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aspireYour North Central Michigan College Magazine FALL/WINTER 2023-24 ANNUAL REPORT EDITION Access and Impact Learn how North Central is working to change the child care landscape in Northern Michigan. Story on page 62 ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE There is promise at the beginning of each academic year, and this year is no exception. Enrollment is solid at 1,554 degree-seeking students, and we’ve more students than ever — nearly 150 — living in our residence hall. We learned in early March that the college would receive a ~$10M state appropriation to jumpstart planning and construction of the Career and Technical Education Enhancement project (CATEE). The appropriation comes on the heels of receiving a $2M congressionally-directed spending award for this purpose. CATEE will renovate and expand the Health Education and Science Center, raze and rebuild the Technology Center, and connect both spaces to our main classroom building. Innovation continues at the college. This includes new degree offerings in global studies and mechatronics, a new practical nursing certificate launching in January, and our new certified nursing assistant (CNA) Fast Track program in partnership with Bay Bluffs. What’s more, 13 statewide career and technical education (CTE) articulation agreements have been developed and submitted to the Michigan Department of Education for approval. Finally, here are some recent news flashes that reflect positively upon North Central: • 97% of students would recommend NCMC to a family member or friend. 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement • NCMC received gold-level status in Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s annual ranking of military-friendly schools. • NCMC was ranked the top community college in Northern Michigan based on cost and quality. Wallethub’s “2023 Best & Worst Community Colleges” • NCMC was ranked the No. 3 Community College in Michigan. bestcolleges.com, 2023 As we work together to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving higher education paradigm, I thank you for the role you play in the lives of our students. Thank you for caring. Sincerely, David Roland Finley, Ph.D. NORTH CENTRAL MAIN CAMPUS 1515 Howard St. Petoskey, MI 49770 231-348-6600 CHEBOYGAN CENTER (Cheboygan High School) 801 W. Lincoln Ave. Cheboygan, MI 49721 231-625-3614 GAYLORD CENTER 620 E. 5 th St. Gaylord, MI 49735 989-705-3775 www.ncmich.edu @NorthCentralMC BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dan Rasmussen, Chair Dave Kring, Vice Chair John Fought, Treasurer Melissa Keiswetter, Secretary Chris Etienne James Shirilla Jennifer Shorter LOCATIONS Aspire is an award-winning, biannual magazine produced by North Central Michigan College’s Marketing Department. Carol Laenen Vice President of Marketing & Strategy Catherine Coe Digital Marketing Manager Megan Van Horn Communications & Public Relations Manager The excitement of a new academic year Fans, fellowship, and food: Community members attend the inaugural Timberwolves Athletic Rally on September 23.A new partnership between NCMC and Bay Bluffs — Emmet County Medical Facility will certify new nursing assistants, or CNAs, to meet the growing demand for long-term nursing care in the region. The collaboration includes several certified and licensed health care programs, including those available through NCMC’s accelerated Fast Track courses. The opportunity for NCMC, long known for the quality of its nursing program, to partner with Bay Bluffs is a win-win, according to Christy Lyons, North Central’s dean of Corporate and Community Education. “Our CNA Fast Track is an excellent choice for students who want to enter the field of nursing and earn valuable health care experience in a relatively fast and cost-effective way,” Lyons said. The program features a two-week course taught by certified nursing colleagues from Bay Bluffs. The three-segment course requires 34 hours of classroom learning, 16.5 hours of skill practice time in the laboratory, and 24.5 hours of supervised clinical practice at Bay Bluffs. In addition, the care facility is offering tuition reimbursement and employment incentives to attract Fast Track students to join its team. “We are more than thrilled about the NCMC partnership,” said Bay Bluffs Administrator Lisa Ashley. “It is an enormous step in building workforce capacity.” CNAs assist with personal hygiene, mobility, and communicating vital health information about a patient’s condition to other medical staff, becoming a critical bond for residents’ physical, mental, and emotional health. The CNA role “can be whatever you are looking for,” said Bay Bluffs Human Resource Director Jessica Berg. “It can be a career — long-term, satisfying, and financially rewarding — or it can be a stepping stone to other positions in health care: registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and beyond.” p North Central provides multiple entry points to a rewarding health care career, allowing students to stack credentials that ladder into one another. See back cover for details. Fast Track partnership offers health care staffing solution NCMC, Bay Bluffs collaborate to train Certified Nursing Assistants Susan Crawford started working at Bay Bluffs as an RA. She completed her CNA training in August 2023 with plans to take her examination following orientation. Learn more about this and other Fast Track programs at ncmich.edu/fast-track Pictured, from left: Lisa Ashley, MSW, LNHA, Bay Bluffs Administrator; Christy Lyons, NCMC Dean of Corporate and Community Education; Sonja Bosley, RN, NHA, Bay