Oct 26, 2016 | Intercom
October 26, 2016
Luke Clark and Sherry Trier at the 22 To None hikeFall color tourists to northern Michigan also got a red-white-and-blue view last Saturday, as veterans and supporters organized by NMC’s Student Veterans Association hiked 22 miles to raise awareness of veteran suicide.
“We walked right down (U.S.) 31. It was pretty amazing, seeing people honk and give us the thumbs-up,” said SVA president and social work student Luke Clark of the Kewadin-to-Traverse City route, which symbolized the 22 veteran suicides that occur daily in the U.S. “It was pretty spectacular, minus the soreness of it.”
Clark, 27, has firsthand experience with the grim suicide statistics, which have propelled a grassroots, social-media fueled awareness campaign to help veterans struggling after their service.
“Two of my brothers from my unit killed themselves since we got back from Afghanistan,” Clark said.
More than 5 percent of NMC’s student population is veteran, active duty and reserve/National Guard members. NMC this year was ranked one of the top five “Best for Vets” community colleges nationwide. Campus supporters strive to meet the unique needs of this group individually, too.
“It’s heartbreaking, the statistics, to know that 22 a day we lose,” said Sherry Trier, NMC Instructional Technology Specialist. She volunteered for the first leg of the hike and then walked 16 miles herself.
“Military folks have a special place for me,” said Trier, whose father and older brother both served in the Marines, as does her nephew, now stationed in Kuwait. “It was so worth it, any ache, any pain, to be there and support it.”
Trier said the last four miles were difficult physically, after she had a problem with her shoes, but, “if I had to crawl, I would have finished.”
“On the family side, you don’t forget the experience,” said Trier, who helps organize NMC’s annual Veteran’s Day commemoration (again set for Nov. 11 this year) makes chili for the SVA chili cook-off and occasionally delivers dog biscuits to the SVA lounge in West Hall for veterans’ service and therapy dogs.
“You never know who’s having a bad day,” she said of those small things she can do for veterans. “There’s people here, we’re here to support you.”
That message came through loud and clear Saturday, Clark said.
“It was pretty amazing. It was beautiful,” he said. “It’s a real sign of the fact that we are not alone. There are organizations and institutes out there that will help us.”
Participation in the walk was free but donations collected will go to Traverse City’s Reining Liberty Ranch, which provides free equine therapy to veterans.
Oct 26, 2016 | Intercom
October 26, 2016
Luke Clark and Sherry Trier at the 22 To None hikeFall color tourists to northern Michigan also got a red-white-and-blue view last Saturday, as veterans and supporters organized by NMC’s Student Veterans Association hiked 22 miles to raise awareness of veteran suicide.
“We walked right down (U.S.) 31. It was pretty amazing, seeing people honk and give us the thumbs-up,” said SVA president and social work student Luke Clark of the Kewadin-to-Traverse City route, which symbolized the 22 veteran suicides that occur daily in the U.S. “It was pretty spectacular, minus the soreness of it.”
Clark, 27, has firsthand experience with the grim suicide statistics, which have propelled a grassroots, social-media fueled awareness campaign to help veterans struggling after their service.
“Two of my brothers from my unit killed themselves since we got back from Afghanistan,” Clark said.
More than 5 percent of NMC’s student population is veteran, active duty and reserve/National Guard members. NMC this year was ranked one of the top five “Best for Vets” community colleges nationwide. Campus supporters strive to meet the unique needs of this group individually, too.
“It’s heartbreaking, the statistics, to know that 22 a day we lose,” said Sherry Trier, NMC Instructional Technology Specialist. She volunteered for the first leg of the hike and then walked 16 miles herself.
“Military folks have a special place for me,” said Trier, whose father and older brother both served in the Marines, as does her nephew, now stationed in Kuwait. “It was so worth it, any ache, any pain, to be there and support it.”
Trier said the last four miles were difficult physically, after she had a problem with her shoes, but, “if I had to crawl, I would have finished.”
“On the family side, you don’t forget the experience,” said Trier, who helps organize NMC’s annual Veteran’s Day commemoration (again set for Nov. 11 this year) makes chili for the SVA chili cook-off and occasionally delivers dog biscuits to the SVA lounge in West Hall for veterans’ service and therapy dogs.
