Lakebed 2030 Conference

Sep 27, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

In conjunction with the Marine Technology Society and others, NMC is sponsoring Lakebed 2030 Sept. 29–Oct. 1. This major international virtual conference brings together scientists and researchers, policy makers and government officials and industry professionals to map the Great Lakes. The event has over 275 registrants from 8 countries. Register for the free event here and view the event schedule here.

NMC President Nick Nissley will provide opening remarks for the conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, discussing the Blue Economy and NMC’s role as a leader in Great Lakes innovation.

Veterans can convert service to credit

Sep 27, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Military veterans can now convert active duty sea service into credit toward an engineering officer bachelor’s degree at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Coast Guard Capt. Bradley Clare signed the approval letter for the Academy’s Military Veterans Program (MVET) on September 23 at the American Merchant Marine Veterans annual convention. MVET will allow student-veterans to transfer sea service and training completed while on active duty into the GLMA engine officer program before GI education benefits expire.

“I am excited to approve this program for the Great Lakes Maritime Academy which greatly supports providing a pathway for military members to integrate into the maritime industry,” Capt. Clare said. “The Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center is very committed to ensuring the success of our transitioning military members.”

More credentialed engineers graduating sooner will also help the merchant marine industry, whose workforce is aging.

Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association, a trade group representing the U.S.-flag Great Lakes cargo fleet, echoed the importance of the MVET program to the shipping industry.

“As a veteran and the son of a Vietnam veteran, who benefited from the G.I Bill, I can personally attest to the value of the GLMA program and the need to make it as cost effective for our veterans as possible,” Weakley said. “Our commitment to veterans should not end with their service. We need to honor their time in uniform and expedite their transition to good paying jobs. They can continue to serve our nation in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Our national security, homeland security and economic security will continue to benefit from their skills and work ethic.

GLMA Superintendent Jerry Achenbach said the (MVET) program is the result of more than four years of work involving several members of the Academy’s faculty and staff and USCG officials. It is expected to improve recruitment to the Academy’s engineering program.

In addition to allowing cadets to bypass redundant training, the approval will allow student veterans to complete the engineering program within the constraints of GI bill benefits. Due to sea service requirements, the current GLMA program exceeds the 36 months of benefits awarded to veterans by the GI bill.

Approval is good for five years, until 2026.

Release date: SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

For more information:

Jerry Achenbach
GLMA Superintendent
gachenbach@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1200

Veterans can convert service to credit

Sep 27, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Military veterans can now convert active duty sea service into credit toward an engineering officer bachelor’s degree at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Coast Guard Capt. Bradley Clare signed the approval letter for the Academy’s Military Veterans Program (MVET) on September 23 at the American Merchant Marine Veterans annual convention. MVET will allow student-veterans to transfer sea service and training completed while on active duty into the GLMA engine officer program before GI education benefits expire.

“I am excited to approve this program for the Great Lakes Maritime Academy which greatly supports providing a pathway for military members to integrate into the maritime industry,” Capt. Clare said. “The Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center is very committed to ensuring the success of our transitioning military members.”

More credentialed engineers graduating sooner will also help the merchant marine industry, whose workforce is aging.

Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association, a trade group representing the U.S.-flag Great Lakes cargo fleet, echoed the importance of the MVET program to the shipping industry.

“As a veteran and the son of a Vietnam veteran, who benefited from the G.I Bill, I can personally attest to the value of the GLMA program and the need to make it as cost effective for our veterans as possible,” Weakley said. “Our commitment to veterans should not end with their service. We need to honor their time in uniform and expedite their transition to good paying jobs. They can continue to serve our nation in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Our national security, homeland security and economic security will continue to benefit from their skills and work ethic.

GLMA Superintendent Jerry Achenbach said the (MVET) program is the result of more than four years of work involving several members of the Academy’s faculty and staff and USCG officials. It is expected to improve recruitment to the Academy’s engineering program.

In addition to allowing cadets to bypass redundant training, the approval will allow student veterans to complete the engineering program within the constraints of GI bill benefits. Due to sea service requirements, the current GLMA program exceeds the 36 months of benefits awarded to veterans by the GI bill.

Approval is good for five years, until 2026.

Release date: SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

For more information:

Jerry Achenbach
GLMA Superintendent
gachenbach@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1200

NMC distributes $3 million to students in fourth round of COVID relief funds

Sep 15, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students received $3 million in American Rescue Plan funds this month, bringing the total amount of federal COVID-19 relief funds the college has distributed to students to $5.2 million since April 2020.

