Position Vacancies
Are you looking for career opportunities? Find it here! jobs.nmc.edu. Current openings include:
- CRM/Financial Aid Assistant
- Hagerty Center – Server, Bartender, Sous Chef, Cook and Dishwasher
Employee Anniversaries
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
National Coffee Day Sale at the NMC Bookstore
National Coffee Day is Thursday, September 29! Stop by the bookstore in the lower level of West Hall on NMC’s main campus September 27-30 for 20% off all coffee mugs and travel mugs!
NMC Magazine is looking for adventure submissions
The road less traveled may be fraught with danger, but its journey offers endless possibilities. This semester, NMC Magazine delves into its latest theme: Adventure! Send in your stories, poems, essays, artwork, photographs, or other designs by Monday, October 24.
Bring hard copies to the Communications Office, Scholars Hall 214, Attn: Alissia Lingaur -OR- to the Humanities Office, Fine Arts Building, Attn: Caroline Schaefer-Hills. Email submissions to nmcmag@mail.nmc.edu.
Make sure to include the submission form, available here: nmc.edu/nmcmagazine/submissions.pdf
Voter Registration at NMC (for National Voter Registration Day)
Osterlin Library, the League of Women Voters of the Grand Traverse Area, and the League of Women Voters of Leelanau County are cooperating to offer voter registration and provide voter information on NMC’s campus on National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday September 27th. Volunteers will be in the library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday the 27th and Wednesday the 28th, as well as at the Parsons-Stulen Building on NMC’s Aero Park Campus on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to Noon.
Volunteers will assist people in completing voter registration forms, and will submit them to the county clerk’s office. They can also help people find out whether they’re registered to vote, where they should vote, and what candidates and issues will be on the ballot.
Check whether you’re registered to vote and view a sample ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center »
President’s Update for September 20, 2016
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…)
New books at the Osterlin Library- September highlights
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.
Career Counseling for Students
The Advising Center is available to help students who are undecided about their career or major! Career counseling involves helping a student explore their interests, values, abilities, personality to find a best fit career or major area. Refer students to us for assistance with the career decision-making process! 5-1040 or advising@nmc.edu
Building a culture of peace Sept. 21
Panelists including NMC faculty and students will discuss “Building a Culture of Peace” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Scholars Hall 109.
The discussion is part of International Day of Peace, commemorated Sept. 21, and is organized in part by the NMC International Student Club and local Veterans for Peace chapter.
For more information visit www.vfp50.org.
Welcome to NMC!
Please join us in welcoming these new additions to our NMC staff! (more…)
Success story: Gamification of an anatomy class
September 14, 2016
It was just another day in Anatomy and Physiology class, until instructor Nick Roster told students working in groups that the first group to finish a task would win five points.
The effect was immediate and obvious. Students leaned in across the lab tables, their body language showing focus, intensity and concentration as they worked together. By making the task into a race — a basic gamification concept — Roster simultaneously challenged and motivated students, fostered collaboration and self-directed learning.
It’s those kind of results which led the science instructor to completely rebuild his A & P course on gamification principles. He received an NMC Foundation grant to pilot the idea in 2015, and in spring 2016 moved completely to a gamification structure.
“I’m using some of the game elements and an (online) platform to run the whole class,” said Roster.
While the structure is a natural fit for students who grew up trying to get to the next level on PlayStation or Xbox, Roster said such gamification concepts as leveling up are ideal for learning.
“What this allows for is mastery learning. There’s no 70 percent,” he said. “Student performance is better because they have to get it right.”
They have to get it right — eventually. The level-based structure of his class allows students to practice until they gain the knowledge or skills necessary to advance. Failure is not the disaster that it would be on a midterm or final exam.
“This allows students the opportunity to fail, or get it wrong, or misread the question, and still be successful,” said Roster, whose e-mail signature includes a quote from Einstein: “I never teach my students, I only give them the opportunity to learn.”
Anatomy and Physiology still includes a traditional hands-on lab, though much of what was the lecture format of the class can now be conducted online. That allows students to progress at their own pace, and frees up class time for questions and discussion.
Roster has discussed the potential to apply gamification concepts with colleagues in NMC’s Business, Aviation, Computer Information Technology and other science disciplines. He says he knows one group that hopes the idea spreads: Students.
“My student reviews have never been better,” he said. “They’re hoping or wishing other classes were structured this way.”
Success story: Gamification of an anatomy class
September 14, 2016
It was just another day in Anatomy and Physiology class, until instructor Nick Roster told students working in groups that the first group to finish a task would win five points.