“You never know who’s having a bad day,” she said of those small things she can do for veterans. “There’s people here, we’re here to support you.”
That message came through loud and clear Saturday, Clark said.
“It was pretty amazing. It was beautiful,” he said. “It’s a real sign of the fact that we are not alone. There are organizations and institutes out there that will help us.”
Participation in the walk was free but donations collected will go to Traverse City’s Reining Liberty Ranch, which provides free equine therapy to veterans.
Oct 24, 2016 | Intercom, Student News
National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is November 12-20, and we want to help! Donate a new or gently used hoodie or coat at the NMC bookstore, and get a coupon for 30% off one regular priced apparel item. Donations will be accepted November 7-18. All donated items will go the Goodwill Street Outreach program for distribution to people in need.
Oct 21, 2016 | Intercom
Please join HR for an overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act rules and how they apply to non-exempt (hourly) employees. Choose the time that fits your schedule best:
- Monday, October 24, 3:30-4:30 p.m.- Osterlin 205
- Tuesday, October 25, 1-2 p.m.- University Center 07
- Thursday, November 3, 9-10 a.m.- Osterlin 205
Oct 21, 2016 | Intercom
Please join HR and members from the Benefits Advisory Committee for a discussion on the medical insurance renewal for 2017. Choose the time that fits your schedule best:
- Tuesday, October 25, 2-3 p.m.- University Center 07
- Thursday, October 27, 4-5 p.m.- Osterlin 205
- Friday, October 28, 8:30-9:30 a.m.- Health Science 101
Oct 21, 2016 | 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.
Kudos to Zeb McCauley, Paul Martin, Alan Beer, Michelle Schneider and Justin- Talk about creative problem-solvers! I needed to retrieve film footage of class guest speakers from an external hard drive. Many of these speakers no longer live in our community or are able to continue speaking. For a variety of reasons retrieving the footage was more complicated than it should have been.
Justin and Michelle tried first.
Then Alan got involved.
Alan then suggested I see Zeb and Paul.
Zeb and Paul had several possible solutions and within 24 hrs. it was done!
One of my students helping me with the film footage saw the colleague collaboration unfold. She was so impressed and heartened. She asked me how we could acknowledge everyone involved.
I work with THE best group of colleagues!
Kudos to Cindy Szmania- Cindy went above and beyond to help me when I was at the Bookstore. I went into the Bookstore to buy a couple of shirts; however, I didn’t have that much time, so I wasn’t able to try anything on. Cindy took the time to explain to me how the return policy works, which I never knew existed. While I was there, I decided to do some quick Christmas shopping for my parents, it’s always nice to get them some NMC decor!! Not knowing what size to pick, Cindy actually tried on one of the shirts to help me visualize what it would look like on my parent. Nobody since I have worked here has ever done that for me. With Cindy’s assistance, I was able to get new shirts for myself, as well as two sweatshirts for my parents for Christmas. Thank you so much Cindy for all of your help; words alone can’t tell you how thankful I am. You are definitely an asset to the Bookstore, and NMC is lucky to have you as an employee.
Kudos to Michelle Schneider, Kay Harris, Kyle Morrison- Kay, Michelle, and Kyle dedicated significant time to creating the opening video for the October PD Day. Michelle latched onto Kay’s original idea and visited multiple departments to collect spontaneous testimonials about student success and Kyle worked his editing magic to create a wonderful video from the multitude of video footage that Michelle collected. Their hard work and dedication to NMC’s PD Day is very much appreciated!
Kudos to Lori Hodek and Kristen Salathiel- Lori and Kristen did an outstanding job in planning our first PDD for faculty and staff. I appreciate the time that these ladies took in all that this project entailed! I can’t wait until the next PDD!
They did an outstanding job of designing and executing the Staff Development Day on October 18. Bringing Faculty and Staff together in a united purpose with a mix of content, some of which was of interest to both groups, felt like an important step in establishing common cause (student learning!) between the groups. The day was nearly flawless, the course content relevant, the presentations were well-prepared and worthy of our College. It was a proud day. Thank you!
Oct 21, 2016 | Intercom
Are you looking for career opportunities? Find it here! jobs.nmc.edu. Current openings include:
- Enrollment Services Assistant
- Hagerty Center- Server, Bartender and Dishwasher
- Welding Adjunct Instructor
- Visual Communications – Web Design Adjunct Instructor
- Construction/Carpentry Adjunct Instructor
Oct 21, 2016 | Intercom
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
(more…)
Oct 21, 2016 | Intercom, Student News
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.
