NMC Pride Bake Sale/Craft Show
The NMC Pride student group will be selling bake goods and crafts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 27 in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center lobby. Stop by and show your support!
Kudos!
Kudos to Carolyn Andrews! Kudos to Carolyn Andrews, her NMC team, and all the community volunteers for another great opportunity for area middle school and high school students to attend the Building Tomorrow event. They showcased the amazing programs NMC has to offer!
Kudos to Denver Peters! Denver Peters, Director of Strategic Portfolio and Development, dove head first into the Blue Tech Challenge. The Blue Tech Challenge is a grant-funded imitative to support “BlueTech” and water-based technology start-up companies and ideas with the goal of having the companies relocate to Traverse City and the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Denver had to lead the BlueTech Challenge finale at the Oceans Conference in Chicago, IL. The event went off without a hitch and the feedback has been very positive as Wave Lumina was named the winner, earning the prize money. Denver not only ran the finale, but also assisted the finalists with networking events, booth displays and follow-ups, all while representing NMC. Way to step up, Denver!
Kudos to Carolyn Andrews, Georgenia Hromada, Ryan Deering, Wayne Moody, Jeff Morse and Dan Simon for an amazing job on the two-day event, Building Tomorrow!!! Students had a great time and loved all of the hands-on activities! Everything flowed seamlessly! What a blast!
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!
Media mentions for October 6, 2025
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.
Meet The Traverse City Nonprofit Working To Drive Humanitarian Causes In Kenya
The Ticker, Oct. 6
(more…)
New books for October 2025
To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.
You’re invited! NMC’s 10th Annual October Conference
We’re excited to invite you to the 10th annual NMC October Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 14! This year’s conference, Reimagining Learning and Work: The Transformative Impact of AI, promises to be extra special with more than a dozen community leaders joining us to share their insights. Classes are cancelled and most offices are closed so faculty and staff can attend this day-long professional development event.
Plan Your Day
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- View the October Conference Schedule to map out your sessions.
- Check out the Session Summary Guide for details on session topics and speakers.
- Feeling competitive? Sign up here for the NMC faculty/staff cornhole tournament!
The Morning Kickoff
We’ll start at 8 a.m. with donuts and coffee in the Dennos, followed by a panel discussion in Milliken Auditorium. A panel of industry and education leaders from across the community will share how they’re navigating the impact of AI in their organizations. You’ll leave with new perspectives to spark conversation throughout the day — and maybe even snag some swag!
Workshop Sessions
Following the opening session, we will move to classrooms around the Front Street Campus for workshops on all aspects of AI, from hands-on training to discussions of ethics. The conference features three tracks of workshops and a fourth session where we will debrief and plan with our cohorts and President Nick Nissley.
Who should attend?
Attendance is required for full-time faculty and staff. Adjunct faculty are encouraged to attend and should sign in to receive an hourly stipend for their time. Supplemental staff should check with their supervisors before attending. Please wear your name tag!
We can’t wait to spend this day of learning, collaboration and fun with you!
If you have questions, reach out to Lori Hodek at lhodek@nmc.edu, (231) 995-1143 or Janet Lively at jlively@nmc.edu, (231) 995-1231.
Welcome our newest hire
Kristin Hall recently started working at the college as a Health Occupations Assistant. Welcome to the NMC community!
Community input on strategic plan sought
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College welcomes community input on the future of the college at a strategic planning input session Wednesday, Oct. 15 as well as via an online survey.
The meeting will be held from 6–7:30 p.m. in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center rooms 106/107. The survey will be open until Oct. 29.
The strategic planning process will engage all college stakeholders — faculty, staff, students, alumni, board and community members — in focusing energies and resources for 2026–2029. It will build on the success of NMC Next, the strategic plan that ran from 2022–25.
“The voices and critical insights of our entire community, beyond the campus borders, are important to the success of our efforts, and we value everyone’s participation as we engage in this collaborative process,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.
The final strategic plan document is expected to be presented to the Board of Trustees at its December meeting and then launched to the campus community in January 2026.
Release date: October 2, 2025
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Call or text)
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 Magazine seeks submissions for Utopia/Dystopia
Show us your perfect society. Show us your ideals. Show us utopia. Show us your nightmares. Show us fear and despair. Show us dystopia. NMC students, faculty, staff, and community-affiliated members can submit their utopian/dystopian polarities thru Friday, October 17.
Visit nmc.edu/nmcmagazine for more information. Please complete a submission form for each entry.
Requisitions for spring course materials
The bookstore is requesting textbook requisitions for spring. In order to have books available on time for students, please submit your requisition by Oct. 10. Requisition requests are sent from nmc@verbasoftware.com. Please reach out to the bookstore if you have any questions.
Law enforcement presence on Front Street Campus Oct. 18
On Saturday, October 18, the Traverse City Police and the Grand Traverse County Emergency Management Team will have a presence on the NMC campus to monitor an event taking place off campus. Any questions can be directed to Garrett Croon at gcroon@nmc.edu or (231) 995-1747 or Campus Safety at (231) 995-1111.
Global Cinema Series: Wrestling Ghosts showing Oct. 16
The World Languages department and Student Life are pleased to announce a new Global Cinema Series. Each month, a film will be shown showcasing important topics in our world. Join us on Thursday, Oct. 16 for a showing of Wrestling Ghosts in support of World Mental Health Day. The documentary follows a young mother grappling with parenting, childhood trauma, and healing. Lisa Thomas, NMC’s Dean of Students, is the moderator.
