Contingency plans created for GLMA cadet sea time due to repairs required on State of Michigan

Jun 7, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Thanks to a rapid, multi-agency response effort, Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadets are still expected to earn required sea time and remain on track to graduate despite an engine repair that has temporarily sidelined the training ship State of Michigan on what would have been its longest cruise season in several years.

The T/S State of Michigan departed Traverse City on May 18 for the first of four scheduled training cruises. On the evening of May 19, the vessel experienced mechanical problems while transiting the Detroit River. The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), owner of the vessel, has prioritized repairs to be completed at a Toledo, Ohio dock, and expects the ship to return to service by mid-July.

According to GLMA Superintendent Jerry Achenbach, due to the assistance of MARAD and the other state maritime academies, contingency plans were quickly developed for the cadets impacted. Cadets must earn the equivalent of 360 days sea time during the four-year program. The goal of NMC and GLMA is to ensure graduations are not delayed, and that every cadet has the ability to graduate per his/ her model schedule.

Plans for the 50 cadets aboard the vessel when it departed, as well as those scheduled for the second cruise, which was scheduled to begin on June 14, include earning required sea time through one of several options, including:

• Aboard the T/S Kennedy, the training ship of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• Aboard the T/S General Rudder, the training ship of Texas A&M Maritime Academy
• Aboard a commercial vessel in Great Lakes service.
• Aboard the State of Michigan in its third phase, scheduled to begin July 21 in Traverse City

Cadet transportation to and from another academy’s training ship will not be passed on to the cadets. This is thanks to the efforts of the NMC Foundation (nmc.edu/give) and MARAD.

More than 150 GLMA cadets will need to earn sea time this year. There is high demand for GLMA graduates, as well as the graduates of NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute, who complete an internship on the ship.

The T/S State of Michigan is owned by MARAD, which will pay for repairs, and assigned to the Academy. Prior to its transfer to GLMA in 2002, it was the USNS Persistent, a T-AGOS class ocean surveillance ship operated by the U.S. Navy. It was built in 1986.

Release date: JUNE 7, 2021

For more information:

RADM Jerry Achenbach
Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent
(231) 995-1203
gachenbach@nmc.edu

Contingency plans created for GLMA cadet sea time due to repairs required on State of Michigan

Jun 7, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Thanks to a rapid, multi-agency response effort, Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadets are still expected to earn required sea time and remain on track to graduate despite an engine repair that has temporarily sidelined the training ship State of Michigan on what would have been its longest cruise season in several years.

The T/S State of Michigan departed Traverse City on May 18 for the first of four scheduled training cruises. On the evening of May 19, the vessel experienced mechanical problems while transiting the Detroit River. The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), owner of the vessel, has prioritized repairs to be completed at a Toledo, Ohio dock, and expects the ship to return to service by mid-July.

According to GLMA Superintendent Jerry Achenbach, due to the assistance of MARAD and the other state maritime academies, contingency plans were quickly developed for the cadets impacted. Cadets must earn the equivalent of 360 days sea time during the four-year program. The goal of NMC and GLMA is to ensure graduations are not delayed, and that every cadet has the ability to graduate per his/ her model schedule.

Plans for the 50 cadets aboard the vessel when it departed, as well as those scheduled for the second cruise, which was scheduled to begin on June 14, include earning required sea time through one of several options, including:

• Aboard the T/S Kennedy, the training ship of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• Aboard the T/S General Rudder, the training ship of Texas A&M Maritime Academy
• Aboard a commercial vessel in Great Lakes service.
• Aboard the State of Michigan in its third phase, scheduled to begin July 21 in Traverse City

Cadet transportation to and from another academy’s training ship will not be passed on to the cadets. This is thanks to the efforts of the NMC Foundation (nmc.edu/give) and MARAD.

More than 150 GLMA cadets will need to earn sea time this year. There is high demand for GLMA graduates, as well as the graduates of NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute, who complete an internship on the ship.

The T/S State of Michigan is owned by MARAD, which will pay for repairs, and assigned to the Academy. Prior to its transfer to GLMA in 2002, it was the USNS Persistent, a T-AGOS class ocean surveillance ship operated by the U.S. Navy. It was built in 1986.

