At the March 23rd meeting of the Board of Trustees, Jason Slade presented a summary of Strategy 1: Future-Focused Education:
Objective 1: AI Integration The college aims to embed responsible and effective Artificial Intelligence (AI) use across teaching, learning, and operations to improve student outcomes and workforce readiness.
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Success Indicators: Faculty and staff will receive training to add ethical AI enhancements to curriculum, while students will develop digital skills required for 4-year transfer institutions. NMC will adapt to meet the needs of regional employers
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Year 1 Focus: Identify “AI navigators” and develop a departmental AI decision-making framework covering ethics, cost, and impact. Identify employer and transfer institution needs and expectations.
Objective 2: Experiential Learning & Durable Skills This objective focuses on integrating work-based learning and “durable skills” (soft skills) across all programs to enhance employability.
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Success Indicators: Align curriculum with priority skills identified by regional employers and expand the experiential learning endorsement (nEXt). Create opportunities to provide career resources, micro internships, and pathways to apprenticeship credentials.
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Year 1 Focus: Identify programs lacking experiential activities and roll out durable skills language into a new faculty-led advising model. Identify opportunities and funding mechanisms for additional work-based projects.
Objective 3: Distinguished Programs NMC intends to invest in and innovate “distinguished programs” that attract students from outside the immediate region.
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Success Indicators: Increase visibility and stature for Aviation, Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), Great Lakes Culinary Institute, Maritime Academy, and the Water Studies Institute (GLWSI). Leverage the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center. Develop advanced certifications for UAS courses.
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Year 1 Focus: Develop a comprehensive UAS strategy. Align GLWSI and FRIC for academic and professional blue tech training. Full utilization of GLMA’s Robinson Bay tug.
Objective 4: Support for At-Risk Students The college will use a data-driven approach to support students in courses with high DFW (D, F, or withdrawal) rates.
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Success Indicators: Scale the CollegeEdge preparedness program and implement coordinated early interventions in gateway courses to improve outcomes. Increase success and retention rates for at-risk students.
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Year 1 Focus: Define “at-risk.” Improve workflows. Create an early alert process. Establish sustainable funding for CollegeEdge.
The full Strategic Plan March 2026 memo can be found here. The Strategic Plan Steering Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 2 at 11 a.m. in TJNIC 104/105.