This is a FREE program that is open to students, staff and the community, although seating is limited. Doors open and 5:30 p.m. and films begin at 6 p.m. in the Dutmers Theater at the Dennos Museum on NMC’s Front Street Campus.
Student Health Services walk-in flu clinics
Flu season is on the horizon and Student Health Services will be hosting two more flu clinics this fall.
Wednesday, Oct 8
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 20
12–1 p.m.
Flu shots cost $15 for students and $20 for employees without NMC insurance.
For those who are unable to stop by during one of the times listed above call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment.
Student Health Services is located in room 106 of the Les Biederman Building on NMC’s Front Street campus.
Versiti blood drive Oct. 2
Versiti is holding a blood drive on the big pink bus from 1:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 in the Cedar Lot on NMC’s Front Street Campus. Do your part to help save lives during a vital time of need!
Make sure you eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. Walk-ins are welcome, though scheduling an appointment is recommended.
Success story: Seven straight semesters of growth led by high school students
October 1, 2025
More area students are getting a head start on degrees and careers through record high school enrollment at NMC this fall.
Combined, 544 high school students were dual enrolled or in Early College at NMC this fall, a 13 percent jump from fall 2024. High school students now make up nearly 16% of the 3,460 students on campus.
“For the student and the family, it gives them an opportunity to get a head start and save money,” said NMC Admissions director Lisa vonReichbauer.
Beyond the head start, research shows that students who dual-enroll in a college class or Early College students, who earn an associate degree in just one year, are more likely to get to the finish line — graduation.
“It increases college going skills, college success and college completion,” vonReichbauer said.
Hitting that record took an all-out NMC effort on financial, communication and programming fronts, including a new, lower tuition rate. Tuition for both programs is paid by local school districts, but until last year, the tuition rate for students outside Grand Traverse County left a difference that families had to pay out of pocket. In January 2024, NMC trustees approved a new rate for out of district dual enrolled students that eliminates that out of pocket expense.
Equipped with that new rate, vonReichbauer said NMC has improved outreach to both high schools and families, including home school families.
“We’ve communicated better about the opportunities, so we’re seeing more people taking advantage of that,” she said.
Suttons Bay High School students are among the out-of-district students who are. Counselor Meredith Schmidt said dual enrollment expands course choices.
“We are a very small school, which means we are not always able to offer Honors or AP sections of classes. Many of our students enroll in NMC classes, and the experience is invaluable,” Schmidt said. “NMC is an excellent partner institution, and provides really high quality coursework.”
VonReichbauer said NMC is working to tailor programming to the needs of individual schools and students, such as:
- In-person classes on the high school campus – like EDU 100, offered at schools including TCAPS, Northwest Ed and Greenspire High School this fall,
- New academic tracks for Early College, like law enforcement and business tracks offered through the Wexford-Missaukee ISD, and
- For all students, an emphasis on instilling independence, from orientation and registering for classes to communicating with instructors.
Suttons Bay’s Schmidt said this is the most important benefit. “The most impactful benefit of dual enrollment is the confidence students gain when they realize they can absolutely be successful in college level coursework.”
Schmidt has both personal and professional perspectives, since her own daughter dual-enrolled and transferred all her NMC credits to Grand Valley State University. “(They) truly have an advantage when they enter post-secondary institutions as full-time students,” she said.
The record high school enrollment is part of a strong overall fall enrollment at NMC. Headcount stands at 3,460, up 6.2% from fall 2024, and the seventh straight semester of growth. Students are also taking more classes, with contact hours up 8.2%.
State Theatre community night: IAF presents Powerful Women documentary film screening with Madhvi Dalal
Join Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum for a State Theatre Community Night with a documentary film screening of Powerful Women and an in-person presentation by Madhvi Dalal, among the film’s key subjects. Dalal is the founder of PadMad, an initiative working to end period poverty in Kenya, Somalia and Malawi.
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. screening and in person presentation
Location: State Theatre, 233 E. Front St. Traverse City, MI
Through their work, Padmad has helped thousands of girls, in Kenya and beyond, stay in school by creating access to safe, reusable menstrual products and education. This is more than a documentary film. It’s a night about courage, dignity, and reimagining what equity can look like for women and girls everywhere.
This State Theatre Community Night is presented in partnership with Uplift Travel Foundation, NMC’s International Services & Service Learning Program, and the International Affairs Forum.
Admission is free for NMC students. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $6 for high school students. Tickets are required. Get your tickets at TCIAF.com.
Then on Oct. 11, join the Walk to End Period Poverty hosted by the NMC Multicultural Club. Donate or pledge to be part of the solution.
Media mentions for September 29, 2025
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: ‘Ghost applicants’ a growing problem
Record-Eagle, Sep. 27
(more…)
Healthcare Professionals Panel
Interested in a career in healthcare? Grand Valley State University is hosting a Healthcare Professionals Panel for experts from diverse healthcare fields to share their insights, experiences and advice. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from professionals, ask questions and gain valuable perspectives on today’s healthcare challenges and opportunities.
Date: Tuesday, October 7
Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
Location: James Beckett Building, Room 215, NMC Front Street Campus (#13 on campus maps)
Campus Security & Safety Report 2025
Every October, Northwestern Michigan College publishes its Campus Security and Safety Report and Annual Fire Safety Report in compliance with the Clery Act. This report discloses crime statistics, campus safety policies, prevention programs and reporting procedures. Please take a moment to review it — knowing this information helps all of us maintain a safer campus.