Building a culture of peace Sept. 21

Panelists including NMC faculty and students will discuss “Building a Culture of Peace” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Scholars Hall 109.

The discussion is part of International Day of Peace, commemorated Sept. 21, and is organized in part by the NMC International Student Club and local Veterans for Peace chapter. 

For more information visit www.vfp50.org.

 

Success story: Gamification of an anatomy class

September 14, 2016

Nick Roster, NMC anatomy and physiology instructorIt was just another day in Anatomy and Physiology class, until instructor Nick Roster told students working in groups that the first group to finish a task would win five points.

The effect was immediate and obvious. Students leaned in across the lab tables, their body language showing focus, intensity and concentration as they worked together. By making the task into a race — a basic gamification concept — Roster simultaneously challenged and motivated students, fostered collaboration and self-directed learning.

It’s those kind of results which led the science instructor to completely rebuild his A & P course on gamification principles. He received an NMC Foundation grant to pilot the idea in 2015, and in spring 2016 moved completely to a gamification structure.

“I’m using some of the game elements and an (online) platform to run the whole class,” said Roster.

While the structure is a natural fit for students who grew up trying to get to the next level on PlayStation or Xbox, Roster said such gamification concepts as leveling up are ideal for learning.

“What this allows for is mastery learning. There’s no 70 percent,” he said. “Student performance is better because they have to get it right.”

They have to get it right — eventually. The level-based structure of his class allows students to practice until they gain the knowledge or skills necessary to advance. Failure is not the disaster that it would be on a midterm or final exam.

“This allows students the opportunity to fail, or get it wrong, or misread the question, and still be successful,” said Roster, whose e-mail signature includes a quote from Einstein: “I never teach my students, I only give them the opportunity to learn.”

NMC anatomy and physiology classAnatomy and Physiology still includes a traditional hands-on lab, though much of what was the lecture format of the class can now be conducted online. That allows students to progress at their own pace, and frees up class time for questions and discussion.

Roster has discussed the potential to apply gamification concepts with colleagues in NMC’s Business, Aviation, Computer Information Technology and other science disciplines. He says he knows one group that hopes the idea spreads: Students.

“My student reviews have never been better,” he said. “They’re hoping or wishing other classes were structured this way.”

Success story: Gamification of an anatomy class

September 14, 2016

Nick Roster, NMC anatomy and physiology instructorIt was just another day in Anatomy and Physiology class, until instructor Nick Roster told students working in groups that the first group to finish a task would win five points.

The effect was immediate and obvious. Students leaned in across the lab tables, their body language showing focus, intensity and concentration as they worked together. By making the task into a race — a basic gamification concept — Roster simultaneously challenged and motivated students, fostered collaboration and self-directed learning.

It’s those kind of results which led the science instructor to completely rebuild his A & P course on gamification principles. He received an NMC Foundation grant to pilot the idea in 2015, and in spring 2016 moved completely to a gamification structure.

“I’m using some of the game elements and an (online) platform to run the whole class,” said Roster.

While the structure is a natural fit for students who grew up trying to get to the next level on PlayStation or Xbox, Roster said such gamification concepts as leveling up are ideal for learning.

“What this allows for is mastery learning. There’s no 70 percent,” he said. “Student performance is better because they have to get it right.”

They have to get it right — eventually. The level-based structure of his class allows students to practice until they gain the knowledge or skills necessary to advance. Failure is not the disaster that it would be on a midterm or final exam.

“This allows students the opportunity to fail, or get it wrong, or misread the question, and still be successful,” said Roster, whose e-mail signature includes a quote from Einstein: “I never teach my students, I only give them the opportunity to learn.”

NMC anatomy and physiology classAnatomy and Physiology still includes a traditional hands-on lab, though much of what was the lecture format of the class can now be conducted online. That allows students to progress at their own pace, and frees up class time for questions and discussion.

Roster has discussed the potential to apply gamification concepts with colleagues in NMC’s Business, Aviation, Computer Information Technology and other science disciplines. He says he knows one group that hopes the idea spreads: Students.

