Joseph R. Sanok, Counselor at NMC, has published Mental Wellness Counseling | A remarkably simple approach to making parenting easier.
“It is the book that you should have been given after you left the hospital. You already have many of the skills in this book, it is just learning how to reapply them to make life easier,” Sanok says.
It is now available on Amazon, Click here to view it!
Click HERE to watch Jim Bensley, NMC’s Director of Outreach Services, discuss exciting new programs to promote global connections in TC including the weeklong “Window on the World” starting March 15.
Joining MeLCat, Michigan’s library resource sharing system, gives the NMC community access to the collections of 400 Michigan libraries.
MeLCat allows NMC library patrons to easily search and request materials from most of Michigan’s major universities and public libraries. This service supplements our existing country-wide interlibrary loan program (OCLC’s Worldcat), but with a few distinctions:
Search MeLCat at www.elibrary.mel.org.
The annual High School Art Show is on display at the Shirley Okerstrom Fine Arts Building on NMC’s main campus. A reception honoring the winners will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 8 and the show will be on exhibit through Friday, March 15.
Come check out all the talent!
The Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College will present Cimarrón from Colombia, South America on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM in the Milliken Auditorium as part of the NMC Windows on the World week. In association with the week’s events the Dennos is offering two for one tickets to NNC Staff and Faculty.
Regular admission is tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, $22 for Museum Members. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Museum Box office at 231-995-1553 or on line at www.dennosmuseum.org. Use the Code NMCSTAFF to access the two for one pricing.
Defying the tradition of Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day, the Dennos Museum Center is offering concert with the Smithsonian Folkways and Grammy nominated recording artists Cimarrón, a group that the BBC called “absolutely brilliant.”
Carlos Rojas Hernández, leader of group Cimarrón says, “The cimarrón is the bull that knows no rope, corral, nor iron, the steer that has not been lassoed nor branded and ranges free on the savannas and surrounding forests. That concept always struck me; nothing can be closer to the creative spirit that constitutes the essence of plains music, than that feeling of freedom.”
Los Llanos Orientales are vast plains that stretch from Colombia into Venezuela. The mestizo people that inhabit these savannahs on the great Orinoco River are descendants of Spanish settlers, African slaves and Indigenous Indians.
This is cattle rearing country where life revolves around country ranches. Music accompanies the daily working tasks such as milking and cattle drives. Most striking is the festive dance music called joropo, a fiercely virtuoso display of rippling melodies played on harp, bandola and cuatro accompanied by bass, cajon and maracas. This rapid and joyous music is sung with high pitched voices reminiscent of Andalusian gipsy roots.
Cimarrón is the most accomplished llanera group in Colombia. A seven piece led by harpist and composer Carlos Rojas, they have been working for over twenty years and have performed in Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Sweden, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Holland, Wales, England and the USA. These musicians are immersed in the sounds of ‘los llanos’; they seek to explore and experiment with their rich heritage whilst retaining the essence of the tradition.
Cimarrón will offer a performance for schools on Monday March 18, 2013 at 9:30AM in the Milliken Auditorium of the Dennos Museum Center. Teachers may call Jason Dake at 231-995-1029 or e-mail jdake@nmc.edu for information or to reserve tickets for the school performances
With the purchase of a ticket to this performance, concert goers are invited to visit the museum’s galleries one hour before the concert and attend a post-concert reception with the performers.
The Dennos concert season is made possible with support from the Robert T and Ruth Haidt Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Begonia Foundation with media support from WNMC 90.7, CMU Public Broadcasting and TV 29&8. Housing for our performers is provided by the Cambria Suites and Days Inn.
The Dennos Museum Center is open daily 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursdays until 8 PM, and Sundays 1-5 PM. Admission is $6.00 adults, $4.00 for children and free to museum members. For more information on the Museum and its programs, go to www.dennosmuseum.org or call 231-995-1055. The Dennos Museum Center is located at 1701 East Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49686, at the entrance to the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.
HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN / HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
If you are currently enrolled in NMC’s High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you also have set up a Health Savings Account (HSA). In addition to the contributions that NMC is making to this account, many of you have also set up pre-tax deductions from your paycheck to increase the amount available to you to use for qualified medical expenses. Just a couple facts about your HSA Account:
If you would like more information on your HSA, contact Carol Kasper in HR for Priority Health’s “Health Savings Accounts for Dummies” booklet, or click below to visit Priority’s webpage for more information and several links to help you best use this account to your advantage. Priority Health’s HSA webpage
One of our favorite events is on the calendar and will be here soon! Invitations will be sent in March, so watch your mailbox for party details. Here is the list of employees who will be receiving a Service Award at this year’s event. Please call Human Resources at 995-1026 by Wednesday, March 13 if you have any additions or corrections to the list.
