Student Resources Scavenger Hunt

Jul 15, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

From June 27 through August 7, the Student Success Center is holding a Duck Hunt Scavenger Hunt. Duck posters are hanging out at the following main campus locations:

• Academic and Career Advising Center
• Financial Services and Enrollment Office
• Math and Science Center
• Library
• Records and Registration
• Success Coach Amber’s Office Osterlin 145
• Success Coach Tait’s Office Osterlin 135
• Testing Desk
• Tutoring Center
• Writing & Reading Center

Your mission is to go to all of these offices, take a selfie with the posters and email them to tricks@nmc.edu. Each photo submitted will be one entry into our prize drawing. Taking a silly selfie with the poster will count as two entries! Prizes range from $100 gift cards to the campus bookstore to gas gift cards and more. To end this event we will be hosting an ice cream party under the pines from 2 pm-4 pm on August 8th where we will be visited by a local ice cream truck. Those that participate in the Duck Hunt can have ice cream on us and will have the chance to collect any prizes they have won!

We can’t wait to receive your selfies this summer! Happy hunting!

Tank named IAF director

Jul 8, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Alex Tank (download high-resolution photo)TRAVERSE CITY — Alex Tank, an International Affairs Forum staff member since 2020, has been named IAF’s new director effective July 1.

IAF’s mission is to advance understanding of the world and its critical issues through education and public dialogue. Topics during the 2023-24 season included indigenous sovereignty, international coordination of freshwater resources, China dynamics, policy cooperation on AI, the Israel-Palestine conflict, global population trends, and the struggle for victory in Ukraine.

During Tank’s tenure IAF’s programming has gained significant momentum, evolving into a fully hybrid program with viewers and supporters from several states and overseas. As a local, regional  and global program, IAF exemplifies NMC’s vision to be a global community. Specific achievements include:

• Increased participation in Academic WorldQuest, a quiz competition on world affairs for high school students, from 65 students at 6 high schools to 93 students at 7 high schools.
• With the support of the IAF Advisory Board membership committee, increased the number of supporting memberships 16% from 2022–23 to 2023–24.
• Added a livestream viewing option at the Old Art Building in Leland for IAF’s flagship monthly lecture series, offered in person and online.
• Expanded and established partnerships with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Economic Club of Traverse City, Traverse City Central and Traverse City West High Schools, Interlochen Public Radio and Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

“I am humbled and thrilled to help guide the International Affairs Forum into its fourth decade, building upon the dedication and impactful work of so many past leaders,” Tank said. “With the integral support of our volunteer advisory board, we craft content and experiences that impact students’ academic trajectories and broaden attendees’ collective knowledge base.”

Tank succeeds Jim Bensley, who was director until July 1, 2023, in addition to his role as director of International Services and Service Learning at NMC. Bensley now serves as a member of the IAF Advisory Board, representing an integral connection between IAF and NMC faculty and students.

Over the last year Tank has helped lead IAF through its 30th season with the significant support of IAF Advisory Board co-chairs Major General Mike Lehnert, USMC ret., and Stan Otto, former senior U.S. diplomat.

IAF’s 31st season of programming will begin in September 2024. The lineup of fall events and topics will be shared later this summer. Tank foresees Academic WorldQuest expanding again. He also hopes to encourage the region’s business community to engage in global affairs education through a new membership opportunity.

“We’re open to new ideas and new modes to engage our community, including a WorldQuest competition for the general public, discussion groups based around critical issues, and student-driven programming,” he said.

Find out more, including how to become a supporting member or sponsor, at tciaf.com.

Release date: July 8, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Cherry Royale Parade volunteers needed

Jul 1, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

NMC is seeking both adult and youth volunteers to participate in the annual Cherry Royale Parade on Saturday, July 6. The theme of this year’s float is  “What can you be at NMC…”

Youth volunteers ages 4-10 are needed to dress up as professionals from numerous NMC programs (ex. pilots, nurses, sailors). Costumes will be provided. NMC students and empoloyees are also welcome to walk with the float.