NMC has prioritized rapid disbursement of four rounds of COVID funds intended for students, as well as supplemented them with dollars raised by the NMC Foundation. In 2020, NMC distributed more than $1 million in federal funds to 705 students, who received an average award of $1,500 each.

In February of this year, students received another $1 million earmarked by Congress for direct student aid. More than 900 students received an average of $964 each. Awards were based on demonstrated financial need and enrollment status.

In June, another $550,000 went to 1,000 students registered for summer semester. Average awards from the September disbursement were more than $1,000 each to 3,060 students, who received notification Sept. 10. Funds go out this week.

“As the pandemic persists, so do our students’ challenges,” NMC President Nick Nissley said. “We’re pleased to be able to efficiently steward these taxpayer dollars and distribute them to students who have persevered toward their goals through 18 months.”

While the COVID relief dollars are extraordinary, NMC champions affordability as a key element of college access. Among the ways the college regularly strives to help students pay for their education:

• Participation in federal student aid financial aid programs, the keystone for all student aid. In August NMC was approved for a six-year recertification. This enables the college to receive dollars like the COVID-19 funds, as well as participate in the statewide Michigan Reconnect program, which offers free in-district tuition to Michigan residents over age 25 who do not already have a college degree.

“This is one of those, ‘it takes a village’ things. Everyone at NMC contributes to the institutional eligibility,” said Linda Berlin, director of financial aid.

• Awarding more than $1 million in student scholarships annually through the NMC Foundation. This year alone five new scholarships have been created in academic areas ranging from nursing to accounting. A scholarship dinner to benefit construction trade programs will be held Oct. 7. New scholarships with residential criteria are also available to residents of Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County, and Mancelona.
• Innovations such as an open educational resources filter for the course schedule, which allows students to search for courses that only require free or low-cost textbooks. (There are 188 for spring 2022 semester.)
• Services such as the NMC Food Pantry. Usage of the free service for the 2020-21 academic year was the highest ever, with 1,232 people served. The average of 102.6 people per month served was up 17 percent from the 2019-20 academic year.

Release date: September 15, 2021

For more information:

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

Success Story: NMC provides a path for student government president

Sep 15, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

September 15, 2021

Edris Fana speaks at the 2016 NMC CommencementLast month, 2016 NMC graduate Edris Fana expected to see his parents for the first time in eight years, when they were to travel from Kabul, Afghanistan to Traverse City for his wedding to fellow alumna Emma Smith.

Instead, their wedding date, Aug. 15, became the day that Fana’s home country officially fell back to the Taliban, the Islamic military regime that resumed control of Afghanistan amid the final withdrawal of U.S./NATO troops after a 20-year presence.

“Everything just went downhill,” Fana said, adding that his parents have visas to travel to the United States, but cannot get a flight. (Very limited air travel resumed last week.) “To see it fall like this, it’s crazy to think about it.”

As the first international student to lead NMC’s Student Government Association, Fana, now 27, once aspired to apply that experience back home, and work in the government of the fledgling democratic republic.

“That was my all-time goal,” said Fana, who studied aviation. As the SGA president, he spoke at both the 2015 and 2016 commencement ceremonies.

“Coming from a place that I didn’t have the opportunity to practice leadership, or to have any experience of what I was capable of, it was NMC that presented me with opportunities to grow,” Fana told the audience in 2016.

Fana reciprocated those opportunities, contributing significantly to international understanding on campus, said Jim Bensley, NMC’s director of International Services and Service Learning.

“His interactions with fellow students helped many students gain a more intimate understanding of Afghan culture,” said Bensley, who invited Fana to speak to his World Cultures classes as well as wider campus audiences.

Fana’s 2013 departure to attend NMC was his second exodus from Afghanistan. In 1994 he was 11 days old when his parents fled with him and his brother to Pakistan as the Taliban began its first takeover of the country. The family returned to Afghanistan in 2003, when Fana was 10.

By then, the American invasion had ousted the Taliban from power and Afghanistan was heading into its first democratic elections. Despite attending an American school in Kabul and having parents who were educated and professional — his father runs a non-governmental organization called Partners in Aviation and Technology — Fana found his options for higher education limited. He wanted to study aviation.

As a young, Afghan man in a post-9/11 world, it wasn’t easy getting the acceptances and  documents he needed to study in the United States. But Fana finally succeeded, following his brother, a pre-med student, to Michigan.

“NMC provided a path to me, not just out of Afghanistan, but to study more, to study what I really love, and get involved in the community,” said Fana. In addition to the SGA, at NMC he joined the International Club, also serving as its president, was a resident assistant and worked in the library. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Ferris State University through NMC’s University Center in December 2020.

NMC Dean of Students Lisa Thomas is the adviser to the SGA and knew Fana well.

