Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty, Staff and Students
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Agenda, Strategic Directions and Goals are provided where possible.
- Two NMC Water Studies Institute students have received scholarships from The Hydrographic Society of America (THSOA)—John Lutchko ($4500) and Alan Holcombe ($3500). This is the first year that two winners have come from the same institution. Alan also won a scholarship to attend the THSOA conference in Maryland this year, providing an all-expense paid opportunity for him to network with future potential employers. John also won the THSOA academic scholarship last year and was the recipient of a conference scholarship in 2013. NMC has had 7 students win the conference scholarship in the last 4 conferences and has had 4 different academic scholarship recipients for the last 3 conferences. In addition to the networking opportunities, the conference features an extensive series of workshops including technical sessions and a poster session on the latest developments and application in hydrographic surveying multibeam and side scan sonar, data management, electronic charting, marine archaeology, and related topics. The mission of THSOA is to promote education in hydrography. (SD1,SD2, SD3)
- NMC student Kathy Tahtinen is the top scoring student from Michigan on the All-USA Community College Academic Team competition, for which more than 1,700 applications were received this year. Nominations were evaluated on academic achievement, leadership, service and a response to a significant endeavor. Recipients of this award will be presented with a $2,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, and will be recognized at the Annual Phi Theta Kappa Presidents Breakfast held during the American Association of Community College’s Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX, in April. Kathy will also be recognized in Lansing at the Phi Theta Kappa Annual Convention on March 24 and at NMC’s Honors Convocation at the end of the semester. (SD1,SD5)
Activities of Note: Tim
- As I shared with the campus community in a separate email, I was part of an NMC team of eight who attended a strategy forum as required in our Higher Learning Commission AQIP accreditation process in February. It was a very intensive and beneficial workshop with the outcome of a new AQIP action project of Our NMC: Cultivating a Connected Community to improve internal engagement with a focus on communications. I have assigned this action project to our already established Leadership Group who met on Friday, March 6, to begin developing the charge and structure of the project. See the attached document describing the event’s outcomes.
- Nancy and I, along with trustees Marilyn Dresser and Kennard Weaver, attended the GLMA Alumni Association Dinner the evening of February 21. This is a very nice annual event that provides an opportunity for GLMA alumni to reunite and catch up with each other. It was one of the largest attendances in recent times and represented their 40th anniversary for the alumni group.
- Following the Foundation Board meeting on February 26, I flew to Dallas to attend the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN) CEO and Reps Meeting, also attended by Darby Hiller. It was a good session preparing for the CQIN 2015 Summer Institute that will feed nicely into our new AQIP action project on cultivating a connected community, mentioned above. We will be selecting an appropriate NMC team to attend that summer session. CQIN is a higher education membership organization for CEOs of both colleges and universities as well as associated corporations to foster continuous improvement and achievement of performance excellence by studying non-higher education partners.
- I returned to Traverse City in time Friday, February 27, to attend the Taster’s Guild Dinner with Nancy that benefits NMC’s Culinary Program. This was the 21st anniversary of the event and, as has been its history, was sold out. Almost $90,000 of scholarships were awarded to culinary students that night! Thanks to all who worked to make this a great event.
- I have recently been appointed to the Networks Northwest Workforce Development Board and Regional Prosperity Index Committee. This Board is the regional board for implementation and oversight of the Governor’s Prosperity Regions. I attended an orientation session for new members of that board the afternoon of March 4.
- Friday morning, I had a good meeting with our SGA leadership team. They asked great questions (attached) and are certainly invested in helping to make NMC a fantastic experience for all of our students.
- Friday afternoon we held a farewell reception for Darby Hiller, our Executive Director of the Office of Research, Planning and Effectiveness, who will be leaving NMC on March 11 to continue her career as Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs and Institutional Research at Wittenberg University in Ohio. We will miss Darby’s leadership, but NMC will continue to benefit from the strong foundation she has developed for the use of data in decision making at NMC.
Legislative Issues
- See attached MCCA Update
Miscellaneous
- The NMC Student Government Association will have dinner with the Board of Trustees at 5:00 p.m. at the NMC Hagerty Center on Monday, March 23, and will make a presentation to the Board at their regular meeting that same evening at 5:30 p.m., also at the Hagerty Center.