Jan 25, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
January 25, 2023
UAS instructor Carl Rocheleau works with students at NMC’s UAS training property in Yuba.
A new, standalone degree for NMC’s drone education program will position it for further growth as the industry continues to expand.
Starting this fall, NMC will offer an associate degree in Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), replacing the current UAS specialization within the Engineering Technology associate degree. A UAS certificate is also offered.
Creating a standalone UAS degree creates a clearer path for students and allows NMC to prepare for future industry demand, said UAS program coordinator Tony Sauerbrey (right).
“Going forward, the new degree will give us more flexibility to add classes as the industry changes,” Sauerbrey said. Additional credentials will be needed for more advanced operations, such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), when new federal regulations are issued. That’s expected in the next few years.
Also changing is the first word of the UAS acronym. Formerly called Unmanned Aerial Systems, switching to Uncrewed keeps the college aligned with industry, Sauerbrey said. NMC also has objectives in its strategic plan that call for inclusive and equitable language across the college by 2025.
“The entire aviation industry has begun adopting new, gender-neutral terminology, from the FAA on down. As we made plans for this degree it was perfect timing for us to make the change as well,” Sauerbrey said. “As training on UAS is further integrated at the high school level, we expect to see an increase in interest from female students.”
Currently about 60 students are enrolled in the UAS degree program, with 25 graduating in a typical year. Another 10 students are enrolled in the certificate program.
NMC first offered drone classes in 2010, a foresighted curricular addition. At the time, drones, were mostly a military tool. But Sauerbrey, then NMC’s chief flight instructor, and others in the college’s traditional crewed Aviation program spied opportunity ahead. The Engineering Tech degree with UAS specialty debuted in 2013. The FAA established a commercial license in 2016. Today, drones are used to inspect crop health and infrastructure integrity, photograph and sell real estate, conduct land surveys and monitor everything from shoreline erosion to invasive species.
Drone delivery services are poised to take the industry another giant step forward, but the BVLOS regulations must be in place first. Because of NMC’s early adoption of UAS, last year Traverse City was selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation as one of three sites to study the feasibility of air mobility corridors.
“Traverse City floated to the top,” said Linn Smith, manager of Air, Space and Emerging Aviation Systems at MDOT. NMC’s dozen years of UAS experience topped a list of reasons to select Traverse City, including adding a rural study area to other study sites in southeast Michigan.
“Number one was the college, the work that’s been done in UAS,” Smith said.
Delivery corridors will not necessarily happen in the study sites, Smith said. He sees NMC’s next step as researching use case scenarios for drones, which industry would eventually deploy.
“It’s an opportunity to tie communities together,” Smith said. “How do we get needed medical supplies, a device, to a rural community that might be shut in?”
“MDOT, we’re not in the business of education,” said Alicia Morrison, MDOT analyst and assistant project manager for feasibility study. “We really want to work with you.”
Jan 23, 2023 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom
Thanks to everyone who helped plan and launch the celebration of Martin Luther King Day and Black History month. Events kicked off last week with The Dennos Museum Center offering a free admission day and opening new exhibits featuring the work of BIPOC artists. Faculty began volunteering in multiple capacities on campus and in the community. Programs run through February. Check out the most updated schedule here.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Jan 23, 2023 | Intercom, Media Mentions
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. 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 NMC Library.
Freshwater lab will offer ‘test bed’ like no other, collaborators say
Record-Eagle, Jan. 22
(more…)
Jan 23, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
Kudos to Kristi Hallett! Kristi Hallett is a campus ROCKSTAR. With many requests coming her way, she is quick to respond and always does so with a positive attitude. You can see her smile through her emails! We are never afraid to contact Kristi to get something done or to check to see if something went awry—she is level headed and always there to help! We’re so appreciative of her attitude and all she does to make sure schedules and campus spaces come together with no huge traffic jams! Thank you, Kristi, for the amazing work that you do and for always being willing to work with us when we have last minute requests for our events on campus. We appreciate you!
Kudos to Todd Haines & Justin Guillard! Thanks for all of the help with the dental remodel and getting us back up and running!
