Show your support for community college baccalaureate legislation

MICHIGAN’S COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THEIR STUDENTS NEED YOUR HELP.

The Michigan Senate is considering a bill (HB 4496) that would allow the state’s community colleges to offer bachelor degrees in five select areas.

• Maritime Studies (sought by NMC) 
• Nursing (sought by NMC and other community colleges)
• Culinary Arts (sought by NMC and other community colleges)
• Energy Production (sought by NMC and other community colleges)
• Cement Technology (sought by Alpena Community College)

This bill would benefit Northwestern Michigan College and the communities we serve.  The bill also would make Michigan’s workforce and health care system more competitive.

This bill has already passed the state House of Representatives.

What House Bill 4496 means to NMC 

• Authorizes NMC to offer bachelor’s degrees in maritime, nursing, culinary arts and energy production
• Provides maritime students with an option to get a bachelor’s degree in a more in-demand technical area with the potential for significant tuition savings
• Allows the nursing program to respond to trends in national standards that are encouraging employers to hire nurses with bachelor’s degrees over those with associate degrees
• Enables NMC to provide career advancement for chefs and other food industry professionals who look to the college for leadership in culinary arts education
• Allows the college to offer a degree in the emerging field of energy production consistent with NMC’s curriculum

NMC has already made the investment in faculty, facilities and technology in each of these areas.

What the legislation means to Michigan

• Increases access to affordable four-year-degree programs in a state that is 15th lowest in the nation in bachelor’s degree attainment and sixth highest in tuition rates at public universities 
• Helps Michigan avoid an impending shortage of bachelor’s degree nurses 
• Allows Michigan to stay competitive with the 20 other states who allow their community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees 

The legislation is under consideration now and action on the bill could come at any time.  You will find contact information for our local senators and those of the senate education committee below.

Thank you for your consideration,

Timothy J. Nelson
President, Northwestern Michigan College

Contact information:

NMC’s local Senators

Senator Howard Walker (R – 37^th District)
e-mail senhwalker@senate.michigan.gov

Senate Education Committee
Senator Judy K. Emmons (R- 33^rd District)
e-mail: senjemmons@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Patrick Colbeck (R- 7^th District)
e-mail: senpcolbeck@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Phil Pavlov (R-25^th District) (Committee Chair)
e-mail: senppavlov@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D- 8^th District)
e-mail: senhhopgood@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Coleman Young II (D- 1^st District)
e-mail: sencyoung@senate.michigan.gov

———

Senator Randy Richardville (R- 17^th District) (Majority Leader)
e-mail: senrichardville@senate.michigan.gov

Northern Michigan Senators 

Senator John Moolenaar (R – 36^th District)
e-mail: senjmoolenaar@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Mike Green (R – 31^st District)
e-mail: senmgreen@senate.michigan.gov

Senator John Pappageorge (R – 13^th District)
e-mail: senjpappageorge@senate.michigan.gov

Senator Mark C. Jansen (R – 28^th District)
e-mail: senmjansen@senate.michigan.gov

Senator David B. Robertson (R – 26^th District)
e-mail: sendrobertson@senate.michigan.gov

You can mail any of these Senators directly at
PO Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536