Board of Trustees study session
Innovation Center Project Updates
Yen Yoga and Fitness Classes for NMC Employees
Check out this exclusive offer from Yen Yoga for NMC employees and those authorized for employee tuition waivers. Currently offering more than 115 classes a week (check schedule at yenyogafitness.com).
Yen is Northern Michigan’s largest class-based fitness studio, offering yoga, indoor cycling, group fitness, TRX and more. Teachers and staff at Yen know that walking into a yoga or fitness studio can be intimidating at first, so they strive to create an environment that is welcoming and non-judgmental — emphasizing mind, body, spirit and joy. Purchase a 30-class package for $40 with a 100% tuition waiver (normally a $360 value). Start your classes anytime, January to May 8; expires 12 months after purchase date.
Easy 2-step sign-up:
- Call NMC Extended Educational Services at (231) 995-1700 to enroll;
- then call Yen Yoga and Fitness at (231) 421-5496 to sign up for your first class.
IAF hosts Academic WorldQuest Feb. 6
The International Affairs Forum hosts its annual Academic WorldQuest competition at the Hagerty Center Thursday, Feb. 6 at noon. Eighteen local high school teams will compete for the chance to take part in the national flagship youth education program of the World Affairs Councils in Washington, D.C. on April 22.
The public is invited to attend and observe and cheer on these incredible high schoolers as they field questions about global affairs and show the nation that Traverse City is on the international map. Topics to be covered include preventing violent extremism and ocean protection and US-Russia relations.
“Academic WorldQuest has a great atmosphere of friendly competition,” said Ted Roe, a Traverse City Central High School graduate and and three-year AWQ participant whose team won last year. “Studying current topics in foreign affairs helped me expand my view of the world, and travelling to Washington, D.C. was a fantastic experience!” Roe is now a freshman at Notre Dame University.
Winter Water Quality Symposium 2020
NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute and Freshwater Solutions, along the lake associations from Glen, Lime, Leelanau, Long, Elk/Skegemog, Three Lakes, Intermediate, Big Platte, Charlevoix, Walloon, and ZeroGravity LLC have contributed financial resources to host this FREE symposium focused on various water quality parameters, including the latest in swimmer’s itch prevention, discovery of a new schistosome species host, snail-parasite distribution in Michigan, enteric bacteria testing, and promotion of qPCR within a community-based monitoring model. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required by February 9. RSVP to “reimink@hope.edu“
When & Where: Feb. 17, 2020. 8 a.m. – noon. Hagerty Center-NMC-715 E. Front St. Traverse City 
March 20 forum explores implications of legalized marijuana
Health Forum of Northern Michigan will host a panel discussion on legalized marijuana’s implications for health care on Friday, March 20. The discussion, at NMC’s Hagerty Center, runs from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast.
The panel will address community, health, school, employer and legal concerns. David Mengebier, MBA, president and chief executive officer of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, will moderate the discussion.
Questions may be directed to the Office of the Vice Provost for Health Grand Valley State University at dykstrdi@gvsu.edu or (616) 331-5876.
Register for the forum here.
View the forum flier and list of panel members here.
Presented by Grand Valley State University and Northwestern Michigan College
Parking enforcement starts Jan. 20
The Traverse City Parking Patrol will begin issuing citations for parking violations at NMC on Monday, January 20. All NMC students and employees must have their 2019-2020 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.
- Hangtags must be on the rearview mirror.
- Be sure that the expiration date on your permit can be seen from the outside of your vehicle. (Some vehicles have a tint on the edges of their windshield, so be sure your permit is not behind a tint, as it will make it difficult to see from the outside.) When it doubt, get out of your vehicle and be sure you can see the entire permit from the outside.
If you do get a ticket, payment can be made at the red drop-off payment box at the east end of the Cedar lot in front of the Health & Science Building on main campus. You can also mail the fine to the city, or pay at the parking services office in the public parking garage at 303 E. State St. Payment information is also on each ticket.
If you have any questions about parking enforcement on campus, please call Campus Safety & Security at (231) 995-1111.
Financial Aid Fair and scholarship events
TRAVERSE CITY — Enrollment Services at Northwestern Michigan College will offer two “pop-up” scholarship events this winter in addition to its annual Financial Aid Fair for prospective college students, parents, alumni, and current NMC students.
The two pop-up events will focus on NMC scholarships available to culinary students and will be held at Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant on NMC’s Great Lakes campus, 715 E. Front St.
