New books at the NMC library
To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog.
On the menu: Thanksgiving at the Hawk Owl Café
Stop by the Hawk Owl Café on Wednesday, November 15 for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Featured menu items include:
- Turkey or Tofurky
- Mashed potatoes and gravy
- Green bean casserole
- Fresh rolls with butter
- Pumpkin pie with whipped cream
- Lemonade
The complete meal is $9.00 and will be available during 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 pm.
Media mentions for October 30, 2023
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.
Adapted in TC: A new awareness of breast cancer
Faculty member Susan Odgers’ column on living with disability
Record-Eagle, Oct. 29
(more…)
New campus maps and facilities pages
PRMC recently redesigned NMC’s campus maps pages to help new students and guests easily navigate our campuses, especially on mobile devices. Thank you to all of the NMC departments that provided valuable input into the redesign. The new pages can be accessed at nmc.edu/maps.
NMC pitch for 3D home printing technology a finalist in competition
11/1/23 UPDATE: NMC’s pitch won $5,000 with another $35,000 pending completion of a feasibility study by March 2024.
TRAVERSE CITY — An NMC team is competing today for a prize that would allow the college to update its construction technology curriculum to include potentially revolutionary 3D wall printing capability.
NMC’s team is among six finalists at today’s National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Pitch for the Trades competition in Nashville, Tenn. Construction Coordinator Carolyn Andrews and two members of NMC’s Office of Possibilities (OOPS)are seeking the maximum $50,000 prize for a 3D printer and supporting materials to make building homes more affordable, sustainable and faster.
“We are asking for that money to help us introduce 3D printing homes into our curriculum,” Andrews said. “We need to do whatever we can to solve some of this housing crisis and labor shortage.”
Through 2027, the Grand Traverse region has a housing gap of more than 31,000 units according to Housing North, a nonprofit housing advocate. More than 22,000 for sale units are needed and 8,800 rental units. In both categories, lower-priced housing is in the highest demand.
3D printing accomplishes this by using a robotic arm to build a programmed wall from a single material like concrete. Andrews said a single-story home could be printed in a day with three people. A traditional stick frame home would require a bigger crew and take multiple days or weeks, which increases the cost.
“You’re getting something done a lot more efficiently with less people,” she said.
In addition, materials like concrete are much less vulnerable to threats like hurricanes, flooding, and fires, which are becoming increasingly common with climate change.
“It’s actually a better home than your traditionally-framed home,” Andrews said.
NMC students will get their first chance to try the technology this fall when they join pitch team member Al Everett’s private company, Thrive TC, to build the region’s first 3D-printed home. It will break ground in November, Andrews said.
“We want students out there,” Andrews said. “We’ve been building the same way we have been since the 50s. Change is scary, and we haven’t embraced technology like we should.”
To advance to today’s finals, Andrews, Everett and Will Kitchen, also of OOPS, delivered a virtual pitch earlier this month. The idea is backed by leaders from both the Michigan and Grand Traverse area Home Builders Association, Andrews said.
“They are in strong support of it,” she said.
Andrews also thinks it will boost NMC enrollment.
“The fact that we’re embracing technology and giving students a unique opportunity for a specific skill, that’s going to set them apart for higher paying jobs,” she said.
NMC has budgeted $35,000 for a printer that utilizes a 3D robotic arm to create panelized walls, $10,000 for curriculum development and faculty training, and $5,000 for innovation mindset credential development and ecosystem support
Pitch results are expected Tuesday morning. The judges have discretion on how to divide a $150,000 prize pot among the six finalists.
“As an optimist, I believe we will make a positive impression and have a good chance of coming back with something,” said Kitchen, a founder of OOPS.
Release date: October 30, 2023
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (call or text)
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-discriminationUpcoming 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.
Pickling & Fermenting Masterclass
Fri Nov. 10; 6–9 p.m. & Sat, Nov. 11; 9 a.m to 2 p.m.
