Please read this article and reflect: What are you actively doing (or could you do) to advance these topics in and out of the workplace?
*Please fill out this DEI Intercom Post Feedback Form to be part of our conversation and offer feedback or suggestions on what is being shared.
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)
Kudos to NMC Grounds and Maintenance: What haven’t these folks done?! They have all gone above and beyond to help me out in getting the Art Department ready for the semester. Work order after work order every one of these individuals have made the transformation of our department possible. I can’t say thank you enough.
Kudos and a Shout out to the entire Audio Tech team! Brady, David, Patrick and Jonah are especially generous with the support they provide to Audio Tech students. They not only taught me the skills to be successful as an audio tech, but gave me the confidence to dive in to a significant project this summer, which turned out to be a huge success for everyone involved, and provided an important service to our local community. I am super grateful, and couldn’t have tackled the work without their help. I can’t wait to see what this semester has in store for Audio Tech!
Kudos to John Biolchini: Outstanding lecture in MDK 431 (ECDIS)
Kudos to Kerry McPherson: Kerry took the time to call us after her shift (we’re closed during her normal working hours) to let us know about a package that was left in the old library space in the Osterlin building. This type of care is typical of what we saw from Kerry when we were under her custodial care at Osterlin – always so thoughtful and considerate!
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!
Instructional Technology Specialist Justin Guillard has been promoted to Client Systems Administrator.
Congrats to Social Sciences office manager Cindy Duby who finished tenth in her age group at the Half-Ironman World Championships Saturday in Utah. Duby finished the 1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run in a total time of 5 hours, 49 minutes, 43 seconds. Department chair Sean Ruane says Duby’s IM performance is only equaled by her performance on campus. The 20-plus year NMC employee is adept at shifting priorities, staying positive and focused on problem-solving, even when working remotely.
“As Cindy states in her own words, ‘I believe staying healthy makes me a better employee, and is essential for the mind & body to better handle the demands of a busy work environment,’” Ruane said.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
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.
NMC students to receive fourth round of federal COVID funds
TV 9 & 10 News, September 15 (more…)
Join us at the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus Thursday, Oct. 28 from 7:30–9:30 a.m. for a free community discussion on healthy aging in northern Michigan. Panelists from across the community will share information on local resources, why healthy aging is important for our community and how to start planning.
This is great for students interested in healthcare, individuals who have aging family members or those wanting to be prepared for the future.
Keep up with what’s happening at NMC by signing up for NMC Now, an email newsletter highlighting NMC success stories, upcoming events, and news articles about the college! New issues are sent out every other week during the fall and spring semesters, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Recent issues have included the story of Afghan alumnus Edris Fana, whose parents were unable to attend his wedding following the Taliban’s takeover of his home country, and NMC’s search for its first-ever vice president of strategic initiatives.
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students received $3 million in American Rescue Plan funds this month, bringing the total amount of federal COVID-19 relief funds the college has distributed to students to $5.2 million since April 2020.
NMC has prioritized rapid disbursement of four rounds of COVID funds intended for students, as well as supplemented them with dollars raised by the NMC Foundation. In 2020, NMC distributed more than $1 million in federal funds to 705 students, who received an average award of $1,500 each.
In February of this year, students received another $1 million earmarked by Congress for direct student aid. More than 900 students received an average of $964 each. Awards were based on demonstrated financial need and enrollment status.
In June, another $550,000 went to 1,000 students registered for summer semester. Average awards from the September disbursement were more than $1,000 each to 3,060 students, who received notification Sept. 10. Funds go out this week.
“As the pandemic persists, so do our students’ challenges,” NMC President Nick Nissley said. “We’re pleased to be able to efficiently steward these taxpayer dollars and distribute them to students who have persevered toward their goals through 18 months.”
While the COVID relief dollars are extraordinary, NMC champions affordability as a key element of college access. Among the ways the college regularly strives to help students pay for their education:
“This is one of those, ‘it takes a village’ things. Everyone at NMC contributes to the institutional eligibility,” said Linda Berlin, director of financial aid.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
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
Edris Fana speaks at the 2016 NMC CommencementLast month, 2016 NMC graduate Edris Fana expected to see his parents for the first time in eight years, when they were to travel from Kabul, Afghanistan to Traverse City for his wedding to fellow alumna Emma Smith.
