State dental award presented for NMC-tribal college partnership

Beckie WootersBeckie Wooters (download high-resolution photo)TRAVERSE CITY —NMC Dental Assistant program director Beckie Wooters has been named the 2024 Allied Dental Professional Educator by the Michigan Dental Association.

Wooters was selected for NMC’s articulation agreement with Bay Mills Community College, which seeks to enroll students from the tribal college in the U.P. at NMC in order to increase access to dental care.

Dr. Jessica RickertDr. Jessica Rickert (download high-resolution photo)Retired Traverse City area dentist Dr. Jessica Rickert, who connected NMC and Bay Mills, accepted the award on Wooters’ behalf at the MDA’s annual session in Lansing in April. Rickert is the first female Native American dentist in the United States. She now consults with insurer Delta Dental of Michigan and leads Anishinaabe Dental Outreach, whose goal is to improve dental health in Native communities. Rickert saw an opportunity to connect NMC and Bay Mills to better serve the Upper Peninsula, where the shortage of dental professionals is especially acute.

Ability to earn RDA licensure is a key advantage of NMC’s program, the furthest north among six accredited dental assistant programs in Michigan. Wooters also designed a second-year program schedule that will allow BMCC students to return home for frequent visits.

Find out more at nmc.edu/dental.

Release date: MAY 17, 2024

For more information:

Cari Noga
Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Mobile – 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-discrimination

AquaHacking Challenge winners announced

Thanks to everyone at NMC who made the AquaHacking Great Lakes Challenge a success: Hans VanSumeren, Ed Bailey, Lisa Cooper, and Matt Hirsch, Steve Rice with the Office of Possibilities, with executive support from Jason Slade. At last week’s finale, $35,000 in prize money was divided among three start-ups, including Wave Lumina of Traverse City, the second-place finisher.


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

933 students earn spring Dean’s List distinction

TRAVERSE CITY — Congratulations to the 933 students who earned Dean’s List distinction for the spring 2024 semester, earning a grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a possible 4.0 while taking five or more credits.

Attached is a list of students who achieved Dean’s List honors for the spring 2024 semester at NMC.

Release date: MAY 13, 2024

 

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

Upcoming Extended Education classes for employees

NMC’s 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. 

Want to view upcoming classes at a glance? View the NEW Calendar of Classes.

Date Night: Social Partner DanceNMC Extended Education date night dance class
4 sessions; Thursdays, May 16–June 6; 6:15–8 p.m.
Employee price: $32 (public price $199)
Have you always wanted to dance, already love to dance, or have a wedding or event coming up where dancing is expected? Perhaps you’re looking for a new date night activity? Here’s a fun Thursday night answer. Learn to connect with a partner and be able to dance to any kind of music—to listen, co-create, trust, and become a better dancer.
Register here

Explore Pen & WatercolorNMC Extended Education watercolor class
2 sessions; Wednesdays, June 5 & 12; 6:30–9 p.m.
Employee price: $39 (public price $99)
Have you dabbled in sketching or watercolor painting? Are you an addicted doodler? Are you intrigued about adding an illustrative perspective to your work? Join Jan Oliver, watercolor artist, and look at nature, close up, and capture what you see using pencil, pen, and watercolor paint.
Register here

Date Night: Spring Farmers MarketNMC Extended Education spring market class
Wednesday, June 12; 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Employee price: $46 for 2 people (Public price $175)
Ready to ditch the grocery store blues and embrace the bounty of spring? Grab your partner, parent or friend and learn how to transform farmers market finds into delicious plant-powered plates. An optional glass of wine may be purchased at registration.
Register here

 

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

EES Help Desk

Media mentions for May 13, 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.

Rebel with a cause: Mayfield booster Edna Sargent dies
Record-Eagle, May 11
(more…)

IAF to explore indigenous sovereignty on May 16

Northwestern Michigan College’s International Affairs Forum welcomes Matthew L.M. Fletcher for a hybrid event at 12:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 16 to discuss tribal sovereignty and history.

Fletcher is the Harry Burns Hutchins Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He teaches and writes in the areas of federal Indian law, American Indian tribal law, Anishinaabe legal and political philosophy, constitutional law, federal courts, and legal ethics.

