NMC rises to No. 2 in Best for Vets community college rankings

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has risen to the rank of second-best community college in the nation for its service to veterans, according to Military Times magazine.

The new, 2019 ranking improves upon the third-place position NMC achieved for 2018 among two-year colleges. NMC was also the only Michigan two-year college to make the publication’s Best for Vets list, published this week.

To determine the rankings, Military Times evaluated five factors veteran students say are important to them: culture, student support, cost and financial aid, policies and academic quality. Data from the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments as well as three federal education sources were also factored into the comprehensive assessment. Culture, weighted as the most significant category in all scores, was NMC’s strongest category.

NMC established an office of Military and Veteran Services in 2012. Led by Point of Contact Scott Herzberg, it works with the larger college community to foster an environment that leads to veteran success year-round.

“The men and women who have chosen to serve our country deserve our respect, our gratitude and our support,” Herzberg told Military Times. “They have invested time, energy, and passion with their whole being to do a job few in our nation now do. It’s our turn to serve them.”

Here are some of the investments NMC has made to earn the No. 2 ranking:

  • Veteran-specific application and orientation, personal campus tour
  • Veterans lounge
  • Active chapter of Student Veterans of America
  • Professional development offered to faculty, staff and advisers on how best to work with veterans
  • Veterans Resource section in Osterlin Library—to educate civilians as well
  • No-interest loans to veterans waiting for processing of their benefit checks, so they may enroll immediately
  • NMC makes up the difference between military pay and NMC pay for reservist employees who are called to active duty. Family enrollment in all benefits also continues
  • In-state (out of district) tuition rates for active duty military and their dependents, regardless of their legal residence (existed since 2008)
  • Veteran Lending Library to save textbook costs
  • Ongoing efforts to convert military service into academic credit
  • Hiring our Heroes spring job fair at the Hagerty Center
  • Red-white-and-blue cords to wear at Commencement, diplomas granted to service dogs

About five percent of NMC students are veterans or active-duty military.

Release Date: October 23, 2018

For more information:

Scott Herzberg
POC, Military and Veterans Affairs
(231) 995-2526
sherzberg@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-discrimination

Raise money for your student group AND support NMC!

Is your NMC student group looking for a way to raise money?

Members of your group can volunteer to help the NMC Foundation during the upcoming Hawk Owls Say Thanks days. Each volunteer will earn $10/hour for their NMC student group.

Activity includes explaining a thank you note writing activity to NMC students and passing out swag.

Upcoming dates:

  • Wednesday, November 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Osterlin Library
  • Thursday, November 8, 7-9 p.m. at East Hall

Sign-up to volunteer here: https://goo.gl/forms/CJUOGf2q4JvNpHhm2

Information about other activities can be found here: nmc.edu/about/foundation/about-the-foundation/student-engagement.html

For more information, please contact Katharine Zurek at (231) 995-1030 or kzurek@nmc.edu.

President’s Update for October 22, 2018

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…)

Kudos!

KUDOS- (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com

Submit a Kudos here. (more…)

Holiday Art Fair

Art fair photoThe annual Dennos Museum Holiday Art Fair will open Thursday, October 25, 5–8 p.m. and continue Friday through Sunday, October 26–28, throughout the museum.  Fine arts and crafts from 50 Michigan artists, Christmas and Chanukah gifts, arts and crafts kits and more are just a few of the enticements for holiday shoppers. Hours will be Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 1–5 p.m.

NMC employees and students can get a 10% discount on purchases when they mention their NMC connection at the time of purchase.

Learn more here »

Side by Side

TRAVERSE CITY — The public is invited to visit the newly refreshed Shirley S. Okerstrom Fine Arts Building with an evening featuring art, live music and dance presented by students and faculty.

Side-by-Side, Students and Faculty Creating Together, will be held from 4–7 p.m., Friday, November 9, in the Fine Arts Building at NMC. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Fine Arts Building was the last building in the United States designed by famed Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius in 1969. NMC invested in refurbishing the building’s unique cedar exterior and windows earlier this year.