Release date: JUNE 7, 2021

For more information:

RADM Jerry Achenbach
Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent
(231) 995-1203
gachenbach@nmc.edu

NMC-Colombia “Bridging Waterways across the Americas” project wins $27K grant

Jun 4, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY —  Northwestern Michigan College is the only community college in the nation to win a grant designed to enhance higher education partnerships between the United States and Colombia.

NMC’s project, “Bridging Waterways Across the Americas,” a collaboration between the college, the Inland Seas Education Association in Suttons Bay, the Universidad de la Salle and the Teusacá River Basin project in Colombia, was among 10 grant recipients announced June 3. 

Bridging Waterways will engage NMC Freshwater Studies students and faculty and their counterparts in the biology and environmental engineering undergraduate programs at La Salle in comparative environmental studies during the 2021-2022 academic year. Specifically, students will focus on freshwater resources in the Cuenca del Rio Teusacá (Bogotá, Colombia) and the Great Lakes region, seeking to identify local solutions to the global problem of adequate water resources.

“Bridging Waterways Across the Americas is a dream come true. We always envisioned the creation of an international network of students in water-related programs, local communities and professionals along the Americas working together to understand our water resources,” said Constanza Hazelwood, education and outreach coordinator at NMC’s Freshwater Studies Institute, and grant co-author.

Co-author Jim Bensley, director of the office of International Services and Service Learning, called the project another example of NMC’s innovative approach to building international partnerships to enhance student learning in the 21st century and to prepare learners for success in a global society and economy. NMC currently has existing partnerships with institutions/organizations in Indonesia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Canada and the UK. 

Virtual activities begin immediately. The approximately $27,000 award will culminate in field work next spring. Six NMC students and one faculty member will travel to Colombia in May 2022, and six La Salle students and one faculty member will visit Traverse City in June.

The U.S.-Colombia grant competition is supported by the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, a public-private collaboration that originated in the Obama Administration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA, corporations, and foundations. All the other recipients were four-year universities.

COVID-19 forced the cancellation of physical study abroad experiences in both 2020 and 2021. Yet also this month, NMC learned it is one of only eight community colleges nationwide to double study abroad participation between 2016-2020 through the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative.

The accomplishment has garnered NMC the organization’s Seal of Excellence. Out of 444 participating US institutions, 121 met their goals, including NMC.

Since 2013, when NMC established the Office for International Services and Service Learning,  the college has averaged 65-70 students annually, and has sent over 450 students and 30 faculty/staff on short-term academic study abroad opportunities to 20 different countries. The NMC Foundation’s Global Opportunities Fund, started by former NMC President Tim Nelson and Nancy Johnson, has helped reduce the cost for many students who may never have traveled outside the state of Michigan.

Costa Rica is one of the longest-established destinations in NMC’s study abroad portfolio. Students first traveled there in 2011 and worked with faculty at EARTH University in Limon. Eventually, EARTH is expected to participate in student exchange and research through the Bridging Waterways project, too. 

“Students and faculty experiencing their area of study in a country much different from the US has been a phenomenal experience,” Bensley said. “Not only do they return home as more confident global citizens, but they begin to ask questions and analyze problems with an ever expanding worldview.”  

In-person study abroad opportunities are tentatively planned to return in 2022, while virtual experiences continue to expand. This spring and summer, five NMC students have completed or are in the process of fulfilling virtual internships in India and Brazil. In addition, two visual communications students were recently chosen from a nationwide community college competition by the French embassy to participate in a three-week virtual boot camp exploring sustainable design in partnership with the Higher College of Decorative Arts in Paris, France.

Release date: JUNE 4, 2021

For more information:

Jim Bensley
Director, International Services and Service Learning
jbensley@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2527

NMC-Colombia “Bridging Waterways across the Americas” project wins $27K grant

Jun 4, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY —  Northwestern Michigan College is the only community college in the nation to win a grant designed to enhance higher education partnerships between the United States and Colombia.

NMC’s project, “Bridging Waterways Across the Americas,” a collaboration between the college, the Inland Seas Education Association in Suttons Bay, the Universidad de la Salle and the Teusacá River Basin project in Colombia, was among 10 grant recipients announced June 3. 

