Media mentions for January 2, 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.

10 irresistible reasons to visit Traverse City this winter (Dennos)
Hour Detroit, Jan. 1
(more…)

Sabbatical & Professional Development Leave Procedures & Priorities 2024-2025

Dear colleagues:

Following are our institutional priorities for professional development for 2024-2025.

It is encouraged to link your sabbatical and professional development leave proposals to one or more of the college strategies and/or the college mission.

Faculty Sabbatical Leave Requests – Faculty must submit endorsed requests electronically to the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) by January 31, 2024.  Endorsements required: three peers and the appropriate academic chair.  The application form can be found here.

The CIE board will evaluate and approve applications using the criteria laid out in the guidelines. CIE will make its decision no later than February 28. CIE-approved applications go to the VP for Educational Services and the college President for final approval. CIE forwards the applications to the Vice President for Educational Services for prioritization by ESIMT. The Vice President of Educational Services will then make a recommendation to the President no later than March 1, 2024.

Staff Sabbatical Leave – Salaried staff must submit endorsed requests to Hollie DeWalt, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, by January 31, 2024.  Endorsement required: appropriate executive staff officer.

The Associate Vice President of Human Resources will review staff applications in consultation with executive staff by March 1, 2024, and make a recommendation to the President.

Professional Development Project and Leave Requests – Faculty and staff requests should be reviewed as a part of annual goal planning. For both faculty and staff, professional development activities may only be approved as funds are available and budgeted for this purpose.

For more information regarding sabbatical and professional development policies and procedures see Staff HR Policies D-753.00, D-753.01, and D-753.02, and Faculty Chair and Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Any additional questions can be addressed to Human Resources (ext. 5-2612) or the Center for Instructional Excellence (ext. 5-1046).

Additional Resources: 

 
President’s Office
1701 E. Front Street
Traverse City, MI
Phone: (231) 995-1010

Design thinking workshop

Do you have a project or an idea and need help bringing it to fruition? Join the upcoming design thinking workshop that is being offered in February. This hands-on series will introduce the design thinking process to NMC faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders. Together, we’ll:

    • connect and empathize
    • define challenges
    • ideate and prototype solutions
    • test and assess solutions
    • review

This hands-on workshop will frame “how might we” questions to help participants learn how to innovate and meet their goals. The sessions will be facilitated by Brittany VanderBeek and will be held on February 5, 19 and 26 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in room 104/105 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center.

 

Kudos!

Kudos to Paul Kolak. Thanks to Paul Kolak for organizing the Mobile Food Pantry here at NMC through Feeding America. Paul organizes volunteers and the food delivery on-site. Many families have been served thanks to his leadership and the volunteers who help distribute the food each month.

Kudos to Brittany Hanbury, Hollie DeWalt, Carly McCall, Esther Nance, Lil Anderson, Sarah Montgomery-Richards, Lynne Moritz, and Todd Haines. The whole holiday party planning committee did a wonderful job putting on a fabulous party. Everyone on the committee brought a level of passion for creating a fun and inclusive event for the college to enjoy. Several additions aimed at increasing inclusion and belongingness such as gingerbread team building, and the get-to-know-you bingo game leading. With attendance increasing by 25% this year, it’s clear that their hard work paid off.

Kudos to  Lil Anderson and Lindsey Bradeen. Lil and Lindsey were instrumental in the success of our Holiday Party. I had checked the wrong box and we almost didn’t have a projector and laptop for the party. They quickly and gracefully resolved the issue while also executing the rest of their event duties wonderfully. Thank you to them and the full Hagerty team for their fabulous event planning and event execution work.

Kudos to Employees at the Hagerty Center. The Hagerty Center employees always do a great job putting on events and the Holiday Party was no exception. The food was delicious, tables were cleared, the bar service was prompt, and overall they did a fabulous job. Thanks for always making our events great.


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!

    • Daniel Wallington – Adjunct Electronics Technology Instructor
    • Janelle Clouse – Adjunct Computer Information Technology Instructor
    • Jack Schweizer – Adjunct Flight Instructor

Special board, committee meetings Dec. 21

]The Board of Trustees of Northwestern Michigan College will hold a special meeting at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, in the President’s office conference room in the Tanis Building on NMC’s Front Street campus, 1701 E. Front Street, Traverse City, Mich. The meeting notice is available online.

At 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, the board’s Presidential Performance and Compensation Committee will meet in the same location. That meeting notice is also available online

For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.

Visual Communications looks for pro-bono design projects

To the Visual Communications department, which announced its annual pro bono design project opportunity earlier this month. One of NMC’s longtime experiential learning opportunities, students interact with clients as they execute a real-world project, including logos, film and new media production, creative advertising, graphic design and packaging. Area nonprofits have until Jan. 5 to submit projects for consideration. Read more here.


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

Media mentions for December 18, 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.

‘Up there with the heavy hitters’: NMC study abroad program scores top 10 national ranking
Ticker, Dec. 18 (more…)

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Jeremy Clark, supplemental – Banquet Server
    • Dennis Keough – Maintenance Mechanic
    • Kenny Sonnabend – Custodian
    • Michael Moyes, supplemental – Law Enforcement Coach
    • Jackson Yaple, supplemental – Back of House Food Service
    • Noah Steele, supplemental – Learning Services Office Assistant
    • Waled Al kharbi, supplemental – Banquet Cook

Kudos!

Kudos to Brandon Everest for his Introduction to Sociology student presentations around homelessness and food insecurity. The students were very engaged, problem-solved solutions and provided much needed service and volunteer hours to local nonprofits. This is a great example of experiential learning and providing NMC students with real-world situations and issues to discuss.

Kudos to Kristy McDonald and her BUS 231 Professional Communications class for their wonderful presentations around the Thanks For Giving project this semester. It is amazing that college students provided meals for over 125 families along with donating $2K to the NMC Food Pantry. Their final presentations showed how much each student grew throughout their experiential learning journey in her class. Keep up the great work!


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!

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.

Extended Education weight strengthening class at NMCWeight Strengthening
Tuesdays/Thursdays; Jan. 2 – March 21; 7–8 a.m.
NMC Fitness Center (#18 on the campus map)
Employee price: $39 (public price: $299)
Join Kyle Morrison to focus on all major muscle groups resulting in increased strength, better posture, greater mobility, improved metabolism, and a slowing of the development of osteoporosis. All levels are welcome.
Register here

NMC Extended Education Welding classWelding: Pick Your Process
Tuesdays/Thursdays; Jan. 16 – Feb. 29; 5–7:30 p.m.
Employee price: $169 (public price: $899)
Instructor Ryan Deering will provide a strong foundation focusing on welding specifically aluminum. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Gas Metal Arc Welding (wire welding) and Oxy-fuel (gas welding) are all options on which to focus your training experience. 
Register here

Date Night: Cooking with WineNMC Estended Education date night cooking with wine class
Tuesday, January 23; 6–9 p.m.
Employee price: $56 (public price: $179)
Turn an average Tuesday into something to celebrate with your special someone, whether that is a best friend, partner, or parent. Together, learn how to prepare delicious, comforting dishes — with wine!
Register here

 

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

EES Help Desk

Dennos Museum store annual winter sale

Dennos Museum annual winter saleThe Dennos Museum store’s annual winter clearance sale begins Wednesday, Dec, 27. Enjoy deep discounts on art-inspired products, 2024 calendars, and all remaining holiday ornaments, cards and décor! Items move quickly so make sure to pop in to snag a great deal on something unique!

Submit work orders for door locks

If you work in an office or department with a door that does not lock from the inside, please submit a facilities work order request to have one installed. For efficiency, it would be ideal to submit one request per department. The online form is available on the MyNMC home page under “other services.” Be aware that the software does not work in Chrome.

Find more campus safety information here.  

NMC among top 10 nationally for short-term study abroad

TRAVERSE CITY — NMC has received its highest-ever ranking for short-term study abroad by the Institute of International Education, notching the No. 10 spot in the nation.

All nine institutions ahead of NMC in the category of community college academic study abroad participation have much higher enrollments, averaging 17,000 students. As a percentage of fall enrollment, NMC’s 50 students who traveled in 2022 ranks first among community colleges in the nation, with nearly 2 percent of students participating in a study abroad experience.

Rankings are for the first travel season (spring/summer 2022) following COVID-19. Countries NMC students traveled to in 2022 were Colombia, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. In 2023 53 students traveled to Guatemala, Morocco, Iceland, Spain and Portugal.

NMC’s previous highest rank was 17th in 2015. Currently, 65 students are slated to travel to Brazil, Costa Rica, Ireland, India and Switzerland in May 2024.

Twenty-five of those students will travel with a complimentary passport. In February, NMC was one of only 40 institutions nationwide to win a $4,000 grant, also from IIE, which covered 25 free passports. Required for travel beyond North America, passports typically cost $160 and are valid for 10 years.

Studying abroad is one type of experiential learning opportunity. In its strategic plan, NMC’s goal is that every credential-seeking student have at least one experiential learning opportunity before graduation.

To help students with the cost of studying abroad, NMC also offers the Global Opportunities Scholarship, established by former president Timothy J. Nelson and his wife Nancy Johnson. Most students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship that typically covers about 25 percent of the cost.

For more information, visit nmc.edu/study-abroad

Release date: December 15, 2023

For more information:

Jim Bensley
Director of International Services and Service Learning
(231) 995-2527
jbensley@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

Foundation invests $50,000 in NoBo Mrkt

TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwestern Michigan College Foundation (NMCF) and NoBo Mrkt are pioneering a new partnership that aims to bring a fresh wave of opportunities to NMC and its students.

For the first time, the NMCF is embarking on impact investing in a local business with the goal of increasing innovation in Northern Michigan and creating new community partnerships with benefits for NMC students. Thanks to a specifically designated and generous gift, the NMCF will invest $50,000 into NoBo Mrkt, a cafe and beverage bar located in the Commongrounds building, 414 E. Eighth St., Traverse City.

This membership investment, set to become a part of the NMC Foundation’s portfolio, offers the Foundation 5% equity in NoBo Mrkt as a safety net for the investment.

In impact investing, investors seek to achieve measurable positive impact on society or the environment as well as financial returns. In the case of the NMCF and NoBo Mrkt, the desired impact is increased innovation in northern Michigan and new community partnerships with benefits for NMC students, such as paid internships, business opportunities for NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute students and graduates, and much more. NoBo Mrkt’s founding chef, James Thomas III, is a GLCI alumnus who also received the Michigan Reconnect scholarship for students 25 and older.

Additionally, the NMC Foundation has adopted an Impact Investments provision. It allows the Foundation to invest up to $500,000 or 0.5% of the portfolio’s assets, whichever is less, in impact investments which support NMC’s strategic goals and diversify its portfolio.

“I believe this investment will help provide great opportunities to enhance learning for GLCI students and benefit the local economy. Our foundation board saw this as a win-win,” said Jayne Mohr, NMCF Board chair.

About NMC Foundation:
The NMC Foundation mobilizes generosity to advance learning for a global community. The foundation was founded in 1981 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in support of Northwestern Michigan College. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, the foundation is a leader in resourcing learning, innovation, and community transformation.

About GLCI:
NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute is American Culinary Federation-accredited and offers certificates and associate degrees in culinary arts, with specialties in baking/pastry and culinary-maritime. Located at NMC’s Great Lakes campus, GLCI’s facilities include baking, introductory and advanced kitchens, and Lobdell’s teaching restaurant.

About NoBo Mrkt:
NoBo Mrkt is a new, innovative community space that operates at the intersection of food and entrepreneurship. Its mission is to strengthen local food markets in the Grand Traverse region by fostering a culture of support to new and evolving “foodpreneurs.” Together with the Grand Traverse Foodshed Alliance, NoBo Mrkt will provide community, entrepreneurship and mentoring opportunities based on inclusion and equitable opportunities for the Grand Traverse region.

Release date: DECEMBER 13, 2023

For more information:

Jennifer Hricik
Interim Director of the NMC Foundation and AVP of Resource Development at NMC
jhricik@nmc.edu
(336) 264-0808

 

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

Feeding America mobile food pantry

Feedijng AmericaThe final mobile food pantry for 2023 will be held on Tuesday, December 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (car line up starts at 11, distribution starts 11:30 a.m.). Hop in the line in the Maple Lot on the Front Street Campus and drive through the distribution loop. Food will be loaded into your trunk. All students and their families are encouraged to participate. Each recipient receives approximately 7-10 days of fresh fruit and produce on a first come, first serve basis.

No car? No problem! You’re welcome to “walk through” and receive goods in a carry-able way. Feel free to bring a backpack or other reusable bags!

As a college, we recognize that so many students live paycheck to paycheck. Our mobile food pantry is specifically designed for students to supplement income with fresh, healthy foods and free up limited funds to go towards other expenses.

Mobile food pantries at NMC are offered in conjunction with grant funding and a partnership with Feeding America West Michigan. Distribution throughout 2923 has been wholly funded by grant funding with 3,500-5,000 pounds of fresh food were distributed to an average 110 families each month during the academic school year.

The Food Pantry program is currently seeking donations to continue the program in 2024. Each mobile pantry costs up to $875 to offer. Sponsors and donations can be sent to the NMC Foundation with the designation “Food Pantry” or “Mobile Food Pantry”.