Fletcher also sits as an appellate judge for the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, and the Tulalip Tribes. He is a member of the Grand Traverse Band.

The moderator for this event is Mark Wilson, a citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians and former Vice-Chair of the Tribal Council (2014-2022). Wilson serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Traverse City and is a member of the International Affairs Forum Advisory Board.

The event will open and close with a drum ceremony by Dusty Bear, composed of members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

This event is supported in part by grant funding from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

The event will be held at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium, 1701 E. Front St, Traverse City, MI. There will be a welcoming reception at 11:30 a.m.. The 12:30 program is also available to livestream online.

Visit TCIAF.com for event details and to secure in-person & online tickets. Event admission is free for students & educators, including all employees of NMC and area schools.

IAF logo

Additional funding available from the Office of Possibilities

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 Office of Possibilities is hosting it’s final pitch event for the academic year on Tuesday, May 14 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in room 104/105 of the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Take advantage of this opportunity to kick-off the next innovative project! The timeline will be very tight and the turnaround quick!

Those interested should submit an application by May 7 to determine their eligibility and to be connected with an OOPs team member to assist in planning the pitch.

 

Upcoming Extended Education classes for employees

NMC’s 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. 

Want to view upcoming classes at a glance? View the NEW Calendar of Classes.

Functional FitnessNMC Extended Educational Services Functinal Fitness Class
12 sessions; Tuesdays & Thursdays May 14 – June 20; 6–6:45 a.m.
Employee price: $32 (Public price 175)
Early bird exercisers, this one’s for you! Join IT guru and fitness fanatic, Kyle Morrison, for this early morning workout that blends flexibility, strength training, aerobics, posture improvement, and breathing techniques to increase overall fitness and enhance recovery. Participation in this class will be alongside others with similar goals, abilities and limitations – a personalized experience unique to each individual. Utilize a mix of boxing, kettlebells, and bodyweight exercises, ending with a total body stretch to promote recovery.
Register here

Knife SkillsNMC Extended Education Knife SKills class
Tuesday, May 14; 6–9 p.m.
Employee price: $34 (public price $99)
The first step in becoming a confident home chef is choosing the best knife for the job! Chef Les Eckert will guide you in honing important knife skills. Work with carrots, celery, cauliflower, red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, lemon, and avocado using the methods of julienne, dice, concasse, zest, juice, roast, blanch, mince, and chiffonade. Following knife work, you will prepare and eat a meal as a class.
Register here

Barre ExpressNMC EES Barre Express
5 sessions; Fridays, May 31 – June 28; 12–12:45 p.m.
Employee price: $34 (Public price $75)
Rajkovich Physical Education Building (#16 on campus map)
Looking for a quick lunchtime workout? Whether you are new to fitness or you’ve danced for many years, get ready for a fun way to strengthen your entire body!
Register here

 

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

EES Help Desk

Media mentions for May 6, 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.

NMC celebrates Class of ‘24
Record-Eagle, May 5
(more…)

Dennos Spring Art Market

Dennos Museum Spring Art MarketOn Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Dennos Museum Center will be hosting the Spring Art Market. Engage with 25 talented artists selling work in a range of media from painting, printmaking, illustration, mixed media and ceramics to glass, wood, fiber, and jewelry. Take a museum stroll with mom and enjoy a pianist playing in the galleries. Create a Mother’s Day card with our docents. There is fun for all during this FREE DAY at the museum.

    • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spring Art Market
    • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Printmaking and ceramic demos throughout the day
    • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. card making project
    • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pianist in the galleries
    • 12–2 p.m. Coffee and cookies in the galleries (or as long as they last)
    • 2–3 p.m. Special behind-the-scenes tour with the Director

Parking is free in the Dennos Museum Center lot and throughout NMC’s campus.

People Need People blood drive June 4

Donate blood and help save lives!

Versiti Blood Centers is holding another blood drive on campus. The blood bus will be in the Cedar Lot on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, from 12–4 p.m. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome! Make sure to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. All donors will receive a free t-shirt. 