- Tuesday, January 21, 5–7 p.m.
- Friday, February 14, 10 a.m.–Noon
The Financial Aid Fair will be held from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 in room 113 of the Osterlin Building. It offers half-hour workshop sessions and time for students to meet individually with a financial aid representative. Snacks will be included!
Sign up for half-hour workshop sessions at nmc.edu/financial-aid. Walk-ins are also welcome.
- Counting the Cost of College – comparing schools (4–4:30 p.m., 5:30–6 p.m.)
- Waivers and scholarships for Native American Students (4–4:30 p.m., 5:30–6 p.m.)
- Types of Financial Aid (4:30-5 p.m., 6-6:30 p.m.)
- How to Find and Apply for Scholarships (5–5:30 p.m., 6:30–7 p.m.)
Before or after the workshops, get one-on-one help with:
- Completing the FAFSA by the March 1 State deadline
- Applying for Scholarships
- Completing financial aid requirements (for current NMC students)
- Comparing award letters
- Student loan counseling
ReLEASE DATE: January 16, 2020
For more information:
NMC Enrollment Services
(231) 995-1035
sfs@nmc.edu
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discriminationStrengthening our NMC team and beginning our shared journey
Let me begin with a sincere thank you for your warm welcome at our January Conference. It was great to meet you and share a little bit of what shaped me as a person as we begin our journey together. Best of all was feeling the student-centered passion that filled the room! Yes, that was your energy.
As part of our journey, over the next five weeks, I will be sharing personal reflections on what shaped me as a leader each week in “The Intercom” employee e-newsletter. I will begin with the importance of trust; then, work my way through – conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. My intention is twofold:
- To offer the College community a sense of what’s important to me as a leader and what I believe is essential for us to realize our mission. I value not only focusing on the ‘what’ of our strategies, but also on the ‘how’ of working together, effectively. The overarching ‘why’ behind all of this is that I truly believe in the transformative power of education for our learners. Simply, we must be doing our best work together, so that in turn, we’re best serving our students.
- To offer us some shared language around teamwork and organization effectiveness, as we seek to face our challenges, leverage our strengths, and realize our aspirations. These are not answers to problems or prescriptions. Rather, they speak to values that when embraced might shape how we work and grow together. Think of them as levers that we might pull on as we seek to develop more effective teams within the College organization. Again, so we might ultimately better serve our mission and the students.
Years ago I was introduced to the team/leadership development model of “The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.” It offers a roadmap that guides teams through a journey to strengthen five areas that are key to productive team dynamics. Simply, the model has informed my leadership practice and I’ve found it to be true to my experience. Think of the behaviors as opportunities and challenges that all teams face as they seek to grow together. The five behaviors are:
- Trust One Another—Members of great teams trust one another on a fundamental, emotional level, and they are comfortable being vulnerable with each other about their weaknesses, mistakes, fears, and behaviors. This is essential because …
- Engage in Constructive Conflict Around Ideas—Members of teams who trust one another are not afraid to engage in conflict around ideas that are key to the organization’s success. They do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question each other, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions. This is important because…
- Commit to Decisions—Teams that engage in constructive conflict around ideas are able to gain commitment to decisions, even when various members of the team initially disagree. That is because they ensure that all opinions and ideas are put on the table and considered, giving confidence to team members that no stone has been left unturned. This is critical because…
- Hold One Another Accountable—Teams that gain commitment to decisions and standards of performance do not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. What’s more, they don’t rely on the team leader as the primary source of accountability. This matters because…
- Focus on Achieving Collective Results—Team members who trust one another, engage in conflict around ideas, gain commitment to decisions, and hold one another accountable are more likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus on achieving collective results.
I look forward to communicating more about my leadership style with you over the coming weeks in the “The Intercom” and in person, as I continue meeting with groups and individuals throughout our College. I also look forward to hearing from you as we work to strengthen our NMC team together.
– Nick Nissley, Ed.D.
Emergency Management: Fire
Fire or presence of smoke in a building:
Tech Tips – Staff Getting Started Guide
New to NMC? Check out this Getting Started Guide for Technology.
NMC Magazine Student Art Reception
Celebrate the release of Creatures NMC Magazine’s Fall 2019 edition. Enjoy light refreshments and network with community members! Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/
NMC joins basic needs initiative to support students
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC this month joins a statewide initiative to help students connect with resources to support basic needs. The Michigan Community College Association was awarded a $442,000 grant to launch the initiative focused on improving student completion and success by addressing economic instability among students including access to food, housing, transportation, childcare and other basic needs.
