New, lower dual enrollment tuition rate set

Virtual and in-person information sessions begin Feb. 21

TRAVERSE CITY — High school students and families can learn more about NMC’s new, lower dual enrollment tuition rate for students from outside Grand Traverse County at several upcoming information sessions.

The new rate of $160 per contact hour will allow hundreds more students to access a fast track to an affordable college degree by dual-enrolling at NMC while still in high school, usually as a junior or senior.

School districts pay for dual enrollment, using a portion of their state funding to cover the tuition. Since a student’s residency factors into their NMC tuition rate, however, the state dollars haven’t always covered the total bill. Until now, families could be billed for the difference.

The new rate, unanimously approved by NMC’s Board of Trustees in January, is expected to cover the tuition and fee bill for three- and four-credit classes. This would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for most dual-enrolled students regardless of where they live, with the potential exception of books and course fees, where applicable, such as lab courses.

Five upcoming sessions give students and parents in-person and virtual options to learn more about dual enrollment, the application process and choosing courses aligned with their future goals. In-person sessions are held in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center on NMC’s Front Street campus.

  • Wednesday, Feb. 21, 6–7:30 p.m. — Dual Enrollment Advising Session (In person or on Zoom)
  • Thursday, Feb. 22, 6-7:30 p.m. — Dual Enrollment Advising Session (Zoom only)
  • Monday, Feb. 26, 6–7 p.m. — Dual Enrollment Information Session (In person or on Zoom)
  • Tuesday, March 12, 6–7 p.m. — Dual Enrollment Information Session (In person or on Zoom)
  • Wednesday, April 10, 6–7 p.m. — Dual Enrollment Information Session (In person or on Zoom)

The first two sessions focus more on what classes to take based on individual interests and goals, while the last three are focused on applying and admission. However, families can attend any session that fits their schedule.

Kaitlyn Watson, a 2020 graduate of Grand Traverse Academy, earned 42 credits through dual enrollment at NMC. With that head start, Watson graduated from Michigan State University with her bachelor’s degree in December 2022, just two and a half years after her high school commencement.

“Dual enrollment allowed me to complete college quickly, debt-free, and begin to pursue my true passions,” said Watson, who majored in statistics and now works for MSU. “It truly changed my life.”

Visit nmc.edu/dual-enroll for more information.

 

Release date: February 6, 2024

For more information:

Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
(231) 392-1800 (mobile – call or text)
cnoga@nmc.edu

 

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College does not discriminate in admission, campus activities, education, employment, housing, public accommodation or public service on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity/expression, handicap, height, marital or familial status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, service in the military, veteran’s status, weight, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local law. No act of retaliation shall occur to any person making a charge, filing a complaint, testifying or participating in any discrimination investigation or proceeding. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

NMC schedules three winter concerts

TRAVERSE CITY – Northwestern Michigan College’s performance ensembles will hold three upcoming concerts:

Friday, February 23: NMC Chamber Singers and Canticum Novum choral performance. 7:30 p.m., at the Alluvion, 414 E. 8th St. Directed by Jeff Cobb, the concert will include choral works from around the world and will feature several classic and contemporary spirituals in celebration of Black History Month. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and available online.

Wednesday, February 28: NMC Chamber Singers host the Eastern Michigan University Choir. 7:30 p.m. in Milliken Auditorium at the Dennos Museum Center on NMC’s Front Street campus. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, March 2: NMC Concert Band and Grand Traverse Chorale present “Coming of Light.” 7:30 p.m., Corson Auditorium, Interlochen Center for the Arts. Performance features John Rutter’s “Magnificat” and C.M. von Weber’s “Clarinet Concerto.” Tickets are $8 students/seniors or $13 adults pre-order, and $10 students/seniors or $15/adults at the door. Contact the NMC box office at (231) 995-1340 for questions or assistance in purchasing tickets.

