Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
April 17, 2019
Hannah Beard and Jessi Martin (click for high-resolution version)NMC’s aviation program will get a lofty showcase before a national audience this summer when a pair of student pilots fly across North America in the Air Race Classic, the oldest air race of its kind, and exclusively for female pilots.
Ninety years after legendary aviator Amelia Earhart made cross-country racing popular, Team Hawk Owls — Hannah Beard of Interlochen (left) and Jessi Martin of Maple City (right) — will take off from Jackson, Tenn. on June 18 in an NMC Cessna. The 2,500 mile trip is a race against the clock broken into nine legs. They expect to land in Welland, Ontario, by June 21.
“It’s going to be marathon,” Martin, 43, said.
“Sunrise to sunset flying,” agreed Beard, 23.
Entering the Air Race Classic is the latest example of how women at NMC are making significant strides in what has long been a male-dominated field. While only four percent of U.S. airline pilots are female, nearly 20 percent of current NMC aviation students are now women. The college is now home to a chapter of Women in Aviation International, which allows them to network and support each other.
Women are also becoming leaders among the overall student population. Beard is NMC’s top-performing aviation student this year, mastering commercial pilot skills faster than any other student, Aviation director Alex Bloye said.
“She met all the requirements of the certificate much quicker than any other student we’ve seen in recent years,” Bloye said.
He said competing in the Air Race Classic will drawn more awareness to NMC’s aviation program. Only one other community college has entered. Among the 15 academic teams are mostly large universities including Western Michigan University, Purdue and Ohio State.
“This race will put NMC and our pilots on the national stage with some of the best aviators in the world,” he said. “This is an exciting opportunity to not only inspire the next generation of NMC students, but to give Hannah and Jessi a chance to expand their envelope of experience.”
Their plane’s tail number — N157KC — honors former flight instructor, Kevin Copeland, who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2017. An NMC flight instructor, Victoria Gann, will be racing as part of another team. Air Race Classic pilots range from ages 17 to 90.
“We look forward to seeing Hannah and Jessi cross the finish line. This will be a huge accomplishment that will help to solidify interest of future NMC race teams,” Bloye said.
NMC is seeking sponsors to help underwrite the $10,000 cost to compete, which includes fuel, transportation and lodging. Contact Paris Morse at the NMC Foundation, pmorse@nmc.edu, for more information.
Follow Beard and Martin’s progress at the NMC Aviation Facebook page. They expect an NMC cheering section may show up at the race’s seventh stop, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
September 26 2018
Thirteen years ago, Becca Richardson calculated that her desire to stop waiting tables was greater than her fear of math.
Today she’s a living example of both facing her fears and calculating correctly. The former developmental math student is the newest member of NMC’s math faculty.
As an NMC student, Richardson’s math placement test score was so low that she avoided taking any math classes when she first enrolled, after her graduation from Benzie Central High School in 2002. After only a semester that had expanded into avoiding any classes whatsoever.
“I just gave up. Maybe college isn’t for me,” Richardson recalled thinking.
Two years later, however, waitressing was getting “really old” and Richardson returned. Her math placement score was still low, even below that recommended for the most entry-level math course, Math 08. Still, aware she needed at least one math class for a degree, she signed up.
“It only took me a few classes to decide I liked it,” she said. She earned a 4.0 from instructor Mark Nelson in the class, and even tutored classmates, who told her she was good at explaining concepts. Maybe she should consider becoming a teacher.
Richardson took that advice — and more math classes. She transferred from NMC to Ferris State at the University Center in 2007, earned her bachelor’s in math from in 2012, and a master’s from the University of Idaho in 2015. She also taught as an NMC adjunct for five years. As of this fall she’s officially come full circle, settled in the now-retired Nelson’s former office, right inside the Tanis Building’s Math Center, where students come for drop-in tutoring.
She sees reflections of her former self sitting in many of her classes.
“A lot of times, I can remember having the same exact questions,” said Richardson.
Besides herself as Exhibit A, Richardson now has encouraging words for those students.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as being bad at math. You’re just not practiced,” she said. “Persistence and perseverance is what will get you through.”
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
November 6, 2019
With two new endowed veterans scholarships and a ranking as the No. 2 community college in the nation for veteran’s services for the second year in a row, NMC is better equipped than ever to serve those who have served us.
The Staff Sergeant Drew Kostic Veterans’ Scholarship was established in memory of the former Marine and NMC student who died in 2016, by the board of 22-2-NONE, which exists to raise awareness and provide support to end veteran suicide. Initial funds were raised through registration in the DK5K Tough Run (photo right) now in its third year. Additional donations increased it to the $25,000 endowed level — the threshold for the scholarship to be awarded in perpetuity.
“Most of our veterans coming back are looking for better jobs. They’ve got families they’ve got to take care of at the same time,” said board vice president Ray McDaniel. “There’s no one answer to solving the suicide epidemic, but if we can take one more burden, one more stressor off their plate, we’re achieving our goal.”
“It means a great deal,” said Kostic’s father, Jim Kostic, of the scholarship. “It’s a good way to honor his name.”
The scholarship is also available to active duty military students, as is the Class of 1953 Veterans Memorial Scholarship, created by George Comden (left, seated) a member of NMC’s first graduating class (pictured in 2011). Years ago Comden, an Army veteran himself, established his first scholarship. Reading about current veterans in a college publication inspired him to create the new one.
“I got to thinking, that story kind of triggered my time is on the GI Bill® at CMU,” said Comden. “The more I read about it, the more I thought, why not have a scholarship for veterans?”
The Class of 1953 included two other veterans, Ray Cilva (wearing the letter jacket) and Gene Bisson, he added.
“They went the extra mile to take care of us, and it’s now time for us to help take care of them.”
To donate to either scholarship or to find out more about scholarships, contact the NMC Foundation at (231) 995-1021 or foundation@nmc.edu.
About 200 veterans are currently enrolled at NMC, comprising 5 percent of enrollment.
The Best for Vets 2020 ranking comes from Military Times magazine. The publication cites NMC’s “wide array of support services for its student veterans, many of them specially created for vets. This includes academic support, such as tutoring and mentorship, career support, such as resume assistance and job placement, and mental health support.” NMC ranked No. 2 in 2018, and No. 3 in 2018.
NMC will start a new, community-wide veterans project in December. Coffee with Veterans will be held from 8 to 9: 30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13 in Lobdell’s Teaching Restaurant on NMC’s Great Lakes campus, and monthly thereafter. Any veteran in the community is welcome to stop in for complimentary coffee and conversation.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
May 19, 2021
After completing a site engineering internship in the Charleston, S.C. harbor last December, NMC marine technology student Rachel Colby’s employer was eager to hire her.
But even at the accelerated pace at which Colby (left) is pursuing her bachelor’s degree, she still had a year and a half to go before graduation. Meanwhile, this summer the U.S. Navy veteran from Manistee has another internship lined up, where she’ll get hands-on experience with the GIS part of the marine technology program.