Bridging Waterways will engage NMC Freshwater Studies students and faculty and their counterparts in the biology and environmental engineering undergraduate programs at La Salle in comparative environmental studies during the 2021-2022 academic year. Specifically, students will focus on freshwater resources in the Cuenca del Rio Teusacá (Bogotá, Colombia) and the Great Lakes region, seeking to identify local solutions to the global problem of adequate water resources.

“Bridging Waterways Across the Americas is a dream come true. We always envisioned the creation of an international network of students in water-related programs, local communities and professionals along the Americas working together to understand our water resources,” said Constanza Hazelwood, education and outreach coordinator at NMC’s Freshwater Studies Institute, and grant co-author.

Co-author Jim Bensley, director of the office of International Services and Service Learning, called the project another example of NMC’s innovative approach to building international partnerships to enhance student learning in the 21st century and to prepare learners for success in a global society and economy. NMC currently has existing partnerships with institutions/organizations in Indonesia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Canada and the UK. 

Virtual activities begin immediately. The approximately $27,000 award will culminate in field work next spring. Six NMC students and one faculty member will travel to Colombia in May 2022, and six La Salle students and one faculty member will visit Traverse City in June.

The U.S.-Colombia grant competition is supported by the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, a public-private collaboration that originated in the Obama Administration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA, corporations, and foundations. All the other recipients were four-year universities.

COVID-19 forced the cancellation of physical study abroad experiences in both 2020 and 2021. Yet also this month, NMC learned it is one of only eight community colleges nationwide to double study abroad participation between 2016-2020 through the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative.

The accomplishment has garnered NMC the organization’s Seal of Excellence. Out of 444 participating US institutions, 121 met their goals, including NMC.

Since 2013, when NMC established the Office for International Services and Service Learning,  the college has averaged 65-70 students annually, and has sent over 450 students and 30 faculty/staff on short-term academic study abroad opportunities to 20 different countries. The NMC Foundation’s Global Opportunities Fund, started by former NMC President Tim Nelson and Nancy Johnson, has helped reduce the cost for many students who may never have traveled outside the state of Michigan.

Costa Rica is one of the longest-established destinations in NMC’s study abroad portfolio. Students first traveled there in 2011 and worked with faculty at EARTH University in Limon. Eventually, EARTH is expected to participate in student exchange and research through the Bridging Waterways project, too. 

“Students and faculty experiencing their area of study in a country much different from the US has been a phenomenal experience,” Bensley said. “Not only do they return home as more confident global citizens, but they begin to ask questions and analyze problems with an ever expanding worldview.”  

In-person study abroad opportunities are tentatively planned to return in 2022, while virtual experiences continue to expand. This spring and summer, five NMC students have completed or are in the process of fulfilling virtual internships in India and Brazil. In addition, two visual communications students were recently chosen from a nationwide community college competition by the French embassy to participate in a three-week virtual boot camp exploring sustainable design in partnership with the Higher College of Decorative Arts in Paris, France.

Release date: JUNE 4, 2021

For more information:

Jim Bensley
Director, International Services and Service Learning
jbensley@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2527

Celebrating PRIDE MONTH at the NMC Library

Jun 3, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

FICTION

Less, by Andrew Sean Greer
Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction, 2018
After receiving an invitation to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding, Arthur, a failed novelist on the eve of his fiftieth birthday, embarks on an international journey that finds him falling in love, risking his life, reinventing himself, and making connections with the past.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in NYC, a job she didn’t hate. She had scraped together a good life. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. That is until Ames’s boss and lover, Katrina reveals she is pregnant with his baby – and not sure she wants to keep it. Ames wonders if this is their chance to be happy? Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family – and raise the baby together?

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Amma is a playwright whose work often explores her black lesbian identity; Shirley, a teacher, is jaded after decades of work in funding-deprived schools; Carole, one of Shirley’s former students, works hard to earn a degree and becomes an investment banker; Carole’s mother Bummi works as a cleaner and worries about her daughter’s lack of rootedness. From a nonbinary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm, twelve unforgettable characters intersect in shared aspects of their identities, from age to race to sexuality to class. 

Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
This award winning young adult novel introduces twelve-year-old Caroline. Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, Caroline falls in love with another girl–and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline’s missing mother.

George by Alx Gino
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl. George thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part . . . because she’s a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte — but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

NONFICTION

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a revolutionary resource-a comprehensive, reader-friendly guide for transgender people, with each chapter written by transgender or genderqueer authors. Each chapter takes the reader through an important transgender issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical transition, mental health topics, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and culture, and many more.

Is Gender Fluid? A Primer for the 21st Century by Sally Hines
When we are born, we are each assigned a gender based on our physical anatomy. But why is it that some people experience such dissonance between their biological sex and their inner identity? Is gender something we are or something we do? Is our expression of gender inborn or does it develop as we grow? Hines assesses the connections between gender, psychology, culture and sexuality, and reveals how individual and social attitudes have evolved over the centuries

The 57 Bus by Daska Slater
One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, but they inhabited very different worlds. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment.

David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music by Darryl W. Bullock
This history of recorded music by and for the LGBT community shows how those records influenced the evolution of the music we listen to today, how gay, lesbian, and bisexual performers influenced jazz and blues; examines the almost forgotten Pansy Craze in the years between the two World Wars; chronicles the dark years after the depression when gay life was driven deep underground; celebrates the re-emergence of LGBT performers in the post-Stonewall years; and highlights today’s most legendary out-gay pop stars.

The Glass Closet: the Risks and Rewards of Coming Out in Business by John Browne
Part memoir and part social criticism, The Glass Closet addresses the issue of homophobia that still pervades corporations around the world and underscores the immense challenges faced by LGBT employees. Drawing on his own experiences, those of members of the LGBT community around the world, as well as insights from well-known business leaders and celebrities, Browne illustrates why, despite the risks, self-disclosure is best for employees—and for the businesses that support them.

FILMS IN KANOPY

Explore movies in Kanopy for free. Go to nmc.kanopy.com and login using your NMC ID and password.

BEYOND THE LIBRARY: PODCASTS

Gayish is a podcast that breaks down one gay stereotype each week. Mike and Kyle bring humor, honesty, and irreverence to topics like the hanky code, depression, and open relationships.

Past guests have included YouTuber Davey Wavey, gay porn star Calvin Banks, Andrew Gurza, Matt Baume, a gay priest, a trans atheist, and Mike’s wildly supportive and over-sharing mom.

Youth In Control is a weekly radio show where young LGBTQIA+ people can come in and take control of the radio! Whether it’s entertainment, music, social issues or news, all young LGBTQIA+ identifying people are invited to come in, choose the music and have their say about everything, from bisexual representation in the media to coming out to your grandparents, and have some fun while doing it.

Happy Queer Mind is a LGBT self-help podcast hosted by actor and poet, Jess Darnell.

Each week Darnell and guests break down common Queer issues with weekly positive affirmations, exercises, and original poetry to help change negative thought patterns, help break destructive cycles, and open up a space to support, affirm, and empower your spirit.

Five decades in the classroom, and counting

Jun 3, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Steve Drake at NMC’s 2018 commencement ceremony
(download a high-resolution version here)TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College is celebrating its first instructor to achieve the milestone of 50 years in the classroom, mathematics instructor Steve Drake.

In 1971 Drake came to Traverse City with seven years of teaching experience, as the recipient of three National Science Foundation grants, holder of an FBI security clearance, his wife Carolyn and a newborn.

While he could have earned a higher salary elsewhere, NMC’s teaching culture was far and away the best that Drake observed on his interviews. That was why he and Carolyn chose NMC out of about a half-dozen opportunities.

“I could work here and enjoy myself,” as a member of the professional, engaged faculty, recalled Drake, who turns 79 this month.

Half a century later, with a few more NSF grants under his belt and now a grandfather, he knows he made the right choice.

Steve Drake (download a high-resolution version here)“I really, really have enjoyed working at NMC,” said Drake, a two-time winner of NMC’s Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence award, for which he was nominated by students. “If you don’t enjoy what you do, you’re just going to try to retire at the first opportunity.”

