Summer books are now available online through the NMC Bookstore! Visit bookstore.nmc.edu for information on all required materials for summer classes.
Students wanting to use financial aid for their purchases will be able to do so starting April 27.
In-store pickup is not available at this time.
Dear students:
As our state continues efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has extended the Stay Home, Stay Safe order through April 30. To support this effort, and comply with the order, Northwestern Michigan College will extend the closure of all five of its campuses in Traverse City through April 30.
Virtual instruction of classes will continue through the end of the semester May 2. You can also see a complete list of canceled events here.
The following NMC services remain closed:
This is an unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation. We will continue to communicate with you to keep you safe and limit the disruption to learning as much as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your instructor or use this feedback form and one of our student support team members will get back to you within 24 hours.
As we get updates and changes, we post them first on nmc.edu/coronavirus. Please check there for the latest information.
NMC has also compiled a list of resources to help you succeed in your studies during this challenging time, which include the following:
NMC Public Relations
Dear students,
We know this has been a time of uncertainty and change as we all respond to the COVID-19 pandemic together. During the last few weeks, you have shown incredible perseverance and agility and we recognize your hard work. We at NMC remain committed to our work to keep you safe and limit the disruption to learning as much as possible.
The impact of the pandemic is still evolving so we cannot predict when current restrictions on our campuses will be lifted. In order to help keep you on track toward your goals, and to keep you safe, NMC will offer online classes only this summer. Registration is now open.
For students currently enrolled in Summer 2020 face to face classes, most classes will be migrated to the new online status automatically; you do not need to do anything to remain enrolled in your current summer courses. Your instructor will contact you before the class starts.
We will also expand our summer course offerings beyond the face to face classes that are now becoming online classes. This means additional opportunities for you to earn credits over the summer and make progress toward your goal. If demand for those online classes increases, we may be able to add even more sections.
The Advising Center can help you with class options or changes to your schedule. Call them at (231) 995-1040, email advising@nmc.edu, or schedule directly online through MySuccess (NMC student login required). Learn more about MySuccess here.
If NMC is able to re-open campus, it is possible that we could offer some classes face to face, like certain labs. First priority would go to spring lab classes that were unable to finish. We are also working on our plans for the fall semester. While we are discussing various possibilities, it is too soon to make a decision. We will continue to communicate with you as we know more.
Many of you have also asked about testing since the testing center is currently closed. NMC will be offering a remote online proctor tool called Proctorio. NMC is covering the cost of this service so it will be free for students. Your instructor will share the details with you.
If you have any questions on any topic related to NMC, please use this feedback form and one of our student support team members will respond to you within 24 hours.
For COVID-19 related updates, online resources and more please visit nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Personal health counseling services are also available virtually. Please contact student life for more information.
Thank you again for all of your patience and perseverance as we work through this together.
Over the last few months, in between her nursing shifts in a Kalamazoo hospital’s medical intensive care unit, Karissa Havens (right) followed the worsening COVID-19 epidemic as it swept from China to Europe to the United States.
The Traverse City West High School graduate, who attended NMC from 2013-2014 before transferring to Western Michigan University for her nursing degree, knew she had the skills to help both patients and overwhelmed hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots. She felt called to go where they were desperately needed.
Next week, she is. Havens, 24, has accepted a six-week traveling nurse position in a COVID-19 ICU unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. She was able to find a job within two days of deciding to leave Kalamazoo.
“I am completely humbled by this opportunity and ready to give everything I can to help fight this terrible virus,” Havens posted on Facebook announcing her move.
She will arrive in New York on the heels of 2015 nursing graduate and adjunct instructor Callie Leaman (left). Leaman, an ER nurse at Munson Medical Center, arrived in the epidemic’s epicenter Tuesday. She is working in midtown Manhattan at New York University Langone Health in a COVID-19 ICU unit.
Havens has not yet cared for any COVID-19 patients at her current hospital, Bronson Methodist, but she and her colleagues have researched how the disease has progressed in countries ahead of the U.S., studying patient presentation and care protocols.
“I don’t know if anything will really prepare me,” Havens said. For instance, Mount Sinai is establishing a tent annex in Central Park, directly opposite its building, to care for patients.
At NMC Havens took nursing prerequisite courses, including cell plant and ecosystem biology and chemistry. She remembers instructor Greg LaCross’s classes as among her favorites. She was also on the Dean’s List.
“I have no doubt she has made a difference in people’s lives, especially now, when our healthcare workers are so needed,” LaCross said.
She first considered going to Detroit, another hot spot, to help out her home state. But Detroit hospitals weren’t taking first-time traveling nurses. A licensing issue cropped up when she considered Chicago. But her qualifications were welcome in New York.
