Sep 29, 2020 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — Thank you for all of your work to keep our NMC community safe during the pandemic. While the safety protocols and scheduling changes are very different than a normal fall semester, with your support we have been able to greatly limit the spread of COVID-19 on NMC’s campuses.
As we look ahead to spring semester, our goals remain the same—to keep our students and employees safe and to limit the disruption to learning as much as possible. To meet these goals we have some important updates to help you plan your spring schedule as you prepare to register for spring classes this week.
- Course format options will remain the same including, lecture, hybrid, livestream and on-demand. We have worked to refine the definitions to make it easier for you to find your best option.
- The spring semester start and end dates will remain as scheduled (unchanged).
- Spring Break will be cancelled and classes will be held March 28–April 1.
- Friday, April 2, will remain a college holiday. NMC will be closed and there will be no classes.
- Spring semester classes will conclude Monday, April 26. Instructors may use the rest of the week to meet with their students at the faculty’s discretion.
- Grades Submission deadlines will remain as scheduled.
- The dates for events such as Honors Convocation and Commencement will remain as scheduled, but may need to be changed depending on safety protocols.
You can view the complete spring (and summer) course schedule here. Registration for both semesters begins this week.
You have done good work in limiting the spread of the coronavirus on our campuses. We believe that, by making these changes to the spring semester, we can continue to stay safe and keep learning. While we hope to not have to return to 100% virtual instruction like last spring, we are better prepared to make the shift, if necessary. We will continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 at NMC and in our region. Limiting the spread of the virus is a shared responsibility. Thank you for doing your part. For more information regarding NMC’s response to COVID-19 visit nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Release date: September 29, 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director 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
Sep 29, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
Good morning NMC students,
Thank you for all of your work to keep our NMC community safe during the pandemic. While the safety protocols and scheduling changes are very different than a normal fall semester, with your support we have been able to greatly limit the spread of COVID-19 on NMC’s campuses.
As we look ahead to spring semester, our goals remain the same—to keep our students and employees safe and to limit the disruption to learning as much as possible. To meet these goals we have some important updates to help you plan your spring schedule as you prepare to register for spring classes this week.
- Course format options will remain the same including, lecture, hybrid, livestream and on-demand. We have worked to refine the definitions to make it easier for you to find your best option.
- The spring semester start and end dates will remain as scheduled (unchanged).
- Spring Break will be cancelled and classes will be held March 28 – April 1.
- Friday, April 2, will remain a college holiday. NMC will be closed and there will be no classes.
- Spring semester classes will conclude Monday, April 26. Instructors may use the rest of the week to meet with their students at the faculty’s discretion.
- Grades Submission deadlines will remain as scheduled.
- The dates for events such as Honors Convocation and Commencement will remain as scheduled, but may need to be changed depending on safety protocols.
You can view the complete spring (and summer) course schedule here. Registration for both semesters begins this week.
You have done good work in limiting the spread of the coronavirus on our campuses. We believe that, by making these changes to the spring semester, we can continue to stay safe and keep learning. While we hope to not have to return to 100% virtual instruction like last spring, we are better prepared to make the shift, if necessary. We will continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 at NMC and in our region. Limiting the spread of the virus is a shared responsibility. Thank you for doing your part. For more information regarding NMC’s response to COVID-19 visit nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Sep 28, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
In conjunction with the Marine Technology Society, NMC will host Great Lakes TechSurge: Lakebed 2030 Sept. 30–Oct. 2. This major international virtual conference brings together scientists and researchers, policy makers and government officials and industry professionals. Register for the event here and view the event schedule here.
Sep 28, 2020 | Intercom, Media Mentions
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media in the past two weeks. 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.
Building Back The Trades, One Student At A Time
Northern Express, September 25 (more…)
Sep 28, 2020 | Announcements & News, Intercom
Longtime NMC instructor John Pahl passed away on September 20, 2020.
Pahl was hired to teach in NMC’s Communications department in 1966 and remained an instructor at the college for 48 years, while also coaching NMC’s cross country and tennis teams and taking part in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, where he spent a year Germany and had sabbaticals at Cambridge University and Oxford University. He also wrote stories, articles and poems and served on the board of Michigan Writers.
One former NMC student, regional historian and author Kathleen Firestone, established the John Pahl Literary Prize at NMC in honor of her teacher and mentor, and to inspire and reward NMC students for good writing.
Visitation and a Celebration of Live will be held Oct. 3. Read more here.
Sep 28, 2020 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom

Congratulations to NMC’s J.H. Rogers Observatory and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society for hosting a wildly successful virtual astronomical viewing session Friday, Sept. 25, in celebration of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s 50th anniversary.
NMC science and math instructor Jerry Dobek, who hosted the viewing session, reports that 348 people and families logged into the Zoom event over its two hours, with some from as far as Bethel, Alaska and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Canada. Dobek and eight panelists including Astronomical Society members and National Park Service staff fielded questions from the audience while viewing live images of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars through the observatory’s telescope, and images of deep space objects that Dobek had captured in the weeks leading up to the event. One retired couple unable to attend similar events in person due to physical limitations emailed Dobek after the event in gratitude for the virtual presentation.
The response has been so positive that Dobek is now looking into reopening the observatory’s public viewing nights, albeit in a virtual format like Friday’s event rather than in person. A close approach of Mars in mid-October may provide a good opportunity, he said, depending on the weather.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Sep 28, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Showcasing its expertise in water issues, Northwestern Michigan College will virtually co-host two major professional water conferences in the coming weeks.
First, in conjunction with the Marine Technology Society, NMC will host Great Lakes TechSurge: Lakebed 2030 Sept. 30–Oct. 2. This major international virtual conference brings together scientists and researchers, policy makers and government officials and industry professionals.
