Feb 3, 2020 | Intercom
The NMC Food Pantry team would like to invite NMC faculty and staff to get involved! With a fairly small time commitment (an hour or less every week or two), you can help NMC students in a very tangible way. If you’re interested in volunteering to pack food orders, please fill out this form to indicate your availability. If you have any questions, email Paul Kolak at pkolak@nmc.edu.
The NMC Food Pantry operates year-round in order to supply students with nutritious food and personal items in order to combat food insecurity. The pantry serves between 80 and 90 people per month.
Feb 3, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
Lisa Blackford
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Tamara Coleman
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Sarah Montgomery-Richards
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Caroline Schaefer-Hills
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Brian Sweeney
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John Velis
(click for high-resolution photo) TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has selected six faculty members as the first recipients of an Experiential Learning fellowship intended to accelerate the prevalence of the high-impact instructional style across disciplines.
Each recipient will substantially convert or create a course based on EL principles, which include students working in teams, immersive experiences, project-based assignments and online. The recipients and courses are:
- Lisa Blackford and Tamara Coleman: The Science of Stress (new course)
- Sarah Montgomery-Richards: Western Religions
- Caroline Schaefer-Hills: Art Appreciation (online course)
- Brian Sweeney: Basic Metallurgy
- John Velis: Systems Analysis and Design
“It is exciting to see such a diverse group of faculty focused on innovation, collaboration and high impact teaching practices, as we uniquely prepare our students to live and work in the world of the 21st century,” said Kristy McDonald, director of NMC’s Experiential Learning Institute.
Montgomery-Richards said she hopes to overhaul Western Religions in order to boost enrollment. Currently the course draws half the enrollment of her Eastern Religions class.
“I think students feel like they know western religions,” she said. She hopes a new design will challenge that assumption and increase the relevance of the philosophy course, which most students take as an elective.
“How is an understanding of religion in general, and diverse religious perspectives, going to help them in the future?” Montgomery-Richards said.
Social work and psychology instructor Blackford and biology instructor Coleman are combining their disciplines into a new course, the Science of Stress. Slated to be offered in the fall 2020 semester, students will explore current research on stress and its impacts on body systems. It will meet in an anatomy and physiology lab, as well as in a simulation lab, and is intended to have practical applications, too, as students gain an experiential understanding of stress on learning, anxiety and depression and tools for resilience.
“The whole campus, we talk about how students’ stress has gone up,” Blackford said.
“We saw it as an epidemic,” Coleman added.
Each recipient will receive a $1,500 stipend. The fellowship, is one of the first initiatives of NMC’s Experiential Learning Institute, which launched in 2019 as a way to formalize efforts to expand experiential learning college-wide, which date to 2016. It will collaborate with both on-campus and community stakeholders to engage students and the community, locally, nationally and globally. The Institute will connect the community and NMC by seeking creative partnerships, serving ongoing community needs, and preparing learners for future employment.
Release date: FEBRUARY 3, 2020
For more information:
Kristy McDonald
Director, Experiential Learning Institute and Business Instructor
kmcdonald@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1059
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
Feb 3, 2020 | Intercom, Media Mentions
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.
Nick Nissley: Three Weeks In, NMC’s New President Sees Passion And Possibilities
The Ticker, Jan. 28 (more…)
Feb 3, 2020 | Intercom, President Updates
Dear NMC Community,
It’s been just over a month since I’ve been on campus meeting with you to listen and learn about our college. These first weeks have been exhilarating and positive! Since my Intercom communication with you last week about the foundational importance of trust, I had the honor to attend Governor Whitmer’s State of the State address in Lansing, as a guest of our State Senator Wayne Schmidt. That night, bearing witness to the political process in action, I was reminded of how important constructive conflict is to healthy, vibrant communities and organizations. It has inspired me to reflect on that experience as a learning opportunity for us at NMC. (more…)
Jan 31, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
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…)
Jan 31, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
Sick leave will include all provisions in the Paid Medical Leave Act as of 3/29/19 which include: employee’s own or a family member’s (defined as child, parent, spouse, grandparent, grandchild or sibling) mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; employee’s own or a family member’s medical diagnosis, care or treatment for a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; employee’s own or a family member’s preventative medical care; employee’s own or a family member’s domestic violence and sexual assault related matters, such as when the employee or family member is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault for the purpose of medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability, to obtain services from a victim services organization, for relocation purposes, to obtain legal services, to participate in any court proceedings related to or resulting from domestic violence or sexual assault; and matters related to public health emergency situations, such as closure of employee’s primary workplace by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, or if it has been determined by health authorities that the employee’s own or the family member’s presence in the community would jeopardize the health of others due to a communicable disease.