Staff and Faculty Service Awards 2013
| 5 Years | 10 Years | 15 Years | 20 Years | 25 Years |
| Lisa Dohm | Mary Beeker | Anna Bachman | Marjory Smith | Dori Creighton |
| Tom Dunn | Fred Cook | Jenny Barnes | Sue DeCamillis | |
| Robin Fitzgerald | Patty Cron-Huhta | Cindy Duby | Doug Domine | |
| Bill Hardy | Sandy Harrand | Margaret Fox | Keith Kelly | |
| Constanza Hazelwood | Lori Hodek | Jan Neumann | John Pflughoeft | |
| Jo Hendrix | Georgenia Hromada | Deb Pharo | ||
| Mela McCormick | Amy Klei | Jan Root | ||
| Craig Shattuck | ||||
| 35 Years | 40 Years | |||
| Rita Kucera | Frank Snyder | |||
| Steve Westphal | ||||
Adjunct Faculty Service Awards 2013
| 5 Years | 10 Years | 15 Years | 20 Years |
| Kim Anderson | Gary Howe | Teri Brady | Mark Smith |
| Joan Buchanan | Rebecca Jones | Bob Keller | Philip Tarczon |
| Todd Casperson | Mark Lyon | Dee Morrison | |
| Kathy Connor | Brian McCall | Patty Olson | |
| Michael Davis | Joan Richmond | Keith Tampa | |
| Mary Lou Deutsch | Julia Sheerin | ||
| Jane Ditri | Frank Simkins | ||
| Tim Dunn | Ethel Vandenberg | ||
| Lee ElstonRobin FisherRobert George
Robert J. Hall |
Rob Weiler
25 Years |
35 Years |
|
| Conrad Heins | Mike Cochran | Sheila Stafford | |
| Richard Hoadley | Susan Odgers | ||
| David Hosler | |||
| Anita Hunt | |||
| Jill Markoski | |||
| Sharon Mayer | |||
| Karen Miller | |||
| Troy Robertson | |||
| Larissa VanderZee | |||
| Duane Wright |
myPDCA is a new system for Assessing Performance and Setting Individual Goals and Professional Growth Plans.
By implementing a new performance feedback process we hope to improve two of the five areas that received the lowest scores on our 2012 Employee Engagement Survey:
The Performance Review Team was created. They listened to concerns and drafted a new process, based on NMC’s model for continuous improvement, that fit our aligned planning model. The new process emphasizes the ongoing conversation between supervisor and employee – focused on goals. The team wanted to provide some guidelines, but leave the process flexible enough to allow for the unique needs of each department.
As with our former system, you and your supervisor will each prepare for your annual review/goal setting session by reflecting on the past year and thinking about next year’s goals. Then you will meet to compare thinking and develop a clear plan with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals! You will enter and manage your goals using our new Performance Management system, WingSpan.
Coming soon:
myPDCA Overview for all staff
myPDCA Process (WingSpan) tutorials/training
Open computer labs available with Q & A session
Between April 1-June 30 You will work with your supervisor to set your goals for the new 2013- 2014 Goal Plan
Watch for more information soon!
For questions, feel free to contact a member of the Performance Review Team:
Irina Grougan
Jackie Schenk
Jan Oliver
Kirby Anderson
Linda Berlin
Lori Hodek
For information on positions currently open at NMC, please visit NMC’s web page at https://jobs.nmc.edu/ Information on internal postings has been emailed.
Any items you wish to have posted in the Intercom and Student News can be sent to publicrelations@nmc.edu.
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
Paul Martin Analyst – Network Systems & Data Communications 2 years
Laura Mashburn Custodian 2 years
Jan McKinnon General Merchandise Supervisor 8 years
Eileen Vaughn Programmer 2 years
The NMC employee engagement survey will be available for your participation starting Monday, March 11. In the survey, you will be asked for your opinions regarding a variety of topics of importance to NMC’s focus on continuous improvement and our commitment to valuing people.
The invitation to take the survey will be sent via email by a third party researcher by the name of Stromp Research & Consulting (specifically from noreply@qemailserver.com but it will display as “Stromp Research & Consulting” and the reply-to address will be survey@strompresearch.com) with a link to the survey. Your responses will be anonymous to anyone at NMC, and results will not be identifiable at the individual level.
All survey participants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of three Best Buy gift cards ($200, $100, and $50). The earlier you complete the survey, the larger the value of gift card you could win.
Thank you for your participation!
Most of us use Word and Excel frequently. Have you ever thought about taking your skills up a notch? How about receiving an official certification giving evidence of your skills? For a limited time, NMC is providing a Microsoft Office Certification offer to faculty and staff.
Microsoft describes the program this way: “Turning Motivated Individuals into Office Superstars: Discover the only performance-based certification that validates the skills needed to get the most out of Microsoft Office. Whether you want to drive your career or increase your productivity on the job, earning the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification demonstrates the valuable expertise you need to succeed.” More information about MOS certification is available at http://bit.ly/XDuwuZ.
