2024 Benefits Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment for 2024 is Nov. 6–17. Please plan to attend one of the two Zoom meetings that are scheduled for Nov. 6, 2023, at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. All employees should have received a calendar invite for these open enrollment meetings. If you did not, please contact Hollie DeWalt. 

A recorded session will be available on the benefits webpage for those who are unable to attend.

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Brandi McCrum – Lead Accounting Assistant/ Bookkeeper
    • Jade Bailey, supplemental – Food Service, Back of House
    • Meigan Lanning, student employee – Science & Math Office Assistant

October Conference projects on deck—Are you ready?

Registration begins soon for October Conference 2023! Get a sneak peek of the projects for this day. Note: You will receive an email when it is time to register for your project group.

If your project is not on the list, please email lhodek@nmc.edu.

Open to Anyone with connections to the topic:

    • Creating DEIB Learning Opportunities for Employees
    • Increasing and Expanding Dual Enrollment and Early College (Lisa vonReichbauer) 
    • Neurodiversity Support Center: Empowering Minds, Embracing Differences (Nancy Gray) 
    • Creating new Experiential Learning Opportunities and improving your existing ELOs. (Brandon & Kristy) 
    • Expanding NMC’s Partnerships – throughac you! (Jennifer Hricik)
    • Automation of AP Processes (Create Paperless Workflows for Forms and Signatures) (Lindsey Lipke)
    • Developing an Informed Withdraw process (Alyssa Irani)  
    • Program Marketing Strategies for Nothern Michigan (Ed Bailey)
    • Thinklocker: Using the Perceptual Learning Application (Tom Gordon) 
    • NMC’s Future Learning Management System: Student Success as Instructional Design (Terri Gustafson) 
    • Creating a student space (Hollianne McHugh)
    • Writing Across the Curriculum (Melissa Sprenkle) 
    • Beautification and Restoration of the Tanis building and surrounding grounds. (Todd Haines) 

Closed/Pre-identified teams with connections to the topic groups with:

    • Increasing Student Engagement and Belonging within the Business Division (Lisa Balbach) 
    • EES Prioritization of Portfolio Segments & Timeline Alignment (Laura Matchett)
    • USCG Approval Process Jerry Achenbach) 
    • Create a desmos activity repository and create rubrics for departmental final exams (Tony Jenkins) 
    • Design and implement a construction trades curriculum with emerging technologies (Carolyn Andrews, Dan Goodchild)
    • Accreditation Dental Site Visit Walk Through (Beckie Wooters)
    • National Nursing – Tina Rayfield Workshop Part I (Tami Livengood)
    • Brainstorm Events Coordinator for the Museum (Megan Holtry)
    • Financial Aid Workflow Mapping – internal and external (Linda Berlin)
    • Innovation in project management for enrollment marketing (Diana Fairbanks/PRMC)
    • Surgical Technology Lab Structure/Simulations (Breana Goodell)
    • Academic Area Office Managers Processes (Margaret Fox)
    • Promotional Project Builds for NMC Makerspace (Keith Kelly)
    • Introduction to Environmental Science course development (Robb Houston)
    • Rethinking recruiting & examining potential transfer agreement partners for the Fine Arts & VisComm (Glenn Wolff)
    • Emerging EV Battery Technologies & integration (Jeff Morse)
    • Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in Biology (Nick Roster-Science)
    • Helping Students Learn: Physics (Mike Franklin)
    • Communications Department Outreach and Marketing to Area Majors (Sarah Wangler-Communications)

 

For questions, email Janet Lively or Lori Hodek.

Kudos!

Kudos to Kim Gourlay & the Facilities department! Kim Gourlay and Facilities helped to welcome our College for Kids summer learning partner, Kids on the Go, in the Beckett Building. Kids on the Go provides children (ages 3-17 years old) who have special needs with physical, occupation, speech and recreational therapies. Thank you for being so warm and welcoming to our College for Kids partners, staff, instructors, and families.

Kudos to Wayne Moody and the Automotive team! Kudos to Wayne Moody and the Automotive Team for another wonderful car show! It was a great day weather-wise and a record-breaking turnout again this year! Great work!


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!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Koren Klumpp – Graphic Coordinator
    • Lil Anderson – Hagerty Center Event Coordinator
    • Aiden Travis, student employee – Audio Technology
    • Vickie Hamilton, supplemental employee – Test Proctor
    • Tyler Mathie – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor
    • Larry Burdick – Adjunct Business Law Instructor
    • Gretchen Davis, student employee – Enrollment Services
    • Brittany Tracey, student employee – Fitness Center
    • Keaton Wolf – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor

Kudos!

