Wellness @ Work
Nominate someone for a Foundation Excellence Award
Though the weather isn’t giving us many hints these days, spring is right around the corner, and with it comes a great time of the year at NMC. The time when we honor those who make NMC the great place that it is. Outstanding Alumni nominations are wrapping up, Fellows Nominations are around the corner and now is the time to help us honor your faculty and staff colleagues at Northwestern Michigan College with the Foundation Excellence Awards.
The NMC Foundation Excellence Awards promote exemplary service to students and clients and recognize the outstanding demonstration of NMC’s values. Up to five awards are granted annually and the recipients are announced at the annual service awards reception in April. All college employees are eligible for this award, including faculty (regular and adjunct), staff (administrative/professional, maintenance/custodial, support, technical/paraprofessional, and supplemental) and student employees.
Any member of the faculty, staff, community, or student body may nominate a person or group for the award by completing a nomination form and submitting it to the Resource Development office by the deadline date of March 16, 2012. A selection panel comprised of representatives of the Foundation, faculty, staff, and students reviews the nominations and makes a recommendation to me.
Take a moment to view the nomination form. Please feel free to copy it as necessary.
Take a survey statewide community college survey
The Michigan Community College Association is working with Interact Communications, a National Marketing Firm, to create a statewide brand and messaging campaign that allows our community colleges to compete strongly with our local, regional and national competitors. While their brand research will involve focus groups, interviews and a statewide survey, Interact wants to start first with all of you, our internal stakeholders. They are asking every faculty, staff, volunteer and student at all the community colleges in the state, to participate in an online survey. The survey asks only nine questions, but they are important questions about what we do well, our competition and what you all believe our communities should know about our college.
As a member of this college and in turn a part of the larger sector of community colleges across the state, your voice, input, and insight are extremely valuable to this research process. Please use the following link that will direct you to an online survey. This survey is taken anonymously, and the data will only be used in aggregate, so feel free to be honest. The survey itself will only take you 5-10 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your time and input.
Michigan Global Awareness Consortium to offer first presentation of spring series
On Tuesday, March 19th, the Michigan Global Awareness Consortium (MGAC) offers the first presentation of its spring series. Students, educators, and members of the community are invited to the NMC main campus for a forty-minute (video-taped) panel discussion on the topic of Post-2014 Afghanistan & Pakistan; which is sponsored by the International Affairs Forum and recently aired by Upnorth Media Center, a public-access TV station. The panel includes Amiad Khan from the Social Sciences department, Jack Segal, a former principal political advisor to the top NATO general in Afghanistan, and Ted Curran, a former U.S. diplomat in the region for 25 years.
After the panel Khan will be happy to answer questions and continue the discussion.
The event (7:00 – 8:30 pm in the Osterlin Building/Library, Room 205) is free and open to the public.
NMC formally adopts Hawk Owls as new nickname
For the first time in more than 35 years, Michigan’s oldest community college has an official nickname. Northwestern Michigan College, hasn’t used a nickname since it last competed in intercollegiate sports in 1976. The college’s iconic tree logo will not change, and there are no plans to reinstate intercollegiate athletics, but NMC has reclaimed a little bit of missing identity. The NMC Board of Trustees unanimously voted to formally adopt Hawk Owls as the college’s nickname at their meeting February 25.
Hawk Owl pays a bit of homage to the college’s previous nickname, Tomahawks, and owls have long served as a symbol of wisdom.
The process of selecting a new nickname was deliberate. Dozens of potential nickname suggestions were considered and narrowed to a final field of four:
Black Squirrel – A name long thought favored by NMC students, black squirrels are unique to the area and have a visible presence on the college’s campuses.
Bison – A nod to the symbol of NMC’s annual barbecue and to the large buffalo herds in the area.
Pine Marten – The pine (or American) marten is a weasel about the size of a mink whose candidacy was particularly supported by those who wanted a cute, child-friendly symbol.
Hawk Owl – Once common to the area, this rare non-nocturnal owl still does appear in northern Michigan, especially in the fall. The hawk owl resembles an owl in appearance and a hawk in behavior.
Polls were conducted of students and staff at the PinePalooza event on campus, through the college’s employee and student newsletters and community-wide through NMC’s Facebook account.
The final results had the Hawk Owl with a commanding 36% of the vote, compared to 24% for the Black Squirrel, 23% for the Bison and 17% for the Pine Marten.
Next steps include creation of an official graphical representation of the Northwestern Michigan College Hawk Owl, and development of plans to create a mascot.
Seventh Annual Career and Employment Fair at the Hagerty Center
Please encourage your students to attend NMC’s sixth annual Career and Employment Fair, March 7 from 3pm-5pm at the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. Employers from professional and occupational fields will be recruiting for career-track positions, seasonal and entry-level opportunities, as well as internships, service learning and networking opportunities.
March is NMC Faculty and Staff Appreciation month at Lobdell’s
Haven’t had a chance to try the fabulous food the students prepare in Lobdell’s, A Teaching Restaurant? Here is a little extra incentive to come over to the restaurant on the Great Lakes Campus and try us out.