Instead, their wedding date, Aug. 15, became the day that Fana’s home country officially fell back to the Taliban, the Islamic military regime that resumed control of Afghanistan amid the final withdrawal of U.S./NATO troops after a 20-year presence.
“Everything just went downhill,” Fana said, adding that his parents have visas to travel to the United States, but cannot get a flight. (Very limited air travel resumed last week.) “To see it fall like this, it’s crazy to think about it.”
As the first international student to lead NMC’s Student Government Association, Fana, now 27, once aspired to apply that experience back home, and work in the government of the fledgling democratic republic.
“That was my all-time goal,” said Fana, who studied aviation. As the SGA president, he spoke at both the 2015 and 2016 commencement ceremonies.
“Coming from a place that I didn’t have the opportunity to practice leadership, or to have any experience of what I was capable of, it was NMC that presented me with opportunities to grow,” Fana told the audience in 2016.
Fana reciprocated those opportunities, contributing significantly to international understanding on campus, said Jim Bensley, NMC’s director of International Services and Service Learning.
“His interactions with fellow students helped many students gain a more intimate understanding of Afghan culture,” said Bensley, who invited Fana to speak to his World Cultures classes as well as wider campus audiences.
Fana’s 2013 departure to attend NMC was his second exodus from Afghanistan. In 1994 he was 11 days old when his parents fled with him and his brother to Pakistan as the Taliban began its first takeover of the country. The family returned to Afghanistan in 2003, when Fana was 10.
By then, the American invasion had ousted the Taliban from power and Afghanistan was heading into its first democratic elections. Despite attending an American school in Kabul and having parents who were educated and professional — his father runs a non-governmental organization called Partners in Aviation and Technology — Fana found his options for higher education limited. He wanted to study aviation.
As a young, Afghan man in a post-9/11 world, it wasn’t easy getting the acceptances and documents he needed to study in the United States. But Fana finally succeeded, following his brother, a pre-med student, to Michigan.
“NMC provided a path to me, not just out of Afghanistan, but to study more, to study what I really love, and get involved in the community,” said Fana. In addition to the SGA, at NMC he joined the International Club, also serving as its president, was a resident assistant and worked in the library. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Ferris State University through NMC’s University Center in December 2020.
NMC Dean of Students Lisa Thomas is the adviser to the SGA and knew Fana well.
“His own life experiences and journey from across the world to NMC gave him a deep sense of appreciation for the education and opportunities at NMC,” Thomas said.
Currently working as a hotel manager, with a return to Afghanistan off the table, Fana is accruing flight hours in order to earn his flight instructor license.
Daily life in Kabul is “somewhat regular” now, as the Taliban seeks international recognition of its regime, and his parents are safe, Fana said, but they are still seeking a way to leave. It’s stunning to think the country is back where it was when he was an infant.
“I don’t think anybody expected an overnight takeover. Within two weeks, the whole country just fell in.”
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students received $3 million in American Rescue Plan funds this month, bringing the total amount of federal COVID-19 relief funds the college has distributed to students to $5.2 million since April 2020.
NMC has prioritized rapid disbursement of four rounds of COVID funds intended for students, as well as supplemented them with dollars raised by the NMC Foundation. In 2020, NMC distributed more than $1 million in federal funds to 705 students, who received an average award of $1,500 each.
In February of this year, students received another $1 million earmarked by Congress for direct student aid. More than 900 students received an average of $964 each. Awards were based on demonstrated financial need and enrollment status.
In June, another $550,000 went to 1,000 students registered for summer semester. Average awards from the September disbursement were more than $1,000 each to 3,060 students, who received notification Sept. 10. Funds go out this week.
“As the pandemic persists, so do our students’ challenges,” NMC President Nick Nissley said. “We’re pleased to be able to efficiently steward these taxpayer dollars and distribute them to students who have persevered toward their goals through 18 months.”