The parade kicks off at 11:15 a.m. Contact Brady Corcoran at bcorcoran@nmc.edu for more information.

New books at the NMC library

Jun 28, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

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

(more…)

Trustees approve NMC Thrive campus plan

Jun 25, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC trustees unanimously approved a new campus master plan Monday designed to allow the college to thrive by migrating spaces between campuses and significantly expanding student housing in order to make its Front Street campus a vibrant, modernized hub for learning and living.

“Central to our plan, NMC Thrive, is the goal of enhancing campus life. By consolidating student services, developing new and modern campus housing, and revitalizing our teaching and learning spaces, we are creating a more engaging, accessible, and supportive atmosphere for our students, faculty, staff and guests,” President Nick Nissley said.

NMC Thrive is the product of a yearlong, data-driven collaborative process, last undertaken in 2012, and led by an internal steering committee with guidance from consultants TowerPinkster of Grand Rapids. Input was gathered from more than 30 stakeholder groups at in-person meetings with students, employees, neighbors and community members, as well as an online survey.

The plan lays out a decade-long vision of renovations and construction and is estimated to cost between $164 and $235 million. Funds are anticipated to come from selling unused properties, state and federal assistance — which has already been received for aviation and energy projects — as well as future fundraising. Highlights by campus include:

Front Street campus:

• 2025–26: Optimize campus space and increase vibrancy by migrating several NMC departments as well as the four University Center partners now located at the University Center campus to the Beckett Building and Scholars Hall. Consolidate student services in the Osterlin Building. Cost: $10-$14 million
• Increase and modernize student housing, adding at least 73 beds to NMC’s student housing stock, an increase of 15%. Cost: $76–$93 million
  • 2027–28: Demolish current apartments and rebuild them more densely, increasing capacity from 72 to 128.
  • 2028–29: Demolish East Hall and rebuild it in the style of North Hall. This would reduce occupancy from 238 to 155. Options to add floors could increase capacity to 275.
  • 2030–31: Build what would become a third residence hall with a capacity of 100 on what is presently a parking lot.
• 2033–34: Develop a portion of the college’s vacant 55-acre property north of Eastern Avenue. More than half of the site, 33 acres, would remain preserved as a forested area with walking paths, while a 22-acre parcel would become a mix of housing and educational facilities. Cost: $49–98 million

University Center campus: Becomes managed as a real estate asset. Greenspire High School has a lease to occupy most of the north wing until 2033.

Aero Park Campus: A new hangar for the aviation department which will break ground this fall and renovations to the Parsons-Stulen Building. Cost: $7.2-$7.4 million

Great Lakes Campus: Renovate culinary labs in 2031. Cost: $658,000–$987,000

Rogers Observatory: No recommended changes

Other properties: Sell two and possibly three undeveloped parcels to support the other recommendations: the Appel property on the Boardman River in Blair Township, the Tezak property in Benzie County’s Almira Township and a third parcel in Mayfield Township, north of Buckley.

Release date: June 25, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Trustees approve FY ’25 budget, tuition rates

Jun 25, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — A balanced budget and tuition rates and fees for the 2024-25 academic year were approved unanimously by the Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees Monday.

Most tuition rates will rise 3 percent, below the May 2024 inflation rate of 3.3 percent. In-district (Grand Traverse County residents) tuition rates will increase from $122 to $126 per contact hour. Fees will increase $1 per contact hour, from $33 to $34 per contact hour.

For the average in-district student taking 24 contact hours in a two-semester academic year, that means an increase of $120 ($96 in tuition, $24 in fees).

A table of tuition rates for all residencies and programs is available here (p. 75). NMC tuition is about one-third the cost of in-state tuition at a four-year public university.

“NMC is committed to offering a strong educational value. We also are actively exploring other ways to increase revenue, to offset the rising costs we face,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

For example, also at Monday’s meeting trustees approved a 10-year master plan which calls for significantly expanding student housing to boost that revenue stream. Earlier this year trustees also approved a new, lower dual enrollment tuition rate in an effort to increase enrollment among high school students. Local school districts, not families, pay for dual enrollment tuition.