As of this year, NMC is aiming to better track and monitor experiential learning like Colby’s by establishing the Experiential Learning Institute as the college hub for internships in January. Experiential Learning Program coordinator Amy Burns Bailey took on the college-wide role in an expansion of her business and technical division responsibilities in order to offer employers a more efficient point of contact.
“Probably at least every other day we receive a request from an employer,” Burns Bailey said.
Despite the pandemic, NMC students completed 102 internships in 2020. Many, like Colby’s South Carolina opportunity, were required and offered credit. Significantly, almost all were also paid. NMC President Nick Nissley calls these “l/earning” opportunities and says it’s a key differentiator for NMC as other colleges seek to position themselves as embracing experiential learning.
Burns Bailey notes that paid internships are also a matter of equity, since unpaid work would severely limit who could fill the opportunities. Unsurprisingly, students are more motivated and perform better when paid as well.
“I didn’t feel like an intern, I felt like I was part of the team,” Colby, 26, said of her South Carolina internship with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, an employer that’s hired multiple Marine Tech interns.
Internships are distinguished by the mentorship that accompanies job duties, Burns Bailey said.
“The student should be doing real life work where they can practice what they’re learning in school, (and) there has to be an aspect of mentorship,” she said.
That’s what NMC business student Trevor Knapp (right, with mentor Howard Canfield) found at his internship at Fox Motors in Cadillac. At first he questioned why he had to complete the required internship, since he’d already worked in sales plus run his own car detailing business. But his advisor, business instructor Nicole Fewins, had never steered him wrong, Knapp said, and after working with dealership staff with decades of sales experience, plus rotating to the management and service sectors of the business, he saw the value.
“I gained a lot of knowledge about the sales process,” said Knapp, a 2021 graduate. “I thought I knew this, I thought I knew that. You literally have no idea what you’re going to learn.”
Beyond their program-required internships, both Colby and Knapp praised their overall NMC experience. Knapp had considered a four-year university, but then decided he preferred to work after his high school graduation. His mother urged him not to abandon education entirely and suggested NMC.
“NMC was literally the perfect in between,” said Knapp, who commuted from Cadillac. “I really feel like the teachers go above and beyond. They’re not just there to teach, they’re there to help people.”
Visit nmc.edu/internships to find out more.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
February 24, 2015
How do you transform a two-time college dropout into a Dean’s List student?
Give her a bridge and a foundation. Walk her over and shore it up.
In 1998 Lindsey Grice enrolled at NMC, fresh out of Traverse City Central High School and mother to a newborn daughter. It didn’t go well.
“I just failed miserably. It wasn’t something I knew about. I had a full course load and a little baby and it was too much,” Grice said.
She tried again a decade later. By 2008 she was a mother to three, including a son with intensive mental health needs. Grice had to take six credits and earn a 2.0 in order to keep her financial aid. Her attendance was spotty due to her son’s care giving demands, and she did well in one class but not the other. She lost her financial aid and dropped out a second time.
Fast-forward to 2014. A friend told Grice, now 34, about NMC’s Bridge program. Created for nontraditional students attending college for the first time or returning after past attempts, Bridge endeavors to lay a foundation for student success. Just last year, the program was redesigned so that what were formerly preparatory classes are now for-credit. Significantly, that makes Bridge students eligible for financial aid.
Coordinating Student Success
NMC Student Success Coordinator Ashley Darga walked Grice through the process of petitioning to reinstate her financial aid. Regulations have changed to favor students like Grice, Darga said.
“I was able to get my Pell grant to be able to take classes this fall,” Grice said. Her foundation steadied.
Almost simultaneously her son Brandon, now 15, entered a residential school, further firming her foundation.
“I’ve taken care of him completely. Now he’s receiving help out of the home (and) he’s doing really well,” Grice said. “I’m able to focus on my studies instead of spending every waking moment worrying about him.”
Finally, her daughter Ashley—the newborn during Grice’s first college stint—now 16 and a high school junior, threw down the gauntlet.
“She kind of challenged me,” Grice said. “My oldest daughter is getting ready to graduate, and she had mentioned to me that I should go back and get back my classes before she does.”
That challenge completed the foundation underpinning Grice’s turnaround. Bridge students take nine credits (five classes) their first semester. Grice earned a 4.0 and made the dean’s list.
“I think I was really determined this time,” she said, citing one class, Academic Study Methods, as a key.
“I’ve learned what things I can utilize through the school. I know there’s tutoring, I know there’s all that stuff, but actually using it I feel more confident.”
Transforming students to active participants
Instructor Shannon Owen said transforming students from passive to active participants in their education is another crucial piece of college success.
“They have to advocate for their own needs. We don’t know they’re struggling or that they don’t understand concepts,” Owen said.
Grice started out strong and only improved over the semester, turning in assignments early, Owen said.
“She’s got such motivation and heart. It’s great to see students succeed and watch that happen throughout the semester.”
Grice’s long-term aim is a business management degree. More immediately, she’s focused on next semester’s classes, especially English 111. It will be the fourth time she’s attempted the class. This time she’ll have a study partner: daughter Ashley, registered in the same course as a dual-enrolled student.
“It’s hard for me (but) I am ready for it,” Grice said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
August 19, 2015
School and Scouts.
Back in fifth grade, Stephen Siciliano found two things he liked and decided to stick with them.
Since then, he’s climbed to the pinnacle of both worlds. He’s vice president of educational services at NMC, and not only an Eagle Scout himself but a father of three more — all of whom also attended NMC.
Yet as he embarks on his fourth decade on campus, Siciliano, who wears a Scout uniform in his campus profile picture, shows no sign of boredom or restlessness. He’s excited to continue work on the challenges the college faces, like developmental education, learning outcomes and internal communication. Viewed through the lens of history, his chosen academic field, he is confident those challenges will be met. (More on those in a moment.)
Siciliano’s own history is colored by a community college — Nassau Community College on Long Island, NY, where he grew up. A first-generation college student, he had an “absolutely wonderful experience” and chose to pursue his master’s and PhD degrees in the hope of teaching at the community college level himself. So when Walt Beardslee, one of NMC’s founding faculty members, came to recruit at a National History Conference which Siciliano also happened to attend, he found an eager candidate.
“I’m thinking, ‘You don’t have to sell me. I’d love to teach at a community college,’” Siciliano, 59, recalled of that interview.
He spent 11 years teaching at NMC, including six as director of the Humanities division, his first taste of administration. In 1996 he moved into his current role as the college’s top academic officer. One of the best changes he’s seen during that time is NMC’s shift from once-a-decade accreditation to a continuous academic quality improvement process, known as AQIP.
“They focus our attention,” he said of the AQIP action projects, including, not coincidentally, those three challenges of developmental education, learning outcomes and communication.
