Welcome our newest hire
Theresa Zingg was recently hired as an Adjunct Surgical Technology instructor. Welcome Theresa to NMC!
Board of Trustees regular meeting
The NMC Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. More information is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Board of Trustees Presidential Performance and Compensation Committee Meeting
The Presidential Performance & Compensation committee of the Board of Trustees of Northwestern Michigan College will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at the President’s Office conference room in the Tanis Building on NMC’s main campus, 1701 E. Front Street, Traverse City. The official meeting notice is available online.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Board of Trustees Presidential Performance and Compensation Committee Meeting
Visual Communications invites pro-bono project submissions
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Visual Communications department invites area non-profit groups to submit graphic design, art direction and new media projects for consideration as pro bono class projects during the spring semester.
Part of the Visual Communications curriculum, the class project is free to the non-profits selected. The goal is a real-world assignment that allows students to interact with clients and exposes them to the commercial printing and production worlds, including film and new media production, creative advertising, graphic design and packaging. Projects will be completed by the end of the spring semester in April 2023.
Potential projects could include logos, brochures, ad campaigns, packaging, graphic design, branding, posters, infographics, announcements, invitations, film, motion graphics, animations, exhibition design, TV commercials or anything relating to visual communications, commercial art, illustration and film or web design. The department is especially interested in conceptually-driven projects that will offer the students substantial opportunity for interaction with the client and process.
Please include the following in your submission:
- Description, tone and purpose of the design work requested, as well as the targeted audience you identify being associated with this work / your organization.
- List out EACH piece (logo / brochure / short film, etc.) that make up the ideal whole of your project. Other pieces may be identified by your student team or elements may be excluded based on their contracted plan or suggested in place of ones on this list.
- Ideal completion date between February 28 and April 25. All projects will be completed by April 26. Feel free to stagger dates individual elements might be due.
- Ideal time for mid-way progress check meeting in March.
- Budget: While there is no fee for the services students will provide, organizations must provide funds for printing / production expenses. NMC is happy to coordinate printing / production and get quotes under all budgets, and the students should be included in this step as it gains them experience in obtaining production quotes.
Please submit project consideration requests to instructor Caroline Schaefer-Hills at cschaefer@nmc.edu by January 6.
Release date: DECEMBER 5, 2022
For more information:
Caroline Schaefer-Hills
Visual Communications chair
(231) 995-1334
cschaefer@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-discriminationPersonalized success coaching at NMC
Erica Whiting (pictured below, right) was NMC’s first full-time Student Success Coach and a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards.
Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to step up coaching in December 2020, after beginning it as a pilot project in 2015. Success coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of while helping them with their study skills, time management and stress reduction.
Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan. More than 80% of Whiting’s coaching cohort persisted during her tenure, setting a great example for others to follow. While her term at NMC recently wrapped up, the impact she had on the lives of students carries on.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Media Mentions for December 5, 2022
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.
New college degree expands on cleaning polluted waters
UpNorthLive, Dec. 1
Northwestern Offering Michigan’s First Ever Wet Tech Degree
9 & 10 News, Nov. 30
Traverse City Author Discusses Angel of the Garbage Dump
9 & 10 News, Nov. 30
Highway construction program starting
Record-Eagle, Nov. 30
Kudos!
Kudos to Brittany Hanbury, Charles Schneider, Sage Campbell, Sally Smartsy and Landon DeHeer for hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center for NMC students on Thursday, November 24, 2022!
Kudos to Scott Powell for a great reflection of your experiential learning work in this month’s ELI Newsletter! Great work around reflection, Scott!
Kudos to Bob Bugai and Reese Sivek for providing a metal strapping lesson while repacking/strapping a very large and incorrect shipment. Additionally, the melting snow allowed Reese Sivek the opportunity to unload a truck full of tables on the Dennos’ loading dock and put them back in NMC storage. Thank you for all you do.
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!
Welcome our newest hires
These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC Community!
- Jared Black, Supplemental — Technology Support Assistant
- Samuel Miller, Student Employee — Visual Communications Lab Assistant
- Piper Ziembiec, Student Employee — Library Assistant
- Coleman Sherman — Adjunct HVAC/Plumbing instructor
- Adrian Kapic, Supplemental — Food Service Back of House
- Abigail Grubb, Student Employe — Archives Assistant
- Peter Deneen – Adjunct Applied Music Instructor
Tech Bytes: Google Drive for Desktop
Why go through all the trouble of opening a browser and logging in just to access your Google Drive? With Google Drive for Desktop, accessing your Google Drive becomes seamless, providing the ability to view, edit and share all your files right from your desktop File Explorer.
NMC Holiday Break is Dec. 23 – Jan. 2
NMC will be closed for the holiday break beginning on Friday, December 23, 2022 and reopening on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
It’s a good time to make sure you’re subscribed to NMC’s Holiday Calendar! Click here to add the calendar.
If you want your own calendar to display as busy, click the three dots in the right-hand corner of the appointment and then select the “Copy to” feature.
Tech Bytes: Easy citations in Google Docs
Do you find citing sources or references tedious? Google Docs now has a built-in feature that can help you with consistent and detailed citations in your papers. Watch this video to get started with the Google Docs Citations tool and learn how to make citations easy.
Long Night Against Procrastination
The library’s finals studyfest returns! Join us on Thursday, December 8 from 4 p.m.–midnight for a night of camaraderie and commiseration and get the fuel and support you need to knock out your final assignments and exam prep. Librarians, Success Coaches, and Writing Center staff will be on hand to help, and we’ll have snacks, hot beverages, and even a build your own loaded potato skin bar from 6–8 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Success story: NMC adds fifth water-related program
November 30, 2022
A new associate degree in water quality environmental technology coming next fall will expand NMC’s leadership in water-related career preparation as well as meet the needs of the new blue economy.