Tuition amounts to 42 percent of NMC’s budget. State aid (29 percent) and property taxes (25 percent) are the two other primary revenue sources.

Thanks to community donors the college also awards more than $1 million in institutional scholarships annually. Adults over 21 who don’t already have a degree are eligible for a state scholarship, Michigan Reconnect, which pays 100 percent of in-district tuition. The high school class of 2024 is also eligible for up to $2,750 per year through the Michigan Achievement scholarship.

Release date: June 25, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Bookstore closed June 27-28

Jun 21, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

The NMC Bookstore will be closed on June 27-28 and will reopen on Monday, July 1.

NMC debuts College for Kids classes in Benzie

Jun 18, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College this week debuted a robotics class in Benzie County, the first College for Kids class to be offered beyond Traverse City. An art class is scheduled for next week and a theatre class July 22–25.

Classes are offered in-person at Benzie Central Schools and GROW Benzie for students entering grades 3–8. NMC is supporting this programming by providing scholarships for students in Benzie County, and awarded $1,200 in scholarships for the robotics class. Apply online for scholarships.

Registration for the art and theater classes, as well as all NMC youth summer programs, is open online and by phone. See all classes at nmc.edu/kids. Families may subscribe to receive email notifications when new programs are added by visiting nmc.edu/ees.

Release date: June 18, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Café Lobdell’s reopens June 25

Jun 17, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Café Lobdell’s, located on the second level of the Great Lakes Campus, will reopen this summer from June 25–July 31 for dine-in and carryout service. Culinary students will be making and serving handcrafted coffee and tea drinks, sweet and savory baked goods, breakfast bowls, parfaits and cafe-style to-go lunch items on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7:30–11 a.m. Stop by to experience the tasty treats our culinary students are whipping up! 

No reservations necessary. Counter service only. 

NMC selects Dino Hernandez as first Chief Advancement Officer

Jun 10, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Dino Hernandez (download high-resolution photo)TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College is excited to announce the selection of Dino Hernandez as its first Chief Advancement Officer, following a six-month national search.

Hernandez brings three decades of strategic leadership in philanthropic resource management at multiple institutions of higher education to NMC. Currently at the University of The Bahamas, where he increased giving 148 percent, he will return to his native Michigan when he starts Aug. 1. He grew up in southeast Michigan and began his fundraising career there, working at Oakland University, the University of Michigan-Flint and Lawrence Technological University.

As CAO, Hernandez will lead all fundraising endeavors for the NMC Foundation and report directly to President Nick Nissley. Additionally, he will oversee executive administrative functions for public relations, marketing and communications (PRMC) in collaboration with the AVP of PRMC. Also within his oversight are the Dennos Museum Center, International Affairs Forum, and WNMC radio. As a key member of President’s Council, he will work closely with the entire executive team.

Nissley said the appointment of Hernandez comes at a crucial juncture for NMC. A 10-year campus master plan is nearly complete and will be presented to the Board of Trustees later this month. The Freshwater Research & Innovation Center, NMC’s joint venture with the Discovery Center and Pier in collaboration with other partners, is gaining momentum. A major building campaign supporting NMC Aviation will break ground this fall.

“The CAO position marks a strategic shift within our college community, redefining the former leadership roles of the NMC Foundation to enable NMC to take a bigger step forward in our pursuit of excellence, innovation and stewardship. With the selection of Dino Hernandez, I’m even more confident those goals are within reach,” Nissley said.

Prior to joining the University of the Bahamas, Hernandez spent 13 years at Lawrence Tech in Southfield, where he directed and led two comprehensive campaigns. One had a goal of $20 million that closed at $46.6 million, while the second goal of $75-$100 million closed at over $110 million. His teams have been honored with seven CASE Circle of Excellence Awards for fundraising improvement and innovation. with a goal of $75-$100 million. Dino and his wife, Amy, are excited to join other family members already living in Traverse City.

Release date: June 10, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

StoryWalks on Front Street Campus

Jun 7, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Read while you stroll—the NMC Library is presenting two StoryWalks® on the Front Street Campus this month.