“People say, ‘we want to get this done,’” he said, citing developmental education, the project closest to completion. “I come away from that meeting so energized.”
And that history is why he thinks that the more recently tackled projects like learning outcomes and communications, will indeed be solved.
Siciliano’s parallel world of Scouting has been transformed by quality improvement, too. While he no longer leads an active troop, like he did for a dozen years with just-retired engineering instructor Jim Coughlin, Siciliano is still involved as a liaison between two local units and the broader Boy Scout organization.
“They’ve clearly moved to quality metrics, just like our college. How can we improve the experience for the boys?” Siciliano said.
Even after 30 years as an educator, that question still animates Siciliano, who plans to keep pursuing the answer for a little while yet.
“I hope I’m here,” he says of his plans for five years down the road.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
February 17, 2016
Black Lives Matter. So do women’s lives, LGBT lives, and allies’ lives. And all of those causes might matter, it turns out, to whether the students advocating for them graduate, or even earn a better GPA.
NMC’s Student Life office presently has more groups focused on social issues — including a Black Student Union, a feminist-oriented Students United for Gender Rights (SUGR), and PRIDE, an LGBT group — than Student Life dean Lisa Thomas can remember.
That’s important because research shows engaged students are more likely to succeed in college. (A 2010 Purdue study even showed that student group members earned higher GPAs than non-members. Group officers had higher GPAs still.)
Moreover, Thomas says that when the groups are related to a student’s area of academic interest, it magnifies the connection between engagement and success.
“Seventy-five to 80 percent of the time, the student group they’re in makes sense because of an academic interest they have in their area,” she said. “This kind of engagement leads to student success.”
SUGR founder Kia Schwert exemplifies that. A dean’s list student, she entered NMC intending to study social work. After her sociology instructor gave her a book, “Feminism is for Everyone,” by bell hooks, she decided to start a feminist group.
That instructor, Rachel Johansen-Wilczewski, now advises SUGR. She said the members’ dedication, even meeting over the winter holiday break, impresses her.
“They mean business,” she said.
In addition to on-campus events, SUGR is now focused planning an alternative spring break trip focused on awareness of human trafficking and assistance to victims. Schwert herself is looking ahead to transferring to a school with a women’s studies program.
BSU founder Maya James, who’s believed to be the first dual-enrolled student to start a group, is another example of the activist-success feedback loop. She aspires to law school. Later this month, her group will go to Lansing to attend the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus Capitol Day.
“The activism we’ve been doing has been shaping our community,” said James, 17, who holds weekly discussion meetings, monthly black writer book club discussions and curated a display of books in the Osterlin Library for this month’s Black History Month.
James also initiated the January campus performance of Sampson McCormick, a gay black comedian, reaching out to Schwert and Caleb Yorty of PRIDE for help.
“There’s been a lot of student leadership stepping forward,” said Yorty, 20, who’s also a dean’s list student and involved with a grief support group in addition to the social justices causes. He studies psychology.
“I’ve never watched three student groups work so effectively together,” Thomas said of the comedy event. “While they have different missions, they have overlapping values. It was really encouraging.”
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
April 26, 2017
Before Paige Harrigan experienced her first study abroad trip in 2015, she had traveled fairly extensively, to Hawaii, Mexico and Caribbean islands.
But that Costa Rica experience, including a home stay with two non-English speaking families and visit to a banana plantation, opened her eyes to a whole different world than the tourist-oriented resorts she’d visited before.
“I absolutely loved the whole experience,” Harrigan said. “I got hooked, for sure.”
Ranked 12th among community colleges nationwide for short-term study abroad, NMC hooks lots of students like Harrigan — 45 will depart for four destinations next month. NMC also helps make study abroad more affordable with the Global Opportunities scholarship, which awards up to $1,000 per student. Nearly all participants (42) received it this year.
Harrigan is bound for her second study abroad destination May 8: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Biology instructor Greg LaCross, who led a group to South Africa last year, will lead Harrigan’s group to do service work at a school in the capital city of Quito, and then field work in the islands.
“I’ve always wanted to go to the Galapagos. It’s always been a bucket list thing,” Harrigan, 22, said of the place where Charles Darwin refined his theory of evolution. Students will stay at Darwin’s research station, working with Ecuadorian national park personnel to perform ecological research, monitor sea turtles and catalog migratory patterns of indigenous species.
“I’m really excited about the animals, all the different species,” said Harrigan, who graduates this spring from the collaborative NMC-Western Michigan program in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. This fall, she plans to — wait for it — travel, and look for a job on the West Coast.
Other 2017 study abroad destinations include:
Sicily – Culinary students will participate in traditional Sicilian cooking classes, shop in local outdoor food markets, visit a cheese research center, make Sicilian chocolate, visit Mt. Etna, and participate in a local culinary competition. First-time destination
Morocco – Humanities students will enhance their understanding of world cultures via home stays with Moroccan families, interaction with Moroccan college students, development of a more in-depth understanding of Islam and visiting historic sites. They’ll also venture into the Sahara Desert via camel to learn more about traditional Berber customs. First-time destination
Ecuador (Yunguilla) – Business, culinary and education students will visit an eco-tourism cooperative, lending their skill sets to village families hoping to improve the economic welfare of the region by marketing and producing local products for visitors to the cloud forest. Home stay included
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
September 30, 2020
Six newcomers and one incumbent are vying for three seats on NMC’s Board of Trustees this November, the largest field in 30 years. The top three vote-getters will serve six-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2021. We asked each candidate to answer two questions in 100 words or less:
- Why are you running?
- As an NMC trustee, what would your priorities be?
Below, in alphabetical order, are their responses. For those seeking further information, the Grand Traverse League of Women Voters will hold a virtual candidate forum from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, October 9. Links to watch are available here.
Vincent Cornellier: Serving as Trustee at NMC would round out a lifetime of educational experience and hopefully allow me to “pay forward “ some of the many benefits I have enjoyed along the way. While I have no specific agenda or platform, I would continue to strengthen partnerships with the business and medical community and of course do whatever I can to help maintain the outstanding record NMC has achieved in preparing students for further educational advancement.
Larry Johnson: I am running for NMC trustee to be of service to the students, faculty and staff at NMC, and to the Grand Traverse community. As an NMC trustee, my priorities would be to determine the needs of the college and how I could best serve its constituents; to help insure the safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to the campus; and to explore ways in which funds could be made available to NMC, and programs developed that continue the movement toward future growth and relevance to students needs now, and in the future.
Rachel Johnson (incumbent): I’m running for re-election because communities with healthy cradle-to-grave education opportunities have a more engaged citizenry, higher average income, and greater resiliency. That’s the kind of community I want to live in, and that’s why I am invested in NMC. My priorities:
- Promote innovative, experiential and flexible educational models.
- Prioritize industry collaboration to create innovative, technology-driven programs that fill gaps in our local workforce.