NMC President Nick Nissley said Drake is a paragon of an outstanding faculty that has a high level of longevity overall.

“Steve exemplifies loyalty, dedication and a deep sense of care for his students, the craft of teaching and Northwestern Michigan College,” Nissley said. “We’ve been fortunate he’s chosen to spend his long career at NMC.”

Highlights of Drake’s career include:

• Working with universities, especially Michigan Technological University, to create transfer pathways that allowed NMC students to be successful
• NMC’s selection as a state technical education site (the Parsons-Stulen Technical Education Center) which increased workforce opportunities for students who don’t transfer
• Teaching at NMC University Center partner Ferris State University
• Continuing his own education by studying at the federal government’s Argonne National Laboratory and FermiLab, among other places.

Steve and Carolyn Drake’s two children also attended NMC.

Retirement is still not in the cards. Drake said he’s planning one year at a time, and will be back in the classroom for the fall 2021 semester.

Release date: JUNE 3, 2021

For more information:

Editors: Steve Drake is available for interviews. Contact NMC Public Relations to make arrangements.

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

Five decades in the classroom, and counting

Jun 3, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Steve Drake at NMC’s 2018 commencement ceremony
(download a high-resolution version here)TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College is celebrating its first instructor to achieve the milestone of 50 years in the classroom, mathematics instructor Steve Drake.

In 1971 Drake came to Traverse City with seven years of teaching experience, as the recipient of three National Science Foundation grants, holder of an FBI security clearance, his wife Carolyn and a newborn.

While he could have earned a higher salary elsewhere, NMC’s teaching culture was far and away the best that Drake observed on his interviews. That was why he and Carolyn chose NMC out of about a half-dozen opportunities.

“I could work here and enjoy myself,” as a member of the professional, engaged faculty, recalled Drake, who turns 79 this month.

Half a century later, with a few more NSF grants under his belt and now a grandfather, he knows he made the right choice.

Steve Drake (download a high-resolution version here)“I really, really have enjoyed working at NMC,” said Drake, a two-time winner of NMC’s Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence award, for which he was nominated by students. “If you don’t enjoy what you do, you’re just going to try to retire at the first opportunity.”

NMC President Nick Nissley said Drake is a paragon of an outstanding faculty that has a high level of longevity overall.

“Steve exemplifies loyalty, dedication and a deep sense of care for his students, the craft of teaching and Northwestern Michigan College,” Nissley said. “We’ve been fortunate he’s chosen to spend his long career at NMC.”

Highlights of Drake’s career include:

• Working with universities, especially Michigan Technological University, to create transfer pathways that allowed NMC students to be successful
• NMC’s selection as a state technical education site (the Parsons-Stulen Technical Education Center) which increased workforce opportunities for students who don’t transfer
• Teaching at NMC University Center partner Ferris State University
• Continuing his own education by studying at the federal government’s Argonne National Laboratory and FermiLab, among other places.

Steve and Carolyn Drake’s two children also attended NMC.

Retirement is still not in the cards. Drake said he’s planning one year at a time, and will be back in the classroom for the fall 2021 semester.

Release date: JUNE 3, 2021

For more information:

Editors: Steve Drake is available for interviews. Contact NMC Public Relations to make arrangements.

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

Future Summit: Expert insight + dynamic discussion + you

Jun 2, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College invites all community stakeholders to add their voices to the critical conversation about the college’s future at its strategic planning Future Summit, to be held virtually from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, June 23.

Featuring expert insight from guest speakers and dynamic discussion among participants, the Future Summit is the culmination of this phase of the college’s strategic planning efforts that began earlier this year. The most comprehensive strategic planning process in more than a decade, NMC has collected qualitative and quantitative feedback from hundreds of participants at 28 focus groups, workshops and other meetings.

Based on that feedback, Future Summit participants will listen to four short “EdTalks” by guest speakers on topics key to NMC’s continued vitality in the next three years:

• Sustainably Growing Robust Online and Hybrid Programs to Increase Access for All Students
• Partnering with Business and Industry to Align Academic Programs with Emerging Labor Market Demands
• Educating and Serving Today’s Adult Learner through Alternative Credentials and Accelerated Programs
• Innovative Enrollment Strategies to Meet the Evolving Demographics of the 21st Century Community College

Attendees will then break into groups to discuss each talk in more detail. Participants will rank order their preferred discussion topic when they RSVP, at nmc.edu/future-summit.