During the month of March all NMC faculty and staff will receive 15% off their lunch bill when you dine with us. Just present your NMC ID or business card and we will apply your discount.
Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 995-3120.
If you provide us with a business card when you dine with us you will be entered into a drawing. Weekly a winner will be chosen to receive a dozen cookies from our pastry case, and at the end of the month we will draw from all of the entries (including our weekly winners) a grand prize winner. That person will receive two tickets to our Garde Manger Grand Reception on April 26, 2013. Items for the event are prepared and served by our second year culinary students and includes items such as carved meats, cheese and fruit displays, pates and terrines, house made ice cream, and much more.
Service Learning in Brazil
NMC was recently given the chance to participate in a unique opportunity teaching English to high school students in Salvador, Brazil. As a partner in US-Brazil Connect (us-brazil.org ) NMC will be choosing seven qualified students to spend the month of July in Brazil with students from three other community colleges from across the US. Students chosen for this program must commit to an 8 week pre and post online learning engagement with a partner school in Brazil. Qualified students have all been notified and will be submitting applications next week. If you have someone who is curious to know more, please have them contact Outreach Services at 995-2524.
Save the Date- Retirement & Recognition Reception- April 17, 2013
One of our favorite events is on the calendar and will be here soon! Invitations will be sent in March, so watch your mailbox for party details. Here is the list of employees who will be receiving a Service Award at this year’s event. Please call Human Resources at 995-1026 if you have any additions or corrections to the list.
Staff and Faculty Service Awards 2013
| 5 Years | 10 Years | 15 Years | 20 Years | 25 Years |
| Lisa Dohm | Mary Beeker | Anna Bachman | Marjory Smith | Dori Creighton |
| Tom Dunn | Fred Cook | Jenny Barnes | Sue DeCamillis | |
| Robin Fitzgerald | Patty Cron-Huhta | Cindy Duby | Doug Domine | |
| Bill Hardy | Sandy Harrand | Margaret Fox | Keith Kelly | |
| Constanza Hazelwood | Lori Hodek | Jan Neumann | John Pflughoeft | |
| Jo Hendrix | Georgenia Hromada | Deb Pharo | ||
| Mela McCormick | Amy Klei | Jan Root | ||
| Craig Shattuck | ||||
| 35 Years | 40 Years | |||
| Rita Kucera | Frank Snyder | |||
| Steve Westphal | ||||
Adjunct Faculty Service Awards 2013
| 5 Years | 10 Years | 15 Years | 20 Years |
| Kim Anderson | Gary Howe | Teri Brady | Mark Smith |
| Joan Buchanan | Rebecca Jones | Bob Keller | Philip Tarczon |
| Todd Casperson | Mark Lyon | Dee Morrison | |
| Kathy Connor | Brian McCall | Patty Olson | |
| Michael Davis | Joan Richmond | Keith Tampa | |
| Mary Lou Deutsch | Julia Sheerin | ||
| Jane Ditri | Frank Simkins | ||
| Tim Dunn | Ethel Vandenberg | ||
| Lee ElstonRobin Fisher
Robert George Robert J. Hall |
Rob Weiler
25 Years |
35 Years |
|
| Conrad Heins | Mike Cochran | Sheila Stafford | |
| Richard Hoadley | Susan Odgers | ||
| David Hosler | |||
| Anita Hunt | |||
| Jill Markoski | |||
| Sharon Mayer | |||
| Karen Miller | |||
| Troy Robertson | |||
| Larissa VanderZee | |||
| Duane Wright |
Employee Anniversaries
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
Pat Coy Custodian 2 years
Lindsey Dickinson International Recruiter/Advisor 2 years
Rochelle Hammontree Paraprofessional – Library 29 years
Scott Herzberg Assistant Director of Outreach Services 17 years
Dan Yeider Maintenance Mechanic 7 years
Intercom and Student News Contributions
Any items you wish to have posted in the Intercom and Student News can be sent to publicrelations@nmc.edu.
Position Vacancies
For information on positions currently open at NMC, please visit NMC’s web page at https://jobs.nmc.edu/ Information on internal postings has been emailed.
Kudos
Kudos to Paul Perry! The heat in Tanis Building has been wonderful! Thank you for updating our old system and making it a workable environment again. We have seen Paul checking rooms and making sure everyone is comfortable on a daily basis. Thank you, Paul, for taking the time and effort to reach everyone in the building on an individual level.
Big Kudos to Emily Magner for organizing the One Billion Rising event at the Grand Traverse Mall. At least 200 people showed up to dance and show their support for women around the world who have suffered abuse. The only downside was that it was over in minutes. I think we all wanted it to go on for hours. Student Life is so lucky to have her as an employee.
Benefits Corner
MPSERS RETIREMENT REFORM – NEW DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS
During the recent Retirement Reform Election, eligible employees were given the opportunity to change from their current MPSERS pension plan to a Defined Contribution (DC) plan, and also from the subsidized Retiree Healthcare Fund to the Personal Healthcare Fund. These changes became effective on your 2/22/13 paycheck.