- Grow globally-relevant programs like freshwater studies that train our students for in-demand jobs and attract entrepreneurial investments to our community.
- Keep tuition affordable for local families.
- Emphasize NMC’s role in promoting diversity and understanding through our lifelong learning opportunities.
Daniel Lathrop: Did not respond. He formerly served on the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners and is a podiatrist.
Laura Oblinger: Our community college has a tremendous responsibility to our region and to our learners, and now is a pivotal moment in its history. The road ahead promises incredible things to come, and this thriving organization needs leaders at the helm — leaders with the skills, passion, and integrity to assist in its growth. I believe I am one of these leaders. I am aligned to be an amazing asset to this team. It will be my priority to support President Nissley with the governance guidance he needs as well as be a genuine advocate in our region.
James Perra: With a passion for supporting student leadership and service, alongside a comprehensive viewpoint, having been a teacher, student, and a member of professional communities in the trades, medical, professional, and academic arenas, I look forward to bringing my diverse experiences, deep skill set, and fresh ideas to the NMC board. Priorities include cultivating hands-on learning where students are treated by instructors as colleagues in training, and imparted not just technical skills, but values and cultural competencies that lead to success, and to expand NMC’s role as a cultural gem for the greater community through the Dennos Museum and arts opportunities.
Kenneth Warner: With 45 years as a U-M professor, including 15 as a department chair and School of Public Health dean, I’m motivated to run by my passion for higher education and, specifically, my deep admiration for NMC’s many contributions to our community. My top priority is to maintain an excellent, affordable education for NMC’s students, necessitating a great work environment for faculty and staff and a sustained foundation of fiscal integrity. To achieve these objectives, I would encourage even closer interaction with the business, nonprofit, and arts communities to address the region’s needs and enhance programmatic innovation, a hallmark of NMC.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
October 28, 2015
NMC students pocketed an extra $137,000 this semester thanks to instructors using free and low-cost textbooks.
Led by Osterlin Library director Tina Ulrich, NMC is piloting an experiment in Open Educational Resources this semester. Ten instructors were selected to receive a stipend of either $500 or an iPad — provided by an NMC Foundation innovation grant — as an incentive to redesign their courses using free textbooks and other resources, often found online.
In the process, Ulrich discovered other instructors already using OERs or low-cost textbooks. In total, NMC has 17 instructors she calls “textbook heroes” teaching 880 students in subjects ranging from math to English to history to social work.
The hero label is no exaggeration for students in Brian Sweeney’s physics class, who each saved $198 thanks to his choice of an OER.
“I wouldn’t have bought it,” physics student Eli Seal, 31, said of the $198 textbook.
Pre-med student Alyson Bunker of Gaylord calls textbook prices “ridiculous.” One online book cost her $110, she said.
“It’s extortion,” said student Tripp Coleman, 25, of Traverse City. He’s attending school on the GI Bill® and has a book allowance of only $509 per semester. That’s barely two-thirds of the $750 NMC recommends students budget, which amounts to 15 percent of tuition costs, Ulrich said.
Students said prices for online books and book rentals are still inflated and rigged with late fees, and end-of-semester book buy backs don’t offer enough return. Many said they like the online nature of OERs like the one Sweeney chose, which can easily be searched for specific content and linked to supplementary material.
“My course is organized better than ever and the students like the extra videos and interactive supplements for the class,” said math instructor Deb Menchaca.
Students who prefer printed materials can download and print OER materials, Ulrich noted.
Besides the cost savings, instructors said going off-book allowed them to reinvigorate their courses with newer material.
“Our computers are outdated as soon as we buy them. Our textbooks are, too,” said social work instructor Lisa Blackford. Now she’s consciously choosing materials as varied as TED talks and podcasts and believes students are more engaged.
Sociology instructor Brandon Everest agreed. He uses a $30 textbook published through OpenStax College, a nonprofit initiative of Rice University. The book’s content is not as thorough as the one he previously used, but that creates an opportunity to customize the course.
“It is more skeletal, so we were allowed to hang the flesh wherever we saw fit,” he said.
In terms of student performance, most instructors said students did as well or better on tests as they did with traditional textbooks. Sweeney said every test and lab score is better this fall.
The pilot project also aligns NMC with national trends. Earlier this month two U.S. senators introduced the Affordable College Textbook Act, which would expand the use of OERs.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
September 11, 2019
One-third of the region’s 40 under 40 winners have something in common beyond being young professionals who positively influence their community — they’ve attended classes at NMC.
Thirteen of the region’s 40 most influential leaders under age 40, as named by the Traverse City Business News this month, attended or graduated from NMC.
Illustrating the breadth of programs NMC offers, they work in a wide range of fields including banking and financial services, restaurants and hospitality, nonprofits, real estate, education, health care, government, and tourism. They are:
- Max Anderson, assistant vice president, Honor Bank;
- Andrea Deibler, co-owner, Raduno;
- Lindsey Dickinson, director of academic and career advising, NMC;
- Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, clinical manager, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency;
- Brandon Hunt, president, Mid-American Title;
- Nicholus Kopacki, site director, GVSU Physician Assistant Studies program;
- Courtney Lorenz, founder, Cultured Kombucha;
- Ben Marentette, city clerk, City of Traverse Clerk;
- Katy McCain, manager, Traverse City Tourism;
- Julie Moore, Physician Assistant, Addiction Treatment Services;
- Christopher Radu, partner, Elemint Wealth Management;
- Amy Shamroe, Jenkins Group and elected city commissioner;
- Nicole VanNess, parking director, Traverse City DDA.
Their resumes point to the value of NMC in the community. Through NMC’s University Center, Traverse City city clerk Ben Marentette earned both his bachelor’s and MBA degrees.
“You get a lot for your money. NMC allowed me to build a career without having to leave the city,” Marentette said.
Other list highlights:
- Seven of NMC-connected are also repeat winners: Anderson, Halladay, Hunt, Lorenz, Marentette, McCain and Shamroe.
- The eight women and five men among the NMC-connected is similar to the gender balance among the entire 40 over 40 list (22 women and 18 men.) NMC’s enrollment, however, is nearly 50-50 male-female.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
January 25, 2017
From left to right, Writing Center reader Zachary Harrington, coordinator Megan Ward, readers Carrie Dunklow and Diane BairAfter the busiest fall semester in NMC Writing & Reading Center history, students returning to the second floor of Scholars Hall will find more elbow room for wrestling with rhetoric, structure and argument.
One argument that seems to be settled, as evidenced by the 1,750 student conferences held last semester: Writing well matters, long after that English assignment or history paper has been turned in.
“The overall trend is that people recognize communicating, writing, being able to express yourself is important to a lot of different disciplines, a lot of different jobs,” Center coordinator Megan Ward said.
Kevin Schlueter, president and CEO of Kalkaska Screw Products and a mechanical engineer by training, said it’s a key skill the company’s 116 employees need.