“My student reviews have never been better,” he said. “They’re hoping or wishing other classes were structured this way.”

NMC Mindfulness Initiative

mindfulnessTuesdays at Noon Health & Science 101

A 10 minute mindfulness practice can help:

  • Improve focus and awareness
  • Reduce anxiety, depression and stress
  • Promote emotional balance
  • Cultivate compassion
  • Promote academic performance
  • Prevent burnout
  • Increase creativity

Come unplug for 20 minutes with NMC’s new mindfulness learning community. Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome!

For more information or a private mindfulness session, contact Kristy McDonald at 995-1059 or kmcdonald@nmc.edu

NMC Board Candidates Forum

The League of Women Voters (LWV) is hosting a forum for NMC Board of Trustees candidates that will be moderated by Mary Grover from the LWV. The forum will be Tuesday, October 18, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Milliken Auditorium.

UpNorth Media Center will cover the event and record it for future viewing.

Six candidates are running for two positions on the NMC Board of Trustees. The following will be on the November election ballot for Grand Traverse County:

  • Chris M. Bott
  • Carolyn Collins
  • Christopher Dailey
  • Michael Estes
  • Michael B. Haynes
  • Rachel Johnson

WNMC Volunteer Call-Out

WNMC, the community public radio service of NMC, is looking for some new volunteers. Thousands of people in the Grand Traverse region listen every week, hundreds are listening at any given time. WNMC plays music heard nowhere else on the dial — jazz, blues, alternative rock, indie, Michigan music, and music from around the world. Most of that music is brand new. You don’t have to know a lot, but you do have to be willing to be a musical explorer and tour guide. All you need is a sense of sonic adventure and a bit of time. Four training sessions are provided, and you can apply online.

Nursing Information Session

Mark your calendars for the opportunity to attend a two-part event on Tuesday, September 27!

  • At 3:30 p.m. the Advising Center Team will help you create an academic plan for your nursing program (Osterlin 113).
  • At 5:30 p.m. the Director of Nursing Programs will present information about the competitive application process and take questions from students about Nursing Program courses and experiences (Health & Science 101).

Sign up for either or both sessions here »

Growing Pains

There will be a few temporary growing pains while we build our new student housing and expand the Dennos Museum Center. Sections of the Aspen and Elm parking lots will be used for construction crews and their equipment during the projects. You may want to plan a little extra time if you usually park in these lots. You can also check out alternatives with this parking lot map. Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks for understanding.

Parking enforcement starts Sept. 19

The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin enforcing parking at NMC on Monday, Sept. 19.  All faculty, staff and students must have their new 2016-2017 permits displayed by that date.

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.
  • 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 dropoff payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science building. 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 (231) 995-1111.

Public memorial for Sonja Olshove

TRAVERSE CITY — A public memorial service celebrating the life of Sonja Olshove, a beloved social sciences instructor at Northwestern Michigan College, will be held Sunday, Sept. 11 at the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. Visitation will be from 1–3 p.m. with funeral services beginning at 3 p.m.

NMC will provide a shuttle service, by Blue Lakes by the Bay, from the main campus Cedar parking lot to the Hagerty Center on a continual basis from 1–5 p.m. Service attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the shuttle to maximize the limited parking space at the Hagerty Center.

Olshove, 49, passed away unexpectedly at her Traverse City home on Sept. 4. The week before she had begun her twenty-sixth year teaching at the college. Her deep connection to Northwestern Michigan College began as a girl when she heard classroom stories from her father, longtime NMC instructor Roy Terdal. She then continued that passion for learning as an honors student at NMC, graduating in 1987. In 1991 she chose to pass along that gift to others by becoming a member of the faculty.

Her unique ability to spark inquisitiveness in her learners along with her genuine compassion for their well-being earned her the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award in 2001 and 2013. She was only one of three instructors to be honored with that award twice.

Condolences and memories may be shared with family by posting on Olshove’s obituary page. Her family has requested that in lieu of flowers or other gifts, please donate, as she did, to the NMC Foundation’s Scholarship Fund (nmc.edu/sonja). It was her gift of choice because that fund goes directly to students.