Employee price: $99 (public price: $349)
Perfect for avid home cooks, farmer’s market enthusiasts, CSA patrons, and novice chefs, this class dives into methods to preserve our local produce through pickling and fermentation. Chef Jim Morse leads an in-depth, hands-on class that traces the history of pickling and fermentation for both preservation and nutritional benefits. Students will prepare vinegar-brined pickles, naturally-fermented pickles, kimchi, kraut, and kombucha. Chef Morse will also open his pantry of pickles and ferments for students to sample.
Register
Welcome to Writing Children’s Books
2 classes; Wednesday, Nov. 1 & 8; 6:30–8 p.m.
Employee price: $20 (public price: $75)
Have you always wanted to write for children? Come learn about the world of children’s books, from writing to publishing. The story might be short, but the idea must be tall. Like poetry, writing children’s books can look easy from the outside, but there’s a lot to it. We will explore writing for children at different levels, from picture books to novels.
Register
Instant Piano (or Guitar) for Hopelessly Busy People
Piano: Saturday, Nov. 4; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Guitar: Saturday., Nov. 4; 1–3:30 p.m.
Employee price: $19 (public price: $89)
Do you have a piano, keyboard or guitar that you’ve been meaning to learn to play, but never seem to have the time? Enter Craig Coffman, creator of Chords Are Key. His one one-night, virtual workshops will teach you chords that will have you playing instantly and enjoying music for years to come!
Register
Holiday Artist Market
The Dennos welcomes visitors to kick off the 2023 holiday gift shopping season at the 24th annual Holiday Artist Market on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.. Visitors will discover a unique variety of artful gifts in a lively and festive marketplace.
30 artists will have work on display in the museum’s sculpture Court and Milliken Auditorium lobby as well as sweet treats for purchase from Le Macaron.
The museum’s beloved raffle returns this year to support K–12 tours to the museum with prizes generously donated by artists and local businesses! Be sure to bring cash for ticket purchases.
NMC staff and students receive 10% off regularly priced items in the Museum Store.
Admission is free to all.
Crucial Conversations for Accountability training
This course is strongly recommended for all supervisors and anyone who wants to improve their relationships.
This in-person, experiential learning based course provides a step-by-step process, tools, and support for resolving performance gaps, enhancing accountability, reducing resentment, eliminating inconsistency, and improving performance both at a professional and a personal level. During this 2-day training, learn how to have those difficult conversations in a way that solves problems while improving relationships.
There is no cost to employees for this course. Participants receive a free copy of the book Crucial Accountability.
To reserve your spot, find the course listed in the course catalog in NEOED Training, then click on “Join Waitlist” to be notified of the next cohort.
For questions, contact professionaldevelopmentinstitute@nmc.edu or call (231) 995-1143.
Employee Anniversaries – October
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
Kudos!
Kudos to Kyle Morrison, Chris Hanna and Alex Jones! Kyle, Chris and Alex helped the redesign of the Great Lakes Campus room 112 to support a better student learning environment. This included better viewing monitors, room layout and room functionality. They were extremely supportive and made the transition smoothly, quickly and with no disruption to classroom activities. The feedback from our students has been 100% positive.
Kudos to Joan Sodini and Emily Crull! A massive thank you to Joan, Emily and the rest of the PR team for their help with College Night, Transfer Fair and Applying to College 101. Their support is no doubt a big factor in this year’s event successes. We had amazing attendance at all of these events and were able to make this year’s changes smooth and effective for students, community and the college reps visiting campus. We received a lot of positive feedback and cannot thank them enough!
Kudos to Jim Bensley and Marina Call! Congratulations to Jim Bensley and Marina Call for a very well attended Lunch & Learn on Study Abroad 2024. There were over 55 participants in attendance to hear about this year’s study abroad trips.
Kudos to Carolyn Andrews! Congratulations to Carolyn Andrews and her team for putting on the awesome event Building Tomorrow. This was an amazing opportunity for local middle and high school students to participate in hands-on activities in the trades field. The local sponsors and volunteers were outstanding and the students had a great time!
Kudos to Katie Sommer-Ford, Bridget Munroe and Rorie Kawula! Transfer week at NMC started off with great momentum at tonight’s Applying to College 101 session! Bridget Munroe and Katie Sommer-Ford from Advising/Student Success listened to the needs of our NMC students to bring an event focused on navigating the transfer admissions process. With collaboration from our internal admissions department including Rorie Kawula, and admissions representative Alex Lasher from NMU, a presentation highlighting the step-by-step process of college transfer and college admission was presented to more than 45 current students, prospective students and parents.
