200 named to summer Dean’s List

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Dean’s List recognizes students who have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a possible 4.0 while taking five or more credits in a semester. A list of students who have achieved Dean’s List honors for the summer 2022 semester is available here.

 

RELEASE DATE: August 26, 2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Success story: New specialty certificate will fill high industry demand

August 24, 2022

Entry-level salary: $60,000.

Entry-level vacation: Six months.

That’s what students who graduate with NMC’s new Culinary Arts certificate with Maritime emphasis, a specialty field with high industry demand, can expect.

Culinary student Megan Cook with a cake she baked aboard the Training Ship State of MichiganApproved by NMC’s Board of Trustees Monday, the one-year certificate formalizes an internship program that’s existed for about five years. Students in NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute have interned as cooks aboard the T/S State of Michigan, the training ship for NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. All have been immediately employed upon graduation, including 2021 intern/2022 graduate Megan Cook (above).

She anticipates finalizing her job offer this week, after wrapping up a second short-term gig in the training ship’s galley. Cook will sail on the Great Lakes for the May–January shipping season, working a 60 days on/30 days off schedule. She’ll earn a salary of between $60,000 and $70,000.

“This is such a great program. It’s going to be amazing,” said Cook, 20, originally from Sylvania, Ohio. “It makes me so happy that all my hard work paid off.”

The shipping industry hopes to find more cooks like Cook. To meet that demand, NMC hopes to enroll 20 students in the certificate program during the first year, 2023–2024.

“Skilled culinary staff is critical to a well-managed vessel. The maritime industry continues to see this need across all areas. I would 100 percent encourage any culinary student who is seeking adventure while honing their craft to pursue a career at sea,” said Jenny Johnson, director of Labor Experience and Recruitment at Crowley. The Florida-based company has hired past GLCI graduates for its shipping division of more than 200 vessels, in addition to recruiting graduates of NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Culinary student Carolyn Fairchild carving meat aboard the Training Ship State of MichiganGLCI student Carolyn Fairchild (left) interned aboard the ship this summer. She says she’s 90 percent sure she’ll seek shipboard employment after she graduates in spring 2023. 

“I really like traveling. It was something different than a normal restaurant,” said Fairchild, 20. A Flint native, she transferred to GLCI from Michigan Tech after discovering how much she enjoyed the hands-on and creative aspects of cooking on a prep cook job.

“You can be cooking every day, but not make the same thing for months, and that’s really appealing,” Fairchild said.

Creation of the certificate is an objective within NMC’s strategic plan. It originated in a yearlong reimagining project for the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, which sought to increase enrollment and improve GLCI’s future sustainability.

“This certificate creates a unique offering that will distinguish the Great Lakes Culinary Institute from other programs. It also gives our students more options and meets the needs of industry,” said NMC President Nick Nissley

It combines and repackages existing curriculum in both the culinary and maritime programs and maximizes assets like the State of Michigan when it is not at sea. Students will take a specialized galley cooking course in the spring semester, the only new course.

“It’s challenging, spacewise and inventory-wise,” Cook said of working in a galley. The course as well as help obtaining maritime credentials will give certificate students a big advantage.

“They’ll get a huge kickstart to being able to sail on a ship,” she said.


More culinary news:

  • Farm-to-table dinners at Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant: September 15, September 29 and October 6. Reservation line opens Aug. 30: (231) 995-3120.
  • November and December happy hours at Lobdell’s, hosted by GLCI’s Beverage Management class. Subscribe to the GLCI newsletter to be notified of dates.
  • New curriculum emphasizing sustainability: Limited waste, local food, and green cuisine.
  • New curriculum emphasizing health and nutrition: Plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy alternatives.
  • New content delivery–two short sessions per semester. Students will take fewer courses at the same time, allowing more concentrated learning and quicker goal achievement.
  • Lobdell’s lunches are paused for fall semester but will return in February 2023.

Culinary-Maritime certificate approved for fall 2023

Carolyn Fairchild, GLMA culinary internDownload a high-resolution photo of Carolyn FairchildTRAVERSE CITY — Next fall, NMC will offer a new Culinary Arts certificate with Maritime emphasis, a specialty field with high industry demand and high salaries, following unanimous approval by the Board of Trustees Monday. Creation of the certificate is an objective within NMC’s strategic plan. It originated in an 18-month reimagining project for the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, which sought to increase enrollment and improve GLCI’s future sustainability.

