NMC names first class of Experiential Learning fellowship recipients

Nov 27, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Lisa Blackford
(click for high-resolution photo) Tamara Coleman
(click for high-resolution photo) Sarah Montgomery-Richards
(click for high-resolution photo) Caroline Schaefer-Hills
(click for high-resolution photo) Brian Sweeney
(click for high-resolution photo) John Velis
(click for high-resolution photo) TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has selected six faculty members as the first recipients of an Experiential Learning fellowship intended to accelerate the prevalence of the high-impact instructional style across disciplines.

Each recipient will substantially convert or create a course based on EL principles, which include students working in teams, immersive experiences, project-based assignments and online. The recipients and courses are:

• Lisa Blackford and Tamara Coleman: The Science of Stress (new course)
• Sarah Montgomery-Richards: Western Religions
• Caroline Schaefer-Hills: Art Appreciation (online course)
• Brian Sweeney: Basic Metallurgy
• John Velis: Systems Analysis and Design

“It is exciting to see such a diverse group of faculty focused on innovation, collaboration and high impact teaching practices, as we uniquely prepare our students to live and work in the world of the 21st century,” said Kristy McDonald, director of NMC’s Experiential Learning Institute.

Montgomery-Richards said she hopes to overhaul Western Religions in order to boost enrollment. Currently the course draws half the enrollment of her Eastern Religions class.

“I think students feel like they know western religions,” she said. She hopes a new design will challenge that assumption and increase the relevance of the philosophy course, which most students take as an elective.

“How is an understanding of religion in general, and diverse religious perspectives, going to help them in the future?” Montgomery-Richards said.

Social work and psychology instructor Blackford and biology instructor Coleman are combining their disciplines into a new course, the Science of Stress. Slated to be offered in the fall 2020 semester, students will explore current research on stress and its impacts on body systems. It will meet in an anatomy and physiology lab, as well as in a simulation lab, and is intended to have practical applications, too, as students gain an experiential understanding of stress on learning, anxiety and depression and tools for resilience.

“The whole campus, we talk about how students’ stress has gone up,” Blackford said.

“We saw it as an epidemic,” Coleman added.

Each recipient will receive a $1,500 stipend. The fellowship, is one of the first initiatives of NMC’s Experiential Learning Institute, which launched in 2019 as a way to formalize efforts to expand experiential learning college-wide, which date to 2016. It will collaborate with both on-campus and community stakeholders to engage students and the community, locally, nationally and globally. The Institute will connect the community and NMC by seeking creative partnerships, serving ongoing community needs, and preparing learners for future employment.

Release date: FEBRUARY 3, 2020

For more information:

Kristy McDonald
Director, Experiential Learning Institute and Business Instructor
kmcdonald@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1059

Celebrating short stories at the NMC Library

Nov 21, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Notice the Libby tag next to a title? This means the book is available as an eBook and can be found on the Libby app. All audiobooks can be accessed through Libby. Haven’t set up your Libby account yet? Follow these easy instructions!

books available to request from MeLCat!

(more…)

Museum Store Sunday at the Dennos

Nov 17, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

Do some holiday shopping and support your local art museum during Museum Store Sunday on November 27.

You’ll find an assortment of unique, art-inspired gifts for the holidays like fair trade felted ornaments and accessories, hand-crafted jewelry, puzzles, books, and children’s toys.

Staff and students normally receive 10% off in the store, but all regular priced merchandise will be 25% off that day only.

Can’t stop by The Dennos Museum that day? Visit the Dennos’ online store and apply the coupon MUSEUMSTORESUNDAY at checkout for 25% off regular merchandise.

Students to distribute 150 Thanksgiving meals

Nov 16, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Business students at Northwestern Michigan College will distribute 150 Thanksgiving meals to fellow students and community families on Monday, Nov 21. This is the result of the ninth annual Food For Thought project, which teaches students to communicate professionally through experiential learning. Each student was taught how to write a professional letter to businesses and organizations, requesting an item donation or monetary donation to help meet the goal of feeding 150 families.

Distribution will take place at two locations:

• 2–4 p.m. at NMC’s Physical Education Building/Maple Parking Lot, 1701 E. Front St, Traverse City. This location is for the distribution of 100 meals to NMC students.
• 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Bill Marsh, 1621 S Garfield Ave., Traverse City. This location is for the distribution of 50 meals to local families identified by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan.