The effect was immediate and obvious. Students leaned in across the lab tables, their body language showing focus, intensity and concentration as they worked together. By making the task into a race — a basic gamification concept — Roster simultaneously challenged and motivated students, fostered collaboration and self-directed learning.
It’s those kind of results which led the science instructor to completely rebuild his A & P course on gamification principles. He received an NMC Foundation grant to pilot the idea in 2015, and in spring 2016 moved completely to a gamification structure.
“I’m using some of the game elements and an (online) platform to run the whole class,” said Roster.
While the structure is a natural fit for students who grew up trying to get to the next level on PlayStation or Xbox, Roster said such gamification concepts as leveling up are ideal for learning.
“What this allows for is mastery learning. There’s no 70 percent,” he said. “Student performance is better because they have to get it right.”
They have to get it right — eventually. The level-based structure of his class allows students to practice until they gain the knowledge or skills necessary to advance. Failure is not the disaster that it would be on a midterm or final exam.
“This allows students the opportunity to fail, or get it wrong, or misread the question, and still be successful,” said Roster, whose e-mail signature includes a quote from Einstein: “I never teach my students, I only give them the opportunity to learn.”
Anatomy and Physiology still includes a traditional hands-on lab, though much of what was the lecture format of the class can now be conducted online. That allows students to progress at their own pace, and frees up class time for questions and discussion.
Roster has discussed the potential to apply gamification concepts with colleagues in NMC’s Business, Aviation, Computer Information Technology and other science disciplines. He says he knows one group that hopes the idea spreads: Students.
“My student reviews have never been better,” he said. “They’re hoping or wishing other classes were structured this way.”
NMC Mindfulness Initiative
Tuesdays at Noon Health & Science 101
A 10 minute mindfulness practice can help:
- Improve focus and awareness
- Reduce anxiety, depression and stress
- Promote emotional balance
- Cultivate compassion
- Promote academic performance
- Prevent burnout
- Increase creativity
Come unplug for 20 minutes with NMC’s new mindfulness learning community. Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome!
For more information or a private mindfulness session, contact Kristy McDonald at 995-1059 or kmcdonald@nmc.edu
NMC Board Candidates Forum
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is hosting a forum for NMC Board of Trustees candidates that will be moderated by Mary Grover from the LWV. The forum will be Tuesday, October 18, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Milliken Auditorium.
UpNorth Media Center will cover the event and record it for future viewing.
Six candidates are running for two positions on the NMC Board of Trustees. The following will be on the November election ballot for Grand Traverse County:
- Chris M. Bott
- Carolyn Collins
- Christopher Dailey
- Michael Estes
- Michael B. Haynes
- Rachel Johnson
WNMC Volunteer Call-Out
WNMC, the community public radio service of NMC, is looking for some new volunteers. Thousands of people in the Grand Traverse region listen every week, hundreds are listening at any given time. WNMC plays music heard nowhere else on the dial — jazz, blues, alternative rock, indie, Michigan music, and music from around the world. Most of that music is brand new. You don’t have to know a lot, but you do have to be willing to be a musical explorer and tour guide. All you need is a sense of sonic adventure and a bit of time. Four training sessions are provided, and you can apply online.
Time for a Check
It’s hard to believe we’re almost one quarter of the way through FY’17. It seems as though it just started! A quarterly check of your department’s operational plan A3 is recommended as a way to ensure that you’re on track with goals for the year and to foster open communication when things are not going as planned.
Here’s a suggested structure for your check meeting:
- What is the target?
- What is the current state – where are we now?
- What obstacles are preventing us from reaching the target? Which ones are being addressed now?
- What’s the next step?
- By when – when can we meet to check again on progress?
The key is to remember that problems are golden – they represent an opportunity to learn. Therefore problems should be brought to the surface rather than buried. Also, remember this is a check-in not a problem solving brainstorm. Stay focused, and determine the one next best step and check again after that next step is completed.
Additional check guidelines are available on the Planning employee site located here: employees.nmc.edu/depts/orpe/planning/support-toolbox/tools.html
Questions about the planning process can be directed to Karen Ruedinger at 5-1032.
Growing Pains
There will be a few temporary growing pains while we build our new student housing and expand the Dennos Museum Center. Sections of the Aspen and Elm parking lots will be used for construction crews and their equipment during the projects. You may want to plan a little extra time if you usually park in these lots. You can also check out alternatives with this parking lot map. Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks for understanding.
Benefits Corner: Open Enrollment Meetings
Save The Date
Open Enrollment Meetings for the 2017 benefit year will be held on Monday, November 14 at the Oleson Center. Specific details for the day will be coming shortly.