NMC’s Computer Information Technology department is offering free exam vouchers and test practice software for the following MOS certifications:
– Microsoft Office Word 2010 (exam 77-881)
– Microsoft Office Word 2010 Expert (exam 77-887)
– Microsoft Office Excel 2010 (exam 77-882)
– Microsoft Office Excel 2010 Expert (exam 77-888)
– Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2010 (exam 77-883)- Microsoft Office Access 2010 (exam 77-885)
These exams are currently integrated into CIT courses. NMC students taking these courses and faculty teaching these courses take the exams and obtain certifications.
MOS exam vouchers normally cost about $65 each. Due to volume purchase and timing, extra vouchers are now available to NMC employees without charge. These vouchers will expire on May 30, 2013.
If you are interested in pursuing this offer or if you want more information, please contact Bonnie Shumaker bshumaker@nmc.edu by April 30.
Though the weather isn’t giving us many hints these days, spring is right around the corner, and with it comes a great time of the year at NMC. The time when we honor those who make NMC the great place that it is. Outstanding Alumni nominations are wrapping up, Fellows Nominations are around the corner and now is the time to help us honor your faculty and staff colleagues at Northwestern Michigan College with the Foundation Excellence Awards.
The NMC Foundation Excellence Awards promote exemplary service to students and clients and recognize the outstanding demonstration of NMC’s values. Up to five awards are granted annually and the recipients are announced at the annual service awards reception in April. All college employees are eligible for this award, including faculty (regular and adjunct), staff (administrative/professional, maintenance/custodial, support, technical/paraprofessional, and supplemental) and student employees.
Any member of the faculty, staff, community, or student body may nominate a person or group for the award by completing a nomination form and submitting it to the Resource Development office by the deadline date of March 16, 2012. A selection panel comprised of representatives of the Foundation, faculty, staff, and students reviews the nominations and makes a recommendation to me.
Take a moment to view the nomination form. Please feel free to copy it as necessary.
The Michigan Community College Association is working with Interact Communications, a National Marketing Firm, to create a statewide brand and messaging campaign that allows our community colleges to compete strongly with our local, regional and national competitors. While their brand research will involve focus groups, interviews and a statewide survey, Interact wants to start first with all of you, our internal stakeholders. They are asking every faculty, staff, volunteer and student at all the community colleges in the state, to participate in an online survey. The survey asks only nine questions, but they are important questions about what we do well, our competition and what you all believe our communities should know about our college.
As a member of this college and in turn a part of the larger sector of community colleges across the state, your voice, input, and insight are extremely valuable to this research process. Please use the following link that will direct you to an online survey. This survey is taken anonymously, and the data will only be used in aggregate, so feel free to be honest. The survey itself will only take you 5-10 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your time and input.
On Tuesday, March 19th, the Michigan Global Awareness Consortium (MGAC) offers the first presentation of its spring series. Students, educators, and members of the community are invited to the NMC main campus for a forty-minute (video-taped) panel discussion on the topic of Post-2014 Afghanistan & Pakistan; which is sponsored by the International Affairs Forum and recently aired by Upnorth Media Center, a public-access TV station. The panel includes Amiad Khan from the Social Sciences department, Jack Segal, a former principal political advisor to the top NATO general in Afghanistan, and Ted Curran, a former U.S. diplomat in the region for 25 years.
After the panel Khan will be happy to answer questions and continue the discussion.
The event (7:00 – 8:30 pm in the Osterlin Building/Library, Room 205) is free and open to the public.
For the first time in more than 35 years, Michigan’s oldest community college has an official nickname. Northwestern Michigan College, hasn’t used a nickname since it last competed in intercollegiate sports in 1976. The college’s iconic tree logo will not change, and there are no plans to reinstate intercollegiate athletics, but NMC has reclaimed a little bit of missing identity. The NMC Board of Trustees unanimously voted to formally adopt Hawk Owls as the college’s nickname at their meeting February 25.
Hawk Owl pays a bit of homage to the college’s previous nickname, Tomahawks, and owls have long served as a symbol of wisdom.
The process of selecting a new nickname was deliberate. Dozens of potential nickname suggestions were considered and narrowed to a final field of four:
Black Squirrel – A name long thought favored by NMC students, black squirrels are unique to the area and have a visible presence on the college’s campuses.
Bison – A nod to the symbol of NMC’s annual barbecue and to the large buffalo herds in the area.
Pine Marten – The pine (or American) marten is a weasel about the size of a mink whose candidacy was particularly supported by those who wanted a cute, child-friendly symbol.
Hawk Owl – Once common to the area, this rare non-nocturnal owl still does appear in northern Michigan, especially in the fall. The hawk owl resembles an owl in appearance and a hawk in behavior.
Polls were conducted of students and staff at the PinePalooza event on campus, through the college’s employee and student newsletters and community-wide through NMC’s Facebook account.
The final results had the Hawk Owl with a commanding 36% of the vote, compared to 24% for the Black Squirrel, 23% for the Bison and 17% for the Pine Marten.
Next steps include creation of an official graphical representation of the Northwestern Michigan College Hawk Owl, and development of plans to create a mascot.