year’s challenge as we Step Around the World.
Priority Health members- sign up through your portal HERE.
All other employees- email Hollie DeWalt at hdewalt@nmc.edu to access the Google tracking sheet.
Kudos!
Kudos to NMC facilities and custodial teams for supporting College for Kids programming this summer. College for Kids utilizes many of our NMC buildings and campuses, and this summer we’ve set up camp in Scholars Hall for our new full day programming (and continue to run our half day classes as well). Facilities and the custodial teams have made the space hospitable for the youngest Hawk Owls. Thank you!
Kudos to Koleen Spigarelli and Ashley Hulwick who did a fantastic job testing students for Move-In Week! Not only were they testing them back to back, but they were also cleaning between tests, running back to enter in results, and heading back to the next student on the schedule for hours! These ladies rocked their job and went above and beyond to get students tested so they could move in. You couldn’t tell it was only Ashley’s fourth day in Health Services by the way she flawlessly handled the situation! Koleen was not only testing, but also working on her presentation for the parents, and taking care of her everyday duties as Director and Nurse Practitioner for Student Health Services! The students and I couldn’t have done it without them; thanks, ladies!
Kudos to Kristin Salathiel: Thank you for presenting at the Board of Trustees meeting this month! Your presentation with Colin about non-traditional assessment was innovative and creative! NMC is lucky to have such an excellent educator!
Kudos to Custodial Services and Facilities: WOW! …That was the first word out of my mouth this morning when I entered West Hall. It was done! All of the tables, chairs, workspaces, group areas…done. Even with the detail of the smaller coffee tables configured to reach the plugs on the walls. The teaching podiums were set up with cables run to the correct ports. Having been through the process of reading blueprints, locating furniture, and setting up the active learning labs, I know the process and it is not easy. Please pass along my praise, accolades, and kudos to those that converted these areas in the middle of the night. I greatly appreciate it!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Internal Promotions
Katy Knight has been recently promoted to Testing Center Lead Proctor & Data Specialist. Brady Corcoran has been recently promoted to Audio Technology Coordinator.
Employee Anniversaries – August
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)
Kudos!
Kudos to Jim Bensley: Thank you for your presentation to the Board of Trustees for the faculty report! Your Experiential Humanities Portfolio was a great example of faculty innovation! You and your students are creative, brave and exemplify the spirit of academic excellence we continue to see during the pandemic.
Kudos to Lindsey Lipke, Cathy Brown, Kim Gourlay, and Mark West: The Board of Trustees approved a banking contract with Huntington Bank in March 2021. Lindsey Lipke and Kim Gourlay of the Business Office have since worked tirelessly to transition the College’s deposits, investments, and credit card processing functions to Huntington’s new platform, as well as help integrate banking functionality with Banner. Along with Lindsey and Kim, Cathy Brown and Mark West have spent significant time training with the new online banking system. The combined efforts have helped provide a seamless transition that is expected to save the College $25,000 over a 3-year period.
Kudos to Jackie Schenk: Jackie works in the Extended Educational Services office and has spent the last year going out of her way to engage with our lifelong learning students and instructors. The pandemic caused many of our students, especially those who live alone, to be quite lonely. When the pandemic first started, she made countless phone calls checking on many of our students, advisory board members, and instructors. She continues to engage with the community in this way; she knows our students, she knows their stories – some of them for over 20 years. Many of our EES students call specifically asking for her, as she represents their personal connection to the college, and that means a lot to this community. Thank you, Jackie!
Kudos to Katy Knight: Yesterday Katy helped a new student and this was the message that he sent:
Katy,
Thanks so much for your help today with placement testing, computer use, and getting in touch with my advisor. This was my first experience with NMC and you made it an extraordinarily positive one. I really appreciate your thorough and courteous support and look forward to seeing you on campus this semester.
He also wanted this shout-out to go up the chain of command to the head of her department! We want all of NMC to know how appreciative we are of Katy for all that she does at our proctoring desk!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Internal Promotions
Scott Welch has been promoted to Aviation Maintenance Mechanic.