 

Release date: February 14, 2024

For more information:

Jeff Cobb
NMC Music Programs Director
(231) 995-1338
jecobb@nmc.edu

 

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College does not discriminate in admission, campus activities, education, employment, housing, public accommodation or public service on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity/expression, handicap, height, marital or familial status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, service in the military, veteran’s status, weight, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local law. No act of retaliation shall occur to any person making a charge, filing a complaint, testifying or participating in any discrimination investigation or proceeding. nmc.edu/non-discrimination

LinkedIn webinar with Chaim Shapiro

LinkedIn Webinar Chaim ShapiroChaim Shapiro is hosting an informative webinar at 1 p.m. on Thursday, February 29 at 1 p.m. that will cover how to use LinkedIn to enhance the job search process. Learn how to set up a profile, connect with professional organizations, stay current on industry trends and explore new features.

Shapiro is the director of the Office for Student Success at Touro College in New York, a freelance writer, public speaker, LinkedIn consultant and a board-certified coach specializing in career coaching.

 

For more information, contact Amy Burns Bailey at aburns@nmc.edu

Upcoming Extended Education classes for employees

Did you know that your tuition waiver benefits extend beyond credit classes? Take a fitness class, learn a new hobby, or even enjoy a date night with your partner. Check out these upcoming classes! Place the class in your shopping cart in order to see the discount. Need help setting up your profile? Look for “EES” in the Help Desk drop down menu.

Winter Weather & the Geological LandscapeNMC Geological Landscape class
Friday, February 16; 6–8 p.m.
Employee price: $27 (Public Price $59)
Explore the effect that winter weather and past ice age climates have had on the northern Michigan landscape. Learn about the weathering and eroding of rocks and how winter weather and glaciers impact these processes. We’ll discuss how winter has and continues to shape the landscape around you.
Register here

Passport to Italy: Extra Virgin Olive OilsNMC olive oil class
Thursday, February 22; 6 – 9p
Employee price: $37 (Public Price $125)
Demystify the differences between types of extra virgin olive oils, and then use that knowledge to create delicious dishes. Recipes will include: fresh basil pesto genovese; fett’unta, the original bruschetta; pasta con broccolini; and torta d’olio e pistacchio (olive oil cake with pistacchio).
Register here

Food & Wine Pairing: The EssentialsNMC Wine pairing 
Wednesday, March 13; 6–7:30 p.m.
Employee price: $42 (Public Price $125)
Whether words like acid, fat, tannins, heat and sweet are familiar or foreign to you, when skillfully combined in food and wine, they can orchestrate a symphony of flavors that delights the senses. Join wine expert Brian Lillie to unravel the fundamentals of this exquisite art.
Register here

 

Need help setting up your profile? Look for “EES” in the Help Desk drop down menu.

EES Help Desk

GLWSI provides training to diverse groups of learners

The Great Lakes Water Studies Institute will deliver two week-long Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI)-certified ROV training programs in New Jersey next month.

NMC’s ROV training program is the only one in the U.S. endorsed by ADCI, which has more than 600 member companies. Graduates will immediately support the rapidly growing offshore wind industry. The training is an example of the value NMC programming provides to multiple learner groups, and supports strategy 5 of NMC’s strategic plan, which states that the college will leverage distinctive programs that strengthen institutional sustainability and expand global connections.


Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!

Media mentions for February 12, 2024

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.

Northern Living in brief
Record-Eagle, Feb. 11
(more…)

On the menu: Daily specials at the Hawk Owl Café

The Hawk Owl Café serves specials daily on Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 p.m. The protein option is $9.99 and the vegetarian option is $7.99.