“It’s just as important in technical fields,” said Schlueter, an NMC alumnus who also serves on NMC’s Foundation Board. “You have to find a way to communicate to get your point across. Having a grasp of the English language is critical to success.”
Student Gene Ward of Traverse City and Writing Center reader Diane BairIn addition to that awareness, Ward has a two-part thesis about why visits to the Center jumped 15 percent last semester, precipitating an expansion of the space over winter break.
- Cultivating relationships with instructors, including those outside traditional writing areas like Communications and Humanities
- Creating an inviting space
Every semester Ward emails all faculty to remind them of the critique services some 12 paid peer readers offer free of charge. Two years ago biology instructor Laura Jaquish was one of the more untraditional instructors to invite Ward to talk up the Center to her students in person.
“With our 100-level classes, people are often not aware of what’s available to them,” said Jaquish, who found that her Plant Biology students benefited from the one-on-one critiques. She plans to refer students in another class, Essential Biology, this semester.
Other Science & Math students, Computer Information Technology, and economics students have also found their way to the Center, which has expanded its hours into the evening and also off-site, to Osterlin Library on Sundays.
“There’s a lot of writing being asked of students,” Ward said.
History instructor Tom Gordon has long recommended the Writing Center to his students for the objective scrutiny readers can offer.
“When you’re writing, it’s really easy to know what you mean,” Gordon said. When a reader doesn’t, it opens the door to improvement.
Learning to improve is easier when the space is inviting, and that’s what Ward has aimed to create. Over Christmas break a storage closet was converted, expanding the Center’s footprint by about a third. Ward says the Center’s prized couch, which encourages students to linger, will likely move into that section, as well as computers. Then, students can begin incorporating feedback into their revisions immediately after the conferences conclude in the original section of the space.
In conclusion, expect more record-breaking semesters at the Writing & Reading Center.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
October 26, 2016
Luke Clark and Sherry Trier at the 22 To None hikeFall color tourists to northern Michigan also got a red-white-and-blue view last Saturday, as veterans and supporters organized by NMC’s Student Veterans Association hiked 22 miles to raise awareness of veteran suicide.
“We walked right down (U.S.) 31. It was pretty amazing, seeing people honk and give us the thumbs-up,” said SVA president and social work student Luke Clark of the Kewadin-to-Traverse City route, which symbolized the 22 veteran suicides that occur daily in the U.S. “It was pretty spectacular, minus the soreness of it.”
Clark, 27, has firsthand experience with the grim suicide statistics, which have propelled a grassroots, social-media fueled awareness campaign to help veterans struggling after their service.
“Two of my brothers from my unit killed themselves since we got back from Afghanistan,” Clark said.
More than 5 percent of NMC’s student population is veteran, active duty and reserve/National Guard members. NMC this year was ranked one of the top five “Best for Vets” community colleges nationwide. Campus supporters strive to meet the unique needs of this group individually, too.
“It’s heartbreaking, the statistics, to know that 22 a day we lose,” said Sherry Trier, NMC Instructional Technology Specialist. She volunteered for the first leg of the hike and then walked 16 miles herself.
“Military folks have a special place for me,” said Trier, whose father and older brother both served in the Marines, as does her nephew, now stationed in Kuwait. “It was so worth it, any ache, any pain, to be there and support it.”
Trier said the last four miles were difficult physically, after she had a problem with her shoes, but, “if I had to crawl, I would have finished.”
“On the family side, you don’t forget the experience,” said Trier, who helps organize NMC’s annual Veteran’s Day commemoration (again set for Nov. 11 this year) makes chili for the SVA chili cook-off and occasionally delivers dog biscuits to the SVA lounge in West Hall for veterans’ service and therapy dogs.
“You never know who’s having a bad day,” she said of those small things she can do for veterans. “There’s people here, we’re here to support you.”
That message came through loud and clear Saturday, Clark said.
“It was pretty amazing. It was beautiful,” he said. “It’s a real sign of the fact that we are not alone. There are organizations and institutes out there that will help us.”
Participation in the walk was free but donations collected will go to Traverse City’s Reining Liberty Ranch, which provides free equine therapy to veterans.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
October 14, 2015
If it seems like there’s a lot of new faces in classrooms this semester, you’re right.
Eight new full-time faculty members began teaching at NMC this fall, more than double the number of new faculty who started in 2014 and 2013.
Among those eight, Mac Beeker stands out for another reason: He’s the first full-time male nursing instructor in department history. And with NMC’s male nursing enrollment well ahead of national averages, he’s a fitting addition to the faculty.
“It’s a female-dominated profession, and I don’t think that’s going to change,” said Beeker, a 2010 alumnus himself. “(But) it’s not necessarily a female field they’re entering. It’s the nursing field.”
NMC’s associate degree nursing program enrollment is 21 percent male and male enrollment has climbed for the last two years, both in terms of actual students and percentages. National averages for male student nurse enrollment stand at around 15 percent. Among practicing nurses, only about 10 percent are men.
Director of Nursing Laura Schmidt said NMC has had male adjuncts, but Beeker, a medical-surgical instructor, is a pioneer in terms of full-time status.
“I think it’s very positive that there’s a male instructor,” said Brandon Thompson, a Traverse City nursing student. Graduating next spring, Beeker is the first male instructor he’s had.
Beeker, 50, entered nursing after careers in radio and non-profit management. He came to the field at 40, “half-accidentally, half intentionally” after his parents got sick. In terms of their hands-on care, Beeker discovered that nurses were the providers who truly made a difference.
“My own involvement with my parents’ health, it was pretty clear to me,” he said.
As Beeker did, many men find their way into nursing at older ages and after caregiving experiences, often as a parent or for a parent.
“Those barriers really get broken down for men as they get a bit older,” Beeker said. “There’s no way I could have done this at 18.”
Beeker said he’s particularly interested in infusing a human connection to the practice of nursing. When teaching a procedure, for instance, he seeks for students to learn not only how and when to perform it, but to conduct it with care and compassion for the patient. Skill grounded in academic knowledge delivered in a compassionate bedside manner equates to “phenomenal” nursing, he said.
“I felt that was very present in the NMC program, and I want to continue to try and develop that,” he said.
Since graduating, Beeker has earned a master’s in nursing and worked as a medical-surgical nurse providing primarily post-trauma care at Munson Medical Center. He plans to maintain that connection, working a few on-call shifts a month, to keep up his skills. He said Munson’s status as a magnet hospital for nursing, a designation of excellence by the American Nurse Credentialing Center, reflects positively on the quality of NMC’s program.
“That trickles back and is fueled by the NMC program,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
April 8, 2015
Every industry offers pinnacles. Entertainers aspire to Oscars and Grammys, doctors and diplomats to Nobels, and chefs to Michelin stars.
Great Lakes Culinary Institute graduate Leslie Farrer has barely begun her career and has already helped collect one of those coveted stars. The Traverse City native, 27, is a pastry sous chef at Trump Hotel in Chicago. One of its restaurants, Sixteen, just earned its second Michelin star.
