Good afternoon NMC community,

Thank you to the more than 250 employees who joined our virtual January conference earlier this week! Below is some additional information to help make your spring semester even more successful.

Classes begin as planned January 11. Courses will be delivered as scheduled. Student Services such as advising, financial aid, registration and more are available virtually. Buildings will be open one hour prior to classes starting and one hour after they are finished. West Hall will be open 6 a.m.-10 p.m. and by calling the phone number on the door outside of those hours.

COVID-19

Covid Safety Protocols:

Thank you for your work to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the fall semester, there were relatively few cases on campus and only minimal exposure. With your continued commitment to safety, we hope to see similar success this semester. If you gathered in groups over the holidays, please self-monitor for symptoms. Everyone coming to campus should also continue to use this screening checklist before coming on to campus. NMC remains in stage 2 of its re-opening plan. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our community. We hope not to need to return to online-only courses this spring, but if we do, we remain committed to working to limit the disruption to learning as much as possible.

Covid Communication:

As COVID-19 cases have surged in our area in the last few months, the Grand Traverse County Health Department has had to change its approach to contact tracing. As a result, we will also change how we report possible exposures to you. Last semester, we confirmed every positive COVID-19 on campus with the health department. Now, to make sure we are getting information to you as quickly as possible, we will report presumed positive cases so those who might be impacted can take action as quickly as possible to stay safe and limit further spread. This information will continue to be updated on NMC’s COVID-19 dashboard.

New this semester, please use the Campus Clear smartphone app to report your symptoms to Human Resources every time before you come to campus. As you know, the state added this reporting requirement in November. The app is simple to use and we have had good participation. If you cannot use the smartphone app, you can also access it on your desktop computer at www.campusclear.com. You can also continue to email your supervisor that you have passed all screening questions before you come to campus. Thank you for your help with this state requirement.

The college is working with the local health department to coordinate vaccine distribution when it is available and permitted. We will continue to communicate with you as more details become available.

Spring Break

Last fall, NMC communicated the decision to cancel Spring Break in 2021 to limit the spread of COVID-19 and its potential disruption to learning at NMC. As a result, classes will end a week early with the last day scheduled for April 26.

Commencement

The Commencement committee is also hard at work looking for new ways to hold this ceremony safely in spring 2021. We will communicate with you as soon as a decision is made so you can plan for this important event with your families.

New Dining Service 

NMC’s Hagerty Center team will now also be running the Hawk Owl Cafe and all dining services at the college

Some of the highlights of the change include:

  • Daily themed menu specials: Mediterranean Monday, Taco Tuesday, Italian Wednesday, World Fusion Thursday and Backyard BBQ Friday.

  • A focus on student engagement to enhance the overall dining experience. Staff will seek menu and promotional input from student groups as well as address any concerns.

  • Re-hiring 5-8 Hagerty Center employees who were furloughed in the spring due to pandemic shutdowns.

  • Consolidate all campus food service under one kitchen, creating efficiencies in everything from purchasing to staffing

In November, NMC ended its contract with Sodexo in order to make food service on campus more cost-effective and enable the college to rehire employees.

Parking

Parking Enforcement will begin January 18. Permits are available in the following locations on main campus: 

  • West Hall 
    • main entrance by the security desk
  • Tanis Building 
    • main atrium entrance
    • outside the Enrollment Services Office
  • Osterlin Building
    • Student Success Center desk 

Thank you for being an important part of our NMC community. We wish you a safe and successful spring semester!