Release date: October 23, 2018

For more information:

Mella McCormick
Humanities Division chair
(231) 995-1331
mmccormick@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-discrimination

Mariners Memorial

Great Lakes Maritime Academy logoThe community is invited to attend the 43rd annual Mariners Memorial Service at noon Friday, November 9 in NMC’s Great Lakes Campus courtyard.

The memorial service is held to remember and honor mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans and is sponsored by the Student Propeller Club, Port 150, of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. The Great Lakes Campus is located at 715 E. Front Street, at Barlow Avenue (next to the Holiday Inn) in Traverse City. Guests are invited to enter through the glass exhibition hall and proceed into the outdoor courtyard on the north side (harbor side) of the Academy.

Refreshments will be served following the service. For more information, call the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at (231) 995-1200.

Media Mentions for October 19

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.

GT Sheriff’s office announces new undersheriff
UpNorthLive Oct. 17
Ticker, Oct. 18

MTM on the road – at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute
TV 9 & 10, Oct. 17

Students prepare for sixth annual Food for Thought food drive
UpNorthLive, Oct. 16
Ticker, Oct. 17

NMC Extended Education
TV 9 &10 Oct. 16

NMC instructor wins Big Brothers Big Sisters’ highest honor
Record-Eagle, Oct. 14

New Marine Center coming to NMC
Record-Eagle, Oct. 13

Ten things to do in Traverse City for first-time visitors – includes the Dennos Museum Center
MoneyInc., Oct. 13

Eight choirs sing at NMC choral invitational
UpNorthLive Oct. 12

Humanities Open House

Come join us as we celebrate the newly refreshed Shirley Okerstrom Fine Arts Building with an evening featuring art, live music and dance presented by students and faculty.

Side-by-Side, Students and Faculty Creating Together!

Join us from 4-7 p.m., on Friday, November 9, 2018 in the Fine Arts Building at NMC.

Light refreshments will be provided.

11th Annual Freshwater Summit

The Freshwater Roundtable is proud to announce the 11th Annual Freshwater Summit to be held on Friday, October 26, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hagerty Conference Center at NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. The Freshwater Summit is a conference of environmental professionals and engaged citizens focusing on current issues facing the Great Lakes region.

 Presentations include understanding drivers of change in Great Lakes water levels, planning to be a resilient Great Lakes community, and measuring the economic impacts of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Cost is $35/person or $15/student and includes lunch. Registration is available online here.

The Freshwater Summit is a product of the Freshwater Roundtable and is organized by The Watershed Center, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, Michigan Sea Grant Extension, Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inland Seas Education Association, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and the Grand Traverse Conservation District.

Tech Tips: Office 2019 now available for Home Use

For Employees Only:

  • Word – text-to-speech, improved inking & accessibility, focus mode, translator, Learning tools (captions & audio descriptions), @ Mentions
  • PowerPoint – Morph transitions, Zoom, SVG, 3D model, play in-click sequence, 4k video, @ Mentions
  • Excel – Power Query (Get & Transform) enhancements, Powerpivot included with all editions, new functions & connectors, publish to Power BI, AI-driven Excel Insights for chart suggestions, new charts, @ Mentions
    • Excludes Co-Authoring, new Data Types like Stocks, and some other new features only available in Office 365
  • All Office apps – Ribbon customizations and roaming pencil case
  • Access – Multiple improvements (see here). 

You can now download Office 2019 at NMC rate of $14.99. 

Click here for more info and instructions on how to download. 

Please note: On campus we still use primarily Office 2016, Office 2019 is not utilized on campus at this time.

Sad News

Mike Oberlin, a longtime Social Science instructor, passed away at 66 years old from health-related issues recently while traveling in Ecuador. He was a wonderful, caring person who taught psychology for NMC for the last 21 years. In  addition to his dedication to his students, he had a great passion for traveling with his wife Merri to foreign lands. He will be greatly missed.

BATA bus shelter planned at East Front and Milliken Drive

The Bay Area Transportation Authority has received approval from the Michigan Department of Transportation to install a shelter at BATA’s Bayline stop at  East Front Street and Milliken Drive. This will help keep students and visitors protected from the elements year round.

The shelter should be installed in the next two weeks.