Kudos to Marcus Bennett! Thank you Dr. Bennett for bringing in Ken James from MCC to talk about DEI issues at the community college level and adding more strategies for ways we can support our students.

Kudos to Lisa Molmen! Lisa has been so instrumental in getting all of our new employees set up during the August hiring craze. She is quicker than the flash to get files pushed through so our employees have needed access and is always there to help when things don’t work the way we want them to. Thank you, Lisa, for helping us make it work—we couldn’t do it without you!

Kudos to Alison Thornton, Michelle Beckett, Elliot Richards, and Ricky Hagberg! The fabulous Technology Help Desk team is always there to make sure our new hires have everything set up that they need to be successful. They are quick to help and always with patience and a smile. Thank you all!

Kudos to Elizabeth Sonnabend! Elizabeth Sonnabend continues to grow Workforce Training opportunities for our community by creating local partnerships. These partnerships not only ensure high quality learning, but also provide hands-on, real experiential learning as part of the curriculum, which lead to a living wage career pathway. Thanks to Elizabeth, NMC Extended Education & Training’s online Medical Billing Specialist program will be implemented in Thirlby Clinic’s new Medical Billing Apprenticeship Program. The agreement was signed at the Apprenticeship Launch Network’s conference at Great Wolf Lodge and is available for registration through the MITC (Michigan Talent Connect) website: mitalent.org/mitc. Thank you, Elizabeth, for ensuring that NMC Extended Education & Training’s programs lead to careers that are both needed in our area, and provide sustainable living wages.

Kudos to Amy Klei! We have had several changes in the Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners Scholarship programs. We are also implementing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship for 2023 graduating seniors. These programs have required numerous IT programming changes. Amy has done an amazing job in providing professional support and timeliness and crafting these changes to the benefit of the Financial Aid Department and ultimately our students.

Kudos to Lisa Thomas and Amanda Clark! Thank you for organizing Pine Palooza 2023! The students and staff were engaged in what NMC has to offer. It was a great way to start off the academic year.

Kudos to Erika Cotner! GLMA has been advertising for an assistant engineer for the training ship for greater than one year. Over this period of time Erika continuously revised the job description, researched additional avenues for advertising the position and worked with GLMA to find a candidate. Additionally, she was incredibly flexible with facilitating the ability for search team members to complete interviews while they were sailing on the training ship.

Kudos to our Student Success coaches! Once again, the Student Success coaches here at NMC provided a great opportunity for incoming students and returning students to join in various Welcome Week activities. Thank you for making our students feel a sense of community and belonging here at NMC. Go Hawk Owls!


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!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Will Stanton, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Molly Kostrzewa – Adjunct Nursing Instructor

October Conference: Call for projects

We need you to bring your innovation mindset to October Conference on October 10 to advance projects central to the college’s mission. October Conference features problem-solving training followed by workshop time to focus on projects related to the strategic plan, the master plan or other college goals. Appropriate projects should be already vetted and, preferably, cross-departmental. Projects can have an existing working group or be open to additional participants. Projects can be just getting started or approaching completion. 

Got a project you’re working on that needs support? Project leads should complete the form as soon as your project has been identified, no later than Friday, September 15, so we can begin registering project team members. 

 

 

Facilitator training will be available before this event. Employee registration begins soon.

If you are not sure if your project is a fit for October Conference or if you have any questions, contact Lori Hodek at lhodek@nmc.edu or (231) 995-1143 and Janet Lively at jlively@nmc.edu or (231) 995-1231.

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Kim Dobek – Student Financial Services Office Assistant
    • Hannah Diehl, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Rachel Scott, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Kaleigh Conroy, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Loralee Rivett, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Leith Elzie, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Elizabeth Huntley, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Isabella Martindale, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Moira McGuan, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Rory Sirrine, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Lexa Southwell, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Zoe Verhoeven, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Amos Nickerson – Adjunct Electrical Instructor
    • Ferne Koorn – Supplemental Banquet Server
    • Lexi Minzey, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Emma Marion, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Grace Hales, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Lindsey Mead – Adjunct Nursing Instructor
    • Christina Walsh – Adjunct Social Work Instructor
    • Kathy Malone – Adjunct Spanish Instructor
    • Barbara Slagel, supplemental employee – Music Ensemble Accompanist
    • Leslie Williams – Adjunct Dance Instructor
    • Kathleen Shannon – Adjunct Business Law Instructor
    • Matthew Anderson – Adjunct Culinary Instructor
    • McKenzie Johnson, student employee – Audio Technology
    • Gracie Cruz, student employee – Residence Life
    • Carlos Gomez, student employee – Residence Life
    • Jose Reynoso-Mazoy, student employee – Fitness Center
    • William Lewellen, student employee – Audio Technology
    • Nicholas Punla Smith, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Kierce Janis, student employee – Writing and Reading Center
    • Natalie Thayer, supplemental employee – Banquet Server
    • Alexander Thayer, supplemental employee – Test Proctor

