Museum Store Sunday at the Dennos

Nov 17, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Do some holiday shopping and support your local art museum during Museum Store Sunday on November 27.

You’ll find an assortment of unique, art-inspired gifts for the holidays like fair trade felted ornaments and accessories, hand-crafted jewelry, puzzles, books, and children’s toys.

Staff and students normally receive 10% off in the store, but all regular priced merchandise will be 25% off that day only.

Can’t stop by The Dennos Museum that day? Visit the Dennos’ online store and apply the coupon MUSEUMSTORESUNDAY at checkout for 25% off regular merchandise.

Students to distribute 150 Thanksgiving meals

Nov 16, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Business students at Northwestern Michigan College will distribute 150 Thanksgiving meals to fellow students and community families on Monday, Nov 21. This is the result of the ninth annual Food For Thought project, which teaches students to communicate professionally through experiential learning. Each student was taught how to write a professional letter to businesses and organizations, requesting an item donation or monetary donation to help meet the goal of feeding 150 families.

Distribution will take place at two locations:

• 2–4 p.m. at NMC’s Physical Education Building/Maple Parking Lot, 1701 E. Front St, Traverse City. This location is for the distribution of 100 meals to NMC students.
• 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Bill Marsh, 1621 S Garfield Ave., Traverse City. This location is for the distribution of 50 meals to local families identified by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan.

Release date: NOVEMBER 16, 2022

For more information:

Michael Wittman
Marketing Team Leader
(231) 866-1386
wittmam@mail.nmc.edu

Kristy McDonald
Business Instructor
(231) 995-1059
kmcdonald@nmc.edu 

Success story: Award-winning student success services grow at NMC

Nov 10, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

November 10, 2022

NMC’s first full-time student success coach won a statewide award for her work Wednesday, while the college continues to beef up its ranks so more students can benefit from a coach’s services as a campus point person, problem solver and resource.

Coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of, such as study skills, time management and stress reduction. NMC coach Erica Whiting (pictured above) was named a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards. The award goes to someone who has a passion for college access and success, has persevered over challenges and made an impact in the lives of Michigan students.

Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to hire her as the first full-time student success coach in December 2020, after beginning coaching as a pilot project in 2015. Pilot results showed coached students received passing grades more and failing grades less. They also had lower rates of withdrawing from classes, which is key to retention and completing a degree. Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan, slated for completion by 2025.

Results from Whiting’s assigned cohort of East Hall residents –first-year students who are mostly first generation, Pell grant recipients or minority students– showed that students benefit from coach communications, even if they never meet together.

“Consistent communication, even without reciprocation, allowed students to know who their person is on campus,” said Student Success Coordinator Sally Smarsty, who wrote the grant that brought Whiting to NMC through the Michigan College Access Network. “They know who to reach out to should they need something.”

Whiting spoke the students’ language, Smarsty said. Her texts or emails asking them to check in with her via an emoji, for instance, would garner 90 percent response rates.

“The students love her. She’s absolutely wonderful,” Smarsty said.

“Having my efforts recognized in this way is not only an incredible honor, but a reassurance that the work we do is meaningful,” Whiting said.

Whiting joined a team of a half-dozen part time coaches. The coaching team now numbers eight including a second full-time coach. There is one vacancy, for a Native American student cohort coach, and the department is also recruiting to replace Whiting, whose two-year Americorps term will be up at the end of the month. Smarsty is eager to fill both. A full-time person like Whiting, who has the opportunity to focus on coaching, also benefits the rest of the part-time staff.

“Having this person full time who can focus and be there consistently has been really helpful,” Smarsty said. “What (Whiting) has shown us, is that using that consistent communication, students know who their support is.

“That’s been really good for our team.”

Success story: Award-winning student success services grow at NMC

Nov 10, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

November 10, 2022

NMC’s first full-time student success coach won a statewide award for her work Wednesday, while the college continues to beef up its ranks so more students can benefit from a coach’s services as a campus point person, problem solver and resource.

Coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of, such as study skills, time management and stress reduction. NMC coach Erica Whiting (pictured above) was named a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards. The award goes to someone who has a passion for college access and success, has persevered over challenges and made an impact in the lives of Michigan students.

Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to hire her as the first full-time student success coach in December 2020, after beginning coaching as a pilot project in 2015. Pilot results showed coached students received passing grades more and failing grades less. They also had lower rates of withdrawing from classes, which is key to retention and completing a degree. Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan, slated for completion by 2025.

Results from Whiting’s assigned cohort of East Hall residents –first-year students who are mostly first generation, Pell grant recipients or minority students– showed that students benefit from coach communications, even if they never meet together.

“Consistent communication, even without reciprocation, allowed students to know who their person is on campus,” said Student Success Coordinator Sally Smarsty, who wrote the grant that brought Whiting to NMC through the Michigan College Access Network. “They know who to reach out to should they need something.”

Whiting spoke the students’ language, Smarsty said. Her texts or emails asking them to check in with her via an emoji, for instance, would garner 90 percent response rates.

“The students love her. She’s absolutely wonderful,” Smarsty said.

“Having my efforts recognized in this way is not only an incredible honor, but a reassurance that the work we do is meaningful,” Whiting said.

Whiting joined a team of a half-dozen part time coaches. The coaching team now numbers eight including a second full-time coach. There is one vacancy, for a Native American student cohort coach, and the department is also recruiting to replace Whiting, whose two-year Americorps term will be up at the end of the month. Smarsty is eager to fill both. A full-time person like Whiting, who has the opportunity to focus on coaching, also benefits the rest of the part-time staff.

“Having this person full time who can focus and be there consistently has been really helpful,” Smarsty said. “What (Whiting) has shown us, is that using that consistent communication, students know who their support is.

“That’s been really good for our team.”