Release date: NOVEMBER 16, 2022

For more information:

Michael Wittman
Marketing Team Leader
(231) 866-1386
wittmam@mail.nmc.edu

Kristy McDonald
Business Instructor
(231) 995-1059
kmcdonald@nmc.edu 

Success story: Award-winning student success services grow at NMC

Nov 10, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

November 10, 2022

NMC’s first full-time student success coach won a statewide award for her work Wednesday, while the college continues to beef up its ranks so more students can benefit from a coach’s services as a campus point person, problem solver and resource.

Coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of, such as study skills, time management and stress reduction. NMC coach Erica Whiting (pictured above) was named a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards. The award goes to someone who has a passion for college access and success, has persevered over challenges and made an impact in the lives of Michigan students.

Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to hire her as the first full-time student success coach in December 2020, after beginning coaching as a pilot project in 2015. Pilot results showed coached students received passing grades more and failing grades less. They also had lower rates of withdrawing from classes, which is key to retention and completing a degree. Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan, slated for completion by 2025.

Results from Whiting’s assigned cohort of East Hall residents –first-year students who are mostly first generation, Pell grant recipients or minority students– showed that students benefit from coach communications, even if they never meet together.

“Consistent communication, even without reciprocation, allowed students to know who their person is on campus,” said Student Success Coordinator Sally Smarsty, who wrote the grant that brought Whiting to NMC through the Michigan College Access Network. “They know who to reach out to should they need something.”

Whiting spoke the students’ language, Smarsty said. Her texts or emails asking them to check in with her via an emoji, for instance, would garner 90 percent response rates.

“The students love her. She’s absolutely wonderful,” Smarsty said.

“Having my efforts recognized in this way is not only an incredible honor, but a reassurance that the work we do is meaningful,” Whiting said.

Whiting joined a team of a half-dozen part time coaches. The coaching team now numbers eight including a second full-time coach. There is one vacancy, for a Native American student cohort coach, and the department is also recruiting to replace Whiting, whose two-year Americorps term will be up at the end of the month. Smarsty is eager to fill both. A full-time person like Whiting, who has the opportunity to focus on coaching, also benefits the rest of the part-time staff.

“Having this person full time who can focus and be there consistently has been really helpful,” Smarsty said. “What (Whiting) has shown us, is that using that consistent communication, students know who their support is.

“That’s been really good for our team.”

Success story: Award-winning student success services grow at NMC

Nov 10, 2022 | Intercom, Student News

November 10, 2022

NMC’s first full-time student success coach won a statewide award for her work Wednesday, while the college continues to beef up its ranks so more students can benefit from a coach’s services as a campus point person, problem solver and resource.

Coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of, such as study skills, time management and stress reduction. NMC coach Erica Whiting (pictured above) was named a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards. The award goes to someone who has a passion for college access and success, has persevered over challenges and made an impact in the lives of Michigan students.

Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to hire her as the first full-time student success coach in December 2020, after beginning coaching as a pilot project in 2015. Pilot results showed coached students received passing grades more and failing grades less. They also had lower rates of withdrawing from classes, which is key to retention and completing a degree. Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan, slated for completion by 2025.

Results from Whiting’s assigned cohort of East Hall residents –first-year students who are mostly first generation, Pell grant recipients or minority students– showed that students benefit from coach communications, even if they never meet together.

“Consistent communication, even without reciprocation, allowed students to know who their person is on campus,” said Student Success Coordinator Sally Smarsty, who wrote the grant that brought Whiting to NMC through the Michigan College Access Network. “They know who to reach out to should they need something.”

Whiting spoke the students’ language, Smarsty said. Her texts or emails asking them to check in with her via an emoji, for instance, would garner 90 percent response rates.

“The students love her. She’s absolutely wonderful,” Smarsty said.

“Having my efforts recognized in this way is not only an incredible honor, but a reassurance that the work we do is meaningful,” Whiting said.

Whiting joined a team of a half-dozen part time coaches. The coaching team now numbers eight including a second full-time coach. There is one vacancy, for a Native American student cohort coach, and the department is also recruiting to replace Whiting, whose two-year Americorps term will be up at the end of the month. Smarsty is eager to fill both. A full-time person like Whiting, who has the opportunity to focus on coaching, also benefits the rest of the part-time staff.

“Having this person full time who can focus and be there consistently has been really helpful,” Smarsty said. “What (Whiting) has shown us, is that using that consistent communication, students know who their support is.

“That’s been really good for our team.”