Also, if you have accrued sick leave you can use 2 days per anniversary year for Personal Business Leave. Please see the policy HERE.
Jan 31, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
- 58 members participated in the challenge.
- 39 members MET the challenge (not gaining more than 3 pounds).
- 4 members did not meet the challenge.
- 15 members did not weigh out or provide a weigh out via email.
- 3 people lost more than 5 pounds.
- Congrats to Bill Czyzyk for being the drawing winner and $100 gift card.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated in the challenge. I do wish all NMC members success as they continue on their well-being journey throughout 2020!
Jan 31, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
Please use the following links to access summary documents for your coverage.
- Priority Health High Deductible Plan – HERE
- Priority Health Core Plan – HERE
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of MI Dental Plan – HERE
- EyeMed Vision Plan – HERE
Jan 31, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
To check your beneficiaries, go to ADP > Myself > Benefits > Enrollments > View Benefits
- Be sure the date is in 2020.
- Scroll down to Employee Life section.
- If you are satisfied with the beneficiaries, no action is needed.
- If you need to make a change, click on the green pencil icon to edit.
- If you need to add a beneficiary who is not listed, contact Hollie DeWalt in HR.
Jan 29, 2020 | Intercom, Student Events
The Student Life Office, in honor of Black History Month, is sponsoring a free performance of the Zuzu Acrobats Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at Milliken Auditorium. Zuzu Acrobats a five-person Kenyan acrobatic show which embodies the Bantu Culture of East Africa. The show lasts one hour and features fast pyramid building, limbo, chair balancing, comedy, fast skip rope, juggling and much more all set to high energy lingala music.
The first 50 NMC students who show their student ID at the door will also receive a $10 gift card to the NMC bookstore.
For any questions, feel free to contact the Student Life office at (231) 995-1118.
Jan 27, 2020 | Intercom, Media Mentions
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.
Nissley takes over as NMC president in Traverse City
Interlochen Public Radio, Jan. 27 (more…)
Jan 27, 2020 | Intercom, President Updates
Dear NMC Community,
Over the past three weeks – has it been just three weeks that I’ve been on the job? – my focus has been three-fold:
- maintain the momentum, ensuring that all the good work that our faculty and staff have already set in motion, continues to move forward;
- build relationships, with both our internal and external stakeholders; and
- learn about NMC, and how we do things around here.
That translates to more than 100 calendared meetings and events during these first three weeks – listening and learning – seeking to better understand who we are and how we serve our students and the wider community. (more…)
Jan 27, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s International Affairs Forum will host 18 area high school teams at its annual Academic WorldQuest from noon-5 p.m. February 6, at the Hagerty Center.
The teams will compete for the chance to participate in the national competition, the flagship youth education program of the World Affairs Councils, to be held in Washington, D.C. in April. Topics in the 2020 competition include preventing violent extremism, ocean protection and US-Russia Relations.
“Academic WorldQuest has a great atmosphere of friendly competition. Studying current topics in foreign affairs helped me expand my view of the world, and traveling to Washington, D.C. was a fantastic experience,” said Ted Roe, a 2019 Traverse City Central High School graduate and member of the Trojans’ winning team. Currently a freshman at the University of Notre Dame, Roe participated in AWQ for three years.
The event is free and open to the public. Sponsors include: The Traverse City Record-Eagle, Jimmy John’s, Shanty Creek Resort, Target, Best Buy, Common Good Bakery, Mundos Roasting & Co, Cicero’s Pizza. State Theater, Cherry Republic, Grand Traverse Pie Co. and Paesano’s Pizza.
Release date: JANUARY 27, 2020
For more information:
Julie Doyal
juliedoyal@yahoo.com
(231) 649-1781
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 24, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Employers are invited to register for Northwestern Michigan College’s 14th annual career fair, to be held March 5 at the Hagerty Center on the Great Lakes Campus.
The event runs from 3–6 p.m. Employers will have the opportunity to recruit job-seekers for career-track, seasonal and entry-level positions as well as internships and service learning.
The Career Fair now encompasses the formerly separate Jobs4Vets and NMC Technology Career Fair events, and is open to students, NMC alumni and community members. It will open one hour early, at 2 p.m., to veterans and military families only. It is held in partnership with Northwest Michigan Works and Networks Northwest.