If you elected either or both of these new plans, this information will be communicated to ING, the company administering the plans. ING will contact you directly through mail with a personal PIN. This PIN will give you access to your ING account online, where you will be able to choose your investment plan as well as change your contributions to either of these plans. Contact ING at (800) 748-6128 or visit https://stateofmi.ingplans.com to learn about investment options.
Defined Contribution Plan contributions.
As a Defined Contribution (DC) plan participant, you receive a 4% employer contribution to your 401(k) account. In addition, you are able to make contributions to a 457 account.
If you choose to make contributions under the DC plan, you are immediately vested in your contributions and related earnings to your savings in your 457 account. You are 50% in your employer’s matching contributions after the equivalent of 2 years of full time service, 75% percent after 3 years of service, and 100 percent after 4 years of service. Your vesting for your employer’s contributions begins with your first day of work, so all of your Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System service counts towards your vesting in the Defined Contribution plan.
If you switched to the DC plan, your retirement benefits will be made up of two things:
- Your pension (based on years of service, final average compensation (FAC) and 1.5 percent pension factor as of the day before your transition date); and
- Your state-sponsored 401(k) and 457 accounts, which would include your 4 percent employer contributions (made to your 401(k) account), any personal contributions you made to your 457 account, and any accumulated investment earnings. Vesting rules apply.
Personal Healthcare Fund contributions.
The Personal Healthcare Fund is a portable, tax-deferred fund that you can use for paying healthcare and other expenses in retirement. As a member of the Personal Healthcare Fund, you voluntarily opted out of the premium healthcare subsidy. You no longer contribute 3% of compensation to the Retiree Healthcare Fund and any contributions you have made to that fund will be deposited into a tax-deferred, 401(k) account. In addition, you are automatically enrolled in a 2% employee contribution into a 457 account, earning you a 2 percent employer match into a 401(k) account.
You are immediately vested in your contributions and related earnings to your healthcare savings in your 457 account. You are 50% in your employer’s matching contributions after the equivalent of 2 years of full time service, 75% percent after 3 years of service, and 100 percent after 4 years of service. Your vesting for your employer’s contributions begins with your first day of work, so all of your Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System service counts towards your vesting in the Personal Healthcare Fund.
MPSERS encourages employees to continue to refer to the Reform Tools Overview website for questions on the recent reform: http://www.michigan.gov/orsschools/0,4653,7-206-61921—,00.html. If you have questions about your retirement, feel free to contact Human Resources at 231-995-1362.
Community college grads out-earn bachelor’s degree holders
A high demand for those with associate’s degrees is setting a new trend in the workforce of today and a new strategy for college hopefuls of the future. Studies show that in some states, on average, community college graduates straight out of school are making more than graduates of four-year universities. As the perception changes that a bachelor’s degree is the default, community colleges continue to prove to be the best value in education.
Click Here to Read More:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/
Zack Light named Employee of the Semester
Zack Light was named the Spring 2013 Employee of the Semester. He was presented his award from Aaron Beach, Director of Human Resources and introduced by Carol Evans, Director of Extended Education Services who lauded Zack for his years of service in the NMC Fitness Center and as an adjunct faculty member, his exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, his work ethic and his “can do spirit.”
Spring employee of the semester Zack Light (center) receives his award at February’s board meeting from Carol Evans, Director of Extended Educational Services and Doug Bishop, Board Chair.
Statewide community college survey
The Michigan Community College Association is working with Interact Communications, a National Marketing Firm, to create a statewide brand and messaging campaign that allows our community colleges to compete strongly with our local, regional and national competitors. While their brand research will involve focus groups, interviews and a statewide survey, Interact wants to start first with all of you, our internal stakeholders. They are asking every faculty, staff, volunteer and student at all the community colleges in the state, to participate in an online survey. The survey asks only nine questions, but they are important questions about what we do well, our competition and what you all believe our communities should know about our college.
As a member of this college and in turn a part of the larger sector of community colleges across the state, your voice, input, and insight are extremely valuable to this research process. Please use the following link that will direct you to an online survey. This survey is taken anonymously, and the data will only be used in aggregate, so feel free to be honest. The survey itself will only take you 5-10 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your time and input.
What’s new at the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute?
As part of the ongoing collaboration between Northwestern Michigan College and Western Michigan University, two WMU courses focused on freshwater research will be offered summer 2013 at NMC.
Faculty and staff from WMU and NMC will be offering an information session about the courses and our freshwater studies program collaboration.
Come join us for pizza, fun and the latest news.
Mark your calendars!
March 15, Great Lakes Campus Room 112
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The courses are:
BIOS 5545, Human Impacts Great Lakes (3 cr)
Dr. Charles Ide
Online May 6 – June 26
Meets face to face:
Friday, May 31 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Saturday June 1 9-5:00 p.m.
Sunday June 2 9-12:00 p.m.
BIOS 5535 Freshwater Ecology (4 cr)
Julie Ryan
Online June 27-August 16
Meets face to face:
June 27, Thursday 3 hours, times to be determined
July 1 – August 12 Monday’s 10 -3:00 p.m.