Bluffs Director of Nursing; and Karrie Pater, Bay Bluffs Nurse and CNA Instructor 3 WWW.NCMICH.EDU4 ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE If you ask Kermit Barrette, Game Design just might be the perfect liberal arts class. Barrette, a North Central alum and adjunct instructor, admits he might be a bit biased. While his students learn how to design and produce a market-ready board game — a massive undertaking in a semesterlong class — they also learn how to interpret data, problem-solve, collaborate, compromise, and give and receive constructive criticism. Barrette’s class weaves together threads of psychology, creative writing, sociology, and digital and traditional art, creating an experience he believes gets at the very center of human nature. “The core of what students are learning, whether or not they realize it, is a deeper understanding of others: what motivates them and why they make the choices they do,” he said. “They’re learning empathy and teamwork, skills so interconnected with everything else that nearly any student would benefit from them.” River Holt, art lead for the game Cosmic Conquest, said games have been central to bonding with their family and friends since childhood. “Being able to produce my own game and share it with those people — to say, ‘Hey, the thing you introduced me to when I was a little kid is now something I’m going to create professionally’ — that’s just really cool,” Holt said. That, Barrette believes, is the essence of games’ importance in society. And unlike video games, which are highly competitive, the foundation of board game creation and playing is teamwork and cooperation. “It’s not about, ‘Did you win?’ It’s about the jokes you crack and the camaraderie you build along the way,” Barrette said. “As humans, we crave those shared experiences and that sense of community.” p Game design class embodies spirit of collaboration Cosmic Conquest, created by River Holt’s group, pits interstellar colonies against one another in a race to build a new solar system to inhabit. “Game Design was the best class I’ve taken at North Central,” Holt said, “and I’ve loved all my classes, so that’s saying a lot.” Ethan Gohl is fascinated by the story behind a game and is interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in game design. His group’s game follows Ratatoskr, a squirrel from Norse mythology, on a quest to gather and reassemble branches of the sacred world tree Yggdrasil. Above: Instructor Kermit Barrette and students Ethan Gohl and River Holt play the game Cosmic Conquest.Faculty Q&A A conversation with Ben Crockett, professor of human biology What led you to study science? I was fortunate to grow up in a family that valued curiosity about the natural world. When I was in college, I had several amazing mentors who encouraged me to get involved in scientific research and teaching. This enabled me to see how science works by reading academic papers, connecting with interesting people and their ideas, and traveling to conferences all over the world. Describe your teaching style. Has it evolved over time? Students bring unique skills, experiences, and perspectives with them to the classroom. So, I try to give them a wide variety of activities in class to support those individual gifts: combining lectures with visual aids, hands-on dissection, interactive technology, collaborative learning, clinical case studies, and artwork. My hope is that by seeing a topic in different ways, students will build a greater depth of understanding. Over time, I’ve included more storytelling about the diverse people and places that have been important in the study of the human body. Your students say you make a difficult class easier to understand. What tricks do you use to make the course content more digestible? That is a really thoughtful compliment. Unfortunately, there aren’t any tricks! I try to support students in their journey and respect their effort. All of us are capable of doing really hard work, but we need teachers to walk beside us, helping to point out the pathways. What’s your favorite lesson or lab to teach? We take measurements from real human bones that can give clues about some of the characteristics that the individual had when they were alive, like how tall they were or how old they might have been. This investigative work is fascinating and reminds us of the humanity embodied in the anatomical specimens that we use for learning. What imminent (i.e., within the next few years) scientific or medical breakthrough are you particularly excited about? I’m excited about the use of bacteriophages in medicine. A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects and destroys bacteria but is harmless to humans. By intentionally infecting a person with this type of virus, you may have an elegant solution for antibiotic-resistance and a more precise and targeted approach to treating diseases. How are science and art related? Art has played a crucial role in supporting anatomical science throughout history. From the incredible drawings of Leonardo da Vinci to the detailed medical illustrations we have in textbooks today, artists have helped anatomists visualize and communicate their findings. The partnership between art and anatomy is a cornerstone of medical education and scientific communication. If you could go back in time, what would you tell college-age Ben? That was a great time in my life. I would encourage anyone to join school clubs, explore study abroad opportunities, talk with classmates, form relationships with professors, and remember to enjoy the unique season you spend as a college student. What would your students