Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Notable Accomplishments provided by Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Directions (SD)
and Institutional Effectiveness Criteria (IE) are provided where possible. (more…)
From left to right, Writing Center reader Zachary Harrington, coordinator Megan Ward, readers Carrie Dunklow and Diane BairAfter the busiest fall semester in NMC Writing & Reading Center history, students returning to the second floor of Scholars Hall will find more elbow room for wrestling with rhetoric, structure and argument.
One argument that seems to be settled, as evidenced by the 1,750 student conferences held last semester: Writing well matters, long after that English assignment or history paper has been turned in.
“The overall trend is that people recognize communicating, writing, being able to express yourself is important to a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different jobs,” Center coordinator Megan Ward said.
Kevin Schlueter, president and CEO of Kalkaska Screw Products and a mechanical engineer by training, said it’s a key skill the company’s 116 employees need.
“It’s just as important in technical fields,” said Schlueter, an NMC alumnus who also serves on NMC’s Foundation Board. “You have to find a way to communicate to get your point across. Having a grasp of the English language is critical to success.”
Student Gene Ward of Traverse City and Writing Center reader Diane BairIn addition to that awareness, Ward has a two-part thesis about why visits to the Center jumped 15 percent last semester, precipitating an expansion of the space over winter break.
Every semester Ward emails all faculty to remind them of the critique services some 12 paid peer readers offer free of charge. Two years ago biology instructor Laura Jaquish was one of the more untraditional instructors to invite Ward to talk up the Center to her students in person.
“With our 100-level classes, people are often not aware of what’s available to them,” said Jaquish, who found that her Plant Biology students benefited from the one-on-one critiques. She plans to refer students in another class, Essential Biology, this semester.
Other Science & Math students, Computer Information Technology, and economics students have also found their way to the Center, which has expanded its hours into the evening and also off-site, to Osterlin Library on Sundays.
“There’s a lot of writing being asked of students,” Ward said.
History instructor Tom Gordon has long recommended the Writing Center to his students for the objective scrutiny readers can offer.
“When you’re writing, it’s really easy to know what you mean,” Gordon said. When a reader doesn’t, it opens the door to improvement.
Learning to improve is easier when the space is inviting, and that’s what Ward has aimed to create. Over Christmas break a storage closet was converted, expanding the Center’s footprint by about a third. Ward says the Center’s prized couch, which encourages students to linger, will likely move into that section, as well as computers. Then, students can begin incorporating feedback into their revisions immediately after the conferences conclude in the original section of the space.
In conclusion, expect more record-breaking semesters at the Writing & Reading Center.
From left to right, Writing Center reader Zachary Harrington, coordinator Megan Ward, readers Carrie Dunklow and Diane BairAfter the busiest fall semester in NMC Writing & Reading Center history, students returning to the second floor of Scholars Hall will find more elbow room for wrestling with rhetoric, structure and argument.
One argument that seems to be settled, as evidenced by the 1,750 student conferences held last semester: Writing well matters, long after that English assignment or history paper has been turned in.
“The overall trend is that people recognize communicating, writing, being able to express yourself is important to a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different jobs,” Center coordinator Megan Ward said.
Kevin Schlueter, president and CEO of Kalkaska Screw Products and a mechanical engineer by training, said it’s a key skill the company’s 116 employees need.
“It’s just as important in technical fields,” said Schlueter, an NMC alumnus who also serves on NMC’s Foundation Board. “You have to find a way to communicate to get your point across. Having a grasp of the English language is critical to success.”
Student Gene Ward of Traverse City and Writing Center reader Diane BairIn addition to that awareness, Ward has a two-part thesis about why visits to the Center jumped 15 percent last semester, precipitating an expansion of the space over winter break.
Every semester Ward emails all faculty to remind them of the critique services some 12 paid peer readers offer free of charge. Two years ago biology instructor Laura Jaquish was one of the more untraditional instructors to invite Ward to talk up the Center to her students in person.
“With our 100-level classes, people are often not aware of what’s available to them,” said Jaquish, who found that her Plant Biology students benefited from the one-on-one critiques. She plans to refer students in another class, Essential Biology, this semester.
Other Science & Math students, Computer Information Technology, and economics students have also found their way to the Center, which has expanded its hours into the evening and also off-site, to Osterlin Library on Sundays.
“There’s a lot of writing being asked of students,” Ward said.
History instructor Tom Gordon has long recommended the Writing Center to his students for the objective scrutiny readers can offer.
“When you’re writing, it’s really easy to know what you mean,” Gordon said. When a reader doesn’t, it opens the door to improvement.
Learning to improve is easier when the space is inviting, and that’s what Ward has aimed to create. Over Christmas break a storage closet was converted, expanding the Center’s footprint by about a third. Ward says the Center’s prized couch, which encourages students to linger, will likely move into that section, as well as computers. Then, students can begin incorporating feedback into their revisions immediately after the conferences conclude in the original section of the space.
