Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Activities of Note: Faculty and Staff
• On March 6th, the Upward Bound program staff, in conjunction with the The Rotary Club of Traverse City (STRIVE PROGRAM) organized and offered the 1st Annual Upward Bound Career Fair. The event took place at NMC’s Oleson Center, where twenty-seven Rotarians (including NMC’s very own Ross Childs) from various professionals met with our Upward Bound students. The designed format allowed for each student to rotate around the room and ask questions of each Rotarian. The intended outcome was that each Upward Bound student be exposed to a variety of professionals as part of their career and college planning. Students would also have the opportunity to further develop their interpersonal communication skills.
Evaluation results from both Rotarians and students alike, indicated that the event was hugely successful. As first-time events can sometimes go, it exceeded our expectations. The plan now is to offer the event each year…. incorporating a few changes as suggested in the evaluations (as part of the Plan, Do, Adjust improvement process).
It is important to note that 40 Rotarians were initially signed up to attend the event, but were unable to do so due to the snow storm that hit and/or work obligations that came about unexpectedly. As a result of this experience, the STRIVE program is also offering two Upward Bound seniors a $1000 college scholarship. (SD1, SD3, SD4)
• NMC was a co-sponsor for the Anti-bullying events that occurred in March, along with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Third Level Crisis Center, TBA-ISD, and the Michigan State Police Dept. NMC also worked closely with TCAPS, the State Theater and the Traverse City Area District Library on the collaborative effort. Two of the five community events were held on NMC’s campus and coordinated through our student life
office. (SD3 and SD4)
1) Thursday, March 15 – Michigan Department of Civil Rights hosted an Anti-bullying Public Forum at the Hagerty Center. Prior to the forum, the Civil Rights Commissioners held their board meeting at the Hagerty Center. The attendance at the forum was approximately 175 students and concerned community members.
2) Friday, March 16 – The five co-sponsoring organizations hosted a Challenge Bullying Conference at the Hagerty Center. Over 350 students and helping professionals and concerned community members attended for a day of speakers and trainings. We had student leaders attending from as far north as Sault Ste Marie and as far south as Ludington. We also had great participation from TCAPS, and TBA-ISD high schools
and middle schools.
• Northwestern Michigan College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (Alpha Rho Pi) was honored with 5 awards at the 94th Phi Theta Kappa Convention in Nashville. Congratulations to all involved!
1) One of the top 28 chapters in the world.
2) Distinguished Member—MacKenzie Campbell
3) Distinguished Officer Team—President Erica Hamilton, Ashley Flees, Nargilya Gasanova, Bryan Kelly, Sophia House, Erica Peplinski and Ashley Finfrock
4) Project Award—Honors in Action for a volunteer fair held in November as the culmination of research on how the dissemination of information influences
individuals’ capacity to volunteer in the Grand Traverse community and beyond.
5) Distinguished Region— NMC’s chapter advisors are Nicholeen Frusti and Kari Kahler. Kahler also serves as the Michigan Regional Coordinator. (SD1, SD2, SD3, SD5).
• If you haven’t yet heard the great news – or read about it in the latest issue of the White Pine Press – this year’s WPP staff earned numerous editorial and design awards at the Michigan Community College Press Association annual conference held April 21 at Central Michigan University. They spent the day on campus meeting other student journalists and learning from top state and national journalists. We are so very proud of the staff, which took First Place in General Excellence and First Place in Overall Newspaper Design, among other awards. Please join me in congratulating this
year’s White Pine Press staff:
Heather Durocher, faculty adviser
Joan Richmond, design adviser
The following awards were presented to Northwestern Michigan College’s White Pine Press :
o First Place—General Excellence (Division II) WPP Staff
o First Place—Overall Newspaper Design (Division II) WPP Design Staff
o First Place—Headline Writing WPP Staff
o Second Place—Feature Story: Jack Hagen
o Second Place—Column, Serious: Emily Magner
o Second Place—Inside Page Design: Anjanette Merriweather
o Third Place—Editorial: WPP Staff
o Third Place—Informational Graphic/Illustration: Cody Aldrich and Sarah Nixon
o Third Place—Front Page Design: WPP Design Staff: Anjanette Merriweather, Cody Aldrich, Sarah Nixon, Alice Iott and Paul Cecilio
o Honorable Mention Original Cartoon, Editorial: Nick Walsh
o Honorable Mention Informational Graphic/Illustration: Anjanette Merriweather
Activities of Note: Tim
• I continue to have regular meetings with TCAPS Superintendent Steve Cousins. The TCAPS and NMC executive teams met to discuss ways in which we might “leverage” our brands and integrate segments of our strategic plans. Steve and I met on Tuesday and are planning a joint work session with our groups.
• The NMC executive team hosted Steve Webster and eight others from the Prima Civitas Foundation executive team in early April. PCF has adopted a mission that includes connecting Michigan to the global marketplace. This was an opportunity for each of us to discuss our strategic plans and identify ways in which we might collaborate or leverage our assets.
• I am chairing an MCCA Task Force to create guiding principles related to alternative delivery of credit. This started with a presentation I made to the Presidents Group to discuss continued pressures for the delivery of college credit at the high school. The group asked that we establish a task force to review the issue. We will provide a report at the summer conference in Traverse City.
• I participated in a Michigan Works Talent Summit on April 5. As you might recall, the State is changing the way in which they approach talent development. It is tightly linked with the MEDC and regional approaches. As this area develops, I will provide more information.
• We continue to meet with both TCAPS and TBAISD folks on the Early College initiative. The ISD early college is a collaborative with NMC, FSU and the TBAISD. Stephen Siciliano has reported on this at Board meetings.
• The MCCA Presidents Group meeting in Lansing on April 19 provided an opportunity for us to meet with legislators and administration representatives who are involved in some of the major legislation in play. Three areas of discussion were the personal property tax, the MPSERS reforms and the desired revision to the capital outlay process. You are receiving updates from the MCCA on all of these and other areas as movement (or lack of movement)
occurs.
• I was on a panel of presenters at the AACC Annual Convention on behalf of the AACC President Academy. The presentation, titled Pursuing the Completion Agenda, But to What End, was well received and attended. All of the presentations were recorded and available if you wish to see them.
• Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the annual Retirement and Recognition Reception on April 25. Cheryl Follette was recognized for her 20 years as a NMC Trustee. We have begun to recognize supplemental employees and volunteers for their dedicated service to NMC, as well as regular employees. All are important members of the college community and deserve recognition.
Miscellaneous
• Honors Convocation is Friday, May 4, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Milliken Auditorium. It’s a very nice reception and event for those who are able to attend.
• Commencement is Saturday, May 5, at 2:00 p.m. and we have about 200 NMC graduates expected to participate this year. There are 689 degrees and certificates anticipated to be awarded this year. The platform party is to arrive at 1:15 p.m. and Holly and Judy will be
available to assist you in gowning up. Your speeches are being e-mailed separately to individuals, and general information is attached.