“NMC is the community’s college, and it’s been exciting and gratifying to see the community engagement thus far,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “We look forward to that continuing at the Summit, as we drill directly into the top priorities of our road map for the next three years.”

The final plan is scheduled to be adopted by NMC’s Board of Trustees in December. More information about the entire plan is available at nmc.edu/strategic-planning.

Release date: June 2, 2021

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

Future Summit: Expert insight + dynamic discussion + you

Jun 2, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College invites all community stakeholders to add their voices to the critical conversation about the college’s future at its strategic planning Future Summit, to be held virtually from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, June 23.

Featuring expert insight from guest speakers and dynamic discussion among participants, the Future Summit is the culmination of this phase of the college’s strategic planning efforts that began earlier this year. The most comprehensive strategic planning process in more than a decade, NMC has collected qualitative and quantitative feedback from hundreds of participants at 28 focus groups, workshops and other meetings.

Based on that feedback, Future Summit participants will listen to four short “EdTalks” by guest speakers on topics key to NMC’s continued vitality in the next three years:

• Sustainably Growing Robust Online and Hybrid Programs to Increase Access for All Students
• Partnering with Business and Industry to Align Academic Programs with Emerging Labor Market Demands
• Educating and Serving Today’s Adult Learner through Alternative Credentials and Accelerated Programs
• Innovative Enrollment Strategies to Meet the Evolving Demographics of the 21st Century Community College

Attendees will then break into groups to discuss each talk in more detail. Participants will rank order their preferred discussion topic when they RSVP, at nmc.edu/future-summit.

“NMC is the community’s college, and it’s been exciting and gratifying to see the community engagement thus far,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “We look forward to that continuing at the Summit, as we drill directly into the top priorities of our road map for the next three years.”

The final plan is scheduled to be adopted by NMC’s Board of Trustees in December. More information about the entire plan is available at nmc.edu/strategic-planning.

Release date: June 2, 2021

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019

Library Book Recommendations – June, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

To find these selections and many other new titles, see the NMC library catalog. 

Non-fiction

Finna: Poems by Nate Marshall
Sharp, lyrical poems celebrating the Black vernacular and its influence on pop culture, its necessity for familial survival, its rite in storytelling and in creating the safety found only within its intimacy.These poems consider the brevity and disposability of Black lives and other oppressed people in our current era of emboldened white supremacy, and the use of the Black vernacular in America’s vast reserve of racial and gendered epithets.

Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami
Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of the rights, liberties, and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. Tapping into history, politics, and literature, she elucidates how accidents of birth–such as national origin, race, or gender– still cast their shadows today. Conditional citizens, she argues, are all the people whom America embraces with one arm, and pushes away with the other.

What the Chickadee Knows: Poems in Anishinaabemowin and English by Margaret Noodin
What the Chickadee Knows (Gijigijigaaneshiinh Gikendaan) is a bilingual collection in Anishinaabemowin and English, with the poems mirroring one another on facing pages. The poems build in urgency, from observations of the natural world and human connection to poems centered in powerful grief and remembrance for events spanning from the Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850 to the Standing Rock water crisis of 2016.

Fantastic Women: Surreal Worlds from Meret Oppenheim to Frida Kahlo. Edited by Ingrid Pfeiffer
Between 1930 and the 1960s many women artists contributed to the Surrealist movement. The male Surrealists mostly saw them only as partners or models, but this volume shows how much more these women artists had to offer. The women artists of Surrealism were searching for a new female identity and incidentally discovered their own language of forms. Painting, drawing, objects, photography and films complement each other to create an overall picture of the women artists of the avant-garde.

Editing Humanity: The CRISPR Revolution and the New Era of Genome Editing by Kevin Davies
Editing Humanity takes readers inside the fascinating world of a new gene editing technology called CRISPR, a high-powered genetic toolkit that enables scientists to not only engineer but to edit the DNA of any organism down to the individual building blocks of the genetic code. Davies introduces readers to arguably the most profound scientific breakthrough of our time and sheds light on the implications that this new technology can have on our everyday lives and in the lives of generations to come.