In conclusion, expect more record-breaking semesters at the Writing & Reading Center.
TRAVERSE CITY — Aviation recruiter Al Laursen and computer information technology instructor John Velis have been named NMC’s recipients of annual excellence awards.
Both are 2016-17 recipients of the NISOD award for teaching excellence. Affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, NISOD is committed to promoting and
celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. Criteria include professionalism, relationships with students and colleagues, and commitment to learning
“I consider myself lucky to have stumbled into the best job at NMC, where I get to be immersed in a field I love without having to be away from home all the time,” said Laursen, a former pilot, pictured right. “I’m fortunate to have bosses who support me with the resources and autonomy I need to do my job and to be part of a great team of aviation professionals who support me, each other, and our students. I appreciate the recognition and look forward to my continued work in the NMC community.”
“Education has been a passion for me for most of my life,” said Velis, pictured left. “It has brought me great satisfaction, along with many challenges along the way. Being recognized by my peers with a NISOD Excellence Award is humbling as I know I could not do what I do without the support of the many professionals that surround me daily.”
Laursen joined NMC in 2011 and Velis in 2013. Both will receive their awards in at the annual NISOD conference in May.
Read more about aviation and computer information technology at NMC.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
The library has purchased many new books so far this new year. You can view a handful here along with partial descriptions or go here to see the full listing. These books are on display in the library’s lobby.
TRAVERSE CITY — More than 80 students from 10 area high schools will compete in the fourth annual Academic World Quest, a quiz-bowl style competition on global topics held from noon-3 p.m. Feb. 3 at NMC’s Hagerty Center.
The winning local team will travel to Washington D.C. to compete at the April 29 national event, held at the National Press Club. Traverse City Central High School is the defending champion, two years running. Also competing are Bellaire, Central Lake, Elk Rapids, Forest Area, Grand Traverse Academy (the 2016 runner up), Interlochen Arts Academy, Mancelona, Petoskey and Traverse City West.
TV 7 & 4 anchor Marc Schollett will moderate the competition, which is free to spectators. Topics include: Peace and Conflict in Today’s World, Countering Violent Extremism, Women in Technology, Turkey, Global Megacities, Combating Infectious Disease, European Union, China, and Current Events.
AWQ is the flagship high school education program of the World Affairs Councils of America of which Traverse City’s International Affairs Forum (IAF) is an affiliated partner. Its goal is to expose America’s youth to the world outside our borders and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of our globally interconnected world.
To help raise money for the local winning team to travel to Washington D.C., IAF is hosting a special premiere showing of a new documentary, “Is America in Retreat?” at 6 p.m. Monday, March 6 (location TBD.) Based on Wall Street Journal reporter Bret Stephens’ book, America in Retreat? the film will be broadcast on PBS at the end of March.
Special guests Kip Perry and Elan Bentov (producers/directors) will join for post film Q/A discussion together with Leland-based Tom Skinner (executive producer) and IAF Co-Chair Jack Segal.
Karen Segal
International Affairs Forum co-chair
(231) 715-6064
jsegal_kpuschel@yahoo.com
Why is a student’s major/program at NMC so important? At NMC a student’s major is used to:
This week, students are being reminded to check and update their program if necessary. How can you help?
Questions? Want more information? Contact the Advising Center at 5-1040 or email us advising@nmc.edu
TRAVERSE CITY — A collaboration between NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy and the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center has led to a new, Coast Guard-approved firefighting curriculum that will save maritime cadets time and money, and could draw new revenue to the Center in Blair Township.
Beginning this semester, GLMA cadets will receive firefighting training required for licensure as U.S. Merchant Marine officers at the Center instead of in Toledo, Ohio. Potentially, they could have faced traveling as far as Florida or New York after the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced last year that it planned to close the Toledo Fire Training Academy.
That prompted Maritime instructor and Captain John Biolchini to work with Tim Wrede, training coordinator at the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center, to create a local course that would fulfill U.S. Coast Guard requirements.
“The two of them worked closely together and submitted a curriculum,” to the tune of 249 pages, said Jerry Achenbach, GLMA superintendent. The Coast Guard approved the curriculum with no edits or changes effective Jan. 1. The 40-hour course will be offered for the first time March 27-31. {Editors: Photo/video opportunities will be available during this week.} Achenbach expects it to be offered three times annually, saving cadets travel and hotel costs.
“We are enthusiastic that the Great Lakes Maritime Academy could collaborate with the Regional Fire Training Center,” said Biolchini. “This first-class facility is a natural fit for educational opportunities in the region and I am proud to live in a community which encourages and supports all levels of education and training.”
The firefighting training is expected to attract other sailors, meaning more tuition revenue coming into the community.
