Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) Extended Education & Training announces the release of its winter/spring catalog, offering more than 180 diverse classes for personal and professional growth. The catalog is now available online at www.nmc.edu/ees and registration is open for all learners.
This season, NMC is offering a wide range of in-person, livestream and online courses in both life enrichment and career-focused areas. Community members can explore topics such as cooking, painting, fitness, gardening, global cultures, technology and more. New courses this winter include DIY Bath Products, Healthy Ukrainian Cooking, Quilt As You Go and Crochet: The Very Beginning.
For a unique holiday gift, the Learn Together program offers a variety of classes designed for couples, families and friends. Whether it’s a date night or adult & child format, participants can bond while learning new skills in areas like furniture making, cooking, wine tasting, partner dancing and more.
In addition to individual courses, NMC Extended Education & Training also supports local businesses with custom training programs and corporate retreats tailored to meet specific organizational needs. For more information, businesses can contact NMC at ees@nmc.edu.
To explore the full catalog and secure your spot, visit nmc.edu/ees. To request a printed catalog, email ees@nmc.edu.
About Northwestern Michigan College Extended Education & Training
Northwestern Michigan College Extended Education & Training is a leading provider of lifelong and professional learning opportunities in the region. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, NMC Extended Education & Training strives to empower individuals and businesses to achieve their goals through high-quality educational programs and customized training solutions.
3 p.m. – Grand Traverse County (Drive Thru), NMC Front Street Campus Maple Parking Lot, 1701 E. Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49686
Wondering how to stretch your budget this school year? Let NMC and Feeding America help! Free fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, and more are available to all students and their families through our grant funded Mobile Food Pantry program. The program will distribute goods twice monthly during the 2024–25 school year. ALL Students are able to use this program: there are no means tests or financial measures to participate.
The first mobile food pantry will be held on Monday, Sept. 9 from 3–5 p.m. Hop in the car line in the Maple Lot on the Front Street Campus and drive through the distribution loop. Food will be loaded into your trunk. All students and their families are encouraged to participate. Each recipient receives approximately 7–10 days of fresh fruit, produce, and other food stuffs on a first come, first serve basis.
No car? No problem! You’re welcome to “walk through” and receive goods in a carry-able way. Feel free to bring a backpack or other reusable bags!
As a college, we recognize that so many students live paycheck to paycheck. Our mobile food pantry is specifically designed for students to supplement income with fresh, healthy foods and free up limited funds to go towards other expenses.
Mobile food pantries at NMC are offered in conjunction with the NMC Foundation, grant funding from the Oleson Foundation, and a partnership with Feeding America West Michigan. Each pantry distribution brings up to 7,500 pounds of fresh food, supplying approximately 110 NMC students and their families with an infusion of $350–400 worth of food each month. For 2024–25, this program is expected to free up approximately $318,000 of value in the budgets of our students so that they can meet their other financial obligations.
The NMC Food Pantry offers a variety of programs and resources for NMC students, including a self-service “Hungry Owls” food pantry on campus, mobile pantries, Goodwill resource certificates, and seasonal grab-and-go fruit. Financial support and donations are appreciated and can be sent to the NMC Foundation with the designation “NMC Food Pantry”.
The NMC Pantry programs and Mobile Food Pantry will always need volunteers. Please contact Paul Kolak pkolak@nmc.edu to volunteer with the pantry program or Cathy Warner cwarner@nmc.edu to volunteer with the mobile food pantry program.
The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin issuing warnings at NMC on Saturday, Aug. 24 and start issuing citations for parking violations on Tuesday, Sept. 3. All NMC students and employees must have their 2024–2025 permits displayed then. If you haven’t received your permit, they’re available at the Campus Safety & Security office in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center (#9 on the Front Street Campus map) and the Enrollment Services office on the main level of the Tanis Building (#5 on the Front Street Campus map).