Kudos to Landon DeHeer & Taylor Hall! We are so grateful to have Landon and Taylor as a part of our ambassador team. For our last new student orientation, we found ourselves short-staffed in the days leading up. Taylor and Landon jumped in to lend us a hand in prepping materials for new students. They already do so much to create a community of belonging at NMC, and it extended to our new students as well. Thank you for everything you do to make NMC a great place!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
Jan 23, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC Community!
- Christine Bussell, Supplemental – Law Enforcement Coach
- Kate Norek, Student Employee – Residence Hal Front Desk
- Roscoe Thome, Student Employee – Fitness Center
- Cameron Drzewiecki, Supplemental – Law Enforcement Coach
- Kody Nugier, Supplemental – GLMACE Instructor
- Alyssa Irani – Registrar
- Shannon Croll – Career & Academic Advisor
- Linda Gollan – Adjunct Nursing Instructor
- Linnea Wood – Adjunct Nursing Instructor
Jan 20, 2023 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. More information is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Jan 18, 2023 | Intercom
Pour a cup of your favorite hot beverage and spend an hour each Friday with former NMC Vice President for Lifelong and Professional Learning Marguerite Cotto and extraordinary community guests – from the comfort of home. “Coffee Chats” returns for its fifth season on February 3. These Friday morning virtual interviews take place from 10 to 11 a.m. with interesting community guests, and each is followed by a live Zoom Q&A session.
The winter line-up kicks off with local conservationist Emily Burke sharing stories and scenes from her trek along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Burke will be followed by Goodwill Northern Michigan Director Dan Buron, Horticulture expert Dr. Nikki Rothwell, and Hispanic community advocate Gladys Muñoz. The season concludes with experts on Michigan Extension programs, community planning, and community-based broadcasting.
There are a total of seven Coffee Chats in this Winter’s series, running from February 3 through March 17. You may purchase individual chats for $10 each, or save 30% and purchase ‘The Whole Carafe’ series for $49. View details and register online or call NMC Extended Education at (231) 995-1700.
All winter classes are now available at nmc.edu/ees.
Jan 18, 2023 | Intercom, International Affairs Forum, Student Events
The International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College presents a discussion with Jack Segal, a retired senior US diplomat and former co-chair of the International Affairs Forum who served at the US Embassy in Israel as Counselor for Political/Military Affairs during the first Intifada and the Gulf War. Segal will discuss Israel’s new coalition government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Far-right factions of the new coalition threaten to destabilize Israel, Palestine and the greater region. The presentation will include a public Q & A session. (more…)
Jan 18, 2023 | Emergency Management, Intercom
Natural gas is a colorless, odorless, and combustible gas consisting primarily of methane. For safety and detection, there is an unpleasant odorant called mercaptan (smells like rotten eggs) to the natural gas traveling through most of the pipelines. Propane is a gas compressed into a transportable liquid and stored in tanks. The odorant mercaptan is also added to propane. (more…)
Jan 16, 2023 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees’ Building and Site Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the President’s Office Conference Room in the Tanis Building on NMC’s main campus. The official meeting notice is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Jan 16, 2023 | Intercom, Media Mentions
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. 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 NMC Library.
Editorial: Freshwater Research & Innovation Center could shape future here
Record-Eagle, Jan. 15
(more…)
Jan 16, 2023 | Intercom
We all know, spring semester gets busy fast. Tests and assignments must be graded. Students must be taught, advised and counseled. Events get planned. Calendars fill up. Fall registration starts in March. Before you know it, it’s spring break!
With all this going on, how do you get your marketing and promotional needs met? The PRMC team is glad you asked.
Announcements and events
Three words: promo request form.
For internal NMC publications, Intercom (weekly) and Student News (every other week) submission deadline is noon the day before the issue is released (ex. 12 p.m. on Friday for Intercom and 12 p.m. on Monday for Student News).
Submit your request 2-3 weeks ahead of the event for best results. Lead time helps us spread the word on multiple channels and gives our audiences enough notice to save the date, sign up, buy tickets, etc.
NMC branded items/swag
Again, three words: promo request form.