Monday, Feb. 12

Entrée: lamb gyros or falafel with pita
Side: lemon rice

Tuesday, Feb. 13

Entrée: chicken & cheese or roasted poblano & bean quesadilla
Sides: Spanish rice and Mexican street corn

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Entrée: sesame chicken or tofu stir fry with basmati rice
Side: egg roll

Thursday,  Feb. 15

Food for the soul menu (protein option $6.00; vegetarian option is $5.00)
Entrée: country fried steak or red beans and rice (vegetarian)
Sides: mashed potatoes, gravy and yellow pound cake

Friday, Feb. 16

Entrée: crispy chicken with mac & cheese with buffalo sauce or roasted cauliflower steak with chimichurri sauce
Side: asparagus

NMC Magazine seeks submissions

NMC Magazine submissions spring 2024This semester, NMC Magazine wants your colorific creations. The theme is color and we want you to explore warm and cool, polychromatic versus monochromatic, saturated or muted shades.

Color symbolism, vivacious imagery, grayscale, rainbow, and even CMYK all qualify; as long as it’s colorful, we want to see your submissions shine.

Pick one color, three, seven—as many colors as you like!

Accepted mediums include:

    • Fiction/nonfiction (1,500 word limit)
    • Poetry/lyrics (30 line limit)
    • Comics (30 panels/4 page limit)
    • Video/audio (4 minutes)

Visit nmc.edu/nmcmagazine to submit your entry. The deadline to enter is Friday, March 15, 2024.

Kudos!

Kudos to Dan Goodchild and Hans VanSumeren. Kudos for their organization and planning to move the Yellow River programs forward for Fall of 2024. The construction trades and marine technology programs deliver courses for the Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute. This program is delivered in a hybrid format with online classes delivered during the evening (Fall 2024) and in-person accelerated onsite training in China in the Spring of 2025.

Kudos to Lisa Thomas and Katie Knight for a great Winterfest event in the TCJIC! Students were engaged and learning about the different student groups and clubs we offer at NMC.


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!

    • Roger Rickerd, supplemental – Automotive Lab Assistant
    • Haylee Beek, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Alexander DeSoto – Adjunct Flight Instructor
    • Chelsea Bridson – Programmer
    • Lucas Vokes, supplemental – Banquet Server, Hagerty Center
    • Riley Truog – student employee – Biology Laboratory Assistant
    • Chelsea Kline –supplemental – Tutor
    • Annalisa Lettinga – supplemental – Tutor
  •  

Six eligible to fill vacancy on Board of Trustees

TRAVERSE CITY — Six candidates are eligible to fill the Board of Trustees seat vacated by former trustee Rachel Johnson last month.

The applicants, who must reside in Grand Traverse County, are:

  • Jordan Ascione-Broad, Traverse City
  • Jamie Gallagher, Williamsburg
  • Pamela Horne, Interlochen
  • Mark Keely, Traverse City
  • Bill Marsh, Traverse City
  • Merek Roman, Traverse City

Johnson resigned from NMC’s Board of Trustees effective Jan. 22. The new trustee will serve until the next regular community college election in November 2024. At that time voters will choose a candidate to serve the remainder of the term held by Johnson, which expires December 31, 2026.

In accordance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act, interviews and the final appointment will be conducted by the full NMC Board of Trustees at a special meeting set for 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, rooms 106–107, on NMC’s Front Street campus.

Release date: February 7, 2024

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-discrimination

Pitch event to be held March 15

Do you have an idea or project that needs resources to reach its full potential? If so, the Office of Possibilities wants to hear from you! OOPS seeks to provide resources for education-related projects as well as projects related to community partnerships with NMC.

The next pitch event will be held on March 15, 2024 from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, room 104/105.

Those interested in pitching an idea should submit an application in order to be connected with an OOPs team member who can assist in planning your pitch.

 

Honors project submissions

Considering submitting an honors project? Students who have completed at least 12 credits and have a 3.0 GPA or higher qualify to complete an honors project. Honors projects allow students to dive deeper into a topic of interest and work with their instructors to develop content for any course. Honors projects can include research papers, art projects, 3-d models and many other unique ideas! Those who successfully complete their project and finish class with at least a 3.5 grade will qualify as an honors graduate and potentially receive scholarship money.

Contracts are due by February 16 for the spring 2024 semester. More info is available at nmc.edu/honors.