The Traverse City Police Department has provided the following information on how to avoid parking tickets on campus by properly displaying your parking permit:
If you do get a ticket, payment can be made at the red drop-off payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science Building on main campus. You can also mail the fine in to the city, or pay at the parking services office in the public parking garage at 303 E. State St. Payment information is also on each ticket.
If you have any questions about parking enforcement on campus, please call Campus Safety & Security at (231) 995-1111.
As the college’s strategic plan, NMC Next, moves into its final year, I wanted to provide an update and celebrate some of our accomplishments. First off, thank you to the dozens of colleagues who worked tirelessly over the last 12 months on Year 2 of the NMC Next Strategic Plan! Behind the scenes, objective leads, champions, and their teams worked to keep actions steps on time and on track. An astounding 56 actions were completed in FY24 (Year 2 of implementation). Some highlights include:
These are just a few of the many successes of the strategic plan.
A few specifics: if you would like to view Year 2, archived PDFs are available here to view by anyone with an NMC email address.
Recently, strategy champions and objective leads spent many hours fine-tuning actions for Year 3 (FY25), which is the final year to execute NMC’s current strategic plan. Year 3 and its associated actions are located here.
The metrics will be updated again in September as Fall enrollment data becomes available. Thank you, ORPE, for your continued support of the strategic plan by providing much needed data and analytics.
In closing, I wanted to thank the entire college community for your continued support of the strategic plan. This work continues to propel the college forward to the future state we envisioned when we launched this effort.
— Jason Slade
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — Northwestern Michigan College Extended Education & Training announces the release of its Fall Catalog, featuring over 230 diverse learning options. The catalog is now accessible online at www.nmc.edu/ees and registration is open for all classes.
This season, NMC Extended Education & Training presents a dynamic collection of in-person, livestream, and online classes. Led by local experts, these informal and short courses span an array of captivating topics, including cooking, art, recreation, global issues, music, fitness, technology, and more. Exciting new additions this fall include Ceramics: Glaze Chemistry, Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread, Plant Monsters of the Silver Screen and Prompts for GenAI. Additionally, expanded school-year youth programs include a new after-school art program, Art Ventures, plus Learn Together culinary classes for adults and children.
Beyond the enriching short classes, this fall’s professional development and career training offerings include a special focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Interested in building a business or starting a new venture? Innovation 101 and associated classes will help develop the skills and network opportunities to be successful. These classes are underwritten by the support of NMC’s Office of Possibilities. To explore these exciting new classes, visit nmc.edu/pd.
Tuition Waiver applies for NMC full time and retired NMC employees. To see the tuition waiver price, add the class to your cart. Need help creating your student profile? Please submit a “EES Full Time Employee Tuition Waiver Profile Set Up” help desk ticket through MyNMC.
To view the full range of classes and reserve your seat, visit www.nmc.edu/ees. To request a printed catalog, email ees@nmc.edu.
The NMC Campus Bookstore will be open for extended hours in August:
Regular hours will resume September 9.
Thank you for joining us for the June 20 Budget Town Hall meetings to discuss NMC’s FY 25 budget with President Nick Nissley and Vice President of Finance & Administration Troy Kierczynski. Watch a video of the morning session here.
The NMC Bookstore and the Dennos Museum store are both holding an employee appreciation sale! Take 25% off in both stores during April 2–4.
The Health & Science Building atrium on NMC’s Front Street campus will be used as a polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27 for Precinct 9 voters to cast their ballots. Some parking in the Cedar lot will be set aside for voters at those times.
The NMC Bookstore will be closed that day as well, and will reopen with normal hours on Wednesday, February 28.
The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin issuing warnings at NMC on Monday, Jan. 15 and start issuing citations for parking violations on Monday, Jan. 22. All NMC students and employees must have their 2023-2024 permits displayed then. If you haven’t received your permit, they’re available at the Campus Safety & Security office in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center (#9 on the Front Street Campus map) and the Enrollment Services office on the main level of the Tanis Building (#5 on the Front Street Campus map).