Fiction

We Run the Tides: a Novel by Vendela Vida
An achingly beautiful story of female friendship, betrayal, and a mysterious disappearance set in the changing landscape of San Francisco. Suspenseful and poignant, We Run the Tides is a masterful portrait of an inimitable place on the brink of radical transformation. Pre–tech boom San Francisco finds its mirror in the changing lives of the teenage girls at the center of this story of innocence lost, the pain of too much freedom, and the struggle to find one’s authentic self. Both a gripping mystery and a tribute to the wonders of youth, in all its beauty and confusion.

2034: A Novel of the Next World War by Elliot Ackerman, Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.).
From two former military officers and award-winning authors, a chillingly authentic, geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 — and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration. 2034 is an imaginative extrapolation from present-day facts combined with the authors’ years working at the highest and most classified levels of national security. A disturbingly plausible work of speculative fiction.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Meanwhile in present-day London, an aspiring historian stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago.

The Seed Keeper: a Novel by Diane Wilson
Rosalie Iron Wing has grown up in the woods with her father, Ray, who tells her stories of plants, of the stars, of the origins of the Dakota people. Until, one morning, Ray doesn’t return from checking his traps. Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family in nearby Mankato. Many years later, she learns what it means to be descended from women who have protected their families, their traditions, and a precious cache of seeds through generations of hardship and loss. A beautifully told story of reawakening and remembering.

We Begin at the End / Chris Whitaker
Thirty years ago, a teenage Vincent King was sent to prison. But now, he’s served his sentence and is returning to his hometown. The hometown where his childhood best friend, Walk, is now the chief of police. The town where his childhood sweetheart, Star Radley, still lives. The same Star Radley whose sister he killed. A crime thriller that will break your heart and a literary novel with a mystery at its core, We Begin at the End unforgettably examines how the choices we make can nudge us into the dangerous ground between good and evil.

Summaries adapted from publishers.

Strategic Planning update, 5/26/21

May 26, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Dear NMC community — Thank you for such a positive and strong start to our strategic planning process. We have accomplished an enormous amount in the first two months thanks to your engagement in this critical, fast-paced process, especially at the busy end of semester. NMC is committed to transparency and regular communication, and this message is to update you on progress thus far. You can also visit nmc.edu/strategic-planning at any time.

Since April 16 we have collected feedback from hundreds of participants at 28 focus groups, workshops and other meetings. The points of view collected have been broad and diverse, including the following:

• Steering committee (April 21 and May 12) with work team (May 6 and May 25 data workshop)
• Students, including targeted focus groups for resident students and adult learners (four meetings April 16, 27 and 29)
• Faculty (May 6) and staff (April 28, May 6)
• Internal college groups: Leadership Council (May 10), Policy Council (April 26), Curriculum Committee (April 23) and DEI Committee (May 14)
• Fellow educators, including K-12 partners (May 27) and university partners (May 17)
• Business partners (May 26), and program advisory boards (May 19 and 24)
• Arts organizations, including the Dennos Museum Center and WNMC (May 24)
• Alumni (May 17), NMC Foundation board (May 13), IAF board (May 25), community partners (May 12)
• Board of Trustees – mission workshop (May 11). In addition, trustees are updated at their monthly meeting. Reports available in each monthly agenda packet.
• Community all-call (May 26)

In addition to the qualitative feedback gathered at the above meetings, the process has included quantitative input.

• A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) survey was sent to a variety of NMC stakeholders and drew 356 responses. Results were prioritized at the steering committee/workgroup joint meeting May 6.
• Students were surveyed in order to draft a Student Experience Statement.
• A survey on a revised mission statement is underway through May 28

This initial phase of strategic planning culminates with the June 23 Future Summit. Please mark your calendars to join us then. We are excited to focus and prioritize the input gathered thus far, and look forward to your continued involvement.

We will continue to provide regular updates on the strategic planning process as we work toward final plan approval by the board in December 2021. You can get updates any time at nmc.edu/strategic-planning and email any questions to strategic-planning@nmc.edu.