“His own life experiences and journey from across the world to NMC gave him a deep sense of appreciation for the education and opportunities at NMC,” Thomas said.

Currently working as a hotel manager, with a return to Afghanistan off the table, Fana is accruing flight hours in order to earn his flight instructor license.

Daily life in Kabul is “somewhat regular” now, as the Taliban seeks international recognition of its regime, and his parents are safe, Fana said, but they are still seeking a way to leave. It’s stunning to think the country is back where it was when he was an infant.

“I don’t think anybody expected an overnight takeover. Within two weeks, the whole country just fell in.”

NMC distributes $3 million to students in fourth round of COVID relief funds

Sep 15, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students received $3 million in American Rescue Plan funds this month, bringing the total amount of federal COVID-19 relief funds the college has distributed to students to $5.2 million since April 2020.

NMC has prioritized rapid disbursement of four rounds of COVID funds intended for students, as well as supplemented them with dollars raised by the NMC Foundation. In 2020, NMC distributed more than $1 million in federal funds to 705 students, who received an average award of $1,500 each.

In February of this year, students received another $1 million earmarked by Congress for direct student aid. More than 900 students received an average of $964 each. Awards were based on demonstrated financial need and enrollment status.

In June, another $550,000 went to 1,000 students registered for summer semester. Average awards from the September disbursement were more than $1,000 each to 3,060 students, who received notification Sept. 10. Funds go out this week.

“As the pandemic persists, so do our students’ challenges,” NMC President Nick Nissley said. “We’re pleased to be able to efficiently steward these taxpayer dollars and distribute them to students who have persevered toward their goals through 18 months.”

While the COVID relief dollars are extraordinary, NMC champions affordability as a key element of college access. Among the ways the college regularly strives to help students pay for their education:

• Participation in federal student aid financial aid programs, the keystone for all student aid. In August NMC was approved for a six-year recertification. This enables the college to receive dollars like the COVID-19 funds, as well as participate in the statewide Michigan Reconnect program, which offers free in-district tuition to Michigan residents over age 25 who do not already have a college degree.

“This is one of those, ‘it takes a village’ things. Everyone at NMC contributes to the institutional eligibility,” said Linda Berlin, director of financial aid.

• Awarding more than $1 million in student scholarships annually through the NMC Foundation. This year alone five new scholarships have been created in academic areas ranging from nursing to accounting. A scholarship dinner to benefit construction trade programs will be held Oct. 7. New scholarships with residential criteria are also available to residents of Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County, and Mancelona.
• Innovations such as an open educational resources filter for the course schedule, which allows students to search for courses that only require free or low-cost textbooks. (There are 188 for spring 2022 semester.)
• Services such as the NMC Food Pantry. Usage of the free service for the 2020-21 academic year was the highest ever, with 1,232 people served. The average of 102.6 people per month served was up 17 percent from the 2019-20 academic year.

Release date: September 15, 2021

For more information:

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

COVID-19 testing sites

Sep 10, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Below is a partial list of local COVID-19 testing options for your information.

If you’re an NMC student and are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, NMC Health Services has rapid tests available by appointment. Call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment. Health Services is open Mon.–Fri.: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters.

Here’s a list of other local testing sites with contact and other information:

• Grand Traverse County Health Department, 2600 LaFrainer Rd.: gtcountymi.gov/2231/COVID-19-Novel-Coronavirus
• Munson Foster Family Community Health Center: (231) 935-9269
• Munson Walk-In Clinic, 3074 North US 31 South: (231) 929-1234
• Northwest Michigan Health Services: (231) 642-5292
• Rite Aid: (231) 943-9288, riteaid.com/pharmacy/services/covid-19-testing, free
• Walgreen’s: walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing/, free
• TC Rapid Testing, 3301 Veterans Dr.: (231) 252-3278, $125

Library Book Recommendations – September, 2021

Sep 7, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.

Non-Fiction

The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch by Miles Harvey
In 1843, James Strang, a charismatic lawyer and avowed atheist, vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. Strang persuaded hundreds of converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king. The King of Confidence tells this fascinating but largely forgotten story of the charlatan’s turbulent twelve years in power.

The Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator by Mark Elbroch
Mountain lions, once on the edge of extinction, have made a remarkable comeback. But this has led to an unexpected modern conundrum: Do more mountain lions mean they’re a threat to humans and domestic animals? Or do they need our help to survive? Mountain lion biologist and expert Mark Elbroch dismisses old myths, arguing that ecosystems depend on keystone predators to keep them in healthy balance. Humans and mountain lions can coexist, he explains, if we arm ourselves with knowledge and common sense.