On the menu: Daily specials at the Hawk Owl Café

The Hawk Owl Café serves specials daily on Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 p.m. The protein option is $9.99 and the vegetarian option is $7.99.

Monday, Feb. 5

Entrée: italian pasta bake with meatballs
Sides: roasted brussel sprouts and crostini

Tuesday, Feb. 6

Food for the soul menu (protein option $6.00; vegetarian option is $5.00)
Entrée: shrimp or blackened tofu and cheesy grits
Sides: collard greens, cornbread and cherry cheesecake

Wednesday, Feb. 7

Entrée: tandoori grilled chicken thighs with rice
Sides: broccoli and naan bread

Thursday,  Feb. 8

Entrée: baked chicken or roasted cauliflower steak with chimichurri
Sides: potatoes and green beans

Friday, Feb. 9

Entrée: beer battered cod sandwich with tarter sauce
Sides: french fries and cole slaw

Quick Bytes spring 2024 training classes

Join Alison Thornton at an upcoming Quick Bytes class to learn about technology available to employees at NMC. Each class is one hour, full of information and includes time for questions. To support collaboration and connection, please ensure your camera is on during our session.

Quick Bytes courses can now be found in NEOED.To register via NEOED Learn, please follow this easy 5 step process: NeoEd Learn – Registering for Courses Instructions – for Quick Bytes.

All courses are offered on Thursday at 3pm via Zoom.  To support collaboration and connection, please ensure your camera is on during our session.

Join Alison Thornton at an upcoming Quick Bytes class to learn about technology available to employees at NMC. Each class is one hour, full of information and includes time for questions. To support collaboration and connection, please ensure your camera is on during our session.

Quick Bytes courses can now be found in NEOED. The classes are listed at the beginning (*) of the Course Catalog (to search ALL Quick Bytes courses, go to Tags > Quick Bytes). To Enroll, click on View Classes under the course you are interested in to see the session times, then click on the session time you would like (you must CLICK the session to activate the Enroll button) and then click Enroll.

Introduction to AI for Staff

February 28, 3–4 p.m.
Are you curious about AI, but don’t know where to start? Come find out about various AI tools (I’ll demo Google’s Bard), writing prompts for AI tools, integrating AI with Google searches, and AI tools available in our everyday software (like Zoom, Canva, etc.).

Google Docs New & Unused Features

February 29, 3–4 p.m.
Covering new and not very often used features in Google Docs such as multiple signatures, templates (canned responses), voice typing, comparing documents, smart chips, dropdowns,  editing/suggesting/commenting, table formatting, setting up a time to meet, and more!  

Canva Advanced

Date TBA
Canva has new and exciting potential!  This is an advanced class on using Canva techniques such as photos, frames, color palettes, and filters, as well as, creating a reusable custom template.  This course will be scheduled if there is interest.  Please email athornton@nmc.edu to let me know if you are interested!

Swiss-inspired fundraiser dinner at Lobdell’s

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute will host a Swiss-inspired dinner Friday, Feb. 23 as a fundraiser for a culinary student study abroad trip to Switzerland later this semester.

The four-course menu will feature local Leelanau raclette cheese, soup, entree and a limoncello style tiramisu for dessert. Tickets are $95 per person, including tax and gratuity, with all proceeds going to scholarships for the trip scheduled for May. A wine pairing package ($25)or non-alcoholic beverage package ($20) are also available for purchase at time of booking.

Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 in Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant. Tickets are available online at nmc.edu/lobdells.

Release date: February 6, 2024

For more information:

Chef Mike Skarupinski
Great Lakes Culinary Institute
(231) 995-1194
mskarupinski@nmc.edu

 

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE

Northwestern Michigan College does not discriminate in admission, campus activities, education, employment, housing, public accommodation or public service on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, gender identity/expression, handicap, height, marital or familial status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, service in the military, veteran’s status, weight, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local law. No act of retaliation shall occur to any person making a charge, filing a complaint, testifying or participating in any discrimination investigation or proceeding. nmc.edu/non-discrimination