Havens begins work at Mount Sinai April 14. Her contract runs through May 31, though she expects it will likely be extended. It’s been most difficult to find affordable housing, though she thinks she’s found a temporary place. It’s a half-hour commute from the hospital, so she hopes the city keeps public transit running. She feels as ready for the challenge as she can be.
“I don’t have any kids, I’m not married. It’s just me and a dog. I’m the perfect candidate to go,” Havens said.
Her dog, Zaas, will stay with her parents in Interlochen. As for the general public, “Keep quarantining, and if possible, try and donate blood,” Havens said.
Do you know a helper or hero with NMC connections? Please share stories of students, instructors, alumni and community members stepping up during the COVID-19 epidemic by emailing publicrelations@nmc.edu.
While the Dennos Museum Center remains closed, our staff has been working hard to make programming available online for you and your family. Upcoming concerts will take place Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 at noon.
The Live & Local Concert Series is presented by the Dennos and Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology to bring some much needed musical entertainment to your living room. We believe strongly in supporting our local musicians, and invite you to join us on Facebook Live to do the same. Featuring four local singer-songwriters, this could be the beginning of an ongoing series, so stay tuned. You can also visit crosshatch.org/emergency to support their local artist relief fund.
Greetings NMC Community! I hope this finds you well, and healthy!
In these times of self-quarantines and social distancing, we need to continue to find ways to connect with one another. What better way to do that than through music? And since we can’t make music in person, how about connecting virtually in our inaugural NMC Virtual Choir?
Answers to questions you may have:
How will this work? I’ve attached a PDF of the piece we’ll be singing. Here are links to practice/reference recordings for each voice part. (I have also added this to the NMC Music App – You can download the app here for free.) There are several seconds of silence at the beginning of each track. We will need that later for video/sound synchronization.
Before you begin you will need:
When you’re ready to begin:
Again, we’d like to try to get this wrapped up this weekend so we have set a deadline for submissions for Thursday, April 9, at 5 p.m.
Thanks again everyone for sharing your time and talents – happy singing!
Jeff
—
Jeffrey Cobb
Director of Music Programs
Northwestern Michigan College
1701 E. Front Street
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 995-1338
The Golden Ass / Apuleius (library ebook available)
Fantasy/Classical Fiction
In the surreal times we are living through, get lost in the absurd trials of a man-turned-donkey due to his own inept experiments in witchcraft.
Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
by Anne Case and Angus Deaton
Non-fiction/Economics
A well-researched book arguing that the capitalism that lifted people out of poverty is now destroying blue-collar America. The authors propose solutions to make it work for all. Read it online now at ebookcentral.proquest.com/ (login required).
At Home: A Short History of Private Life / Bill Bryson
Non-fiction/History
A personal compendium of fascinating facts suggesting how the history of domesticity has shaped our lives, language, and ideas.
Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories / Steven Millhauser
Fiction/Short Stories
Millhauser’s diverting stories concern themselves with how communities respond to unsettling phenomena and shifting norms, usually combining a sense of wonder, thrill and threat.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation / Ottessa Moshfegh
Fiction
A young woman’s foray into a self-imposed and well-medicated year of isolation. Enough similarities to the current shelter-in-place to make this darkly funny story far more relevant than it might normally be.
Little Weirds / Jenny Slate
Non-Fiction/Memoir
Jenny Slate is known for her Netflix special “Stage Fright” and as an actor in “Obvious Child.” Her extraordinary yet-strange writing style is full of light and hope and laughter.
Etymologicon / Mark Forsyth
Non-fiction/ Linguistics
Fans of Mark Forsyth’s Inky Fool blog on the oddities of the English language will enjoy this interesting and funny book on etymology.
The Women of the Copper Country: a Novel by Mary Doria Russell.
Historical fiction
Set in 1913, the wife of a miner leads a strike against deadly labor practices and unfair wages in the company town of Calumet. Written by the New York Times best-selling author of The Sparrow.
The Wolfkeeper: Stories by Carolyn J. Lewis,
Fiction
Carol Lewis was an Old Mission Peninsula native, and her work is rooted in Northern Michigan culture and history. The book was published by Mission Point Press after her untimely death in 2019.
The Odyssey by Homer, Translated by Emily Wilson. Audiobook.
Classical Fiction
The first woman to publish a translation of the 3,000 year-old Odyssey, Emily Wilson presents the epic poem clearly with enough modern language making it understandable. Read by actress Claire Daines.
If you’re in need of a secure WiFi connection, you can still log on to NMC’s WiFi network from your vehicle while in NMC parking lots, despite the campuses being closed through April 31. For the strongest WiFi signal, refer to these maps. For the best WiFi reception, park as close to the building as possible, and park facing the building.
WiFi is also available in downtown Traverse City through a partnership between the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority and Traverse City Light & Power, though the connection has a 60-minute time limit. Online sources for locating other free WiFi hotspots include Yelp, Wi-Fi Space, WiFi Map and Wiman. (Note that many are password-protected.)