Kudos!

Kudos to Kirk Waterstripe! Kirk was a huge help to Shannon McCann and Annie Callahan, two of our very popular College for Kids instructors (All Aboard the Hogwarts Express and STEM classes). Kudos to Kirk Waterstripe for going above and beyond to assist the College for Kids instructors in the Health and Science Building this summer (showcasing our chemistry labs to the community!). Thank you for being a special friend to Hogwarts and to our super science-y Hawk Owls!

Kudos to Dave Weaver! Thank you to Dave Weaver for supplying keyboards from our NMC e-waste, helping us recycle and learn! The College for Kids students greatly enjoyed the experience of taking them apart and learning how real keyboards work.


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!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Bilal Sheikh – Assistant Chief Flight Instructor
    • Megan Bylsma – Major Gifts Officer
    • Ruby Barden – Audio Technology Assistant
    • Laura Korch – Ceramics/Fine Arts Instructor
    • Corbin Thompson – Residence Hall Manager
    • Keith Kasper – Adjunct Flight Instructor
    • Abby Sprenkle – Adjunct Communications Instructor
    • Zak Peter – Adjunct Culinary Instructor
    • Bernadette Stremlow – Student Writing Center
    • Brian Grossnickle – Adjunct Ceramics Instructor
    • Benjamin Herman – Adjunct Construction Technology
    • Heidi Hess – Adjunct Culinary Instructor

Internal Promotions

The following NMC employees were recently promoted. Congratulations!

    • Grant McKay – Health Occupations Instructor
    • Katy Knight – Student Life Office Manager

Kudos!

Kudos to Lisa Boike! Lisa was instrumental in working with the Business Office to once again reformat banking files for our reconciliation processes. She worked tirelessly and so patiently with us and navigated complicated information in order to revamp the files so they would work correctly with our upload process. We can’t thank you enough, Lisa for all your hard work and patience to help us get the accurate information necessary to complete our reconciliations! Thank you!

Kudos to Todd Haines! Todd responded to a temperature alarm alert for one of Great Lakes Culinary Institute walk-in coolers received by NMC security on late Saturday evening, June 24. It was above a safe temperature as the compressor had failed. Todd moved all of our perishable food items from that cooler into a working cooler. On Monday I learned that Hagerty Center’s walk-in cooler compressor also failed which sent another alarm alert to security once again. Todd responded and again moved all their perishable food items from the GL Campus 1st floor to GLCI in the 2nd floor. What a workout!!!! Thanks, Todd, for saving GLCI/NMC a lot of money in food and work; the students would have had to do to remake all the items that could have been lost due to temperature abuse.

Kudos to Kristi Hallett! Kristi supports Extended Education, it’s 200+ instructors, it’s 500+ classes requiring NMC classrooms and it’s 5,500 seats sold to our community of learners by scheduling all of EES’s in-person classes. Kristi just completed scheduling all of the fall 2023 EES classes that take place on an NMC campus. She helps us find the right space for each class, and the EES team greatly appreciates her communication and support of our programming.

Kudos to Tait Ricks! Thank you to Tait, our new Americorps Success Coach, for helping us expand the Professional Clothing Closet in the Osterlin Building after the donation drive at the Pride Carnival. This involved a lot of work and Tait volunteered to help and ran with the project. We appreciate your efforts to ensure the closet is ready with more options for the fall semester!

Kudos to Sarah Montgomery-Richards, Amber Marsh and Becca Richardson! Sarah, Amber & Becca finished the first College Edge session this past week and it was a huge success! Every student that started the 5-week program made it through the entire session to earn a $1,000 NMC Scholarship for fall! The trio was dedicated to helping every student be college-ready and learn the skills necessary to be successful this fall. They introduced them to resources and provided wrap around services to ensure the student felt a warm welcome and sense of belonging! These women are amazing leaders and great mentors for these students! They start a new session with over double the students on July 10. Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to helping our students succeed!

