Thank you to the volunteers who will welcome both the Class of 2020 and 2021 to Milliken Auditorium Saturday for a walk-through Commencement ceremony. The event will adhere to COVID-19 precautions yet still allow graduates to celebrate their achievement in person. For graduates and invited guests only — others may watch at youtube.com/
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the organizers of the main campus cleanup happening from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. this Thursday, April 22 in recognition of Earth Day. This spring tradition dates back many years. Volunteers are welcome; check in at the Student Success table on the West Hall lawn the day of the event. Cleanup options are available all over campus, allowing room to spread out and something for everyone. NMC’s Audio Tech program will provide live music, and a book swap and on-site e-waste recycling will also be available. Read more here.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Congratulations to the 13 NMC employees who are retiring as well as those who have achieved excellence and career service milestones this year, who will be honored at Wednesday’s annual Retirement & Recognition ceremony. Yes, it’s a busy time of year, and yes, another Zoom meeting probably doesn’t make your Top 10 list for the week, but as we wrap up this COVID semester, the ceremony a great way to recognize and celebrate our colleagues. Join the celebration here from 4–5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the organizers of the Light Up the Night rally scheduled for 7:30-8:30 p.m. this Thursday, April 8, between West Hall and East Hall.
This evening of hope and healing is is sponsored by NMC’s Student Life Office and held in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Activities will include flag and chalk decorating, food, a candlelight vigil, and connection with the campus community.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the Great Lakes Culinary Institute students and instructors who are offering the popular Taste of Success event in a to-go format this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Tickets are $200 for a box that generously serves two. Order online now and pickup April 16 between 4–6 p.m., followed by an online Zoom program at 7 p.m. Taste of Success is the largest annual culinary scholarship fundraiser.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the nursing faculty led by Kim Anderson who showed courageous creativity by organizing a Pediatric Simulation Day for nursing students last week, recruiting five children to act out patient scenarios. This exercise allowed students to gain experience treating real “patients” despite hospital and community settings being off-limits due to COVID-19.
Third semester Advanced Maternal-Child students Nathan Lorenz and Sara Hienz (right) are shown assessing Lucille Morrissey, who “fell off her scooter” and has a head bruise, abrasions on her arm, and painful arm. They are following care provider orders by elevating, placing ice and wrapping the hurt arm.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to all those in Advising, IT and Student Services who worked to launch fall semester registration last week, as well as to all those who helped organize the Virtual Transfer Fair this week.
Ensuring students get the classes they need, at NMC and beyond, is fundamental to achieving the degrees they aspire to.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the NMC nursing students who are administering COVID-19 vaccinations every Tuesday this month at the Grand Traverse County Health Department clinic hosted at NMC’s Hagerty Center.
Instructor Amy Truslot worked with the county to allow students to gain this experience while also contributing to the community-wide immunization effort.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to NMC’s Academic & Career Advising Center and Northwest Michigan Works for reimagining the 2021 Career & Employment Fair as a virtual event. The three-day career fair, which starts tomorrow, includes over 70 employers and each day is dedicated to specific industries:
The event follows three days of student prep workshops hosted by Employment Readiness specialist Lisa Baldyga, and students are also invited to join alumni and community members in networking events between 6–7 p.m. after each day’s sessions.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Congratulations to Alpha Rho Pi, NMC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international community college honor society, and adviser Kari Kahler. Alpha Rho Pi was named a PTK Reach chapter for excelling in membership development in 2020.
Benefits of PTK membership include scholarships and increased opportunities for engagement with peers and faculty on campus, which leads to higher rates of completion. More than 90 percent of PTK members graduate or transfer from their community college.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you for the love and caring shown to students by the Student Success coaches, Office of Student Life and Residence Life staff, who organized several Valentine’s Day activities last week and helped foster student connections.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to all at NMC who are helping to lift up Black voices as we celebrate Black History Month, including the library staff who dedicated their most recent book recommendation list to Black voices in fiction and poetry.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the NMC staff who worked through the weekend to bring NMC’s systems and websites back online after what Systems & LAN Management Director Dan Wasson called “the worst outage at NMC that I’ve ever had to deal with.” Technical issues following bad information from a tech support provider knocked multiple systems offline Friday afternoon, including the NMC, WNMC and Dennos Museum Center websites, employee and student intranet sites, Banner, Moodle and the phone system.
Database Administrator Neil Streeter and Network Analysts Paul Martin and Bryce Turner worked through the night Friday and on Saturday to bring most systems back online by Saturday afternoon, Wasson said. Administrative Systems Director Dan Gentry and his team, and Educational Media Technologies Director Terri Gustafson and her team, then had to test the systems to make sure everything worked properly. “We were very fortunate that we had no data loss and no corruption,” Wasson said. Throughout the process, Technology Support Services Coordinator Ali Thornton, who called the outages “unprecedented,” kept the campus informed as individual systems returned to service.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the staff of the Grand Traverse County Health Department, who began administering vaccinations at the Hagerty Center last week. NMC is proud to host the first mass vaccination site in the county, which will be open through at least April.
“COVID-19 is a community-wide challenge that will require a community-wide response,” NMC President Nick Nissley said. “We at NMC feel it is both our responsibility and our privilege to support this effort and keep our residents safe. Read more about the site here.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Congratulations to social sciences instructor Sarah Montgomery-Richards, who was awarded a $2,000 grant from Boston University’s African Studies Center, Pardee School of Global Studies. The grant supports her work to revise “Comparative Religion” at Northwestern Michigan College to increase its coverage of Africa-focused materials. This will enrich the depth of material offered at NMC, and furthers the college’s commitment to promoting respect for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the Aero Park Professional Testing Center, which provided professional testing to more than 66 individuals during a very short December testing window due to COVID-19 orders. Alana Peters, Testing Center lead, optimized the offerings of all six test houses while complying with the state requirements for limited occupancy.
She prioritized testing while still providing much-needed assessments and credentials to numerous individuals including FAA exams to future pilots (manned and unmanned aircrafts), IT and computer related industry certifications, auto mechanics seeking recertification and adult learners seeking their GED.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Thank you to the more than 250 NMC employees who logged in to Monday morning’s Virtual NMC January Conference for two hours of information and inspiration, as we join together again to help our students succeed this Spring.
Attendees were introduced (virtually) to 16 new employees and heard enrollment, budget, strategic priority and planning updates, among others, and had a chance to share their department’s own recent successes during an open mic session. View a recording of the conference here.
Here’s wishing everyone a great Spring semester!
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Congratulations to Leanne Baumeler, who was recognized by the Michigan unit of United Cerebral Palsy with the 2020 Closing the Divide Advocacy Award. (Baumeler is shown accepting the award during a virtual presentation October 16.)
Baumeler has been NMC’S Disability Support Coordinator since 2010, serving between 90-120 students each semester. She’s also a member of NMC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, Accessibility team and Title IX team, and a past president of the Michigan chapter of the Association on Higher Education and Disability.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!