 

Find When We Love Someone, We Sing To Them by Ernesto Javier Martínez along the walkway between the Dennos Museum and Osterlin building (and stop by the library to pick up an accompanying ‘Mad Lib Love Song’ if you’d like!) and find A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor between Founder’s Hall and the clocktower. 

These two StoryWalks® are presented in support of NMC’s Pride Carnival and Juneteenth events and are another way to engage kiddos in this month’s celebrations.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

NMC to host Kids Free Fishing Day

Jun 6, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — More than 250 young anglers and their families are expected at the annual Kids Free Fishing Day, set for 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday, June 15 at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes campus.

Kids accompanied by an adult are invited to join in the free fishing fun. Under the supervision of the Department of Natural Resources, 700 rainbow trout 10 inches or longer will be stocked in the campus harbor for the event. Fishing rods, reels and bait are all provided. Children may also bring their own fishing gear. Experienced volunteers will help with baiting hooks, fishing skills and cleaning the fish.

The Great Lakes Children’s Museum will host a free fish painting activity for kids waiting to fish. There will also be a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flyover. Parking is available at NMC’s Great Lakes Campus, located just east of the Delamar Hotel, 715 E. Front St. Detours are in place due to construction on Grandview Parkway/ Front Street. Entry to the Great Lakes campus can be made from westbound Front Street, and northbound Barlow Street (traffic signal) or Hope Street.

Free Fishing Day is sponsored by Traverse City Rotary Clubs, Rotary Camps & Services, NMC, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Mike and Rhonda Estes, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, and the Northwest Michigan Fishing Club.

Release date: June 6, 2024

For more information:

Chris DeGood
cdegood@bria2.com
(231) 420-5601

NMC names 2024 excellence winners

May 23, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has recognized the following employees for excellence in the 2023–24 academic year:

Tammy Coleman (download high-resolution photo)Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award: Tammy Coleman, biology. Chosen by a student selection committee, award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication. Student nominators said of Coleman, who began teaching at NMC in 2014:

• “Anatomy and Physiology II with Tammy Coleman is a class I would take over and over again if I could. Not only did I learn key concepts for nursing school, but the class opened my eyes to my own health and encouraged me to create healthy habits.”
• “Tammy hand wrote each student at least 2 cards throughout the semester that provided some sort of encouragement and appreciation for each students hard work.”
• “She created assignments that focused our reading and learning so we were able to get the most out of each lesson. She formatted the exams to require us to not only utilize what we had learned in class, but to utilize our critical thinking in a real world way.”

Initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970, the award was first made to a full-time faculty member in 1971.

Sam Boase-Miller (download high-resolution photo)Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award: Sam Boase-Miller, music. Chosen by a student selection committee, award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication. Student nominators said of Boase-Miller, who began teaching in the music department in 2018:

• “He has provided such a positive outlook on education, which has enhanced my experience at NMC x10.”
• “He’s always pushing us forward as artists and people, no matter the circumstance, because he genuinely believes in all of us, and has even stated he learns as much from us some times as we do from him.”
• “He really emphasized his willingness to help everyone, in or outside of class. And he was very encouraging, acknowledging that everyone has different skills and methods.”

The award was created in 1999 as a companion to the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award. See a full list of all past faculty and adjunct faculty excellence winners at nmc.edu/cie

​  
Ed Bailey, Lisa Cooper & Hans Van Sumeren (select a photo to download a high-resolution version)Team Award: AquaHacking/Lakebed 2030 team: Ed Bailey, Lisa Cooper, Hans Van Sumeren. The trio planned and executed the yearlong AquaHacking the Great Lakes challenge, an entrepreneurship competition, with partner AquaAction, a Canadian nonprofit organization. The finale on May 10 resulted in three startups winning $35,000 in seed money. Traverse City company Wave Lumina finished second. The Lakebed 2030 conference, held in September, aims to map the bottom of all five lakes at high resolution by 2030. Only 15% are currently mapped.