Kudos to Tom Auch! Tom has dedicated over 20 years to the Student Success Center and also teaches as an adjunct when needed. His flexibility to work evening and weekend hours provides our students, as well as new and prospective students taking placement, more convenient and sometimes necessary testing times. Tom brings a positive, upbeat attitude every day he is here and goes above and beyond for any student needing extra help. His commitment to NMC and our students is hard to match. We are so grateful he is on our team!

Kudos to Lisa Cooper, Jason Slade, Nicole Fewins, Katie Sommer-Ford, Alyssa Irani, Rorie Kawula and the EES Team! Thank you to NMC employees who helped greet our youngest Hawk Owls on campus for College for Kids programming the first three weeks of summer! Thank you for your time and warm welcome to our students and their families.

Kudos to Dave Weaver! Thank you to Dave Weaver for supplying keyboards from our NMC e-waste, helping us recycle and learn! The College for Kids students greatly enjoyed the experience of taking them apart and learning how real keyboards work.


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!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Alex Walsh, Supplemental – Veteran Success Coach
    • Jeffrey Daniels, Supplemental – Maritime Academy
    • Ann Hosler, Supplemental – Writing and Reading Center
    • Liam Thelander – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor
    • Evan Zahrt – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor

Kudos!

Kudos to Katy Grimmer, Randi Nelson & Sarah Sergent from Learning Services:  We have the best students working in our department already, but we were so ecstatic to see that Katy, Randi and Sarah made the Dean’s List this spring!! They exemplify what it means to be a hard working hawk owl and we are lucky to have them.

Kudos to Christa Abdul-Karim:  Christa represented EES College for Kids at the Price Carnival event last weekend. Christa supported NMC Extended Education by giving away over 200 prizes, increasing our enews list, spending time with attendees at the event, and all around spreading the good word of EES. Volunteering during a precious Saturday in June demonstrates Christa’s dedication to our programming; it is greatly valued and appreciated by her EES Team.

In addition to supporting NMC EES, her involvement in the Pride Carnival showcases her genuine support for the LGBTQ+ community, and thus, her dedication to promoting inclusivity and diversity, a strategic initiative here at NMC.

On behalf of the EES Team, I want to express our gratitude for Christa’s outstanding efforts, passion, and dedication. We are incredibly fortunate to have you as a member of our team!

Kudos to Les Eckert and GLCI Team:  I am so excited that Lobdell’s is open again this summer. Their breakfast and coffee was outstanding!!! I am looking forward to going back many more times this summer for meetings or for just the great food.


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!

Need help with goals/evaluations in NEOED Perform?

Drop in sessions are available via Zoom. Click the links below to join one of the upcoming meetings. Stay for as much or as little time as you need!

Step-by-step instructions may also be found here:

Please review the timelines for goals and performance evaluations:

 

Adjunct Performance Review Timeline (Spring 2023)

May 12 Adjunct writes self review
June 26   Academic chair/reviewer writes review
June 26 Manage meeting reviewer
June 26   Acknowledge meeting; sign off electronically (both)

 

Faculty Performance Evaluations Timeline

April 24 Faculty current year goals (2022-2023) due in NEOED Perform
May 1   Supervisor approves current year goals in NEOED Perform*
May 26 Faculty self-evaluations due*
July 24 Supervisor evaluations finalized & meetings conducted*
July 31 Goals plans available to add new faculty goals (new)
Sep. 15 All faculty annual goal plans submitted to supervisor*
Oct. 13   Annual plan goals approved by supervisor*
Oct. 13   Faculty begin working on goals*

 

Staff MyPDCA Performance Review Timeline

April 24 Staff current year goals (2022-2023) due in NEOED Perform
May 1   Supervisors approve current year goals in NEOED Perform*
May 26 Staff self-evaluations due
June 23 Supervisor evaluations finalized & meetings conducted (forms signed by supervisor and employee)
June 23 Staff goal planning meetings completed
June 24 Staff goal plans available (bew)
July 21 Staff goal plans due to supervisor (electronically)
July 28 Supervisor approves staff goal plans
July 28 Staff begin working on their new goals

 

For additional support, please enter a HelpDesk ticket at helpdesk@nmc.edu under NEOED/SilkRoad or email hr@nmc.edu.