The new Wet Tech degree will be the only one of its kind in Michigan. It will utilize existing core and surveying and unmanned aerial systems courses, as well as create new courses in environmental site assessment, aquifer sampling, and groundwater monitoring. An internship is also required. NMC’s Board of Trustees approved it unanimously last week.
“This program will focus on training a workforce supporting the direct monitoring and cleanup of waters within the Great Lakes watershed and focusing on the direct impact to the quality of our water resources,” said Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Executive Director Hans Van Sumeren (above).
He said that nationwide, the U.S. EPA has documented 294,000 waste sites. Cleanup of those sites will generate more than $200 billion in economic activity, meaning graduates will find a strong job market.
“The water quality/environmental technician program intends to provide training for a skilled workforce that will be ready to respond to this growing need,” Van Sumeren said.
It joins four other NMC water-related degrees and programs:
- An associate’s and a bachelor’s in Marine Technology, the only one in the world, created in 2012 and 2018, respectively
- An associate’s in Freshwater Studies, the first in the nation when it was created in 2009.
- The Marine Center – professional development and training in marine systems, geospatial technologies and land surveying.
- Great Lakes Maritime Academy – Trains deck and engineering officers for the commercial shipping industry. Bachelor’s degree offered since 2012; program founded in 1969.
NMC also partners with Western Michigan University to allow Freshwater Studies students to earn a bachelor’s degree in freshwater science and sustainability, and with Lake Superior State University for Fisheries and Wildlife Management and Conservation Biology.
Creation of the new degree is also part of NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan. The Huckle Family Foundation will provide $100,000 over two years for equipment and other program support.
College to offer state’s first Wet Tech degree Fall ’23
TRAVERSE CITY — A new associate degree in water quality environmental technology coming next fall will further expand NMC’s leadership in water-related degrees and programs as well as serve industry demand in the new blue economy.
The new Wet Tech degree will be the only one of its kind in Michigan. It will utilize existing courses from surveying and unmanned aerial systems programs as well as create new courses in environmental site assessment, aquifer sampling, and groundwater monitoring. An internship is also required. NMC’s Board of Trustees approved it unanimously last week.
“This program will focus on training a workforce supporting the direct monitoring and cleanup of waters within the Great Lakes watershed and focusing on the direct impact to the quality of our water resources,” said Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Executive Director Hans VanSumeren.
He said that nationwide, the U.S. EPA has documented 294,000 waste sites. Cleanup of those sites will generate more than $200 billion in economic activity, meaning graduates will find a strong job market.
“The water quality/environmental Technician program intends to provide training for a skilled workforce that will be ready to respond to this growing need,” Van Sumeren said.
It joins four other NMC water-related degrees and programs:
- An associate and a bachelor’s degree in Marine Technology, the only one in the world, created in 2012 and 2018, respectively
- An associate degree in Freshwater Studies, the first in the nation when it was created in 2009.
- The Marine Center — professional development and training in marine systems, geospatial technologies and land surveying.
- Great Lakes Maritime Academy — Trains deck and engineering officers for the commercial shipping industry. Bachelor’s degree first granted in 2014; program founded in 1969.
Creation of the new degree is also part of NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan. The Huckle Family Foundation will provide $100,000 over two years for equipment and other program support.
Release date: NOVEMBER 30, 2022
For more information:
Hans Van Sumeren
NMC Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Executive Director
(231) 995-1793
hvansumeren@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-discriminationNMC students to attend national leadership academy
Sereta Fager (Download a high-resolution photo) 
Kayla Wittkop (Download a high-resolution photo) TRAVERSE CITY — NMC students Sereta Fager and Kayla Wittkop are among eight Michigan students who will travel to Washington, D.C. for the National Student Leadership Academy as a part of Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG).
They will join around 600 other students from across the country at the academy Nov. 30–Dec. 4.They will attend leadership training sessions each day and participate in other activities, such as laying a JMG wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
Students applied and wrote an essay about why they should be chosen, as well as submitted letters of recommendation. In 2021, NMC became the first college in the state of Michigan to offer a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program and only the third college in the country.
Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates equips young people with the skills to overcome barriers and succeed in education, employment and life. It is the leading program of Youth Solutions, Inc., a youth opportunity organization delivering employability and education services to young people across the state.
The program helps set up students for initial career success. Financial assistance with job equipment such as tools or work boots, uniforms, bus passes or gas cards for transportation to work is also available.
Release date: November 29, 2022
For more information:
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-discriminationMedia Mentions for November 28, 2022
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.
Manufacturing and machining tours
Record-Eagle, Nov. 27
Esports teams reach playoffs
It’s playoff time for NMC’s esports! NMC’s Rocket League and Halo Infinite teams have reached the playoffs, which begin this week.
This is the second year of NMC’s Esports program, led by Terri Gustafson, Director of Educational Media Technologies.
“The varsity esports program has created student engagement by creating a sense of belonging at NMC. Students have developed new friendships with their teammates and feel like NMC is more than just a place to attend classes”, says Gustafson.
Student athletes receive scholarships for their participation in the league each semester while growing their skills in communication, teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking and time management.
Esports have gained popularity at the collegiate level and the creation of a varsity league at NMC is another way for the college to distinguish itself as students choose where to pursue their post-secondary goals. It currently has one of the biggest memberships out of any social group at NMC and is the college’s first intercollegiate team in decades.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!