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.

Experiential Learning Institute co-directors Brandon Everest and Kristy McDonald each led a signature EL project this month. Everest’s was the 7th annual Walk for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness which drew several dozen participants to downtown Traverse City last week to gain perspective on homelessness in the region and what service providers are doing to mitigate these issues. McDonald led the Food for Thought project, which collected food and funds to provide 150 Thanksgiving meals for students and community members.

Early Childhood Development program coordinator Chery Bloomquist received a $12,000 grant as part of the Caring for MI Future initiative.  

Funded by the American Rescue Plan, the grant seeks to increase the number of students receiving the Child Development Associate credential while ultimately increasing Michigan’s early childhood workforce. 

This grant supports the objective outlined in initiative 4 of the strategic plan as the college works to advance community engagement, economic and workforce development and innovative opportunities for lifelong learning.

25 members of Michigan Science Teachers Association participated in meetings and a campus tour on Saturday, November 5. They started their day at the Hagerty Center and explored the Water Studies Department, GLMA, Environmental Studies, Anatomy and Physiology and Science Labs. The meeting stemmed from a partnership with MSTA as part of an effort to bridge the high school to college transition while showcasing science programs in the area. We are grateful that NMC instructors Tiffani Wilke, Dan Zassick, Kirk Waterstripe and Tammy Coleman took the opportunity to highlight NMC’s programming to the MSTA.

Stephen Siciliano and Tamella Livengood have spearheaded NMC’s effort to establish a BSN program on campus. We appreciate their ongoing efforts to help address the nursing shortage in northern Michigan and make healthcare more easily accessible for our community.

NMC has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for an ADN to BSN articulation agreement. Proposals are due November 14, 2022. A partner is expected to be identified by mid-December.