George Washington’s Final Battle: The Epic Struggle to Build a Capital City and a Nation by Robert P. Watson
At the end of America’s Revolutionary War, the new nation’s government was weak and almost fatally divided by bitter disputes. Inherent in the divides was disagreement about where to place the nation’s seat of government. It is little remembered that George Washington took the lead on settling this question that moved the capital from New York, to Philadelphia, and finally to the city that bears his name. He oversaw surveying, negotiated land deals, raised funds, selected the architect, chose the plan, and changed the designs. He died less than a year before President Adams moved into the White House in 1800.

Somebody’s Daughter: a Memoir by Ashley C. Ford
For as long as she could remember, Ashley has put her father on a pedestal. Despite having only vague memories of seeing him face-to-face, she believes he’s the only person in the entire world who understands her. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she provides a poignant coming-of-age recollection that speaks to finding the threads between who you are and what you were born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian-who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true.The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go-for the protection of her family and her legacy-to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives

Fiction

Hour of the Witch: a novel by Chris Bohjalian
Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old and the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary’s hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life. But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary soon becomes the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary’s garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage, but also the gallows.

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann
The Briscoe family is once again the talk of their small town when March returns to East Texas two years after he was caught having an affair with his brother’s wife. Within days of March’s arrival, someone is dead, marriages are upended, and even the strongest of allies are divided. The Briscoes must reckon with their choices, their capacity for forgiveness, and the confines of family. Olympus, TX combines the archetypes of Greek and Roman mythology with the psychological complexity of a messy family.

Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun: a Novel by Jonny Garza Villa
Jules Luna has a plan for his life: Graduate. Get into UCLA. And move away from Corpus Christi, Texas, and the suffocating expectations of others that have forced Jules into an inauthentic life. Then in one reckless moment, with one impulsive tweet, his plans for a low-key nine months are thrown out of the closet. The downside: the whole world knows. The upside: Jules now has the opportunity to be his real self. Jules accidentally propelled himself into the life he’s always dreamed of. And now that he’s in control of it, what he does next is up to him.

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd
Emilia Romero is living a double life. By day, she’s a field hockey star with a flawless report card. But by night, she’s kicking virtual ass as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate. When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to her team and the male-dominated gaming community. Debut author Alexis Nedd has crafted a YA combo-punch of charming romance and virtual adventure that will win the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike.

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny
Louise Penny delivers with a perplexing murder mystery set in Three Pines that is also a nuanced look at conviction, delusion, and the tipping point between the two. It’s almost New Year’s in Québec when a request is made of Chief Inspector Gamache to provide security at a public event that brings a divisive figure into the orbit of Three Pines. Professor Abigail Robinson’s notoriety rests on weaponizing pandemic data in a bid to convince the public that it will become necessary to conserve resources by prioritizing some lives over others. Thoughtful, philosophical and suspenseful, The Madness of Crowds proves Penny just gets better with each novel.

Summaries adapted from publishers.

Strategic Planning update, 9/7/21

Sep 7, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Dear NMC Community — Thank you for your continued active and engaged participation in our ongoing strategic planning process!

Since our last update, we have finished the scanning, or research phase of the process and moved into the active planning phase. This has been no small feat! Throughout July and early August, nine Scan Teams conducted research into the nine key topics to develop recommendations for the Steering Committee and Work Team.

All faculty and staff also had an opportunity to take part in an Employee Values Workshop during Opening Conference on August 23, as well as to respond to a values survey. The Steering Committee and Work Team held its first strategy workshop (Scan to Plan) the next day. Nearly two dozen potential strategies were drafted. As the fall semester gets underway, our intensive focus on NMC’s future continues. Milestones between now and Thanksgiving include the following:

• September 15: A second strategy workshop for the Steering Committee and Work Team, where strategies will be further discussed and prioritized.
• September 28-October 3: Employees complete a survey on the draft mission, vision, values and strategies.
• October 4-7: Feedback sessions (employees, students and community)
• October 25: Board of Trustees reviews strategies approved by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
• October and November: Two objectives workshops followed by two action planning workshops. These will specify how the approved strategies will be carried out.
• November 22: Board reviews the final mission/vision/values statements and objectives.

We will continue to provide regular updates on the strategic planning process as we work toward final plan approval by the Board of Trustees in December 2021. You can get updates any time at nmc.edu/strategic-planning and email any questions to strategic-planning@nmc.edu.

Release date: SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

For more information:

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

Strategic Planning update, 9/7/21

Sep 7, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Dear NMC Community — Thank you for your continued active and engaged participation in our ongoing strategic planning process!