​Linda Berlin (download high-resolution photo)Staff Excellence Award: Linda Berlin, director of financial aid. Berlin, who has worked at NMC since 2010, had led her department to set records for total scholarship dollars disbursed ($1.4 million in 2023-24) and the percentage of available dollars awarded to students (96%). She has also made structural changes to NMC’s processes and operations to maximize and automate student eligibility for state financial aid. In further recognition of her leadership statewide, Berlin also received the 2023-24 Henry Dykema Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Student Financial Aid Association. 

Release date: May 23, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Register now to get an Edge on fall semester, free

May 22, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Registration is now open for College Edge, a free program NMC is hosting this summer to help college students prepare for their fall semester.

College Edge is a four-week program to help prepare students to succeed before they start or continue college at NMC this fall. Interested students can register for one of two options online:

• Adult College Edge (English and math for students 21+) Two sessions offered, June 3-28 or July 8-Aug. 2. Breakfast and lunch included. nmc.edu/ace
• Math Edge (Math only for students 18+ pursuing STEM programs ) One session available, July 8-Aug. 2. Lunch included. nmc.edu/edge

Both groups will use a hybrid schedule. Students will attend on-campus Tuesday and Thursday mornings and complete other coursework online at their own pace. For completing the program, students will earn a $500 scholarship toward NMC’s fall semester. Class supplies and gas cards for transportation to campus are also included.

College Edge hosted by NMC debuted in 2023. It is part of the investment the state of Michigan is making in its student-age population. State scholarships available now include Michigan Achievement for the high school class of 2024, and Michigan Reconnect for adults 21 and older who don’t already have a degree. Achievement offers $2,750, or half the cost of NMC’s full-time, in-district tuition. Reconnect makes tuition free to in-district students (Grand Traverse County residents.)

Release date: May 22, 2024

For more information:

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

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

State dental award presented for NMC-tribal college partnership

May 16, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Beckie Wooters (download high-resolution photo)TRAVERSE CITY —NMC Dental Assistant program director Beckie Wooters has been named the 2024 Allied Dental Professional Educator by the Michigan Dental Association.

Wooters was selected for NMC’s articulation agreement with Bay Mills Community College, which seeks to enroll students from the tribal college in the U.P. at NMC in order to increase access to dental care.

Dr. Jessica Rickert (download high-resolution photo)Retired Traverse City area dentist Dr. Jessica Rickert, who connected NMC and Bay Mills, accepted the award on Wooters’ behalf at the MDA’s annual session in Lansing in April. Rickert is the first female Native American dentist in the United States. She now consults with insurer Delta Dental of Michigan and leads Anishinaabe Dental Outreach, whose goal is to improve dental health in Native communities. Rickert saw an opportunity to connect NMC and Bay Mills to better serve the Upper Peninsula, where the shortage of dental professionals is especially acute.

Ability to earn RDA licensure is a key advantage of NMC’s program, the furthest north among six accredited dental assistant programs in Michigan. Wooters also designed a second-year program schedule that will allow BMCC students to return home for frequent visits.

Find out more at nmc.edu/dental.

Release date: MAY 17, 2024

For more information:

Cari Noga
Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Mobile – call or text)

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

933 students earn spring Dean’s List distinction

May 13, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Congratulations to the 933 students who earned Dean’s List distinction for the spring 2024 semester, earning a grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a possible 4.0 while taking five or more credits.

Attached is a list of students who achieved Dean’s List honors for the spring 2024 semester at NMC.

Release date: MAY 13, 2024

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Additional funding available from the Office of Possibilities

May 6, 2024 | Intercom, Student News

Do you have an idea or project that needs resources to reach its full potential? If so, the Office of Possibilities wants to hear from you! OOPS seeks to provide resources for education-related projects as well as projects related to community partnerships with NMC.

The Office of Possibilities is hosting it’s final pitch event for the academic year on Tuesday, May 14 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in room 104/105 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Take advantage of this opportunity to kick-off the next innovative project! The timeline will be very tight and the turnaround quick!

Those interested should submit an application by May 7 to determine their eligibility and to be connected with an OOPs team member to assist in planning the pitch.