Also, multiple Internet Service Providers and Mobile Carriers have agreed to provide free Internet to K-12 and college students or unlimited data for 60 days beginning March 13, 2020. Learn more here.
Dear NMC students:
We understand that the conversion to online coursework can be challenging. Our primary goal is to help you be successful in your current courses and earn the credits you have worked toward so far this semester. NMC has also compiled a list of resources to help you succeed in your studies.
At this time, we wanted to provide information/clarification on some of the options available to you:
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your instructor or use this feedback form.
Thank you.
Good afternoon NMC family,
As NMC prepares to head into Spring Break following several challenging weeks, I wanted to connect, reflect and look forward with you “in person.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for all of us and we are all working together to build new solutions to keep our students, employees and community safe, while minimizing the disruptions to student learning as best as we can. I hope Spring Break gives you an opportunity to rest and relax (while following CDC guidelines) so you can finish the semester strong.
As a reminder, you can continue to find the latest information on NMC’s response to the pandemic and resources to help you at nmc.edu/coronavirus. There you will also find a feedback form if you have any questions or need help; our response team will get back to you within 24 hours.
Thank you,
Nick
—
Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has launched a new academic catalog website at catalog.nmc.edu that offers more comprehensive and coordinated program and course information and requirements in an easy-to-navigate format.
The new catalog site will serve as a single source for NMC students to find detailed program requirements, course descriptions and course sequence guides, while providing a common location for NMC employees to update information and submit new programs and courses and acting as the college’s official catalog of record going forward.
Over the coming weeks, much of the specific program and course information on the public website at nmc.edu will be redirected to the new site at catalog.nmc.edu, with links to specific program requirements and course sequence guides on the new site from each main program page on nmc.edu. In the meantime, look to the new site first for the most current catalog and curriculum information.
Brian Heffner
Director of Academic Affairs
bheffner@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1014
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has launched a new academic catalog website at catalog.nmc.edu that offers more comprehensive and coordinated program and course information and requirements in an easy-to-navigate format.
The new catalog site will serve as a single source for NMC students to find detailed program requirements, course descriptions and course sequence guides, while providing a common location for NMC employees to update information and submit new programs and courses and acting as the college’s official catalog of record going forward.
Over the coming weeks, much of the specific program and course information on the public website at nmc.edu will be redirected to the new site at catalog.nmc.edu, with links to specific program requirements and course sequence guides on the new site from each main program page on nmc.edu. In the meantime, look to the new site first for the most current catalog and curriculum information.
Brian Heffner
Director of Academic Affairs
bheffner@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1014
TRAVERSE CITY — As Michigan continues to try and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwestern Michigan College today announced it will not return to face-to-face classes for exams this semester and will postpone its 2020 Commencement ceremony.
On March 13, NMC canceled face-to-face classes through April 27, the last week of the semester, when final exams are scheduled. Students will now not return to campus for exams. Instructors will make arrangements between now and then and communicate directly with students.
The 2020 Commencement ceremony, originally set for May 2, will either be delayed until August or a double ceremony held in May 2021.
In compliance and support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay home, stay safe order, all NMC’s campuses are closed through April 13. This includes the Dennos Museum and the Hagerty Center. All events are canceled through mid-May, including the NMC Barbecue originally scheduled for May 17. See a complete list of cancellations here.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
Good afternoon NMC community,
Throughout the last few weeks the college has had to make a lot of important decisions quickly in an effort to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these decisions have been difficult, but the goal remains to keep you safe while limiting the impact on learning as much as possible.
Today we have two new important updates to share with you:
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for all of us. Thank you for your patience, as we continue to work together toward solutions to these new challenges. You can continue to find the latest information on NMC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resources to help you at nmc.edu/coronavirus. There you will also find a feedback form. If you have any questions, or need help, we will get back to you within 24 hours.
NMC Public Relations
Dear students:
As our state continues to try and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, today Governor. Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay home, stay safe order. To support this effort, and comply with the order, Northwestern Michigan College will extend the closure of all five of its campuses in Traverse City for two additional weeks, through at least April 13.
Virtual instruction of classes are scheduled to continue through April 27. You can also see a complete list of canceled events here. The college will announce a decision on commencement and the remainder of the semester’s activities this week.
The following NMC services remain closed:
This is an unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation. We will continue to communicate with you to keep you safe and limit the disruption to learning as much as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your instructor or use this feedback form.
As we get updates and changes, we post them first on nmc.edu/coronavirus. Please check there for the latest information.
NMC has also compiled a list of resources to help you succeed in your studies during this challenging time, which include the following:
Dear students — Thank you for your flexibility and patience this week, as we have transitioned face-to-face classes to online to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As you know, NMC has closed all campuses through the end of March.