For the past five years a small number of culinary students have completed an internship onboard NMC’s training ship State of Michigan. That collaboration was due to demand for cooks seen by another NMC program, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Those culinary students were employed immediately upon graduation.

“Skilled culinary staff is critical to a well-managed vessel. The maritime industry continues to see this need across all areas. I would 100 percent encourage any culinary student who is seeking adventure while honing their craft to pursue a career at sea,” said Jenny Johnson, director of Labor Experience and Recruitment at Crowley. The Florida-based company has hired past GLCI graduates for its shipping division, which includes more than 200 vessels, in addition to recruiting graduates of NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Based on that demand the reimagining committee chose to create a formal certificate. It is the first time a state maritime academy has partnered with a culinary program to provide this credential to serve the commercial maritime industry.

It combines and repackages existing curriculum in both the culinary and maritime programs and maximizes assets like the State of Michigan when it is not at sea.

Megan Cook, GLMA Culinary InternDownload a high-resolution photo of Megan Cook“This certificate creates a unique offering that will distinguish the Great Lakes Culinary Institute from other programs. It also gives our students more options and meets the needs of industry,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

The program’s first-year enrollment goal is 20 students. In the fall semester, students will take culinary courses offering foundational theory and practical applications of savory cooking, butchery, baking, sanitation, nutrition, food and beverage operations, and menu planning. They will apply for and earn necessary maritime credentials while in the program as well.

In the spring, students will take a specialized galley cooking course–the only new course–on the training ship while it is in port. Students will then complete an internship on the State of Michigan or a commercial vessel. Graduates with this certificate can sail as credentialed mariners on U.S. flag vessels, in Great Lakes service, in the steward department in culinary positions such as second cook.

Students whose goal is to sail on an ocean-going vessel will need to complete additional training on a commercial vessel. Within the next three years the Great Lakes Maritime Academy will amend its U.S. Coast Guard approval to offer this course in Traverse City.

Read more about the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, which is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.

Read more about the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, which offers a bachelor’s degree in maritime technology.

State of Michigan galley images: 2022 intern Carolyn Fairchild, top; 2021 intern Megan Cook, bottom.

Release date: August 23, 2022

For more information:

Kerry Fulcher
Great Lakes Culinary Institute Admissions Specialist
kfulcher@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1196

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Culinary-Maritime certificate approved for fall 2023

Carolyn Fairchild, GLMA culinary internDownload a high-resolution photo of Carolyn FairchildTRAVERSE CITY — Next fall, NMC will offer a new Culinary Arts certificate with Maritime emphasis, a specialty field with high industry demand and high salaries, following unanimous approval by the Board of Trustees Monday. Creation of the certificate is an objective within NMC’s strategic plan. It originated in an 18-month reimagining project for the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, which sought to increase enrollment and improve GLCI’s future sustainability.

For the past five years a small number of culinary students have completed an internship onboard NMC’s training ship State of Michigan. That collaboration was due to demand for cooks seen by another NMC program, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Those culinary students were employed immediately upon graduation.

“Skilled culinary staff is critical to a well-managed vessel. The maritime industry continues to see this need across all areas. I would 100 percent encourage any culinary student who is seeking adventure while honing their craft to pursue a career at sea,” said Jenny Johnson, director of Labor Experience and Recruitment at Crowley. The Florida-based company has hired past GLCI graduates for its shipping division, which includes more than 200 vessels, in addition to recruiting graduates of NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Based on that demand the reimagining committee chose to create a formal certificate. It is the first time a state maritime academy has partnered with a culinary program to provide this credential to serve the commercial maritime industry.

It combines and repackages existing curriculum in both the culinary and maritime programs and maximizes assets like the State of Michigan when it is not at sea.

Megan Cook, GLMA Culinary InternDownload a high-resolution photo of Megan Cook“This certificate creates a unique offering that will distinguish the Great Lakes Culinary Institute from other programs. It also gives our students more options and meets the needs of industry,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

The program’s first-year enrollment goal is 20 students. In the fall semester, students will take culinary courses offering foundational theory and practical applications of savory cooking, butchery, baking, sanitation, nutrition, food and beverage operations, and menu planning. They will apply for and earn necessary maritime credentials while in the program as well.