“It’s excellent. You don’t get that just by being good,” said one her NMC mentors, Chef Mike Skarupinski. “That’s something to be very, very proud of. It’s a great reward.”
Farrer discovered her interest in pastry while working at a restaurant as a student at Traverse City West High School, and toured Chicago’s renown French Pastry School. But she didn’t want to move at age 18. Enter the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
She found the culinary curriculum, from knife skills to purchasing to menu planning, second to none. She also took her first pastry classes with Skarupinski, who remembers her as an excellent student. In contrast to savory cooking, pastry is technical.
“Pastry attracts more people who are good at math. Our recipes are very specific, they have to be very precise to get the result you want,” Farrer said.
After graduating in 2008, it was on to Chicago where she first attended and then interned at the French Pastry School. Next, she moved to Vanille, a small patisserie owned by an instructor, where she worked for four years, the last two as executive pastry chef.
She took an entry-level pastry chef position at Trump in 2013 and has already been promoted to one of two pastry sous chefs. The position offers a variety she enjoys. She might spend her work day baking bricks for a holiday gingerbread house, dipping strawberries for Sunday brunch, or planning the dessert menu for Sixteen, now one of only three restaurants in Chicago to boast two Michelin stars.
Farrer’s married to her high school sweetheart, Brian Farrer, who also attended NMC for a year and a half before transferring to DePaul University. He’s a mergers and acquisitions consultant in Chicago.
While the couple is comfortably settled in the Windy City now, Farrer remembers NMC fondly.
“It gave me a couple years to grow up,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself and how I handle situations and stress and work with other people in stressful situations.”
Skarupinski said Farrer’s success should inspire future culinary students, too.
“Having her start at NMC is another very good accomplishment for our future students as well,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
March 24, 2015
A contingent of NMC students, faculty and staff who depart for Cuba Friday are the leading edge of a new distinction for the college: more study abroad students and destinations than any other Michigan community college.
The Cuba experience is among seven planned study abroad experiences this year. About 80 students from a dozen programs will travel to six different countries, including Cuba, South Africa (also during spring break), Brazil (two trips), Italy, Russia and Costa Rica. According to a survey by NMC’s International Services & Service Learning office, that’s more than any other community college in the state.
Jim Bensley directs that office and also teaches a World Cultures class. He chose Cuba as a destination before President Obama announced a plan to thaw relations with the Communist nation last December. With greater economic development imminent, experiences on the island isolated for half a century becomes even more valuable now.
“It’s rare U.S. residents ever get the chance to visit Cuba,” he said. “With Cuba so inextricably linked to the past, there is a genuine uniqueness that won’t always be as apparent as it is today.”
Looking forward to culture shock
Visual communications student Desiree Morgan is looking forward to that culture shock. She’s never traveled further than Canada, but had an interest in studying abroad. VisComm students are planning to film a documentary during the trip, which counts as academic credit.
Michael Meteer initially signed up by accident, selecting a course code that included the Cuba experience instead of one that did not. But the psychology student is happy with how things turned out.
“I’m most looking forward to the stories I’m going to come back with,” he said.
An increased emphasis on study abroad is part of the college’s strategic direction to ensure that NMC learners are prepared for success in a global society and economy. Next year, Bensley is planning eight student study abroad trips to several new destinations, including Guatemala, Ecuador, Greece and possibly Ethiopia.
For more information visit nmc.edu/study-abroad.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
March 11, 2015
Four years ago, single mom Kathy Tahtinen wouldn’t have put her name in the same sentence as Harvard University. Now, she’s considering online courses at the Ivy League school this fall.
Two years ago, Alan Holcombe was sitting in his cubicle in a Grand Rapids bank, second-guessing his choice of a finance degree. Next week he’s headed to an industry conference in Maryland, all expenses paid, to see just how far his engineering technology degree from NMC will take him.
Brian Sweeney’s educational resume includes degrees from West Point and Cornell. Now the Army retiree has come full circle to teach at NMC, where he took his first class as dual-enrolled student, building one of the college’s newest programs, photonics.
The trio have each received recent scholarships that collectively showcase not only the breadth of Northwestern Michigan College offerings, from transfer to technical, but the excellence across the board.
New Century Scholar
Tahtinen, 38, (pictured above, back row, second from right) has been named the New Century Scholar for Michigan, among just 57 outstanding community college students chosen from 1,700 nominated internationally. She’s a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international community college honor society, and will graduate in May with three associate degrees. The scholarship will help the single mother of two high school students – one of whom shares her classes as a dual-enrolled high school student – continue pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
The Harvard extension opportunity would allow her to earn a degree while taking classes mostly online. Her NMC transcripts qualify her to take three pre-admission online classes, which would in turn determine whether she could apply for official admission.
“Having that confidence to even make the phone call to Harvard was definitely something new,” she said. “When you put a challenge in front of me, I’m going to find a way. It’s just my personality.”
Hydrographic Society scholars
Holcombe, 28, and fellow student John Lutchko both received scholarships from the Hydrographic Society of America. Engineering Technology didn’t exist at NMC when Holcombe graduated from Suttons Bay High School in 2005, and he went on to earn a bachelor’s in finance and economics from a four-year school.
Cubicle life didn’t agree with him, however, and Holcombe decided to look for something where he could use his hands. In NMC’s program, he uses them to build, program and operate robots that collect data underwater. Last summer he spent an internship with the National Park Service on Lake Superior. (At leftAbove, Holcombe operates a multi-beam sonar system on the lake.)
“It’s mind-blowing to me that this was in our back yard,” Holcombe said. “My office turned from a cubicle to going out on a boat and seeing things like bald eagles and even bear cubs on the beach every day.”
The employment odds have turned in his favor, and he expects to be able to field multiple job offers after he graduates this spring.
“I can’t wait to see where it takes me,” he said.
Optics and Photonics grant
Sweeney, meanwhile, will oversee a $15,000 grant from the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC) for both scholarships and student recruitment. Photonics involves the use of lasers and other electro-optical devices in fields like manufacturing, medicine, aerospace, IT and defense. NMC was one of just four schools nationwide to receive the funding. Sweeney, 50, says the hands-on training provided is the reason why.
“West Point and Cornell had a lot of theory. We didn’t have a lot of grabbing the wrench and turning it,” Sweeney said.
Photonics started at NMC in 2012 and this is the second year the college has received the OP-TEC grant.
“These achievements illustrate the extraordinary breadth and depth of programming at NMC,” said Stephen Siciliano, NMC’s vice president for educational services. “From providing degree paths to having programs that are first in the nation and linked to our own bachelor degree shows both how broad our offerings are and the depth of scientific research that is often only associated with research universities. But one finds it here at NMC.”