By the end of today, you should have heard from all of your instructors as to how they will deliver their coursework through the end of the semester. If you have not heard from them, first please reach out to the instructor directly. Second, let us know using the feedback form.
We understand that the conversion to online coursework is challenging for many of you. Our primary goal is to help you be successful in your current courses and earn the credits you have worked toward so far this semester. In addition, we are currently working on adjusting policies and procedures to help you complete the coursework. This includes an extension of the final date to drop to May 2, 2020. Up to this date you can Drop with Record, which means it will not count in your grade point average calculation. It will show on your transcript as a W – Withdrawal. Please talk with your instructor about the concerns you have for the class, and wait a week or two before taking any action. The college will be providing a variety of options to help reduce the financial and academic effects of this interruption. Let us know if you have other suggestions using the feedback form.
Available Resources:
NMC has also compiled a list of resources to help you succeed in your studies during this challenging time. These include:
Throughout this public health crisis, NMC’s goal is to keep you, our students, our faculty and staff healthy and safe while minimizing the disruption to learning. This is an unprecedented situation for all of us and there will likely be more changes ahead. We will continue to communicate with you along the way. As we get updates and changes, we post them first on nmc.edu/coronavirus. Please check here for the latest information.
Thank you for your commitment to NMC and your commitment to your own education. We remain committed to you. We hope you and your family stay safe and healthy.
Dear NMC Family,
This week we saw the COVID-19 virus continue to spread and the health consequences reach heightened levels. With the shelter-in-place order in the San Francisco Bay Area and the closing of the US-Canada border, the world surely seems a little darker. But, we’ve also seen numerous executive orders designed to keep us safe, and a federal stimulus package that’s designed to fuel an economic recovery. It is also the end of our first week of transitioning from face-to-face to online learning. While everyone might expect that to be an incredible hurdle, our faculty and staff have boldly accepted the challenge. Departments like our Educational Media Technologies have been there to aid our faculty, and Student Success Coaches have continued to support student success by shifting to virtual coaching. Of course it’s not perfect. And, truth be told, we will experience challenges and conflict as we move ahead. But, that’s the good news. That’s a sign that we care deeply and want to get it right for our students.
When the founders of NMC created our college, it was to meet a need. They didn’t have a set of directions, but had to customize our college to serve our community. We share that same entrepreneurial spirit in our DNA today. The characteristic that defines the NMC family, which I am seeing so clearly during this time of unprecedented stress, is our resourcefulness and our possibilitarian nature. We believe that together, we can achieve more than was originally imagined. That has been the role of community colleges in our society – to serve as epicenters of hope. I’d like to share with you how the NMC Family is doing that. Some examples that I’ve seen this past week, that make me so proud.
Yes, it’s easy to see the darkness that surrounds us this week. But, I’d counter, it’s also easy to see the truly ‘above and beyond’ efforts of our NMC family. Our faculty/staff/students are proving that the possibilitarian spirit is alive and well at NMC. Our campus community is being resourceful, flexible, creative, and compassionate as they seek to serve our students and community during this time of great challenge.
I am a believer of the leadership maxim, begin with the end in mind. A staff member reminded me this week, as she looks ahead, asking herself what might come of this, she suggested, “I really think that this time has bigger gifts that will emerge for us all in how we care for each other.” I also believe that we will grow stronger and closer through this experience. So, let’s keep pulling together.
We will overcome.
Nick
Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
TRAVERSE CITY — Due to the confirmation of two COVID-19 cases in the region, Northwestern Michigan College today closed all five of its campuses in Traverse City to all but essential employees for two weeks, through at least March 31.
“Local cases are a trigger event we identified that would necessitate the closing of the college, to be consistent with public health protocols and to ensure campus and community health and safety,” President Nick Nissley said. “All staff, except ‘essential employees’ will be sent home at noon today.”
Faculty are essential employees and will continue teaching their classes virtually, with no course/lab work permitted on campus. On March 13 NMC announced it would shift face-to-face classes to distance learning beginning March 16. That transition is expected to be complete by Friday, March 20. Virtual learning will continue through April 27.
Non-essential employees are considered non-reporting /on call. Nissley assured college employees the closure will not affect compensation.
“No matter how you are categorized, you will be compensated. This includes all part-time and student workers. We will be monitoring the situation and will reassess at the end of March,” he said.
Today’s decision expands steps already taken. The Dennos Museum Center closed March 14 through April 6. Major NMC events for the next two months are canceled, including the NMC Barbecue originally scheduled for May 17. See a complete list of canceled events here.
“This is an extraordinary step, but working with our partners in health care and public safety, we are convinced it is necessary,” Nissley said.
Stay informed of the latest updates at nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019 (o)
(231) 392-6082 (mobile)