In the spring, students will take a specialized galley cooking course–the only new course–on the training ship while it is in port. Students will then complete an internship on the State of Michigan or a commercial vessel. Graduates with this certificate can sail as credentialed mariners on U.S. flag vessels, in Great Lakes service, in the steward department in culinary positions such as second cook.

Students whose goal is to sail on an ocean-going vessel will need to complete additional training on a commercial vessel. Within the next three years the Great Lakes Maritime Academy will amend its U.S. Coast Guard approval to offer this course in Traverse City.

Read more about the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, which is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.

Read more about the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, which offers a bachelor’s degree in maritime technology.

State of Michigan galley images: 2022 intern Carolyn Fairchild, top; 2021 intern Megan Cook, bottom.

Release date: August 23, 2022

For more information:

Kerry Fulcher
Great Lakes Culinary Institute Admissions Specialist
kfulcher@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1196

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Parking enforcement starts Sept. 5

The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin issuing warnings at NMC Saturday, Aug. 27 and start issuing citations for parking violations on Monday, Sept. 5. All NMC students and employees must have their 2022-2023 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 Main Campus Map) and the Enrollment Services office on the main level of the Tanis Building (#5 on the Main 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:

  • Place your permit in the bottom left-hand corner of your windshield.
  • Place your permit right side up. An upside-down permit will be considered invalid.
  • Hang tags must be on the rear view mirror. 
  • Be sure that the expiration date on your permit can be seen from the outside of your vehicle. (Some vehicles have a tint on the edges of their windshield, so be sure your permit is not behind a tint, as it will make it difficult to see from the outside.) When it doubt, get out of your vehicle and be sure you can see the entire permit from the outside.

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.

Summer Book Rentals Due

Summer book rentals are due back to the NMC Bookstore by Thursday, August 11. The bookstore’s summer hours are Monday–Thursday from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

*Please note that the bookstore will be closed on Tuesday, August 2, for the election. The store will reopen on Wednesday, August 3.

Volunteers needed for Hawk Owl move-in day!

Welcome Week Graphic

Calling all members of the NMC community — our dorms are full and we need help welcoming our new and returning Hawk Owls for the Fall 2022 semester! We are looking for volunteers to help students move into North Hall on Thursday, August 25 and East Hall on Friday, August 26. Students will be moving in from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. on both days; each volunteer shift lasts an hour and we are looking for assistance with moving, parking and wayfinding. 

Volunteer sign up form

Sign up for a shift and be a friendly face — many hands make light work, so let’s give our students a warm welcome! 

NMC students receive scholarships from Foundation for Surgical Technology

At just seven years old, NMC’s Surgical Technology program students are already distinguishing themselves in the field and helping provide care for the region’s patients. NMC is the only school to have two recipients of $1,500 scholarships from the Foundation for Surgical Technology.

NMC Surgical Technology scholarship recipient Jamie Mosier Surgical Technology scholarship recipient 

Natalie Balogh (pictured left), 19, of Traverse City, works at Alliance Surgery Center. Jamie Mosier (pictured right), 25, of Munising, works at Munson Medical Center. Both will graduate this December.

Find out more about the field at nmc.edu/surgtech.

Board of Trustees approves 3-year faculty contract

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College anticipates three years of focus on student success and advancement of its strategic initiatives, following Monday’s unanimous approval of a 36-month collective bargaining agreement with the NMC Faculty Association by the Board of Trustees.

Last week, an overwhelming majority of the college’s 80 faculty members and two librarians voted to accept the agreement. The NMC Faculty Association is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.

“I am so proud of the collaboration and respect both parties demonstrated during this negotiating process. We are truly living our NMC values,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

“The world we operate in has changed considerably since the last contract we negotiated,” said Rachel Johnson, Board of Trustees chair. “This contract, combined with our generous benefits package, will enable us to attract and retain top-tier talent and to deliver on our promise to our students.”

“With the additional investment of the college into the strategic plan, along with its understanding of the critical role that faculty will play in our success, faculty ratified the contract late last week,” said social sciences instructor and NMC Faculty Association President Brandon Everest.

Key provisions of the contract include:

  • Year 1, 2022–23: Base salary increases ranging from 5.00% to 8.71% depending on the faculty member’s tenure and position on NMC’s 15-step salary schedule. Upon hire, faculty are placed on the schedule at a step appropriate for their teaching and professional experience. Each year, provided that goals are met, faculty members progress one step until they reach step 15 of the salary schedule. Each step increases pay 3.71%. Presently 39% of NMC’s faculty are at step 15 and thus eligible only for the 5.00%.
  • Years 2 and 3, 2023–24 and 2024–25: Base salary increases ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%, again depending on position on the 15-step salary schedule.