Release date: September 7, 2016

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(
231) 995-1019

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

Sad News

Dear NMC community:

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you long time instructor and NMC alumna Sonja Olshove passed away unexpectedly Sunday.

(more…)

Student jobs – Secure a job for fall now!

Student jobs can be found on the Student MyNMC page under “Jobs On Campus.”

Available jobs include:

  • Biology Lab Assistant
  • White Pine Press Staff Designer
  • Tutor
  • Environmental Sciences Lab Assistant
  • Financial Aid Office Assistant
  • Grounds
  • Writing and Reading Center Reader
  • Campus Security
  • Office Assistant Health Occupations
  • Reader Scribe
  • White Pine Press Writer (Independent Contractor)
  • Hagerty Center – Server, Bartender, Cook and Dishwasher
  • Enrollment Services Assistant
  • Dining Room Kitchen Assistant

Student Health Service Walk-In Flu Clinics

nurseNo appointment necessary

Student Health Services LB 106

  • Wednesday, Sept.: 7 9–11 a.m.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 14: 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 21: Noon–2 p.m.

University Center

  • Wednesday, Sept. 28:  9–10 a.m.

Cost: Students $15 Faculty/Staff $20 Free if covered by NMC Insurance ((Staff covered by NMC Priority Health should bring their insurance cards))

Call 995-1255 with questions.

NOTE!  All flu clinics subject to change per current CDC and/or GT Co. Health Dept. recommendations and vaccine availability.

Celebrating Grandmother Power at the Dennos

grandmother-powerOn Saturday, September 17, photojournalist Paola Gianturco will share her experiences and tell the stories of activist grandmothers around the world whose tales inspire and demonstrate the power of grandmothers worldwide.

The National Writers Series event, sponsored in partnership with the Dennos Museum Center, takes place at 7 p.m. the Milliken Auditorium. Included in the evening is a photo exhibit of Gianturco’s work and a 6 p.m. reception with complimentary wine, beverages and appetizers for all ticket holders and Museum Members.

Guest host Tony Demin is a professional photographer. A graduate of the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Demin has shot internationally for national magazines, ad campaigns, and catalogs. He most enjoys taking photographic adventures with his family.

For tickets, call (231) 995-1573 or go to MyNorthtickets.com. National Writers Series Friends and Dennos Museum members get $5 off!

Student tickets are available for $5 over the phone at (231) 995-1753, or in person at the Dennos Museum Center only.

Constitution Day Discussion Forum Sept. 15

Wanted ConstitutionThe U.S. Constitution influences our lives more than two hundred years after it was ratified. Yet many Americans don’t know much about it. That is why Congress established Constitution Day — a time to teach future generations about the foundation of our democracy.

Join us Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016 at noon in Osterlin Room 205* for a for a presentation and discussion with recent Pepperdine political science graduate and NMC alumna Rachel Gordon on “Dead or Alive” Just what sort of document is the U.S. Constitution?

All are welcome free of charge: students, staff, faculty and the public. Refreshments will be served!

* NOTE: The building and room number have changed since the original announcement.

Success story: Museum expansion, new student housing break ground

August 31, 2016

Residence hall groundbreakingStudents returning to classes this week will find construction projects poised on both ends of main campus, as the facilities of NMC’s future learners move from paper to reality.

NMC broke ground on a new student residence hall and fitness center July 11. That was followed by an Aug. 15 groundbreaking for an expansion of the Dennos Museum Center.

Both projects will update aging campus infrastructure and allow the college to meet the needs and expectations of twenty-first century students.

“Combined, these projects show the dedication of our NMC employees, donors, community, business and governmental partners all working together to help ensure our learners are successful,” said President Timothy J. Nelson. “It’s an exciting time as we see years of hard work begin to materialize and we continue to invest in the future of education.”

Residence Hall

Located on the north side of East Hall, the residence hall will accommodate 140 students beginning in the fall 2017 semester. Current student housing at NMC has been at capacity for three years, and existing housing is more than 40 years old. NMC is self-funding the $8.8-million project.