 If you want to sign up please click on the link below or call 1(866) Mi-Blood.

For questions, contact Heidi Robinson from Veristit at hrobinson@versiti.org.

Crucial Conversations for Accountability training

Registration is open for Crucial Conversations for Accountability! 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. Note: Both days are required for course completion.

Dates/times:

    • Wednesday, May 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Thursday, May 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There is no cost to employees for this course (the course retails for $799 at U of M). Participants receive a free copy of the book Crucial Accountability.

Follow these instructions to sign up now for this effective, experiential learning based course.

For questions, contact professionaldevelopmentinstitute@nmc.edu or call (231) 995-1143.

 

Performance and goals workshops

Register for one of the upcoming sessions in NeoEd Learn using these instructions to get a jump start on your performance evaluation and goals with a step-by-step walk through. The new DEIB professional development goal/learning opportunity for you and/or your team will also be discussed.

Sessions are scheduled on these dates:

    • Monday, May 13, 2–2:45 p.m.
    • Wednesday, May 15, 10:15–11 a.m.
    • Thursday, May 16, 1–1:45 p.m.

Annual performance reviews and goal setting timelines

The timelines for reviews and goals for employees are:

Adjunct Faculty:

  • 4/19/24 – Adjunct current-year evaluations available
  • 5/12/24 – Adjunct self-evaluations due
  • 6/26/24 – Supervisors evaluations finalized & meetings conducted
  • 6/26/24 – Acknowledge Meeting Sign-off Electronically (Both)

Staff:

(Note: The staff performance evaluation due date of 6/30/2023 is incorrect.)

  • 4/20/24 – Staff evaluations open
  • 5/17/24 – Staff self-evaluations due
  • 6/24/24 – Supervisor evaluations & meetings due (forms signed electronically by supervisor and employee)
  • 6/24/24 – Staff goal planning meetings completed
  • 7/19/24 – Staff goal plans due to supervisors (electronically)
  • 7/26/24 – Supervisors approve staff goal plans
  • 7/26/24 – Staff begin working on their new goals

Faculty (FEP Dates):

  • 4/9/24 – Faculty current year goals and evaluations available
  • 5/24/24 – Faculty self-evaluations due
  • 7/22/24 – Supervisors evaluations finalized & meetings conducted
  • 9/13/24 – All Faculty annual goal plans submitted to supervisor
  • 10/11/24 – Annual Plan goals approved by supervisors
  • 10/11/24 – Faculty begin working on goals

For additional support, please contact Human Resources at hr@nmc.edu, (231)995–1143 or enter a HelpDesk ticket.

Kudos!

Kudos to Maria Ulrich. Maria took care of a messy incident that occurred during a concert. It was far outside her job description, but she dealt with it quickly and efficiently with what she had on hand.

Kudos to Charles Macphee, Hollianne McHugh, Jim Bensley, Marina Call, Kristy McDonald, and Brandon Everest. Thank you to Jim Bensley and Marina Call for offering the Study Abroad Panel, and to Charles Macphee (EGY 105), Hollianne McHugh (MFG 203), Brandon Everest (SOC 201), and Kristy McDonald (BUS 231) for opening up their student presentations to NMC and the community for the 3rd Annual NMC ELI Learning Symposium. Their students did an outstanding job of representing themselves and NMC through the various presentations.

Kudos to Caroline Schaefer-Hills, Glenn Wolff, Laura Korch, Brady Corcoran, Amber Marsh, and Terri Gustafson. Thank you to the following NMC faculty and staff for helping recruit students to share at the Reflective Table Talk session at the 3rd Annual NMC ELI Learning Symposium. Caroline Schaefer-Hills brought her VCA Studio Class to discuss their non-profit work, Laura Korch recruited students to share their ceramics work, Glenn Wolff brought a student with him to share details from their Ex Libris project, Amber Marsh recruited an honors student to share her dance project, Brady Corcoran recruited Audio Tech. students to share about the rave they sponsored and Terri Gustafson recruited E-Sports members to share about their experiences. It was awesome to hear their reflections and passion for the learning they do 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!