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
October 26, 2022
A new, $30 million state scholarship fund to train more police officers is coinciding with major changes to NMC’s Police Academy, setting up an enrollment to employment pipeline that will ultimately benefit community safety.
Announced last week, the Public Safety Academy Assistance Program was established to help address the critical need for additional police officers statewide by reducing or eliminating the cost associated with basic police training. Law enforcement agencies are eligible for up to $20,000 per recruit for academy tuition and other training costs.
Grand Traverse County Undersheriff Mike Shea (left) said that will be a boost to his department, which earlier this year had 10 vacancies in the patrol division. He just attended the Michigan Sheriffs Association conference and of the 70 counties represented, all but one or two were struggling with vacancies.
“We are bleeding police officers. They are leaving the profession at an alarming rate,” said Shea, a 2005 NMC Police Academy alumnus himself.
“It serves both the agency and the student,” NMC Police Academy director Gail Kurowski said of the scholarship. “There are a lot of people that might be considering a career in law enforcement that don’t have the financial wherewithal to put themselves through a program.”
Applications are now open for agencies who intend to enroll recruits in an academy session beginning on or after January 1. Next fall is also when NMC debuts a new, four-month structure for its academy. That cuts in half the current time needed to complete the program and will allow NMC to better compete for students it might have previously lost to condensed academies.
“The 16-week program is going to be huge,” said Shea, who already has a candidate in mind as Grand Traverse County’s first employed recruit to start next fall.
“We’re not only not going to lose the people we have in the past to other academies that are condensed, but hopefully we’re going to attract others because of what we have to offer,” Shea said.
NMC is the only academy to offer drone certification to its recruits, for instance. NMC also far exceeds the minimum requirement for scenario training, which simulates real-world situations, set by MCOLES, the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
“We are going to have over 60 hours of scenario training,” she said.“That is huge. There is no academy in Michigan that’s going to have that.”
The $20,000 per recruit would more than cover NMC’s tuition. NMC is also the northernmost academy in the state, making it an attractive option for agencies from the UP and northern lower peninsula. Shea said another plus is that NMC’s instructors are all either law enforcement officers or attorneys.
“There is no one better to teach than those who are living it,” he said.
The combined impact of NMC’s condensed program and the new scholarship should increase the ranks of those seeking to enter what Shea called “a noble profession.”
“I’m very hopeful that that pendulum will change,” he said.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
May 25, 2022
After three straight years of a 100-percent state exam pass rate and employment rate, NMC’s Police Academy program is planning big changes that will allow it to double enrollment and help fill a shortage of police and law enforcement officers statewide.
A new structure for the Police Academy slated to start in the fall of 2023 means that instead of turning out one graduating class per academic year, NMC will have one in the fall and one in the spring. Students will receive the same training by attending full time for 16 weeks, instead of part-time as they do now for the nine-month academic year.
Both students and police agencies favor the switch, Police Academy Director Gail Kurowski said. The 11 members of the Police Academy class of 2022 have all been hired (graduate Matt Morgan, above, is headed to the Michigan State Police), and police departments and sheriff’s offices around northern Michigan are eager for more graduates.
“They are really excited to see us make this change,” Kurowski said. “They are desperately in need of law enforcement personnel.”
Of the 20 police academies in Michigan overseen by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, NMC is among only a handful that still operate on academic year calendars, Kurowski said. She’s currently recruiting for the 2022–23 year, and has had to turn away almost as many students as she’s enrolled because they preferred the consolidated, shorter program. Increasing the number of credentials earned faster is also an objective within the Future-Focused Education area in NMC Next, the college’s strategic plan.
“It doesn’t work any more,” Kurowski said of the two-semester schedule. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to increase enrollment.”
Police Academy students will be learning on significantly upgraded equipment, too. Earlier this month, the Grand Traverse County Commission approved donating two used sheriff’s department patrol vehicles to the NMC program. Kurowski said she has a verbal commitment for a used Traverse City Police Department vehicle, too.
The vehicles will be outfitted with equipment donated by the Michigan State Police, including mounted display consoles for computers inside. The current 2005 vehicles NMC now uses lack any kind of police equipment.
“Our students have never gotten to turn on a siren or a light bar,” Kurowski said. “That’s going to be a huge improvement.” She expects the vehicles to be available for the 2022–23 school year.
NMC’s Aviation program and Marine Technology bachelor’s degree program also boast 100 percent employment among their graduates. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy expects all 2022 graduates to be employed within six months of graduation.
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Employers are invited to register for Northwestern Michigan College’s 14th annual career fair, to be held March 5 at the Hagerty Center on the Great Lakes Campus.
The event runs from 3–6 p.m. Employers will have the opportunity to recruit job-seekers for career-track, seasonal and entry-level positions as well as internships and service learning.
The Career Fair now encompasses the formerly separate Jobs4Vets and NMC Technology Career Fair events, and is open to students, NMC alumni and community members. It will open one hour early, at 2 p.m., to veterans and military families only. It is held in partnership with Northwest Michigan Works and Networks Northwest.
An alumni reception follows the event from 5–6:30 p.m. at Lobdell’s: A Teaching Restaurant.
Employer registration is $25 and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration begins Jan. 27. To register or for more information, visit nmc.edu/career-fair.
Release Date: January 23, 2020
For More Information:
Sally Smarsty
NMC Advising Center
ssmarsty@nmc.edu
231-995-1040
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Cadets at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) will soon depart on training cruises with increased safety protocols in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday, July 2, 12 GLMA cadets, and one faculty member will sail onboard the T/S Kennedy on its voyage from a shipyard in Mobile, AL to its homeport at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. These cadets will be joined by cadets and midshipmen from Maine Maritime Academy, California Maritime Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The ability of the cadets to sail onboard the T/S Kennedy during this evolution was facilitated by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD.) The vessel’s transit is expected to last 14 to 21 days.
“It will be a great experience, it will go a long way toward meeting our goal of ensuring cadets have the ability to graduate as per their model schedule, and it will be almost no cost to cadets,” said Jerry Achenbach, GLMA superintendent.
Monday, July 6, GLMA’s flagship training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, is scheduled to depart, from NMC’s Great Lakes Campus harbor, for the first of three training cruises. In phase one of the training cruise, 17 cadets, and one intern from Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute will be underway for seven to nine days. The ship will not make any non-emergency port calls, and no one will depart or enter the ship to limit the risk of possible exposure to the virus.
All cadets and crew for both ships were required to be quarantined and test negative for COVID-19 before they were allowed to sail.
GLMA and NMC have adopted increased safety protocols to help protect cadets against COVID-19. These measures are based on stringent industry protocols developed by MARAD, and follow the most stringent procedures being employed by the U.S. maritime industry. Safety procedures for cadet training include single occupancy berths, inspections, continuous sanitization, safe distancing and wearing face coverings in accordance with CDC guidelines. Additionally, the Academy worked with the Grand Traverse County Health Department on the quarantine procedures.