The agreement also contains a revised faculty load provision that incentivizes faculty to increase the number of courses offered in formats such as online, hybrid and livestream, aligned with and tied to the duration of the College’s Strategic Plan. This provision means faculty who prep courses in multiple formats could earn overload pay increases between 1.00–3.60%. Everest anticipates 90% of faculty will qualify for this incentive.

Including the incentive provision, the contract in its entirety means faculty are eligible for increases ranging from 5.00% to 12.31% in 2022–23. Faculty base salaries for this year will range from $58,998 to $98,320.

In years two and three, faculty are eligible for raises ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%.

Other provisions of the contract include:

  • A clearer faculty evaluation process
  • Provisions that cover two librarians who joined the union this year through an accretion process.
  • This three-year agreement expires July 31, 2025

The NMC Faculty Association was formed and entered into its first contract with NMC in 2016.

Release date: JULY 27, 2022

For more information:

Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Board of Trustees approves 3-year faculty contract

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College anticipates three years of focus on student success and advancement of its strategic initiatives, following Monday’s unanimous approval of a 36-month collective bargaining agreement with the NMC Faculty Association by the Board of Trustees.

Last week, an overwhelming majority of the college’s 80 faculty members and two librarians voted to accept the agreement. The NMC Faculty Association is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.

“I am so proud of the collaboration and respect both parties demonstrated during this negotiating process. We are truly living our NMC values,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

“The world we operate in has changed considerably since the last contract we negotiated,” said Rachel Johnson, Board of Trustees chair. “This contract, combined with our generous benefits package, will enable us to attract and retain top-tier talent and to deliver on our promise to our students.”

“With the additional investment of the college into the strategic plan, along with its understanding of the critical role that faculty will play in our success, faculty ratified the contract late last week,” said social sciences instructor and NMC Faculty Association President Brandon Everest.

Key provisions of the contract include:

  • Year 1, 2022–23: Base salary increases ranging from 5.00% to 8.71% depending on the faculty member’s tenure and position on NMC’s 15-step salary schedule. Upon hire, faculty are placed on the schedule at a step appropriate for their teaching and professional experience. Each year, provided that goals are met, faculty members progress one step until they reach step 15 of the salary schedule. Each step increases pay 3.71%. Presently 39% of NMC’s faculty are at step 15 and thus eligible only for the 5.00%.
  • Years 2 and 3, 2023–24 and 2024–25: Base salary increases ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%, again depending on position on the 15-step salary schedule.

The agreement also contains a revised faculty load provision that incentivizes faculty to increase the number of courses offered in formats such as online, hybrid and livestream, aligned with and tied to the duration of the College’s Strategic Plan. This provision means faculty who prep courses in multiple formats could earn overload pay increases between 1.00–3.60%. Everest anticipates 90% of faculty will qualify for this incentive.

Including the incentive provision, the contract in its entirety means faculty are eligible for increases ranging from 5.00% to 12.31% in 2022–23. Faculty base salaries for this year will range from $58,998 to $98,320.

In years two and three, faculty are eligible for raises ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%.

Other provisions of the contract include:

  • A clearer faculty evaluation process
  • Provisions that cover two librarians who joined the union this year through an accretion process.
  • This three-year agreement expires July 31, 2025

The NMC Faculty Association was formed and entered into its first contract with NMC in 2016.

Release date: JULY 27, 2022

For more information:

Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Health & Science Building atrium will be a city polling place August 2

The Health & Science Building atrium on NMC’s main campus will be used as a city polling place for Precinct 9 voters again this year, including for the Tuesday, August 2 primary election from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 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 Wednesday, August 3.)

Nursing education expansion plan will help address regional nursing shortage

TRAVERSE CITY — Nursing education opportunities will expand regionally and across Michigan thanks to an innovative plan championed by local legislative leaders and funded with a $56 million appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget, according to Northwestern Michigan College and Munson Healthcare.

The collaborative plan, approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this month, will support the development of programs for nurses with associate degrees to complete their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) on community college campuses. Under the legislation, community colleges can partner with a four-year college or university and design a BSN completion program with input from local employers and workforce development agencies. Each community college will be eligible for a $2 million grant for administering the program.