Since our last update, we have finished the scanning, or research phase of the process and moved into the active planning phase. This has been no small feat! Throughout July and early August, nine Scan Teams conducted research into the nine key topics to develop recommendations for the Steering Committee and Work Team.

All faculty and staff also had an opportunity to take part in an Employee Values Workshop during Opening Conference on August 23, as well as to respond to a values survey. The Steering Committee and Work Team held its first strategy workshop (Scan to Plan) the next day. Nearly two dozen potential strategies were drafted. As the fall semester gets underway, our intensive focus on NMC’s future continues. Milestones between now and Thanksgiving include the following:

• September 15: A second strategy workshop for the Steering Committee and Work Team, where strategies will be further discussed and prioritized.
• September 28-October 3: Employees complete a survey on the draft mission, vision, values and strategies.
• October 4-7: Feedback sessions (employees, students and community)
• October 25: Board of Trustees reviews strategies approved by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
• October and November: Two objectives workshops followed by two action planning workshops. These will specify how the approved strategies will be carried out.
• November 22: Board reviews the final mission/vision/values statements and objectives.

We will continue to provide regular updates on the strategic planning process as we work toward final plan approval by the Board of Trustees in December 2021. You can get updates any time at nmc.edu/strategic-planning and email any questions to strategic-planning@nmc.edu.

Release date: SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

For more information:

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

Success Story: Leadership realignment creates new executive role

Sep 1, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

September 1, 2021

Northwestern Michigan College is seeking its first-ever vice president of strategic initiatives, a newly-created executive role that will lead strategic planning implementation and innovation management at the college.

Specifically, the new vice president will be accountable for leading the college through implementation of the strategic plan that is now being drafted; leading NMC’s innovation management process, including revenue-generating ventures; and serving as a point person for business partnership and local employers.

“We’re at a unique point in our college’s history,” President Nick Nissley said in a recruiting video. “The pandemic has accelerated the transformation of higher education, allowing us to challenge our previous assumptions.”

The new vice president, Nissley continued, will be charged to “develop new ways to springboard into the future to meet the evolving needs of our diverse stakeholders.”

The position was created by realigning executive leadership responsibilities, and does not add an additional administrator. The vice president will oversee several existing departments including the NMC Marine Center, Extended Educational Services and the International Affairs Forum.

Each of these divisions serves a broader group of learners than traditional, post-high school, degree-seeking students. Demographically, that pool of students is declining in Michigan and nationwide, so the college aims to grow enrollment by reaching new populations, particularly adult learners who need credentials for advancement and professional development.

Massachusetts-based recruiting firm Spelman Johnson was retained to facilitate the nationwide search. Given the broad responsibilities, the position has drawn keen interest from dozens of applicants from around the country. NMC will begin reviewing applications this week and the position will remain open until filled.

“The ability to build strong relationships and to deliver results is at the heart of this role,” Nissley said. “I believe an entrepreneurial spirit will inspire and excite our internal and external partners as we work toward shared success.”

Success Story: Leadership realignment creates new executive role

Sep 1, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

September 1, 2021

Northwestern Michigan College is seeking its first-ever vice president of strategic initiatives, a newly-created executive role that will lead strategic planning implementation and innovation management at the college.

Specifically, the new vice president will be accountable for leading the college through implementation of the strategic plan that is now being drafted; leading NMC’s innovation management process, including revenue-generating ventures; and serving as a point person for business partnership and local employers.

“We’re at a unique point in our college’s history,” President Nick Nissley said in a recruiting video. “The pandemic has accelerated the transformation of higher education, allowing us to challenge our previous assumptions.”

The new vice president, Nissley continued, will be charged to “develop new ways to springboard into the future to meet the evolving needs of our diverse stakeholders.”

The position was created by realigning executive leadership responsibilities, and does not add an additional administrator. The vice president will oversee several existing departments including the NMC Marine Center, Extended Educational Services and the International Affairs Forum.

Each of these divisions serves a broader group of learners than traditional, post-high school, degree-seeking students. Demographically, that pool of students is declining in Michigan and nationwide, so the college aims to grow enrollment by reaching new populations, particularly adult learners who need credentials for advancement and professional development.

Massachusetts-based recruiting firm Spelman Johnson was retained to facilitate the nationwide search. Given the broad responsibilities, the position has drawn keen interest from dozens of applicants from around the country. NMC will begin reviewing applications this week and the position will remain open until filled.

“The ability to build strong relationships and to deliver results is at the heart of this role,” Nissley said. “I believe an entrepreneurial spirit will inspire and excite our internal and external partners as we work toward shared success.”