We keep a few things in stock, like NMC pens, notepads and buttons, but most are custom-ordered specifically for each department. Submitting a promo request gives us what we need to fulfill your request and allows our whole team to track it from submission to delivery.
Branding & Identity
Need a logo for a poster? Not sure what color is NMC green? Find it in the Brand & Identity toolkit.
Jan 13, 2023 | Intercom
Watch the video here of the January 10 Mid Year Conference where guest speaker Ben Whiting talked about “Celebrating a Limitless Culture at NMC” (and performed magic!), NMC President Nick Nissley and Foundation Interim Executive Director Jennifer Hricik spoke, and we welcomed new employees to NMC.
Jan 13, 2023 | Intercom, Student News
First-ever event benefits College for Kids scholarships
TRAVERSE CITY — Put on your glad rags and join this Roaring ’20s extravaganza Friday, January 27! Hosted by the NMC Student Success Ambassador team, the Gala to Give is a networking and fundraising event to connect students with alumni, local businesses, and the greater Traverse City community.
Held from 7–10 p.m. at the Hagerty Center, the Gala is a night of celebrating NMC’s connections with the community while benefiting the NMC College for Kids scholarship fund, so that all kids may have the opportunity to experience these great programs.
Tickets are available to NMC students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public and include live music, dancing, mocktails, hors d’oeuvres and desserts, with raffle prize drawings throughout the evening. Tickets are $15 for current students and $30 for alumni & guests. Sponsorship opportunities for businesses are also available.
Release Date: January 13, 2023
For More Information:
Mahli Braak
Northwestern Michigan College
Student Success Lead Ambassador
mbraak@nmc.edu
Sally Smarsty
Student Success Coordinator
ssmarsty@nmc.edu
(231) 995-3021
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
Jan 12, 2023 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 17 at 10 a.m. in the Gray Conference Room 202, at NMC’s University Center campus, 2200 Dendrinos Drive. The official meeting notice is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Jan 12, 2023 | Intercom, Tech Bytes
Get Office 365 for Free! Office 365 includes full versions of Microsoft Office for installation on up to 5 PCs, MACs or mobile Android, Windows or iOS devices. Productivity software includes: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Lync and InfoPath.
Register your free edition of Microsoft Office 365 here.
Jan 12, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
(more…)
Jan 12, 2023 | HR Corner, Intercom
Kudos to Hollianne McHugh! Hollianne McHugh’s DD 101 and MFG 110 students did presentations on their final projects. The student’s creativity, attention to detail and overall knowledge was very impressive. A few of these projects will be shared at the NMC ELI Learning Symposium in May. Hollianne’s commitment to learning and connection to her students is evident through their interactions and high level of work completed. Keep up the awesome work!
Kudos to Sally Smarsty and the Student Success team! Hats off to the Student Success Coaching and Testing Center team for an incredible effort to help our students finish their semester strong! During the week of finals, Sally Smarsty led coaches as they planned a series of stress busting opportunities for our students while the Testing Center team provided excellent customer service and a caring environment for our stressed-out students. From chair massages, to abundant snacks and a pop-up pancake meal, to encouraging words, congratulations, and an attitude of handling students with care, these teams knocked it out of the park! There’s doing your job, and then there’s doing your job with excellence—Sally and her teams have exemplified excellence.
Kudos to the Holiday Party Committee! Brittany Hanbury, Erika Cotner, Carly McCall, Esther Nance, Nancy Durecki, Emily Crull, Lisa Sheppley, and Weston Babcock. Thank you to this creative committee for planning such a special holiday party for NMC employees and retirees. Every detail was thoughtfully considered! Thank you for your work and caring on this spectacular event!
Kudos to the Hagerty Center staff! Every member of the Hagerty Center staff does such a fantastic job of ensuring every event runs smoothly. Their attention to the little details and behind the scenes work is so greatly appreciated! From the planning process, food, serving, bussing, bartending, and saving the day when something doesn’t go according to plan—thank you for it all!
Kudos to the Testing Center staff for successfully proctoring roughly 550 tests during the final exams. Not only do our proctors maintain test integrity, they also provide an atmosphere that empowers our students to be able to give their best testing performance. Their professionalism and reassuring smiles set our students up for success!
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!
