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.

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.

College hosts cybersecurity camps in June and July

May 25, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Registration is now open for two cybersecurity summer camps for students in grades 6-12 that Northwestern Michigan College will host at its University Center campus in June and July.

Scheduled for June 21-25 and July 12-16, the camps are an opportunity for students to get a head start on a STEM career. Held from 9 a.m.–noon, Monday–Friday each week, students will learn the basics of cybersecurity from NMC Computer Information Technology instructor Scott Goethals. On the last day of class, they’ll participate in a national competition that includes all of the summer campers across the country.

Cost is $20. Register online (June camp, July camp) or go to eventbrite.com and search for “CyberPatriot summer camp – Northwestern Michigan College.”

This is the third year NMC has hosted the camps. The 2020 event was virtual due to COVID-19.

Release Date: May 24, 2021

For more information:

Scott Goethals
NMC CIT instructor
sgoethals@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1166

College hosts cybersecurity camps in June and July

May 24, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Registration is now open for two cybersecurity summer camps for students in grades 6-12 that Northwestern Michigan College will host at its University Center campus in June and July.

Scheduled for June 21-25 and July 12-16, the camps are an opportunity for students to get a head start on a STEM career. Held from 9 a.m.–noon, Monday–Friday each week, students will learn the basics of cybersecurity from NMC Computer Information Technology instructor Scott Goethals. On the last day of class, they’ll participate in a national competition that includes all of the summer campers across the country.

Cost is $20. Register online (June camp, July camp) or go to eventbrite.com and search for “CyberPatriot summer camp – Northwestern Michigan College.”

This is the third year NMC has hosted the camps. The 2020 event was virtual due to COVID-19.

Release Date: May 24, 2021

For more information:

Scott Goethals
NMC CIT instructor
sgoethals@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1166

COVID-19: NMC will move to Stage 3 of reopening plan May 24

May 24, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — As expected, the state is beginning to ease COVID-19 restrictions thanks to increasing numbers of residents receiving the vaccine. NMC is also re-evaluating and updating our COVID-19 protocols as outlined in the staged reopening plan. Following the new state timeline, the college will move to Stage 3 of our reopening plan May 24, 2021. We will continue to communicate updates with you as they are finalized.

Summer scheduled classes will continue as planned and work that can be done remotely, may continue to be done remotely. In Stage 3, employees who have been working from home, who prefer to work on-campus will be able to do so and small, in-person meetings will also be allowed. Protocols for masks and social distancing still remain.

Thank you for your commitment to safety throughout this past year, and into the future. Thank you also for your continued support and patience during this time as we have successfully faced many unknowns together. You can find more information about NMC’s response to the coronavirus and resources at nmc.edu/covid-19.

Release Date: May 11, 2021

For more information:

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

COVID-19: More information on NMC’s May 24 move to Stage 3 of reopening plan

May 21, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

Good afternoon NMC community,

There have been a lot of recent updates at the state and federal levels to ease restrictions in COVID-19 safety protocols including lifting the mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated individuals. On Monday, May 24, we also expect the state to announce additional plans to ease restrictions on masks and capacity limits starting in early June.

In light of the increase in vaccination rates, the decrease in COVID-19 cases and the changes in state and federal guidelines, starting Monday, May 24, NMC will move to Stage 3 of the reopening plan as we told you earlier this month.

With the changes in safety protocols, there may be activities that are allowable, but we may not yet be able to do at NMC for a variety of reasons, including staffing levels in some areas.

Scheduled summer classes will continue as planned and work that can be done remotely, may continue to be done remotely. In Stage 3, employees who have been working from home, who prefer to work on-campus will be able to do so and in-person meetings will be allowed.

The “Reimagining Work” committee is engaging with employees throughout the college to get a better understanding of the needs and opportunities to support flexible work while continuing to meet the needs of our students. Managers will assess the preferences and expectations of employees and stakeholders by June 1. Human resources will be sharing additional guidance by June 11.

Vaccines are widely available for those 12 and older. To schedule an appointment near you please visit vaccines.gov.

We will continue to communicate with you as this process evolves. You can find more information about NMC’s response to the coronavirus and resources at nmc.edu/covid-19. Thank you to everyone who helped keep our NMC community safe during the pandemic, and your continued support.

—

NMC Public Relations

Success Story: New hub serves businesses and students

May 19, 2021 | 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.

COVID-19: Change to campus mask protocol starts May 15

May 14, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Starting Saturday, May 15 at 9 a.m., NMC will lift the mask requirement and social distancing requirement indoors and outdoors on all NMC campuses for those individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This follows the changes to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance.

State and federal health leaders credit increased vaccination rates that have led to a decline in cases of COVID-19 for the ease in restrictions. As we told you earlier this week, NMC will official move to stage 3 of our reopening plan May 24. We will continue to communicate with you as this process evolves.

Vaccines are widely available for those 12 and older. To schedule an appointment near you please visit vaccines.gov.

Thank you to everyone who helped keep our NMC community safe during the pandemic, and your continued support.

Release Date: May 14, 2021

For more information:

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

Community input on NMC’s future sought at virtual meeting

May 14, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College welcomes community input on the future of the college at a virtual all-call strategic planning meeting Wednesday, May 26.

Guided by consultants CampusWorks, the strategic planning process, called NMC Next, began in April and will engage all college stakeholders — faculty, staff, students, alumni, board and community members — in refocusing energies and resources for the next three calendar years and leverage NMC’s past successes to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The all-call meeting, set for 3:30-5 p.m., is an opportunity for anyone who is not part of those defined stakeholder groups to offer their input.

Participation is free. Interested individuals can register using this form at nmc.edu/strategic-planning. Zoom links will be sent after registration is complete.

NMC Next is NMC’s most comprehensive strategic planning effort in more than a decade. The final strategic plan document will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its December meeting and then launched to the campus community in January 2022.

“The voices and critical insights of not only the college but the entire community are central to the success of our efforts, and we value everyone’s participation as we engage in this important process,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

Release date: MAY 14, 2021

For more information:

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

Community input on NMC’s future sought at virtual meeting

May 14, 2021 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College welcomes community input on the future of the college at a virtual all-call strategic planning meeting Wednesday, May 26.

Guided by consultants CampusWorks, the strategic planning process, called NMC Next, began in April and will engage all college stakeholders — faculty, staff, students, alumni, board and community members — in refocusing energies and resources for the next three calendar years and leverage NMC’s past successes to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The all-call meeting, set for 3:30-5 p.m., is an opportunity for anyone who is not part of those defined stakeholder groups to offer their input.

Participation is free. Interested individuals can register using this form at nmc.edu/strategic-planning. Zoom links will be sent after registration is complete.

NMC Next is NMC’s most comprehensive strategic planning effort in more than a decade. The final strategic plan document will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its December meeting and then launched to the campus community in January 2022.

“The voices and critical insights of not only the college but the entire community are central to the success of our efforts, and we value everyone’s participation as we engage in this important process,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.

Release date: MAY 14, 2021

For more information:

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