Update on Anchor & Edge, NMC’s Strategic Plan

Aug 19, 2026 | Intercom

In July and August, the Board of Trustees heard updates on two of the Strategic Drivers in Anchor and Edge, NMC’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan: Living Our Brand and Community Partnerships:

Living Our Brand integrates NMC’s brand platform directly into institutional decision-making, providing a unified framework to align college priorities, investments, and cross-departmental operations with the college’s core strengths. Driven by the central theme of transformative impact, this driver pairs “Anchor” strategies (purposeful education pathways and serving as a community cornerstone) with “Edge” strategies (a culture of innovation and distinguished academic programs). Key objectives under this driver include leveraging AI in instruction and operations, expanding experiential learning like the nEXt endorsement, embedding in-demand durable skills into curricula, and strengthening regional and national program outreach. Additionally, it encompasses brand management actions such as modernizing physical spaces through master-plan projects, executing the Dennos Museum rebrand, and establishing a data-informed enrollment ecosystem to support the student journey. July’s Board update focused on Living Our brand and the newly restructured Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, formerly known to most as OOPs, the Office of Possibilities.

Community Partnerships continues to build NMC’s collaborative framework to connect departments, align college goals with regional economic needs, and expand opportunities for lifelong learning. By evaluating and prioritizing mutually beneficial relationships, the college leverages key partnerships to deepen student experiences, support local industries, and optimize institutional resources. Key objectives of this driver include transformational economic initiatives—such as the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center, the NorthSky Consortium’s drone corridor, and the Northern Michigan Attainment Collaborative—as well as hands-on learning support through industry scholarships and entrepreneurship networks. It also enhances community vibrancy and campus life through programming with local organizations like the International Affairs Forum and wellness offerings for employees. August’s Board update focused on specialized training offered by the Northern Michigan Attainment Collaborative, a 10-county collaborative effort to cultivate a skilled workforce by increasing the percentage of people with a credential or degree to 60% by 2030. This initiative will expand the middle class, provide families with opportunities to thrive, and drive economic growth and stability across the region.

Full Board updates can be found here.

Extra emergency notification test set for Aug. 19

Aug 17, 2026 | Intercom

At NMC, our first priority is to keep our entire college community safe. As part of that commitment, earlier this year NMC invested in Mitel Revolution for its more comprehensive capabilities and faster deployment. As shared in Intercom last month, the first test of all new capabilities occurred Monday, Aug. 3 during the regularly scheduled testing the first Monday of each month. In order to give faculty an opportunity to experience the new methods before classes begin, we are planning an additional test Wednesday, Aug. 19 at approximately 9 a.m. Here is what to expect:

NEW:

• Overhead paging: In the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, The Dennos and North Hall

UPDATED:

• Screen capture of laptops and desktops connected to NMC’s network or virtual private network (VPN), including campus monitors showing events and announcements. Previously, screen capture included only desktops and laptops. Users can close the notification by acknowledging it or exiting the window.
• Phones: Faster notifications to cell phones and landlines. Campus phones will also broadcast notifications in classrooms and offices. Calls come from 231-995-1101. You may want to save the number in your phone.
• Emails. Sender is “nmc-notifications.” You may want to whitelist it.

CONTINUING:

• Texting. Alerts come from “NMC Security.” You may want to save the number in your phone.

Students and employees are automatically opted into the emergency notification system. Regular monthly testing will next occur Tuesday, Sept. 8, due to the Labor Day holiday, and continue on the first Monday thereafter: Oct. 5, Nov. 2 and Dec. 7 for fall semester.

For more information on campus safety, visit nmc.edu/safety. You can also contact Security Director Garrett Croon with questions (gcroon@nmc.edu, 231-995-1747). Thanks for helping to keep campus safe, and have a great semester.

eCampus partnership with NMC Bookstore

Aug 17, 2026 | Intercom

The NMC Bookstore is excited to announce their new partnership with eCampus, bringing students a more convenient way to access their course materials. Students have expressed their preferences and frustrations around course materials and we have heard them clearly say that they are looking for an easy shopping experience, low prices and the ability to rent and return their textbooks. The partnership with eCampus allows us to better assist our students with what they need.

Benefits to students include: 

• Free expedited shipping to the Bookstore in 2-3 business days
• Free shipping to a student’s home for orders over $59
• A price match guarantee, matching competitor websites as well as brick and mortar competitors
• Rental options for all titles (excluding consumable items like lab manuals)
• Visible buyback pricing at time of purchase
• Immediate access for digital purchases
• Free prepaid shipping labels for returning rental books
• Online buyback store and free prepaid shipping labels for any books sold to eCampus
• Select titles include complimentary 7 day digital access while the student’s book is in transit
• Expanded payment options, including credit card, debit card, Venmo, Paypal and financial aid
• A student dashboard that consolidates all information a student needs: rental due dates, access to shipping labels, access to digital books and purchase history

The NMC Bookstore will not have physical inventory in store; students will need to order directly from the eCampus website. It can be found at nmc.ecampus.com; when a student logs into the eCampus website, a personalized list of books and materials is generated for the student, eliminating any confusion over what to purchase.

The NMC Bookstore will continue to stock items such as lab kits, uniforms, school supplies, and all the Hawk Owl merch that our students love. The bookstore staff is available to assist students with ordering and questions about their materials; an ordering kiosk will also be available in the store for students who would prefer to have some support placing their order.

Classes participating in the AutoAccess program will continue to use the same digital platform that students are used to, via the VitalSource Bookshelf. Students will simply use the eCampus Course Materials tab in Canvas instead of the VitalSource tab, and will have the same experience that they are accustomed to.

Faculty will have access soon to a Student Readiness Dashboard; this tool will show which students have purchased their materials (and when), giving better transparency to the data regarding student buying habits.

Fall book information will be available starting July 1 at nmc.ecampus.com; financial aid will be available for students Aug. 3 – Sept. 9.

Please reach out to Sarah Denniston at sdenniston@nmc.edu with any questions.

Board of Trustees regular meeting

Aug 14, 2026 | Intercom

The NMC Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, August 17 at 5:30 p.m. in Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, Room 106/107. More information is available here.

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

Celebration of life for Alissia Lingaur

Aug 12, 2026 | Intercom

A celebration of life for former Communications adjunct instructor and NMC Magazine literary adviser Alissia Lingaur is planned for August 20, 2026, from 5-8 p.m. at Jacob’s Farm Orchard View barn, 7100 East Traverse Hwy, M-72 West, Traverse City. Lingaur, who passed away Aug. 8, taught at NMC for more than 10 years, from the fall of 2013 to fall 2024, providing skillful and enthusiastic mentorship to magazine students. She enjoyed glowing student feedback and the high respect of her colleagues.

A complete obituary is available here.