(more…)
Oct 20, 2016 | Intercom, Student News
The annual Dennos Museum Holiday Art Fair will open Thursday, October 27, 5-8 p.m. and continue Friday through Sunday, October 30, throughout the museum. Fine arts and crafts from 45 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. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.
NMC staff, faculty and students receive 10% discount by showing staff or student ID. Please present to museum staff before paying for purchases.
Again this year there will be an education benefit raffle to help raise funds to offset the cost of school visits. Many schools in the region have had budget cuts, which prohibit them from visiting the museum. Schools will be able to apply for funds to help offset the cost of buses or admission. Last year over 2,000 students benefited from this fund last year. The holiday artists have generously donated a piece of art for the raffle. Tickets will be only sold on site for $2 each and 6/$5.
For more information, call the Museum Store at (231) 995-1586 or visit dennosmuseum.org.
Oct 20, 2016 | Intercom, Welcome to NMC
Please join us in welcoming these new additions to our NMC staff! (more…)
Oct 19, 2016 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — As the election nears, we assembled a brief fact sheet on some of the main topics currently being discussed. Please use the following information and citations as background information for any voter discussions or coverage.
Enrollment
Total enrollment this fall is 4,167 students, which generated 43,956 contact hours. This is an approximately 4.6% decline in contact hours. There are two major trends influencing enrollment at the college:
- A decline in the traditional student age population, predicted to continue past 2020.
- Improved state of the local economy causing older, potential students to choose employment over education.
Budget and Tuition
Based on a number of factors including expenditures and declining enrollment, NMC increased tuition from $96.35 per credit hour to $103.70 for in-district students. For comparison, as cited by the Traverse City Record Eagle, students attending one of Michigan’s 15 state universities will pay “about $350 while some cost more than $460 per credit hour.”
Campus Improvements
- Residence Hall and Fitness Center: This building has broken ground and the new 140-bed residence hall and fitness center has the target opening date of August 2017.
- The Dennos Museum Center: In October 2016 NMC broke ground on a 14,000 sq. ft. addition, made possible because of kind contributions from Richard and Diana Milock and Barbara and Dudley Smith. Additional funding is being raised as part of larger efforts from the NMC Foundation.
- Okerstrom Fine Arts Building: Updates and improvements are coming for this building including: facility repairs for this building, windows, drainage, exterior siding repairs and internal restroom redesign.
Union Negotiations
The NMC faculty chose to recognize the Michigan Education Association (MEA) as their collective bargaining agent on March 12, 2015. Since that time NMC has participated in almost 25 bargaining sessions with and without a mediator and has bargained in good faith. The College bargaining team arrives prepared at each session and in the most recent session on October 7, 2016, additional progress was made. NMC is committed to a contract that will best serve the faculty, our students, the college and our community.
Specifically, since the faculty voted to unionize in March 2015, NMC has done the following:
- Presented numerous written proposals and counter proposals for the union’s consideration, the first on June 12, 2015; a comprehensive proposal and set of tentative agreements on June 29, 2016; and, most recently, a revised comprehensive proposal and set of tentative agreements on October 7, 2016.
- Followed established negotiating practices, engaging in 17 collective bargaining sessions with union negotiators between May 15, 2015, and March 7, 2016.
- Requested mediation through MERC on March 7, 2016.
- Participated in eight sessions with MERC mediators between March 22 and September 29, 2016.
- Petitioned MERC on August 8, 2016, for fact finding analysis to advance negotiations.
- Reached at least 18 tentative agreements with the union.
Committee Involvement
Faculty and staff are invited to participate in dozens of NMC councils, committees, task forces and project teams. Some of the many opportunities include:
- Four faculty members, of the total thirteen members, serve on Policy Council.
- Faculty comprise four of the sixteen members of Planning and Budget Council.
- A faculty chair and seven faculty members of the fifteen members, serve on the Developmental Education Committee.