“We’re hoping to sell this to the maritime industry,” said Wrede. “The service that we can provide and our customer base, we’re perfectly located.”
He added the Coast Guard has recently begun requiring that firefighting training certification be renewed every five years, which could present additional opportunities to the Training Center, a governmental cooperative created in 1990.
Furthermore, MARAD plans to loan some of the Toledo facility’s specialized equipment, estimated to value more than $100,000, to the regional center, Achenbach said.
John Biolchini
Great Lakes Maritime Academy
jbiolchini@nmc.edu
(231) 995-3147 (o)
(989) 619-2361 (m)
Tim Wrede
Northwest Regional Fire Training Center
Info@Nwrtc-tc.org
(231) 357-3056
February 22, 11a.m.–1 p.m. in the Health & Science Building Atrium$1 donation for 3 samples
$1 for a bottle of water
Come vote for your favorite chili or enter to win!
All proceeds benefit NMC student veterans
For more information contact Scott Herzberg at sherzberg@nmc.edu
KUDOS- (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com
Submit a Kudos here.
Kudos to Dave Weaver for your outstanding assistance during the NMC Board of Trustees retreat on January 11. We appreciate you making yourself available to troubleshoot questions and work one-on-one with any trustee that needed help with their devices during the meeting.
Kudos to Deb Patterson and the Central Scheduling team, along with the Campus Services team- they made a room reset happen on very short notice, affording our new students a more comfortable and welcoming learning environment. This was a show of Northwestern Michigan College team spirit and a willingness to “get it done”! I really appreciate the flexibility and effort! Thank you!
Kudos to Georgenia Hromada for taking initiative to look at a new complicated issue with the start of prior-prior year FAFSA data. This was a task all of us specialist were to look at and Georgenia handled the majority of our first batch and brought up questions which helped developed a process to make the next batch easier. I greatly appreciate it! 🙂
Are you looking for career opportunities? Find them here! jobs.nmc.edu. Current openings include:
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
AS PART OF THE EMBRACE THE DREAM SERIES OF EVENTS,
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND MLK DAY:
Queen of Katwe is based on a true story, an empowering journey of an Ugandan girl rising out of a life of poverty.
Sponsored by Student Life Office | (231) 995-1118
and International Services & Service Learning | (231) 995-2524
Have you considered advancing your career? Earn a masters degree in Social Work or Public Health and make a difference in your community today.
Join us in NMC University Center Room 13 on February 6 from noon to 1 p.m. or on February 21 at 8 a.m. to learn more.
Visit www.gvsu.edu/traverse/events to RSVP for either event.
Below is the history of the challenge coin as told by NMC President Tim Nelson at the 2016 commencement ceremony:
“We began this tradition in 2012, but the challenge coin itself is said to date back to World War I, when an American pilot was first captured and then escaped from the Germans. He used a coin issued by his squadron to prove his identity and escape execution. Upon his return to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce their coin. As time has passed, these coins have become used as rewards and mementos for outstanding achievement, much like what all of you have accomplished here today. The coins include the college seal and your graduation year. We hope they will become a proud token of your years at NMC.”
Tim would like to make sure each employee has one as well. If you would like an NMC challenge coin, please contact the President’s Office at lmoritz@nmc.edu or by calling 5-1010. Make sure to challenge President Nelson (and one another) to show your coin if you see each other out and about town!
Did you know a 10 minute mindfulness practice can help to:
Come unplug for 20 minutes with NMC’s new mindfulness learning community. Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome to join!
For more information or a private mindfulness session, contact Kristy McDonald at 995-1059 or kmcdonald@nmc.edu
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s International Affairs Forum continues its regular lecture series at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 with “The Fractured Middle East: Connecting to the Next Generation,” presented by Humaira Wakili, Executive Director of the Gen Next Foundation.
During his first weeks in office, President Donald Trump will face a critical issue that commanded the attention of Barack Obama as he closed out his presidency: how to counter the vicious and violent use of the Internet by extremist groups like ISIS. Social media, so widely used in the free world, has also become a weapon of terrorists to manipulate public opinion, spread propaganda, recruit foreign fighters and plot acts of terror on five continents.
Humaira Wakili, executive director of the Gen Next Foundation, is at the center of developing projects to counter the extremist narrative and brings to the International Affairs Forum an authoritative knowledge of what the new president might do to prevent social media from becoming the norm of extremist groups around the world.
The Gen Next Foundation is a dynamic, high-tech foundation that funds projects aimed at breaking the cycle of radicalization. Wakili’s venture philanthropy draws funds from the private sector and non-profit business partners to seed such projects as:
Karen Segal
International Affairs Forum co-chair
(231) 715-6064
jsegal_kpuschel@yahoo.com
Please note that for 2017 you will have two ID cards. One will be for dental only, and the other for medical/prescription coverage. Please contact Hollie in HR if you need assistance.