Dear students,
As we enter the last week of the spring semester, I wanted to take a moment to reach out to you and let you know how proud I am of each and every one of you. When we started this semester in January, none of us could have known how dramatically all of our lives would change in such a short period of time. But throughout it all, you are persevering and demonstrating a dedication that truly inspires me.
Hearing from you is one of the most important parts of my job. I have talked with many different students about how their lives are changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. From students living in the residence halls, GLMA cadets aboard the training ship, your Student Government Association representatives and members of Phi Theta Kappa, I am hearing some common themes. Many of you have told me how much you appreciate the flexibility, compassion and support from the faculty and staff to help you be successful and complete the semester. The other theme I’ve heard repeatedly from students is, while you are not dismissing the uncertainty of this unprecedented time, you are also not letting it stop you from working toward your goals.
I promise that all of us at NMC will do the same for you. We may not have all of the answers yet, as the health crisis continues to evolve, but we will not let that stop us from our work for you. We remain dedicated to helping you achieve your educational goals and position you for future success, even if we have to create new ways to deliver on that promise. We have done some amazing work this semester to limit the disruption to learning as much as possible, and I am confident that our faculty and staff will only improve on that work as we move forward.
We are offering even more online summer classes to meet your needs and we are developing several possible options for fall. We may not know exactly how learning will need to be delivered yet, but we are certain that it will continue, so you can continue toward your goals. As always, we will communicate with you on these plans as we get updated information from the government and health experts. In the meantime, we have an incredible array of services available to help you during this time from financial aid, technology assistance, tutoring, food support, personal counseling and more. You can find all of these resources and the latest updates at nmc.edu/coronavirus.
I know this isn’t the semester any of us could have imagined when we began, but as we bring this semester to a close, I could not be more proud to be part of our NMC family with you. Stay well and I hope to see you all soon.
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Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College | 231.995.1010
