Sep 22, 2022 | Intercom, President Updates
Good morning NMC community,
I hope you are finding your rhythm this semester and feeling optimistic from the energy and engagement offered by our students and colleagues. It’s easy to feel upbeat when we see more friendly faces in the Hawk Owl Café, but there are also some important points of pride taking place behind the scenes. That’s what I want to lift up for us to celebrate today with our new strategic plan, NMC Next.
Last year, we all created this plan together to focus our efforts on the most important work here at the College and to prepare for a successful future. Now, more than half way through our first year, I want to share some great successes that you and your colleagues are accomplishing.
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Strategy 1: Future-Focused Education
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Strategy 2: Student Engagement and Success
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Thank you everyone who helped with Welcome Week activities! Not only is this a fun way to support our students, it also supports Strategy 2, objective 1. Not only are we forging an important sense of belonging, but we’re also tracking attendance so we can measure the impact on student success.
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Strategy 3: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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We have a passionate and dedicated team advancing this important work and have met some major milestones already. NMC’s first Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Marcus Bennett, started in his role in July. Also this summer, the NMC DEI Core and Employee teams merged to become the NMC DEIB Advisory Council and completed DEIB training through Grand Valley State University.
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Strategy 4: Community Partnerships and Engagement
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Thanks to Elizabeth Sonnabend, Laura Matchett and Ed Bailey for helping the college advance our skilled trades goals. They’ve been busy developing workforce and professional development training across all industry sectors in response to employer needs. With the assistance of MiWorks!, they have secured funding to allow participants to attend these training sessions, sometimes for free, providing the skills necessary to upscale the community’s workforce.
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Strategy 5 – Institutional Distinction and Sustainability
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Chef Les Eckert, the entire GLCI team, and many others across the college have completed the incredibly hard work of reimagining the institute. This effort touched nearly every aspect of the program and resulted in new content, shorter courses, and a renewed optimism for the future success of GLCI.
We also have to give a shout out to the ORPE team of Joy Goodchild and Shelly Grant for developing dashboards that allow us to easily track all of the data related to the objectives. Transparency and accountability are central to the success of our strategic plan.
These are only a few examples of the great work that’s happening all across our College. I am proud of all of you for staying focused and continuing to make progress. It’s important that we remain committed to seeing this work through to completion and just as important to celebrate our success along the way!
Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives Jason Slade, in true engineer fashion, is making sure everything is running smoothly and on schedule. It is a lot to keep track of, but he does a great job of making sure the information is accessible. Attached you will find his fall report on the status of our entire strategic plan. I encourage you to read it and congratulate your teams and colleagues on all your hard work. While we have more work to do, we already have so much to be proud of!
Nick
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Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
Sep 22, 2022 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the Hagerty Center on NMC’s Great Lakes Campus. More information is available here.
For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Sep 21, 2022 | Announcements & News, Intercom
I want to share an update on how we are driving innovation at NMC, and how you can get involved. As many of you know, we have been very fortunate to rely on the NMC Foundation for the support of Innovation Grants to improve teaching and learning at the college. But the landscape of higher education is changing, and disruptive innovation has become more critical to ensure NMC’s long-term success. We are fortunate to have dedicated faculty and staff who have always been willing to take risks and embrace new ideas. We are also experiencing a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Traverse City as more start-ups, incubators and collaborative spaces take root in our region.
With all of this in mind and in partnership with the Foundation, we are moving forward with a more disruptive and exciting innovation framework at the college. The Office of Possibilities (or OOPs) will allow students, faculty and staff to explore and develop the next “big idea.” Unlike the previous innovation process, it will involve mentoring to challenge and flesh out the idea, connecting back to the entrepreneurial community and focusing on a growth-driven mindset to expand innovation at NMC. We know there will be failures, and that is okay (and why we are called OOPs), and this development will provide the resources and space needed to push, experiment and disrupt how we will meet the needs of NMC and our community.
So how do you get involved? That’s easy!
- OOPs is a start-up itself. We are still learning, measuring and refining, and Fall represents our “soft launch.” Bring your ideas to OOPs office (open Thursdays from 8–10 a.m.) in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center (Room 116 by the west entrance). This is your chance to connect with OOPs mentors Steve Rice and Will Kitchen and a host of others from the college and local community!
- Attend the innovation session during Professional Development Day Tuesday, Oct. 11 to hear how OOPs was launched and learn to apply the same principles to begin formulating your ideas.
- Email us at innovationnext@nmc.edu or visit the OOPs website (NMC login required) to find additional resources, the pitch deck template and more.
After mentoring and development, projects that are ready for review will be part of an active pitch. High potential, disruptive ideas will hopefully get funded. The first pitch event is Friday, Oct. 21 from 1–3 p.m. in IC 104/105.
We look forward to hearing your ideas and appreciate the support of the NMC Foundation as we drive innovation and challenge the norm at NMC.
Best regards,
Jason Slade
Vice-President for Strategic Initiatives
Sep 21, 2022 | Intercom, Student Events
Learn more about Davenport University and their partnership with NMC while enjoying free food, music and games. Representatives will discuss the programs that DU offers in areas such as Business, Technology, Health Professions, and Urban Education.
When: Wednesday September 28, 2022, 1–3 p.m.
Where: Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center
Sep 21, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
Notice the Libby
tag next to a title? This means the book is available as an eBook and can be found on the Libby app. All audiobooks can be accessed through Libby.
Haven’t set up your Libby account yet? Follow these easy instructions!
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Sep 20, 2022 | Intercom
The NMC Board of Trustees Fellows Nominating Committee will meet at noon on Wednesday, September 21, in the President’s Conference Room of the Tanis Building on NMC’s main campus, 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City.