Wellness- Gardening and Reaping your Harvest
“Knowledge is like a garden; If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.” – Proverb
Properly caring for a garden is a big investment of time and commitment. However, all our dedication pays off with a plentiful crop. From the first juicy strawberry in June to the sweetest ear of corn in September, we harvest the benefits of our hard work and tender loving care. The same holds true when we’re cultivating our own lives. We know we are experiencing the benefits when we find meaningful work, develop healthy and loving relationships, and create wonderful memories. It’s true, we really do reap what we sow!
Daily Practice: What are you sowing? What are you reaping?
Kudos!
Kudos to Rorie Kawula: Rorie has stepped up the last few months and taken on a lot with our reimagined orientation for students. She has been instrumental in our ability to collaborate across multiple departments to get our new students through all their orientation steps. We are so grateful to be able to work with her to ensure a positive, welcoming experience for our incoming students! Thank you for all you do, Rorie!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Wellness- Gardening and Building a Fence
“A garden is a friend you can visit anytime.” – Anonymous
Security, privacy, and protection are reasons why we build fences. In a garden, a fence keeps critters and clumsy feet from damaging the plants. A fence can also add a beautiful boundary around the space. Yet, be mindful what you keep out. A wise gardener built a fence to keep the deer and bunnies away, but he always had a gate so his neighbors, family and friends could come right in and grab a bunch of flowers, pick some ripe tomatoes, or cultivate a conversation. Fences make good neighbors if they have a gate.
Daily Practice: Where have you built a fence in your life? Does it have a gate?
Wellness- Gardening’s Life Lessons
Gardening and Creating a Vision
“Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, you can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.” – Unknown
Creating our life is a lot like designing a garden. It requires a vision. Do we imagine food or flowers? When roses, both pink and white come to mind, we’ve found our basic approach. Studying and learning the fundamentals for healthy growth is key to producing a beautiful bouquet. The same is true for creating the life we envision for ourselves. We define our purpose and actively keep ourselves ‘hydrated’ in self-care, knowledge, and effort so we can grow into the best version of our vision.
Daily Practice: Today, ask yourself two questions: Are you living the vision you have for your life? If not, why?
Employee Anniversaries – July
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)
Health Savings Account Deposits
If you are enrolled in NMC’s high deductible medical insurance, you should expect your second HSA deposit on July 2, 2021.
- Single Coverage – $390.00
- Family Coverage (includes all coverage beyond single) – $780.00
Supplemental Retirement Plans available through payroll deduction
If you are interested in having pretax deductions withheld from your paycheck, please review this information. Contact Hollie DeWalt, hdewalt@nmc.edu in HR for more information.
Priority Health added programs
If you are enrolled in the NMC Priority Health coverage these added programs may benefit you and your families!
- Tru Hearing – discounts for hearing aids
- Active and Fit – fitness center discounts
- My Strength – emotional wellness support
- Virtual Care Visits – from the comfort of your home
BCBS Settlement Notice postcard
If you were an employee enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plan through NMC between 2015 – 2019, you likely received a postcard in the mail from BCBS. If you plan to submit a claim please use the instructions below to obtain your Enrollee ID Number. NMC Group ID is 007040422.
Call the BCBS Customer Service Number – 877-671-2583. When you get to the phone triage, respond that you are “Already a Member” and when they ask for the Enrollee ID, respond that “you don’t have it”.
Once you get to a Customer Service Rep, you may be asked for some other information such as birth date or address just to confirm your identification. Let them know that you need to know your member ID from when you were enrolled with them. We used BCBS medical from 2015-2019.
Wellness Program- Everything you need to know!
Priority Health has provided us with unlimited resources regarding every faucet of wellbeing. Please read on for highlights of where and how you find those resources, along with the “challenges” offered for the 2021-2022 Wellness Program year!
A Tutorial Video on how to access the Priority Health Wellbeing Hub can be found here.
The Wellness Year (May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022) consists of several components.
- Monthly Lunch and Learn Zoom Calls- covering a wide range of wellness topics
- Access to the wellbeing hub if you are enrolled in Priority Health
- Individual appointments with a wellbeing consultant from Priority Health
Challenges
- September- Step Challenge (Race Around the World)
- November-January- Hold it for the Holidays
- Year-Round Challenge– Complete the Health Risk Assessment and 4 mini challenges of your choice. Get started today!
Employee Anniversaries – June
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)