“NMC has long sought to provide students with a seamless transition from ADN to BSN and with this new funding, we’re excited to work with both Munson and our four-year partners to design a BSN program our graduates can complete in Traverse City,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “We know our community, like many, faces a nursing shortage. This legislation is an important step towards solving that challenge.”

“This workforce development investment is a big win for northern Michigan,” said state Rep. John Roth, of Traverse City. “Meeting patient demand has been an issue even before COVID-19 came to our state and this is an effective solution to get more nurses into our hospitals. This will be a huge positive locally. Aspiring nurses who go off to a four-year university may not return to live, work and raise a family. Providing the resources to expand degree options locally will allow for more people to specialize right in their community and care for their communities. This is an issue I prioritized when I was seeking to represent Grand Traverse County, and I’m pleased that Michigan is taking steps to meet demand and provide needed flexibility for aspiring professionals.”

The program will significantly increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s degrees that are in-demand at Michigan’s hospitals. 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.

The program will increase access and affordability of bachelor of science in nursing programs for students who completed their associate degree in nursing at a Michigan community college. Under the plan, grants will be administered by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and be awarded to Michigan community colleges.

The plan was developed by the Michigan Community College Association, the Michigan Association of State Universities, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. It is also backed by the Michigan Works! Association and the Michigan Association of Colleges of Nursing.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE:
A publicly-funded community college founded in 1951, NMC offers associate degrees and professional certificates, and bachelor’s degrees from its four campuses in Traverse City, Mich. NMC was the first community college in Michigan to offer a bachelor’s degree following passage of enabling legislation in 2012.

ABOUT MUNSON HEALTHCARE:
Munson Healthcare is northern Michigan’s largest and leading healthcare system with eight award-winning hospitals including Munson Medical Center which is ranked among Fortune/Merative’s Top 100 Hospitals in America. Serving 540,000 residents across 30 counties, our dedicated healthcare team provides advanced cancer, heart and stroke intervention care, lab, rehabilitation and other services and uses the latest robotic technology, stereotactic radiosurgery, 3D tomography and non-invasive surgical procedures that keeps patients close to home. Visit munsonhealthcare.org for more information.

Release date: July 21, 2022

For more information:

Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800

Dale Killingbeck
Munson Healthcare
DKILLINGBECK@mhc.net

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

Nursing education expansion plan will help address regional nursing shortage

TRAVERSE CITY — Nursing education opportunities will expand regionally and across Michigan thanks to an innovative plan championed by local legislative leaders and funded with a $56 million appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget, according to Northwestern Michigan College and Munson Healthcare.

The collaborative plan, approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this month, will support the development of programs for nurses with associate degrees to complete their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) on community college campuses. Under the legislation, community colleges can partner with a four-year college or university and design a BSN completion program with input from local employers and workforce development agencies. Each community college will be eligible for a $2 million grant for administering the program.

“NMC has long sought to provide students with a seamless transition from ADN to BSN and with this new funding, we’re excited to work with both Munson and our four-year partners to design a BSN program our graduates can complete in Traverse City,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “We know our community, like many, faces a nursing shortage. This legislation is an important step towards solving that challenge.”

“This workforce development investment is a big win for northern Michigan,” said state Rep. John Roth, of Traverse City. “Meeting patient demand has been an issue even before COVID-19 came to our state and this is an effective solution to get more nurses into our hospitals. This will be a huge positive locally. Aspiring nurses who go off to a four-year university may not return to live, work and raise a family. Providing the resources to expand degree options locally will allow for more people to specialize right in their community and care for their communities. This is an issue I prioritized when I was seeking to represent Grand Traverse County, and I’m pleased that Michigan is taking steps to meet demand and provide needed flexibility for aspiring professionals.”

The program will significantly increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s degrees that are in-demand at Michigan’s hospitals. 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.

The program will increase access and affordability of bachelor of science in nursing programs for students who completed their associate degree in nursing at a Michigan community college. Under the plan, grants will be administered by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and be awarded to Michigan community colleges.