An alumni reception follows the event from 5–6:30 p.m. at Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant.
Employer registration is $25 and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration begins Jan. 27. To register or for more information, visit nmc.edu/career-fair.
Release Date: January 23, 2020
For More Information:
Sally Smarsty
NMC Advising Center
ssmarsty@nmc.edu
231-995-1040
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 23, 2020 | Intercom, Student Events
Thursday, February 20, 2020
12:15-1 p.m.
Founders Hall, room 110
The Passport Student Talk Series is a chance to explore other cultures through the experiences of NMC students.
Edris Fana is from Kabul, Afghanistan and earned his Associates In General Studies degree from NMC and his commercial pilot license in 2018. He’s now in his last year at Ferris State University and hopes to work as a pilot for a company or manage a company.
Global Endorsement students, please bring your GE passport so that it can be stamped to earn your GE event points!
Jan 22, 2020 | Intercom, Student Events
Enjoy an evening of music for band and choir featuring the NMC Concert Band and Grand Traverse Chorale with Pat Brumbaugh and Jeffrey Cobb, Directors. The event is Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Milliken Auditorium.
General admission tickets are $13 for adults, and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets are available from MyNorthTickets.com and available at the door. Call (800) 836-0717 for more information.
Jan 22, 2020 | Intercom, Student Events
Join us for a wonderful afternoon of choral music featuring the NMC Children’s Choirs, Chamber Singers and Canticum Novum, directed by Jeffrey Cobb, Stephanie Schall-Brazee, Ashley Larimer-Kelly, Joanna Aldridge and Todd Vipond. The concert is Sunday, Feb. 23 from 3–5:30 p.m. at Lars Hockstad Auditorium.
Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors. Family Ticket packages (for up to 5 immediate family members) are available for $45. Tickets are available through MyNorthTickets.com and at the door. Call (800) 836-0717 for more information.
Jan 22, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
January 22, 2020
NMC students from NMC’s Western Religions course examine the Derry Murals and the sordid history of “The Troubles” in Ireland.A near-record number of NMC students will study abroad in five countries this spring, gaining experiences to help them succeed in an increasingly global society.
Seventy students are registered to travel to Iceland, Ireland, Spain, England and Brazil. The previous high was 73 in 2015. Between 60-65 students have traveled each of the last three years, ranking NMC the No. 1 community college in Michigan for short-term study abroad, and usually in the top 25 nationally.
Faculty have been driving the additional interest this year, said Jim Bensley, director of International Services and Service Learning. Biology instructor Greg LaCross, who will co-lead the Iceland trip, says students gain lifelong benefits abroad, including maturity, self-assuredness and an appreciation of the world and different cultures. Once home, they share that.
“It’s kind of a ripple effect. You tell one person, it sparks interest in the world beyond your borders,” said LaCross, who has also led trips to South Africa and Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. “You don’t want to suffer from a parochial view of the world.”
Students agree that soft skills, in particular, improve on the trips. Those skills go with them into the workplace and community.
“The experience overall has served to benefit my patience, my perspective, and my humility,” said Jacqueline Ewing, who traveled to Brazil in 2016.
New this year, students will earn credit specifically for the study abroad experience. Previously it was part of the regular class credit. Most trips take place during spring break at the end of March, or immediately after the spring semester ends, in early May.
In Tiradantes, Brazil, future soccer stars show their U.S. visitors from an NMC study abroad trip how the game is played.“They’re not just traveling to see the sights. Our experiences are integrated with the curriculum being taught in the classroom,” Bensley said.
“It fits right into my teaching. It reinforces it and helps the students understand it in a larger context,” LaCross said.
Iceland (biology and freshwater studies) and Spain (culinary) are both new destinations in 2020. Aviation and archaeology students have previously visited England, and this year nursing and surgical technology students are making the trip.
Safety and security of students and faculty is a top priority of all trips. NMC works closely with in-country providers and host institutions, as well as U.S. agencies including the State Department and Centers for Disease Control.
“We’ve been smart in the way we’ve developed the programs, the places we’ve visited, and the teams we’ve built,” Bensley said. “We always attempt to mitigate any risk to our students and faculty,” he said.
Financial aid is also important to a successful study abroad program. Forty students received NMC’s Global Opportunities Scholarship. Sixteen culinary students received A Taste of Success scholarship.