These training cruises will help cadets meet program requirements. Earning the required 360 days of sea time during the four-year program was already a challenge due to high Maritime enrollment, few available berths aboard commercial vessels, and academic schedule constraints. Shutdowns due to the coronavirus worsened the situation. GLMA’s training vessel, the T/S State of Michigan, would normally have departed in early May on its annual two-month training cruise. Due to the pandemic, the vessel will not get underway until early July.
In addition to the new cruise options, GLMA added the tugboat Mississippi to its fleet in June. The NMC Board of Trustees approved leasing the vessel in March as an additional way to help cadets meet required sea time.
As the state maritime academy of Michigan, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College educates and trains deck and engineering officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Graduates earn a bachelor’s degree, and an unlimited tonnage/ horsepower merchant marine license. Read more about the Academy at nmc.edu/maritime.
Release date: July 2, 2020
For more information:
RADM Jerry Achenbach
Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent
(231) 995-1203
gachenbach@nmc.edu
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — After 65 years and nearly $2 million of projects funded, Northwestern Michigan College and the Oleson Foundation have made the decision that 2020 will be the final year of the NMC BBQ event. The College and the Oleson Foundation remain dedicated to supporting students and continuing the community connection established through the event’s proud history.
“We’ve come a long way in 65 years since the Oleson family and the community first joined together to help build our community’s college. We have accomplished much and our college and region have grown and changed considerably over the years,” said Brad Oleson, NMC BBQ committee member. “As we reflect on that success, we feel now is a great opportunity to look toward the future for new ways to support the college as our students’ needs, and our community, continue to grow and change. We celebrate what we have done together and are excited to extend that path into the future to benefit our students, our college and our community for years to come.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the Oleson family’s commitment to Northwestern Michigan College. Our college might not be here today if it wasn’t for their vision and dedication,” said Dr. Nick Nissley, president of NMC. “The Olesons and the BBQ not only rallied support and resources over the years, but allowed us to open our campus to the community to celebrate all that we’ve done together for our students. I am confident we will continue the spirit of the BBQ and Oleson family for many years to come and I look forward to it.”
While the traditional BBQ event will not be returning, the College would like to host a celebration for volunteers, supporters and community members when it is safe to do so in the future.
Since the BBQ first began, there are now a wide variety of ways for the community to learn about, engage with and support the college including through the NMC Foundation, advisory boards, volunteer positions and more.
The Oleson Foundation has pledged to continue their support for the college and its students, just as they have for nearly thirty years. Most recently the Oleson Foundation made a gift of $100,000 to NMC’s new Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center. Marty Oleson will also continue to serve on the NMC Foundation Board.
The NMC BBQ Committee established an endowed scholarship in 2015 that will provide scholarship support in perpetuity for local students with financial need.
The last in-person NMC BBQ was Sunday, May 19, 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual NMC BBQ was held in 2020. For more information on the history of the event, images from the archives and list of funded projects, please visit nmc.edu/BBQ.
Release date: July 30, 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communication
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 392-6082 (m)
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — Last night Governor Whitmer announced new restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. The new epidemic order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will have the following impact at Northwestern Michigan College from Wednesday, November 18 through Tuesday, December 8.
- All classes, meetings, testing and student services must be delivered virtually (with the exception of some law enforcement and health occupations courses).
- The Testing Center will be closed to in person testing.
- All employee work that can be done remotely, must be done remotely.
- Lobdell’s restaurant will be closed.
- The Hawk Owl Cafe will offer food for take out only.
- The bookstore and Health Services will have limited service.
- The library will offer virtual services.
- Building access will be limited.
- Residence hall students will have the option of staying in NMC housing. Further communication will come from the Office of Residence Life.
This is an evolving situation. We will continue to monitor it and communicate with you. Students, please contact your instructors if you have questions about your coursework.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, NMC has remained committed to keeping our students and employees safe, while limiting the disruption to learning as much as possible. We appreciate your commitment to those goals. Please stay safe and continue your work to limit the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses, within our community and with your family. For the latest information on NMC’s response to the pandemic, including resources for students and employees, please visit nmc.edu/coronavirus.
Release date: November 16, 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom
TRAVERSE CITY — NMC invites the community to attend its annual Veterans Day ceremonies virtually beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, via Zoom: https://nmc.zoom.us/j/93088013765
The schedule is as follows:
9 a.m.: Opening Remarks by Student Veterans of America President, Alex Swainston and Northwestern Michigan College President, Nick Nissley, Ed.D.
9:15: Posting the colors, playing of “Taps” and three volleys by VFW Cherryland Post 2780
9:20: Coining Ceremony for VFW Veterans
9:25: Closing remarks by POC, Military & Veteran Services/Advisor, Scott Herzberg
Serving those who have served the nation is a year-round priority at NMC, where about 5 percent of students are veterans or active duty military. This year, for the third year in a row, NMC is ranked as the No. 2 community college in the country for veterans by Military Times magazine in its annual Best for Vets list.
Release date: November 5, 2020
For more information:
Scott Herzberg
POC, Military & Veteran Services
sherzberg@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2526
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News
TRAVERSE CITY — Rachel Johnson, Laura Oblinger and Ken Warner were elected to six-year terms on the Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees Tuesday, in an election that attracted the largest slate of candidates in 30 years.
Rachel Johnson
(click for high-resolution version)
Laura Oblinger
(click for high-resolution version)Current board vice-chair Johnson was re-elected, and first-time candidates Oblinger and Warner received the three highest vote totals from Grand Traverse County voters. Oblinger and Warner will succeed K. Ross Childs and Jane T. McNabb, who did not seek re-election. All three will be sworn in Jan. 1, 2021, for six-year terms expiring in 2026.
“We are excited to welcome these new trustees, and appreciate the interest in the college shown by all the candidates,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “We’re also grateful for the service of Trustees Childs and McNabb, and wish them well.”
Johnson was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2016 and first elected in 2018 to fill the remainder of her current term. She serves on the NMC Audit Committee, the Policy Committee and the Presidential Performance & Compensation Committee and is the member relations manager at Cherryland Electric Cooperative.
Oblinger, an NMC alumna, is a Traverse City native. The past executive director of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, she now is director of client services and business development for Rehmann.
Ken Warner
(click for high-resolution version)
Warner is retired from the University of Michigan, where he spent 45 years as a professor, including 15 as a department chair and School of Public Health dean.
Childs was one of NMC’s longest-serving trustees, appointed to the board in 2001 and first elected in 2002. McNabb was appointed in 2017 and elected in 2018 to fill the remainder of a term that expires Dec. 31.
Release date: November 4. 2020
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director, NMC Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Hannah Beard and Jessi Martin (click for high-resolution version)NMC’s aviation program will get a lofty showcase before a national audience this summer when a pair of student pilots fly across North America in the Air Race Classic, the oldest air race of its kind, and exclusively for female pilots.