The Michigan – Building Economic Stability Today (MI-BEST) effort is funded through June 2022 by a grant from the Los Angeles-based ECMC Foundation as part of its Basic Needs Initiative, designed to address and alleviate basic needs insecurity among students. National survey findings reported that 45 percent of respondents had been food insecure in the past 30 days, 56 percent had been housing insecure in the previous year and 17 percent had been homeless during that year.
NMC will begin by forming a team of college personnel and community leaders. Dean of Students Lisa Thomas, NMC’s project lead, said members will include executive leadership, advisers, faculty, development/fundraising staff, financial aid staff and community partners.
“What I would hope is we learn some ways to better structure or provide internal supports to our students,” Thomas said.
NMC has offered a food pantry since November 2017. It serves between 80 and 90 people per month. This year’s usage is on pace to equal the 2018 academic year, the first full year of operation, when 1,087 total people were served.
In addition to the food pantry, Thomas also has emergency textbook funds available, as well as gas cards and BATA passes for students with transportation issues. Now, accessing those resources is handled on a case by case basis, rather than systematically.
“We’re going to take a deep dive to see what are the structures and processes in place at NMC to see what is supporting or what is a barrier to students completing their education,” Thomas said.
The Michigan Center for Student Success is leading the initiative for the MCCA and will partner with nationally-recognized organizations including the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement and Trellis Research along with Michigan-based organizations including the Michigan Association of United Ways, MiBridges, and Public Policy Associates to support Michigan’s participating community colleges.
“We know that the lack of access to basic needs is frequently the reason that students leave college,” said Erica Lee Orians, executive director of the Michigan Center for Student Success at the MCCA. “NMC’s participation in this initiative is a critical component of our student success efforts.”
The Michigan Center for Student Success, founded in 2011, serves as a hub connecting leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff in their emerging and ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes, emphasizing linkages between practice, research, and policy. The Center has led statewide initiatives focused on reengaging adults, developmental education, transfer, veterans, and advising. The Center is part of the 16-state Student Success Center Network working with over half of the community colleges across the nation.
Release date: January 14, 2019
For more information:
Lisa Thomas
Dean of Students
lthomas@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1043
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-discriminationNational Hot Sauce Day – Instructor Challenge
Are your lectures the Hottest on Campus? You can handle the heat of student review! But can you handle the heat of the national hot sauce day challenge, on January 22 @ 11 a.m.?
The Hawk Owl cafe is looking for instructors to join our National Hot Sauce Day Challenge. We want 3 questions, (1 easy, one medium and one SUPER HARD) from the area you teach in; answer the question from the other instructors incorrectly and eat a wing with the appropriate hot sauce level on it. The last instructor standing wins lunch on us. The instructor who eats the hottest wings wins lunch on us. Basically, everyone who participates wins lunch on us!
Please email ptesner@nmc.edu, no later than January 17.
Student Success Fair – A chance to win textbooks!
Who: Tutoring, Personal counseling, Advising, Success Coaches, Student Government & more
What: A time to introduce yourself to the on-campus resources that are here to help you be successful. Also, stop by the success fair either or BOTH days to enter a drawing for free textbooks up to $250 value, 2 lucky students will be selected!
Location: Health & Science Building Lobby
Date: Tuesday, January 14th & Wednesday, January 15th
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Media Mentions for January 13, 2020
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media in the past week. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.
Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the Osterlin Library.
International Affairs Forum Sets Next Slate Of Speakers
The Ticker, Jan. 8
Norte & Northwestern Michigan College Extended Ed Collaborate for Summer Camps
9&10 News, Jan. 10
Northwestern Michigan College Presents 2020 Extended Education Catalog
9&10 News, Jan. 8
City Opera House Announces January 2020 Events
9&10 News, Jan. 13
Adapted in TC: The right to live at home
Instructor Susan Odgers’ monthly column on living with disability, Record-Eagle, Jan. 12
Friday Faculty Forum
Q: What is neurodiversity and what does it mean for me in the classroom?
- We will have a panel of current and former students speaking to the benefits and burdens of neurodiversity in the classroom as well as the workplace.
- We will learn what we as instructors can consider as we work to support all of our students.
- We will get tips and resources for improving our outreach to all of our students.
Friday, Jan. 17, 12:30 – 2 p.m. FH110