Thanks to International Services and Service Learning staff Jim Bensley and Marina Call for organizing and the instructors who are leading four study abroad trips, three of which are currently underway: Guatemala, led by Jacob Wheeler and  Alissia Linguar; Iceland, led by Nick Roster and Tammy Coleman; and Spain/Portugal, led by Jim Morse and Patty Cron-Huhta. In June, Bensley will lead a trip to Morocco. These trips offer students opportunities for experiential learning and cross-cultural awareness development and exploring new perspectives.

Volunteers welcomed the Class of 2023 to the Milliken Auditorium this past Saturday during three separate Commencement ceremonies. This year’s event saw more than a 50% increase in graduate attendance over last year. Thank you for helping usher graduates and their loved ones throughout the Dennos during this joyous day!

The teams who helped make this year’s event possible include the Commencement committee, Registrar, Dennos Museum Center staff, Facilities, NMC Bookstore, Phi Theta Kappa, Student Success, Alumni Relations and Public Relations, Marketing and Communications. We appreciate all of your work to help this vision come to life!

NMC is dedicated to fostering and sharing knowledge about sustainability while minimizing consumption and encouraging ethical practices, both on and off campus. Thanks to our Campus Sustainability Committee and Student Green Team, employees and students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of events this week that instill appreciation for nature, spread awareness about actions we can take to live more sustainably and provide stewardship to keep our campus and community clean. View the full schedule of Earth Week events and don’t forget to take the campus sustainability pledge!

NMC and Bay Mills Community College, near Sault Ste. Marie, are helping bring dental care to the underserved UP. In February, NMC and Bay Mills, a tribally-controlled community college, signed an articulation agreement that will allow Bay Mills’ students to transfer to NMC’s dental assistant program after their first year. NMC’s yearlong dental assistant curriculum allows them to sit for the state exam to become a registered dental assistant (RDA). NMC Dental Assistant Director Beckie Wooters will make a recruiting visit to Bay Mills on April 17.

Thanks to the Student Success team for organizing Mid-Semester Reset, an event series that will help students relax and recharge so that they can power through the second half of the semester. Events are planned Monday through Friday in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. See the schedule here.

The college is in line to receive $3.75 million in state funds to expand its aviation facilities and help address the nation’s pilot shortage. 

“We are grateful for the support and advocacy from our state lawmakers, like Sen. John Damoose, who was a key champion of this project, as well as support from members of the house including Rep. Betsy Coffia and Rep. Curt VanderWall,” said NMC President Dr. Nick Nissley. “They see the value in investing in NMC to meet the region’s workforce needs. This is a powerful example of what we can achieve together for northern Michigan through collaboration.”

The critical investment was approved in the state’s supplemental budget last Wednesday. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign it in the coming days.

On Thursday, the Academic & Career Advising Center is hosting the 17th annual Career & Employment Fair from 3-6 p.m. in partnership with Northwest Michigan Works! and Networks Northwest.

Later this month, the Experiential Learning Institute has arranged for students to have a professional headshot taken and is hosting two workshops that give insight on how to use LinkedIn to enhance job searches. 

Thanks to the efforts of both departments for offering resources and support leading up to and following the Career Fair. Their work helps our students take the next step after NMC and lead successful careers.

Last week, NMC and Davenport University announced that they are expanding their partnership so that NMC can offer a BSN program. The continued efforts from Tami Livengood, Stephen Siciliano, Munson Healthcare and Davenport University will allow  students at NMC to attain their BSN in a shorter time frame and at a fraction of the cost of standard BSN programs.

Thanks to Student Financial Services for hosting a Financial Aid Fair this week to guide students and their families through the FAFSA process and help students overcome financial hurdles.

These efforts help remove barriers and increase accessibility to education. NMC is a leader in providing scholarships; last year 31% of NMC students received scholarships.  All students with at least a 2.0 GPA  who apply to NMC before March 1 will receive a scholarship.The average number of public 2- year community college students who receive institutional aid throughout the United States is 5.5 percent according to the most recent National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NCES NPSAS:18-AC).

In addition to NMC scholarships and the existing State of Michigan scholarships, a new state scholarship—the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, is now available to students graduating high school this year. Eligible students will receive a minimum $1,750 plus the possibility of another $1,000, based on remaining need.

The Financial Fair will be held on Wednesday, February 8, from 4-7 p.m. in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, rooms 106/107.

This past weekend, NMC students placed third in the 42nd annual Winter Baja endurance race competition at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. Competition was stiff, with the largest participant field since 1981.

Brutally cold conditions caused catastrophic failures for many competitors throughout the day, but NMC’s dedicated faculty and staff provided the students with an engaging experiential learning opportunity. 

NMC was the only community college and the only non-engineering group that competed. Areas of study represented on the team were Automotive Technology, Welding, Engineering and Business.

Watch the Winter Baja here.

Thanks to everyone who helped plan and launch the celebration of Martin Luther King Day and Black History month. Events kicked off last week with The Dennos Museum Center offering a free admission day and opening new exhibits featuring the work of BIPOC artists. Faculty began volunteering in multiple capacities on campus and in the community. Programs run through February. Check out the most updated schedule here.

This past fall, more than 900 students made the Dean’s List at Northwestern Michigan College. To qualify, students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a possible 4.0 while taking five or more credits.

We would like to thank all of the faculty and staff for their contributions to our students’ success and for helping the college continue to fulfill its mission.

The fall 2022 Dean’s List can be viewed here.

The NMC dental assistant students welcomed 60 patients from the local community, taking a full mouth set of x-rays of each individual. The service learning project saved each patient around $200 and the community around $12,000!

Thanks to Maritime instructor Patrick Podolan and Communications faculty under the leadership of Michael Anderson for helping GLMA cadets secure 7 berths aboard Crowley Maritime vessels this spring. Spring berths are often difficult to secure and the application required writing a 600-word essay. All seven of GLMA’s cadets were selected from a nationwide pool.

It’s playoff time for NMC’s esports! NMC’s Rocket League and Halo Infinite teams have reached the playoffs, which begin this week. 

This is the second year of NMC’s Esports program, led by Terri Gustafson, Director of Educational Media Technologies.

“The varsity esports program has created student engagement by creating a sense of belonging at NMC. Students have developed new friendships with their teammates and feel like NMC is more than just a place to attend classes”, says Gustafson.

Student athletes receive scholarships for their participation in the league each semester while growing their skills in communication, teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking and time management. 

Esports have gained popularity at the collegiate level and the creation of a varsity league at NMC is another way for the college to distinguish itself as students choose where to pursue their post-secondary goals. It currently has one of the biggest memberships out of any social group at NMC and is the college’s first intercollegiate team in decades.