Lakebed 2030 is an initiative led by NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute to map the Great Lakes by 2030. Institute director Hans Van Sumeren will give the opening keynote address at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 30. In addition to mapping, technology, coastline and habitat are other conference topics.
NMC offers a bachelor of science degree in Marine Technology.
NMC hosted the same conference in-person at the Great Lakes campus in 2019.
Second, the 13th Annual Freshwater Summit will be held virtually this year over four October Fridays between 10 and 11:30 a.m. each day. Themes are:
- Oct. 2 – Great Lakes water levels
- Oct. 9 – Good Harbor Bay research
- Oct.16 – Whose Water Is It? Equity Concerns with Water Access & Management
- Oct. 23 – Local initiative lightning talks. Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Program Coordinator Constanza Hazelwood will talk about NMC’s Freshwater Studies program, in which students can earn the nation’s only associate degree.
The Freshwater Summit is a product of the Freshwater Roundtable and is organized by multiple organizations including GLWSI. Registration is free.
Release date: September 28, 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director 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
Sep 24, 2020 | Intercom, Student News, Tech Tips
Does your work flow keep getting interrupted by only having a single monitor? Would you like to get more out of your desktop?
Check out our latest Tech Tip to find out how you can boost productivity and get more out of your monitor!
Sep 24, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
The 13th Annual Freshwater Summit will be held virtually this year over four Fridays — Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23 — between 10 and 11:30 a.m. each day. Registration is free. Register here.
The Freshwater Summit is a product of the Freshwater Roundtable and is organized by The Watershed Center, NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, Michigan Sea Grant Extension, Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc., Inland Seas Education Association, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, Grand Traverse Conservation District, Conservation Resource Alliance, and Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council.
Great Lakes Water Studies Institute Program Coordinator Constanza Hazelwood will talk about NMC’s Freshwater Studies program during the Oct. 23 session.
Sep 24, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College’s J.H Rogers Observatory will partner with the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society and host a virtual astronomical viewing session Friday, Sept. 25, celebrating Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s 50th anniversary.
Sleeping Bear Dunes has been the site of in-person “star parties” for the last 10 years. To celebrate the park’s anniversary and still observe COVID-19 restrictions on in-person gatherings, live images from the NMC Observatory’s telescope will be sent to guests via Zoom beginning at 9 p.m. (If it is cloudy, backup footage will be shown.) Astronomers will be available to answer questions.
The projection of actual live video images is an innovative approach to allowing for viewing safely through the college’s telescope by students. Applying a new low-light sensitive video camera, images normally seen through the eyepiece can be projected real-time to data projector or computer screens. The moon, bright planets, star clusters, nebulae and even faint galaxies are shown as they would appear in the eyepiece of the telescopes at the Observatory. This allows students to continue use of the telescopes at Rogers Observatory safely, as well as providing more in-depth discussions on the objects they are observing.
Work began on this concept in late spring 2020 due to the restrictions of the COVID-19. The system has been utilized for NMC’s Astronomy students beginning at the start of this Fall 2020 semester.
Release date: September 24, 2020
For more information:
Jerry Dobek,
NMC Astronomy Department
jdobek@nmc.edu
(231) 342-4545
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
Sep 21, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
Thank you to all who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new West Hall Innovation Center on Friday, Sept. 18, whether virtually or in person. Speakers at the event included NMC trustees Chris Bott and Ross Childs, Senator Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City and Dr. Nick Nissley, NMC President. Over 100 people attended virtually.
A photo gallery from the ceremony is available here and a video of the event is here. You can also take a virtual tour of the new 54,000-square-foot, building here.
Sep 21, 2020 | Intercom, Student Events
Friday, Oct. 9, 2020
9:30 a.m.-Noon
It’s a Small World After All… The year 2020 has inspired us to come together to talk about the influence a global crisis has on our community. Northwestern Michigan College has always been a connector between our region and the rest of the world. The current state of our global health and economy has brought home just how connected we are globally.
Join us for a day of meaningful discussions as we examine global issues, talk about impactful change around diversity and inclusion, and the effect all of this has on our individual and community health.
This event is jointly organized by NMC Extended Educational Services, International Affairs Forum and The Dennos Museum Center. The cost is $39 (special discount information will be emailed to IAF and Dennos members.)
Sep 21, 2020 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom

Thank you to NMC’s Admissions team for fielding a series of open Q&A sessions via Zoom about the state’s new Futures for Frontliners program to provide tuition assistance to Michigan’s front-line workers. Admissions Director Cathryn Claerhout reports that the program has generated “tons of emails” from interested students, many of whom have applied for the program. Over 100 sessions are available through December for people to get their questions about the program answered.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Sep 21, 2020 | Intercom, Student News
No Appointment Necessary!
Student Health Services (Biederman Bldg., Room 106, #6 on the Main Campus Map)
- Monday, Sept. 21: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 23: 1–4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 29: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 1: 1–3 p.m.
COST: STUDENTS, $15, NMC FACULTY & STAFF $20
(No cost if covered under NMC insurance)
Call 995-1255 with questions
NOTE! All flu clinics subject to change per current CDC and/or GT Co. Health Dept. recommendations and vaccine availability.
Sep 21, 2020 | Intercom, Media Mentions
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media in the past two weeks. 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.
Northwestern Michigan College awards more than $1 million in federal funding to students
UpNorthLive, September 15
The Ticker, September 15 (more…)
Sep 18, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
Monday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. – Virtual Meeting (calendar invites to come).
Open Enrollment for the 2021 calendar year will last from November 9 through November 18.
Sep 18, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
Step Challenge (access the flyer here)
- Challenge 9/21/2020 – 10/18/2020
- Goal this week is 3000 steps daily
Sep 18, 2020 | HR Corner, Intercom
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them! (more…)