The Traverse City Police Department has provided the following information on how to avoid parking tickets on campus by properly displaying your parking permit:
If you do get a ticket, payment can be made at the red drop-off payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science Building on main campus. You can also mail the fine in to the city, or pay at the parking services office in the public parking garage at 303 E. State St. Payment information is also on each ticket.
If you have any questions about parking enforcement on campus, please call Campus Safety & Security at (231) 995-1111.
The NMC Board of Trustees recently completed an evaluation of President Nissley. This year’s evaluation was derived from the same process and evaluation of 2022 to provide consistent measurement. The process included a competency evaluation from the President’s Council and each Trustee, as well as a self-evaluation from President Nissley.
The College’s Board of Trustees is pleased to report that we agree with the success in President Nissley’s performance. The Board is looking forward to the areas of growth and opportunity for 2024.
The Health & Science Building atrium on NMC’s main campus will be used as a polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7 for Precinct 9 voters to cast their ballots. Some parking in the Cedar lot will be set aside for voters at those times.
The NMC Bookstore will be closed that day as well, and will reopen with normal hours on Wednesday, November 8.
Northwestern Michigan College’s Dental Assistant program is undergoing re-accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). As part of that process, the community has the opportunity to provide comments pertaining to the standards of the Dental Assistant program’s policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process.
A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission by calling 1-800-232-6108. All comments submitted must pertain only to the standards relative to the particular program being reviewed or policies and procedures used in the accreditation process. Signed or unsigned comments will be considered. Names/signatures will be removed from comments prior to forwarding them to the program. Third party comments must be received no later than October 7, 2023.
The site visit was postponed and rescheduled from September 21–22 to December 7–8.
The Traverse City Parking Patrol will start issuing citations for parking violations on Monday, September 11. All NMC students and employees must have their 2023-2024 permits displayed.
If you haven’t received your permit, they can be picked up at the following locations:
The Traverse City Police Department has provided the following information on how to avoid parking tickets on campus by properly displaying your parking permit:
If you do get a ticket, payment can be made at the red drop-off payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science Building on main campus. You can also mail the fine in to the city, or pay at the parking services office in the public parking garage at 303 E. State St. Payment information is also on each ticket.
If you have any questions about parking enforcement on campus, please call Campus Safety & Security at (231) 995-1111.
Thank you for joining us for the June 7 Budget Town Hall meetings to discuss NMC’s FY 24 budget with President Nick Nissley and Vice President of Finance & Administration Troy Kierczynski. Watch a video of the morning session here and view the presentation slideshow here.
We’re bringing the staff appreciation sale back to the NMC Bookstore — this time with an even bigger discount!
Take 30% off your regularly priced purchases April 10–13! Sale includes apparel, gifts, tech — it’s all on sale!
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has chosen Davenport University as its exclusive partner in a first of its kind bachelor’s degree nursing (BSN) program that will start in May and aims to increase Michigan’s nursing workforce.
The concurrent program, in which students will be enrolled two years at NMC and a third year at Davenport, gives nursing students a faster, less expensive path to a BSN. Munson Medical Center requires its nurses to earn a BSN within five years of hire.
NMC will be among the first of Michigan’s 28 community colleges to roll out a BSN program under state legislation passed last summer. NMC issued a request for BSN proposals in mid-October. Nine universities submitted proposals seeking to partner with NMC.
“Meeting changing employer needs is a critical part of our work as a community college. I am proud of NMC’s fast response to this opportunity from the state and the high level of interest we received from potential university partners. It speaks volumes about the quality of our college, our nursing program and our graduates,” said Northwestern Michigan College President Dr. Nick Nissley.
NMC Director of Nursing Tamella Livengood said that Grand Rapids-based Davenport was selected due to their commitment to NMC’s strategic plan, as well as to offering an in-person option and local student support in Traverse City.