The plan was developed by the Michigan Community College Association, the Michigan Association of State Universities, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. It is also backed by the Michigan Works! Association and the Michigan Association of Colleges of Nursing.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE:
A publicly-funded community college founded in 1951, NMC offers associate degrees and professional certificates, and bachelor’s degrees from its four campuses in Traverse City, Mich. NMC was the first community college in Michigan to offer a bachelor’s degree following passage of enabling legislation in 2012.

ABOUT MUNSON HEALTHCARE:
Munson Healthcare is northern Michigan’s largest and leading healthcare system with eight award-winning hospitals including Munson Medical Center which is ranked among Fortune/Merative’s Top 100 Hospitals in America. Serving 540,000 residents across 30 counties, our dedicated healthcare team provides advanced cancer, heart and stroke intervention care, lab, rehabilitation and other services and uses the latest robotic technology, stereotactic radiosurgery, 3D tomography and non-invasive surgical procedures that keeps patients close to home. Visit munsonhealthcare.org for more information.

Release date: July 21, 2022

For more information:

Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800

Dale Killingbeck
Munson Healthcare
DKILLINGBECK@mhc.net

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

UPDATED: NMC astronomer hosts first look at Webb telescope images

NOTE: The 6 p.m. expert panel program link has been updated below.

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College astronomy instructor Jerry Dobek will host two in-person and livestreamed events on July 12 for the region to see the first images from NASA’s James Webb telescope. Both will be at Milliken Auditorium.

  • 10 a.m.: First Images release event including Webb’s first full-color images and spectroscopic data. Join via Zoom
  • 6 p.m.: Expert panel program to discuss the first image findings and answer audience questions. Watch on YouTube

The Traverse Area District Library and Sleeping Bear Dunes will also host livestream simulcasts of both events.

Webb is the largest and most complex space science telescope ever built — the premier observatory of the next decade. This international mission, led by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, launched Dec. 25, 2021. After unfolding in space into its final form, Webb successfully arrived at its destination nearly 1 million miles from Earth and began preparing for science operations.

Designed to see the universe in the infrared, Webb will push the field of astronomy into a new era. Webb will be able to study light from distant parts of the universe for the very first time – the first galaxies that formed over 13.5 billion years ago — and give insight into how our universe formed. It will also peer into dusty stellar nurseries to explore distant worlds orbiting other stars, as well as observe objects in our own solar system. Webb will extend the scientific discoveries of other NASA missions like the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.

Dobek, NMC Science Department Chairman, has been looking forward to these images for years. “Galileo’s first use of the telescope in 1610 is analogous to taking a step at a time with Earth-based observation. Hubble was our first hop up into space-based observation. Now the JWST will be a leap toward advancing our knowledge of the universe,” he said.

 

Release date: June 30, 2022

For more information:

Jerry Dobek
NMC Science Department
jdobek@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1271

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

UPDATED: NMC astronomer hosts first look at Webb telescope images

NOTE: The 6 p.m. expert panel program link has been updated below.

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College astronomy instructor Jerry Dobek will host two in-person and livestreamed events on July 12 for the region to see the first images from NASA’s James Webb telescope. Both will be at Milliken Auditorium.

  • 10 a.m.: First Images release event including Webb’s first full-color images and spectroscopic data. Join via Zoom
  • 6 p.m.: Expert panel program to discuss the first image findings and answer audience questions. Watch on YouTube

The Traverse Area District Library and Sleeping Bear Dunes will also host livestream simulcasts of both events.

Webb is the largest and most complex space science telescope ever built — the premier observatory of the next decade. This international mission, led by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, launched Dec. 25, 2021. After unfolding in space into its final form, Webb successfully arrived at its destination nearly 1 million miles from Earth and began preparing for science operations.

Designed to see the universe in the infrared, Webb will push the field of astronomy into a new era. Webb will be able to study light from distant parts of the universe for the very first time – the first galaxies that formed over 13.5 billion years ago — and give insight into how our universe formed. It will also peer into dusty stellar nurseries to explore distant worlds orbiting other stars, as well as observe objects in our own solar system. Webb will extend the scientific discoveries of other NASA missions like the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.

Dobek, NMC Science Department Chairman, has been looking forward to these images for years. “Galileo’s first use of the telescope in 1610 is analogous to taking a step at a time with Earth-based observation. Hubble was our first hop up into space-based observation. Now the JWST will be a leap toward advancing our knowledge of the universe,” he said.

 

Release date: June 30, 2022

For more information:

Jerry Dobek
NMC Science Department
jdobek@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1271

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