Dennos expansion

Dennos expansion groundbreakingLocated on the southeast side of the existing museum, the project includes two new permanent collection galleries, a new sculpture gallery, a larger Inuit art gallery, additional classroom space and storage and loading dock improvements. Built in 1991, the expansion is targeted for completion in 2017, capping the Museum’s 25th anniversary year. The $5 million project was spearheaded by major gifts from Richard and Diana Milock and Dudley and Barbara Smith.

Also on the drawing board in 2017 is NMC’s renovation of West Hall into a student innovation center. Using a state planning grant, the college will move into design phase, conducting interview with designers and architects next year, and returning to the state for construction authorization by October 2018.

As envisioned, the project would almost double the size of West Hall, from 20,000 to 38,000 square feet. It would provide for 13 adaptive, technology-rich learning spaces to be used across the curriculum for simulation, team-based and project learning. Nelson noted the support of local legislators Representative Larry Inman (R-Traverse City), Senator Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) and Senator Darwin Booher (R-Evart) has been integral to the project’s progress.

Success story: Museum expansion, new student housing break ground

August 31, 2016

Residence hall groundbreakingStudents returning to classes this week will find construction projects poised on both ends of main campus, as the facilities of NMC’s future learners move from paper to reality.

NMC broke ground on a new student residence hall and fitness center July 11. That was followed by an Aug. 15 groundbreaking for an expansion of the Dennos Museum Center.

Both projects will update aging campus infrastructure and allow the college to meet the needs and expectations of twenty-first century students.

“Combined, these projects show the dedication of our NMC employees, donors, community, business and governmental partners all working together to help ensure our learners are successful,” said President Timothy J. Nelson. “It’s an exciting time as we see years of hard work begin to materialize and we continue to invest in the future of education.”

Residence Hall

Located on the north side of East Hall, the residence hall will accommodate 140 students beginning in the fall 2017 semester. Current student housing at NMC has been at capacity for three years, and existing housing is more than 40 years old. NMC is self-funding the $8.8-million project.

Dennos expansion

Dennos expansion groundbreakingLocated on the southeast side of the existing museum, the project includes two new permanent collection galleries, a new sculpture gallery, a larger Inuit art gallery, additional classroom space and storage and loading dock improvements. Built in 1991, the expansion is targeted for completion in 2017, capping the Museum’s 25th anniversary year. The $5 million project was spearheaded by major gifts from Richard and Diana Milock and Dudley and Barbara Smith.

Also on the drawing board in 2017 is NMC’s renovation of West Hall into a student innovation center. Using a state planning grant, the college will move into design phase, conducting interview with designers and architects next year, and returning to the state for construction authorization by October 2018.

As envisioned, the project would almost double the size of West Hall, from 20,000 to 38,000 square feet. It would provide for 13 adaptive, technology-rich learning spaces to be used across the curriculum for simulation, team-based and project learning. Nelson noted the support of local legislators Representative Larry Inman (R-Traverse City), Senator Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) and Senator Darwin Booher (R-Evart) has been integral to the project’s progress.

Walk, Run, Empower 5K Run/Walk

This fall, NMC Student Life in partnership with NMC student group Voices, will host a 5K Run/Walk to raise awareness and to help end sexual violence. Sexual violence is a prevalent issue both on and off college campuses, and it is extremely important to raise community awareness in order to create change. 

On October 8, early same-day registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and the 5K will start at 9:00 a.m. Cash and checks made payable to NMC will be accepted on race day. The race will begin and end on College Drive on NMC’s Front Street Campus, in front of the Cedar lot (1701 E. Front Street).

The race entry fee of $10 for NMC students & $15 for faculty, staff, and the general public includes a Walk, Run, Empower 5K t-shirt designed by NMC Voices! Participants can enjoy free food while connecting with many of our student organizations, campus resources, and community collaborators. All proceeds from the race will benefit a local non-profit organization, Citizens Against Sex Trafficking (CAST) TC and NMC Voices.

If you would like to register to be a participant in this event, Click here. If you would like to sign-up to be a volunteer on the route, or table as a community organizer or campus resource, Click here

For more information, contact the Student Life Office at (231) 995-1118.