While the COVID relief dollars are extraordinary, NMC champions affordability as a key element of college access. Among the ways the college regularly strives to help students pay for their education:
“This is one of those, ‘it takes a village’ things. Everyone at NMC contributes to the institutional eligibility,” said Linda Berlin, director of financial aid.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
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-discriminationThank you to the Academic & Career Advising team, which doubled the number of students assisted through virtual advising in the month prior to fall semester. Some 400 students were assisted with creating academic plans, registering for fall classes, changing courses, transfer questions and career advice, and more.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
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.
As Munson Moves To Level Orange, Hospital, Other Employers React To Biden Order
The Ticker, September 11 (more…)
Over 25 university representatives will be on NMC’s campus on Thursday, Oct. 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to talk with students, staff and faculty about their programs and the transfer process. The university representatives will be located the West Hall Innovation Center.
Please let your students know about this opportunity to discuss transfer requirements and get information on degrees available at a variety of schools without having to travel to each university. Faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to dialogue with the university representatives as well!
A List of Colleges attending, Links to their Websites and Questions to Ask at a Transfer Fair is available on the College Visits page.
See you there!
Advising Staff
See cool cars and support students at NMC’s 15th annual Mike McIntosh Memorial Car and Truck Show.
On Saturday, September 11, car enthusiasts will display their classic cars, 4X4s, dragsters, sports cars, modified late models, motorcycles and more. The show, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., will be held at NMC’s Automotive Services Building at 2510 Aero Park Drive. Admission is free for spectators. There is a $10 entry fee per vehicle for contestants. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Trophies are awarded for best of show in each class. Enjoy food, music, prizes and trophies for entrants. Proceeds benefit NMC’s Automotive Program and scholarships. Student projects and vehicles will also be on display.
The show is named for the late NMC Automotive instructor Mike McIntosh, who retired in 2004 after 34 years of service. McIntosh organized the first car show for the Automotive Program in 2004.
For more information about the show, please call Wayne Moody at (231) 995-1316 or e-mail wmoody@nmc.edu.
Dear NMC colleagues:
In July of 2020, President Nissley formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Charged with benchmarking diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of the college–from students to employees, from the classroom to the cafeteria—our volunteer committee of 21 NMC employees is proud to share its most recent findings.
One of the DEI Committee’s first charges in this new endeavor was to engage in discovery, listening to the College’s primary stakeholders—students and employees—along with community members, to conduct an assessment of the present state. From August 2020 through March 2021, the DEI Committee engaged in discovery, utilizing surveys, focus groups, and purposeful discussions, along with discovery through data collection and analysis.
You can access the full report here.
The DEI Committee is also pleased to present three opportunities to listen, discuss, and engage with the report’s findings. Please be on the lookout for a calendar invite to one of these three Zoom sessions:
On behalf of all of us on the DEI Committee, thank you for taking the time to learn more about who we are as a campus community.
Sincerely,
Alison Thornton, NMC Staff
Ben Post, NMC Staff
Betsy Boris, NMC Faculty
Briana Mills, NMC Faculty
Chelsie Niemi, NMC Staff
Craig Hadley, NMC Staff
Denny Nguyen, NMC Staff
Diane Bolton, NMC Adjunct Instructor
Erica Cotner, NMC Staff
Hollie DeWalt, NMC Staff
Judy Chu, NMC Faculty
Kerrey Woughter, NMC Staff
Kristy Jackson, NMC Staff
Lisa Blackford, NMC Faculty
Lisa Thomas, NMC Staff
Marcus Bennett, NMC Staff
Nicco Pandolfi, NMC Staff
Nicole Speelman, NMC Faculty
Sally Smarsty, NMC Staff
Sarah Montgomery-Richards, NMC Adjunct Instructor
Taylor Nash, NMC Staff
Below is a partial list of local COVID-19 testing options for your information.
If you’re an NMC student and are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, NMC Health Services has rapid tests available by appointment. Call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment. Health Services is open Mon.–Fri.: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters.
Here’s a list of other local testing sites with contact and other information: