TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College invites the campus and community to attend its annual Veterans Day ceremonies beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11. The ceremony will include:
The three-volley salute will commence shortly after the flag is raised, between 9 and 10 a.m. The Three-Volley Salute, accompanied by the playing of Taps, is performed in honor of veterans/soldiers who are no longer with us. This is an important ceremony for veterans as they honor all those who came before them, served alongside them, and gave their lives in the line of duty. These are blank rounds (gun powder in a copper casing) with no actual bullet being fired.
Serving those who have served is a year-round priority for NMC. About 5 percent of students are either veterans or active-duty military. NMC has many services specifically designed for veteran student success, including veteran-specific scholarships and opportunities to convert military service to academic credit. Find out more at nmc.edu/veterans.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
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.
Looking for STEM-related talent? The state of Michigan has a solution
DBusiness, Nov. 6
25 members of Michigan Science Teachers Association participated in meetings and a campus tour on Saturday, November 5. They started their day at the Hagerty Center and explored the Water Studies Department, GLMA, Environmental Studies, Anatomy and Physiology and Science Labs. The meeting stemmed from a partnership with MSTA as part of an effort to bridge the high school to college transition while showcasing science programs in the area. We are grateful that NMC instructors Tiffani Wilke, Dan Zassick, Kirk Waterstripe and Tammy Coleman took the opportunity to highlight NMC’s programming to the MSTA.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Stop by the Hawk Owl Cafe on Wednesday, November 16 for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Featured menu items include:
The complete meal is $8.00 and will be available during 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 pm.
Special thanks to SGA and Student Life for helping to keep this special meal affordable for all.
To celebrate Employee Appreciation Week, the NMC bookstore is offering a 20% discount to all staff and faculty members during November 14-17. Check out new merchandise and get a jump start on Christmas shopping! Just show your NMC ID at checkout for the additional savings!
NMC employees receive a 10% discount at the NMC Bookstore year round. The discount cannot be used on textbooks or items already on sale.
In celebration of the Observing with NASA Kiosk at the Dennos Museum Center, enjoy a Family Night at NMC’s Rogers Observatory on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 8 p.m. This extra special night will include planetary observations. Observatory nights are dependent upon weather, so be sure to check out gtastro.org for updates!
The Rogers Observatory is several miles south of NMC’s main campus, at 1753 Birmley Road. (O on Campus Map)
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College invites the campus and community to attend its annual Veterans Day ceremonies beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11. The ceremony will include:
The three-volley salute will commence shortly after the flag is raised, between 9 and 10 a.m. The Three-Volley Salute, accompanied by the playing of Taps, is performed in honor of veterans/soldiers who are no longer with us. This is an important ceremony for veterans as they honor all those who came before them, served alongside them, and gave their lives in the line of duty. These are blank rounds (gun powder in a copper casing) with no actual bullet being fired.
Serving those who have served is a year-round priority for NMC. About 5 percent of students are either veterans or active-duty military. NMC has many services specifically designed for veteran student success, including veteran-specific scholarships and opportunities to convert military service to academic credit. Find out more at nmc.edu/veterans.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
The library will conclude its Curiosities Shorts Fest program with a screening of several shorts on Thursday, November 17 at 6 p.m. in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center Room 104/105. Join us for pizza, popcorn, good films and good company!
Films shown will be a handful of participant favorites selected from the 12 films watched during the discussion series.
Free to attend, all are welcome, no advance registration required.
TRAVERSE CITY — The community is invited to join NMC students and Goodwill Northern Michigan on the 7th annual Walk for Health and Housing, a guided tour of downtown Traverse City from the perspective of people experiencing homelessness and the providers who serve them, departing from NMC’s Great Lakes campus parking lot at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16.
The walk is a part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, happening Nov. 12-20, and brings together students and community partners to raise awareness about the increasing affordability crisis in Northwest Michigan. Lasting about two hours, the guided walk through downtown Traverse City illuminates the problems of food insecurity and homelessness. Along the route, participants will stop to hear stories from service providers about their efforts to mitigate these problems in region.
The walk is an example of Experiential Learning at NMC. EL actively engages the learner through relevant and ongoing experiences, critical problem solving and reflective practices. Community partners include the organization National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Goodwill NM, Northern Michigan Supportive Housing, Jubilee House, Central United Methodist Breakfast program, Food Rescue of Northern Michigan, Traverse City Police Department, Safe Harbor, and the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness.
NMC’s Great Lakes campus is located at 715 E. Front St., Traverse City.
Brandon Everest
Faculty, Social Sciences Area
Director, Experiential Learning Institute
beverest@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1985
TRAVERSE CITY — A new, $30 million state scholarship fund to train more police officers is coinciding with major changes to NMC’s Police Academy, setting up an enrollment- to- employment pipeline that will ultimately benefit community safety.
Announced last month, the Public Safety Academy Assistance Program was established to help address the critical need for additional police officers statewide by reducing or eliminating the cost associated with basic police training. Law enforcement agencies are eligible for up to $20,000 per recruit for tuition and other training costs, plus $4,000 in salary.
“It serves both the agency and the student,” NMC Police Academy director Gail Kurowski. “There are a lot of people that might be considering a career in law enforcement that don’t have the financial wherewithal to put themselves through a program.”
Grand Traverse County Undersheriff Mike Shea said that will be a boost to his department, which earlier this year had 10 vacancies in the patrol division. He recently attended the Michigan Sheriffs Association conference and of the 70 counties represented, all but one or two were struggling with vacancies.
“We are bleeding police officers. They are leaving the profession at an alarming rate,” said Shea, a 2005 NMC Police Academy alumnus himself.
Applications are now open for agencies who intend to enroll recruits in an academy session beginning after January 1. Next fall is also when NMC debuts a new, four-month structure for its academy. That cuts in half the current time needed to complete the program and will allow NMC to better compete for students it might have previously lost to condensed academies.
“The 16-week program is going to be huge,” said Shea, who already has a candidate in mind as Grand Traverse County’s first employed recruit to start next fall.
NMC is also the only academy to offer drone certification to its recruits, and far exceeds the minimum requirement for scenario training, which simulates real-world situations, set by MCOLES, the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
“We are going to have over 60 hours of scenario training,” Kurowski said. “That is huge. There is no academy in Michigan that’s going to have that.”
The $20,000 per recruit would more than cover NMC’s tuition. NMC is also the northernmost academy in the lower peninsula, making it an attractive option for agencies regionwide, as well as the UP.
Shea said another plus is that NMC’s instructors are all either law enforcement officers or attorneys.
“There is no one better to teach than those who are living it,” he said.
For more information on NMC’s program, visit nmc.edu/police.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
TRAVERSE CITY — The community is invited to join NMC students and Goodwill Northern Michigan on the 7th annual Walk for Health and Housing, a guided tour of downtown Traverse City from the perspective of people experiencing homelessness and the providers who serve them, departing from NMC’s Great Lakes campus parking lot at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16.
The walk is a part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, happening Nov. 12-20, and brings together students and community partners to raise awareness about the increasing affordability crisis in Northwest Michigan. Lasting about two hours, the guided walk through downtown Traverse City illuminates the problems of food insecurity and homelessness. Along the route, participants will stop to hear stories from service providers about their efforts to mitigate these problems in region.
The walk is an example of Experiential Learning at NMC. EL actively engages the learner through relevant and ongoing experiences, critical problem solving and reflective practices. Community partners include the organization National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Goodwill NM, Northern Michigan Supportive Housing, Jubilee House, Central United Methodist Breakfast program, Food Rescue of Northern Michigan, Traverse City Police Department, Safe Harbor, and the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness.
NMC’s Great Lakes campus is located at 715 E. Front St., Traverse City.
Brandon Everest
Faculty, Social Sciences Area
Director, Experiential Learning Institute
beverest@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1985
TRAVERSE CITY — Northern Michigan 2023 high school graduates can lower their bill at NMC by thousands of dollars by applying for the newly-created Michigan Achievement Scholarship online.
NMC’s Office of Financial Aid estimates that up to 200 area high school graduates could qualify for Michigan Achievement, and NMC could award between $300,000–$400,000.
“We are thrilled to offer high school graduates this opportunity, on top of the more than $1 million in donor-created scholarships NMC already offers,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.
Created by bipartisan legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month, the Achievement Scholarship makes 2023 graduates eligible for annual scholarships at Michigan colleges and universities in amounts up to:
Savings is dependent upon demonstrated financial need on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) Proportionate to actual tuition cost, students taking advantage of the scholarship to attend community colleges will receive the most value. At NMC, for instance, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship would more than cover half a year’s tuition for Grand Traverse County residents.
The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is expected to cover 94 percent of students attending community college, 79 percent of students attending a private college or university, and 76 percent of students attending a public university.
Besides making college more affordable for families, the scholarship was created to grow Michigan’s talent pool, and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030. NMC also participates in the Michigan Reconnect scholarship, a state program that offers free in-district tuition (Grand Traverse County residents) to adults 25 and over who do not already have a college degree or certificate.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
Campus Life will be hosting a volleyball tournament on Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Rajkovich Physical Education Center. This tournament is open to all NMC staff, students and faculty.
The deadline to sign up is November 16.
For any questions or concerns please reach out to Marcus Bennett at mbennett@nmc.edu.
TRAVERSE CITY — Northern Michigan 2023 high school graduates can lower their bill at NMC by thousands of dollars by applying for the newly-created Michigan Achievement Scholarship online.
NMC’s Office of Financial Aid estimates that up to 200 area high school graduates could qualify for Michigan Achievement, and NMC could award between $300,000–$400,000.
“We are thrilled to offer high school graduates this opportunity, on top of the more than $1 million in donor-created scholarships NMC already offers,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.
Created by bipartisan legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month, the Achievement Scholarship makes 2023 graduates eligible for annual scholarships at Michigan colleges and universities in amounts up to:
Savings is dependent upon demonstrated financial need on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) Proportionate to actual tuition cost, students taking advantage of the scholarship to attend community colleges will receive the most value. At NMC, for instance, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship would more than cover half a year’s tuition for Grand Traverse County residents.
The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is expected to cover 94 percent of students attending community college, 79 percent of students attending a private college or university, and 76 percent of students attending a public university.
Besides making college more affordable for families, the scholarship was created to grow Michigan’s talent pool, and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030. NMC also participates in the Michigan Reconnect scholarship, a state program that offers free in-district tuition (Grand Traverse County residents) to adults 25 and over who do not already have a college degree or certificate.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
Dear NMC Students, Faculty and Staff:
I hope you are having a successful fall semester! As we welcome November, I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family over a meal this Thanksgiving. To make sure we can all share in this important tradition I am asking for your help.
Recently, instructor, Kristy McDonald, invited me to a business communications class to see their experiential learning project in action. These students are improving their professional communication skills, while making a real difference in the lives of others in our community – literally, helping feed the hungry (and, affording a bit of Thanksgiving joy).
They believe everyone should get to experience Thanksgiving, and with our help, we can help make this come true. They are asking us – the NMC family – to join in the efforts and fill the red bins by November 14. You can donate as an individual, or join together with your classmates or co-workers to share in the spirit of gratitude! Red collection bins are located at the lobby of the following buildings: Osterlin Building, Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, Parsons-Stulen, and the Great Lakes Campus. The class aims to collect:
Community members can help by donating $10 or more to win a variety of prizes; including Red Wings tickets, a one-night stay at the Great Wolf Lodge with water park passes, a one-night stay at the Delamar Resort, passes to Bay Meadows family golf course (including cart fees), and other local prizes.
Donations can be made online at nmc.edu/give (Choose the amount, select “designate my gift to others,” and type in “Food For Thought.”) In addition, a private donor has pledged to match monetary contributions up to $5,000. Any additional local companies interested in becoming sponsors of this project are encouraged to contact the students. Employees can also help a student apply for a free meal by completing this Google Form (NMC Food for Thought Form).
Having experienced homelessness and food insecurity in my life, I know first hand what a difference your donation can make for a family in need. I admire these students’ desire to help others this Thanksgiving. Please join me in supporting this effort. For more information, or if you have any questions, please email Michael Wittman at wittmam@mail.nmc.edu.
Thank you for your help. Together we can ensure all Hawk Owls have a memorable Thanksgiving!
Nick Nissley, President
The Health & Science Building atrium on NMC’s main campus will be used as a polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8 for Precinct 9 voters to cast their ballots in the general election. Some parking in the Cedar lot will be set aside for voters at those times.
The NMC Bookstore will be closed that day as well, and will reopen with normal hours Wednesday, November 9.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to set up quick access to your NMC Email on your Android or iOS device.
TRAVERSE CITY — A new, $30 million state scholarship fund to train more police officers is coinciding with major changes to NMC’s Police Academy, setting up an enrollment- to- employment pipeline that will ultimately benefit community safety.
Announced last month, the Public Safety Academy Assistance Program was established to help address the critical need for additional police officers statewide by reducing or eliminating the cost associated with basic police training. Law enforcement agencies are eligible for up to $20,000 per recruit for tuition and other training costs, plus $4,000 in salary.
“It serves both the agency and the student,” NMC Police Academy director Gail Kurowski. “There are a lot of people that might be considering a career in law enforcement that don’t have the financial wherewithal to put themselves through a program.”
Grand Traverse County Undersheriff Mike Shea said that will be a boost to his department, which earlier this year had 10 vacancies in the patrol division. He recently attended the Michigan Sheriffs Association conference and of the 70 counties represented, all but one or two were struggling with vacancies.
“We are bleeding police officers. They are leaving the profession at an alarming rate,” said Shea, a 2005 NMC Police Academy alumnus himself.
Applications are now open for agencies who intend to enroll recruits in an academy session beginning after January 1. Next fall is also when NMC debuts a new, four-month structure for its academy. That cuts in half the current time needed to complete the program and will allow NMC to better compete for students it might have previously lost to condensed academies.
“The 16-week program is going to be huge,” said Shea, who already has a candidate in mind as Grand Traverse County’s first employed recruit to start next fall.
NMC is also the only academy to offer drone certification to its recruits, and far exceeds the minimum requirement for scenario training, which simulates real-world situations, set by MCOLES, the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
“We are going to have over 60 hours of scenario training,” Kurowski said. “That is huge. There is no academy in Michigan that’s going to have that.”
The $20,000 per recruit would more than cover NMC’s tuition. NMC is also the northernmost academy in the lower peninsula, making it an attractive option for agencies regionwide, as well as the UP.
Shea said another plus is that NMC’s instructors are all either law enforcement officers or attorneys.
“There is no one better to teach than those who are living it,” he said.
For more information on NMC’s program, visit nmc.edu/police.
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019