Specifically regarding curriculum, all new curriculum issues continue to flow through the Curriculum Committee comprised of 11 faculty and 5 staff. This committee makes recommendations to the president who then takes appropriate items to the Board. During his 16 years as president, President Nelson has never overruled a recommendation from this committee. Additionally, faculty lead their classes and develop curriculum under NMC’s academic freedom guidelines.
Faculty Reports at Board of Trustees Meetings
Faculty Council asked to have the faculty report removed from the Board of Trustees agenda via email on November 9, 2007. After hearing from faculty that they would like the reports reinstated, the College proposed to immediately reinstate faculty reports on the Board of Trustees agenda on March 7, 2016, and presented a modified version based on discussions and feedback on May 17, 2016. Thus far, the Union has not responded to that proposal.
Compensation
Issues of compensation, including salaries/wages and benefits, are mandatory subjects of all collective bargaining, and it is something the MEA has brought up in negotiations. It is important to take the following facts into consideration:
- Average NMC faculty salaries are above the national averages for community college faculty as reported by the AAUP (American Association of University Professor).
- All other salaries on campus are being benchmarked against national averages.
- NMC has never proposed to reduce faculty compensation.
Release date: October 19, 2016
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
Oct 18, 2016 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Students from Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) are teaming up with the Northwest Michigan Food Coalition to feed nearly 4,500 local families this holiday season with the Food for Thought Food Drive.
The fourth annual event runs from October 19 through November 19. Organized by NMC students as a service learning class project, the Food for Thought goal is to collect enough non-perishable food and hygiene products to stock pantries throughout the Northwest Michigan region through the holiday season.
Coordinators say it is much more than a gift for the families who receive the food. “It’s not just a blessing for some pantries, it is survival,” said Val Stone with the Northwest Food Coalition.
Donation events include:
- Tom’s Food Markets: West Bay, East Bay, Interlochen, and Fourteenth Street: October 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Traverse City Walmart: November 5, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; November 6, Noon–6 p.m.
- Technology Exploration Day at Aero Park Campus – Parsons-Stulen Building: November 12, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Red collection bins located at:
Local businesses have donated raffle prizes. Anyone who donates five non-perishable food items or makes a $5 donation will receive a raffle ticket. Community members can also donate through the NMC Food for Thought Facebook page or online through the NMC Foundation.
RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kristy McDonald
NMC Instructor
kmcdonald@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1059
Robinson Grant-Wagner
Student Leader Contact
grantwr@mail.nmc.edu
(231) 866-6078
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
Oct 17, 2016 | Intercom, President Updates
Timothy J. Nelson, President
October 13, 2016
Introduction
Let me start the update by thanking you all for what you do to create a great learning environment that helps to prepare our students for success in this rapidly changing global society and market. Each of you plays an important role in achieving this success. Together, we model values and help create experiences that will have a lasting impact on those we serve.
This communication is intended to provide our NMC campus community an update on the state of the college. As the 2016-2017 year gets underway, it is important to review where we’ve been and where we’re going. The goal of this letter is to provide detailed information on many of the critical initiatives and programs affecting our campus. Some of these topics are included below: (more…)
Oct 17, 2016 | Intercom
Please extend my gratitude to President Nelson and everyone at NMC for the fall flower arrangement acknowledging my father’s recent death. My father lived in England and having the support of my NMC family is especially important to me right now.
Sincerely,
Susan Odgers
Social Science Adjunct Faculty
Oct 17, 2016 | Intercom
The Advising Center will be offering Walk In Advising sessions for students October 17-24* from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We’re here to help students create their academic plan, check progress toward degree completion, and plan for transfer — all in preparation for Spring/Summer registration. No appointment is necessary and sessions are offered on a first-come basis.
Questions? advising@nmc.edu or 995-1040.
*Please note that we will see walk ins from 1:30-4:00 pm on October 18.
Oct 17, 2016 | Intercom
NMC Open Enrollment is set to kick off on Monday, November 14, 2016. Overview meetings will be held at the Oleson Center at 9:00 am and again at 1:30 pm. Vendors will be joining us again this year to answer any questions you may have. Calendar appointments will be coming shortly!
Oct 17, 2016 | 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 »
Kudos to Phillip Trowbridge. Phil is part of the NMC Grounds crew and he worked diligently to clear the path between the Cherry Lot and Eastern Elementary School last week. He was able to finish before Walk to School Day and did a wonderful job! Thanks Phil!