Kudos to Student Life, Student Success and student groups! Heading into the midpoint of our semester it was amazing to see the energy and student engagement for Fall Festival! Hats off to Student Life and office manager Katy Knight, our incredible student leaders from groups across campus, and our Student Success coaches for putting on a truly vibrant Fall Festival. Students had an opportunity to learn more about services and groups they could join, and got to interact with key members of their student support team. Extra thanks to our coaches, with lead efforts by Amber Marsh, for extending the Fall Festival day with a family-focused afternoon of games, crafts and good times outdoors with beautiful weather to top it off!
Kudos to Cari Noga, Emily Crull and Shannah Vergote! Thank you to Cari, Shannah and Emily for collaborating to bring college employees “EES Opportunities” in the Intercom. You are helping to promote our Extended Education & Training classes to our employees and thus improving employee wellness, and personal & professional development—which leads to creating employee culture, a sense of belonging and employee retention!
Kudos to Michelle Poertner! Michelle has voluntarily helped keep the Osterlin Testing Center up and running this semester and has now began actively working with vendors and proctors to reopen the Parsons-Stulen Professional Testing Center. The staff and students at NMC are lucky to have Michelle!
Kudos to Lisa Cooper, Ed Bailey, and Hans VanSumeren for successfully planning and running the LakeBed 2030 Conference. This is currently NMC’s largest and only binational conference. This year’s event was extremely successful with outstanding speakers, great technical demonstrations and picture perfect weather.
2023 Lakebed 2030 conference by the numbers:
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- 184 participants (plus additional single day / non registered attendees)
- 4 keynote addresses
- 21 presentations
- 1 student/employer roundtable
- 1 student award from NOAA for capstone mapping project
- 1 panel discussion
- 14 sponsors
- Partnership with industry leaders including Great Lakes Observing Systems and NOAA
- Tied in with Smart Ships conference
- Many technical demonstrations
This is a major endeavor and couldn’t be pulled off without the hard work of Lisa, Ed and Hans!
Kudos to Chris Little and Tamella Livengood! Last week in the testing center we had a student taking a HESI test when her computer totally froze up and we couldn’t figure out how to remote control it or otherwise get her back into the test. Both Chris and Tamella were extremely helpful in guiding us step-by-step so the student could finish her test on time after driving for six hours just to take it! Thanks Chris and Tamella, especially from someone new at the testing center!
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!
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- Will Gullekson, Student Employee – Aviation Line Crew
- Presley Webb, Student Employee – Aviation Line Crew
- Jensine Eichermueller, Student Employee – Astronomy Lab Assistant
- Victor Olvera, Supplemental – Food Service, Back of House
- Brooklynn Golnick – Residence Hall Manager
- TJ Inscore – Custodian
- Adyn McHugh, Student Employee – Advising and Learning Services
- Aiden Short, Student Employee – Aviation Line Crew
- Barbara McTaggart, Supplemental – Tutor
- Tobin Derks, Student Employee – Dennos Museum Assistant
- Jacqueline Ewing, Supplemental – EES Assistant
- Carter Brown, Student Employee – Aviation Line Crew
- Tess Leppley – GLMA Engineering Officer
- Beth Weaver – Admissions Recruiter
- Naython Wheelis, Student Employee – Fitness Center Staff
- Josh Pion, Student Employew – Tutor
- Cody Myaard, Student Employee – Aviation Line Crew
- Dee Galloup, Student Employee – Human Resources Assistant
- Jewell Barnard – Adjunct Clinical Nursing Instructor
Internal promotion
Kyle Ferrill was recently promoted to Admissions Recruiter. Congratulations, Kyle!
Flu shots available
Thanksgiving Break is coming soon, don’t forget to protect yourself and your family by getting your shot! This time of year it’s especially important to keep yourself healthy so that you can enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
Student Health Services has flu shots available. The cost is $15/student and $20/staff (for those without NMC health insurance).
Walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be made by calling (231) 995-1255.
Don’t miss your opportunity to prevent catching the flu and protecting those around you as well.
Veterans Day, Mariners Memorial services
TRAVERSE CITY — The community is invited to join NMC at its annual Veterans Day and Mariners Memorial services, both to be held Friday, Nov. 10.
Veterans Day:
11 a.m.: Flag raising ceremony at flagpoles, east of Tanis Building on Front Street campus, 1701 E. Front St.
- Star Spangled Banner performed by the Traverse City Central Marching Band
- Three-volley rifle salute/Taps in honor of the fallen
Afterward, NMC student veterans, active duty and veteran alumni are invited to enjoy a free lunch at the Hawk Owl Café in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Contact Alex Walsh for more information, (231) 995-2579.
48th annual Mariners Memorial:
Noon: Service honoring the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and all mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans. Courtyard, Great Lakes campus, 715 E. Front St.
The Mariners Memorial Service is sponsored by the Student Propeller Club, Port 150, of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Guests may enter through the glass exhibition hall and proceed into the outdoor courtyard on the north side (harbor side) of the building. For more information, call the Academy at (231) 995-1200.
Release date: October 26, 2023
For more information:
Cari Noga
Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (call or text)
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-discriminationCheering on OOPS & Construction Technology!
NMC Community,
I want to share with the NMC community an exciting update on the Pitch for the Trades Competition. You may have heard bits and pieces of this story during the October 10th Professional Development Day, but I’d like to fill you in on the details.
Our NMC Construction Technology program was selected as a finalist for the NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship) Pitch for the Trades competition – with a chance to share part of a $150,000 grand prize! NMC’s Construction Technology Program, led by Carolyn Andrews, Construction Coordinator, is pitching the idea of adding 3D home printing technologies to the curriculum. Yes, the future is here, and 3D printed houses will have a role in the future of home construction. From small workforce neighborhoods to unique custom homes, 3D printed homes and communities are beginning to expand, and our local industry partners are taking notice.
Will Kitchen, from NMC’s Office of Possibilities (OOPS), identified the NAACE pitch opportunity, and Carolyn and Dan Goodchild quickly jumped in realizing this was a way to innovate the Construction program and be on the forefront of a new technology. Teaming up with Al Everett (developer and Principal of Thrive TC) and Lauren Tucker (Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area), they created a pitch. Their pitch was to deliver on the potential for 3D printing in our Construction curriculum, and a way forward for prototyping an actual 3D printed house here in Traverse City.
After successfully pitching along with 19 other semi-finalists, earlier this month, the team was one of just six teams selected to move on to the finals on Monday, October 30th. While there is no virtual option to watch, the entire NMC community will be cheering them on. No matter what the results, we are incredibly proud of Carolyn, Will, and Dan for taking the risk of trying something new and looking towards the future – a future where 3D printing of homes becomes the norm. A special thanks for the support provided by OOPS and the encouragement from partners like Lauren Tucker and the Home Builders Association.
Please join me in wishing them luck with the pitch! Go Hawk Owls!
Nick
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Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
Performance Evaluation of President Nick Nissley
The NMC Board of Trustees recently completed an evaluation of President Nissley. This year’s evaluation was derived from the same process and evaluation of 2022 to provide consistent measurement. The process included a competency evaluation from the President’s Council and each Trustee, as well as a self-evaluation from President Nissley.
The College’s Board of Trustees is pleased to report that we agree with the success in President Nissley’s performance. The Board is looking forward to the areas of growth and opportunity for 2024.
Board of Trustees Presidential Performance & Compensation Committee Meeting
The NMC Board of Trustees will hold a Presidential Performance & Compensation Committee Meeting Thursday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. in the President’s Office Conference Room in the Tanis Building on NMC’s main campus. More information is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Community blood drive Nov. 2
Versiti Blood is holding a mobile blood drive on Thursday, November 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drive will occur in the Versiti mobile bus near the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center.
Those who donate will receive a $10 e-gift card and will be entered to win one of three project prizes valued at $2,500.
Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
For questions, contact Susan Street, Senior Representative of Versiti, at sstreet@versiti.org.