The official meeting notice is available here. For more information, please contact the President’s office at (231) 995-1010.
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student Events
Friday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m.,
on the outdoor courts by East Hall
Questions? Contact Marcus Bennett at mbennett@nmc.edu or (231) 995-1401.
Sign your squad up here!
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
The NMC Bookstore will be closed Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27 for staff training. We will reopen with normal hours on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 a.m.
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
Happy 235th birthday to the U.S. Constitution! NMC celebrates Constitution Day Tuesday, Sept. 20 with two events in the Osterlin Building:
League of Women Voters From Grand Traverse and Leelanau Area:
- Stop by the Osterlin Building Lobby for voter registration and voting information, beginning at 10 a.m.
- Learn about voting absentee and check your polling place.
Democracy in a Politically Polarized America: How can we find common ground?
- Presentation & Interactive Breakout Groups hosted by NMC Social Sciences Instructor John Zachman, from 3–4:15 p.m.
Sep 19, 2022 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom
Thank you to Social Sciences Instructor John Zachman for hosting a Constitution Day event to celebrate the 235th anniversary of the foundational document. Democracy in a Politically Polarized America: How Can We Find Common Ground? will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 in the Osterlin Building. Beginning at 10 a.m., you can also register to vote in the Osterlin Building Lobby, through the League of Women Voters.
Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
Dates:
- Tuesday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.–Noon
- Thursday, Sept. 29, 1–3 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m.–Noon
- Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1–3 p.m.
Location: Les Biederman Building, Rm. 106
If you can’t make these dates, please call (231) 995-1255 to schedule an appointment. As a reminder, our office does not bill insurance, although we do offer a reduced rate of $20 for staff and $15 per student. If you have NMC insurance, any charges will be processed as in previous years.
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Media Mentions
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.
The following college events, stories and mentions have appeared in the media recently. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu.
Forum: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative: Ideas for success
Record-Eagle, September 15 (more…)
Sep 19, 2022 | HR Corner, Intercom
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
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Sep 19, 2022 | HR Corner, Intercom
Health Savings Accounts are regulated by the IRS and have limits of how much money you can contribute in one year. It is your responsibility to ensure that your totals do not exceed the IRS limits.
Single (one person) is $3,650 and family (more than one person) is $7,300. If you are over 55 you can increase the limit by $1000. It is important to include the HSA contribution received from NMC in your calculations. For example- the family amount is reduced by $2,600 (NMC deposit), making the total you can contribute from your paycheck $4,700.
Learn more about Health Savings Accounts here.
Sep 19, 2022 | HR Corner, Intercom
Kudos to Ben Post & Mark DeLonge: Thank you to Ben and Mark for enrolling EES Joint Offering (credit classes for community enrollment) students in Moodle! The EES team appreciates your support so that our community members can enjoy high quality credit classes on the Extended Education (non credit) side.
Kudos to the Facilities team for their work to quickly rectify the HVAC failure in the Timothy J Nelson Innovation Center during Welcome Week. The failure was accidental and out of their control and their quick response was very much appreciated. Also, Kudos to all faculty/staff and students in the building for your patience during the repair work. We appreciate your understanding.
Kudos to Marcus Bennett, Sally Smarsty, Lisa Thomas and more: Kudos to everyone involved in Welcome week planning and orchestration. There were many moving parts and everyone was very well informed on where to be and what to do. Volunteers, parents and students all seemed to be having a good time and feeling WELCOME!!! Great job everyone!
Kudos to Linda Berlin, Judy Arnold, and Dale Elshoff who deserve more than kudos for their work supporting students in the Plant and Soil Sciences degree pathway. NMC and Michigan State University are partners in a one-of-a-kind program which allows students to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree from NMC and a Certificate from MSU’s Institute of Agricultural Technology. Unfortunately, the financial aid policy for these students was changed with less than a month before fall semester. While most community colleges panicked, Linda, Judy and Dale sprung into action, working individually with each student to provide the necessary aid and support to stay enrolled in courses. To the students, it seemed seamless, but behind the scenes, it took hours of work, coordination, FA application updates, leading meetings with Financial Aid directors from around the State and back and forth with MSU. Linda, Judy and Dale put the students first and found a way to support them. I am sure students at other institutions were not so lucky, jeopardizing their respective ag cohorts. We at NMC should be very proud of their work, effort and sacrifice when it comes to serving our students! They went above and beyond and truly saved the day for our program!
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!
Sep 19, 2022 | HR Corner, Intercom
These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC Community!
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- Alex Maier – Programmer/Analyst
- Madison Thompson – Supplemental Title IX Counselor
- Carolyn Andrews – Construction Technology Program Coordinator
- Stephanie Powers – Student Employee – Tutoring Center Office Assistant
- Nathan Neste – Supplemental – Food Service – Front of House
- Damian Ho – Supplemental – Food Service – Front of House
- Elizabeth Gerardi – Supplemental Food Service – Front of House
- Linda Egeler – Supplemental – Student Success Coach
- Alaina Frank – Supplemental – Food Service – Front of House
- Stacy Folgmann – Accounts Payable Office Assistant
- Hayley Davidson – Supplemental – Food Service – Back of House
Sep 19, 2022 | HR Corner, Intercom
Congratulations to the following faculty members who transitioned from Provisional to Regular status this summer:
- Betsy Boris
- Jim Morse
- Zach Tate
Sep 19, 2022 | Intercom, Student Events
On Wednesday, Sept. 21, three Great Lakes Water Studies Institute students will present on their summer internship experiences with JOA, eTrac, and Michels Construction, Inc. The presentations will be at 10 a.m. in the Experiential Learning Institute Office (Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, Rm. 103). Coffee and pastries will be provided.