“One of the big differences will be the level of support we’ll be able to provide students,” Livengood said. “I think retention and completion will improve.”
“We have a decade-long partnership with NMC and Munson Healthcare to grow the talent needed to support the communities we serve,” said Dr. Richard J. Pappas, president of Davenport University. “We are grateful to be chosen by NMC to grow our partnership to address the nursing talent shortage and create greater opportunities for our students to achieve academic and career success.”
Davenport has offered a robust and high-quality nursing program since 2006. All graduates are hired within six months of graduation.
In the new program, students could earn their bachelor’s in as little as a year after earning their associate degree at NMC and passing the registered nursing licensure exam, the NCLEX. In 2022, 95 percent of NMC’s associate degree graduates passed it on the first attempt, exceeding both Michigan and national averages.
Under the legislative initiative, community colleges can receive up to $2 million in state funding. NMC plans to hire three new professional nursing support staff: an adviser/recruiter, who will guide students through the four stages of nursing credentials; a nursing student navigator who will provide tutoring support, and a researcher responsible for tracking student success through the completion of the BSN. Funds will also be used for new equipment, including virtual reality and simulation equipment, Livengood said. Another $100,000 will be dedicated to student scholarships.
Haven Hall will be one of the first students. She will graduate from NMC’s associate degree program in May and plans to enroll immediately in the BSN program. NMC’s faculty and staff have encouraged her, she said.
“They challenge you to further your education,” said Hall, 20, who already works as a nurse technician in the emergency department at Munson Medical Center.
“Being able to work while I was in college helped so much,” said Hall, who also earned two nursing scholarships and a study abroad scholarship while at NMC. “I did not want to have to pull out a bunch of loans and be in a ton of debt.” She plans to remain in Traverse City, working at Munson, while completing her BSN.
The BSN cohort that includes Hall would graduate in 2024. Nurses with bachelor’s degrees are in-demand at Michigan’s hospitals. NMC has the largest associate degree nursing program north of Grand Rapids. In the last two years, NMC has graduated 91 ADN students; 64 of whom are employed at Munson.
“Munson Healthcare has long supported all strategies that promote the availability of highly trained nurses in our region. This includes partnering with Northwestern Michigan College to provide clinical instruction support to promote nursing graduates in our region. We appreciate the legislature for making this investment that will help to remove barriers for degree and career advancement and provides us with a new tool to support replenishing our healthcare talent pipeline,” said Ed Ness, president and CEO of Munson Healthcare.
Grand Rapids-based Davenport University is already a partner at NMC’s University Center, offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, technology and health. The private, non-profit university serves about 5,500 students at campuses across Michigan and online. With tuition among the lowest private universities in the state, Davenport provides high academic quality, small class sizes, conveniently located campuses, faculty with real-world experience, and more than 60 dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs.
NMC:
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 392-6082 (mobile – text preferred)
Davenport University:
Amy Miller
Executive Director, Communications & Public Relations
amy.miller@davenport.edu
(616) 443-9800
Sereta Fager (Download a high-resolution photo) 
Kayla Wittkop (Download a high-resolution photo) TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students Sereta Fager and Kayla Wittkop are among eight Michigan students who will travel to Washington, D.C. for the National Student Leadership Academy as a part of Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG).
They will join around 600 other students from across the country at the academy Nov. 30–Dec. 4.They will attend leadership training sessions each day and participate in other activities, such as laying a JMG wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
Students applied and wrote an essay about why they should be chosen, as well as submitted letters of recommendation. In 2021, NMC became the first college in the state of Michigan to offer a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program and only the third college in the country.
Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates equips young people with the skills to overcome barriers and succeed in education, employment and life. It is the leading program of Youth Solutions, Inc., a youth opportunity organization delivering employability and education services to young people across the state.
The program helps set up students for initial career success. Financial assistance with job equipment such as tools or work boots, uniforms, bus passes or gas cards for transportation to work is also available.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019