be surprised to learn about you? I got a B- in my first semester of Anatomy & Physiology as a college freshman. It’s a hard class! Crockett wins Anatomical Society Best Image Prize Biology Professor Ben Crockett won the Anatomical Society Best Image Prize 2023 in the artwork category. Crockett’s award-winning image showcases the detailed bone structure of the skull of a whitetail deer, a North American species of cultural and ecological significance. The artwork was created with charcoal and carbon dust on clay board. Crockett has worked with this traditional technique in anatomy for several years and has taught the method to students in his anatomy and physiology courses. Crockett’s artwork was selected by the Anatomical Society’s Website, Media, and Communications Committee. The award is presented annually by the society’s Prizes and Awards Committee. WWW.NCMICH.EDU 5 Biology Professor Ben Crockett’s college mentors encouraged him to pursue a career in science and research. Had they not, he might have become a helicopter pilot. Or an architect. Or maybe a baker. His interests are as varied as his teaching tools, but his focus is clear: Crockett helps students learn how the human body is structured and functions. 6 ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE Keagan Anderson was ready. She’d spent the last trimester of her pregnancy scouring state websites and studying the paperwork required to open her in-home child care business. Anderson had become a student of the state’s licensure process, drawing on the same determination that helped her earn an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education — which typically takes two years to complete — in just six months. Her Boyne City home was ready, too, outfitted with baby gates, outlet covers, and childproof cabinet locks. Books, toys, and cubbies lined the walls of her living room. A pint-sized table and chairs stood in the kitchen. After she gave birth to her daughter in October 2022, Anderson “dove into” the state’s application process. Despite her careful preparation, six months would pass before she would receive a license to open Little Ducklings Childcare, LLC. A Phased Approach to Stabilization & Sustainability Anderson encountered the same barriers faced by nearly all child care providers, aspiring and established, says NCMC Early Childhood Education Professor Jennifer Wixson. It’s the reason Wixson launched the NCMC Child Care Initiative in 2022. Assisted by the NCMC Foundation and with financial support from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation and the Frey Foundation, the initiative is providing a roadmap for a sustainable, community-centered child care system in Emmet County. Following nearly a year of interviews with five Emmet County child care businesses, Wixson and her team of researchers released their “Innovation Access and Impact Analysis,” which identifies three main barriers faced by local providers. Time is a luxury many providers don’t have. “It takes time for child care business owners and operators to understand and access innovations, resources, and tools that could support their business operations — time they do not have,” the report said. “For most participants, it was difficult to attend meetings, training sessions, or conduct interviews outside of work hours because they cared for their own children during those times.” With their time at a premium, it’s difficult for providers to identify and leverage support for their businesses, Wixson said, especially when many existing support systems operate with inefficiencies. Anderson agrees, citing a monthlong process to apply for a grant from the Child Care Facilities Improvement Fund, a $50-million pot of money announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 to help open and grow new child care facilities. Anderson applied for grant money to fence in, level, and add sand to the playground at her Fall Park Road home. “There’s a huge list of improvements the grant money will cover, but a lot of people don’t know the grants are available or how to get them,” she said. ACCESS & North Central alumna Keagan Anderson achieved her dream of opening her own child care business, but there were plenty of barriers along the way. North Central’s Child Care Initiative aims to change that. [ ] IMPACT7 WWW.NCMICH.EDU Though she was eventually awarded the funds for playground improvements, the process was time consuming and complicated, requiring itemized bids from multiple contractors. Anderson leaned heavily on her husband, Lee, who owns a landscaping business and has experience securing bids from contractors. “I think anyone who doesn’t have that kind of help would struggle with the grant process,” she said. Personal relationships are key to businesses’ success. When COVID-19 laid bare Michigan’s broken child care system, Whitmer announced the Caring for MI Future initiative, a statewide effort to open 1,000 new or expanded child care programs by the end of 2024. One arm of the initiative, Our Strong Start, includes access to trained child care navigators who can assist aspiring providers through the licensure process. While the concept is well founded, the support is disjointed, Wixson said, with too few navigators covering too large a territory. Anderson didn’t hear from her assigned navigator, who was based in Lansing, until she was a month into the application process. “And then she gave me information I’d already seen online,” she said. “If you’re not understanding what’s on the website, the navigator isn’t going to be any more helpful to the process.” Instead, Wixson’s team found that “informal, relational supports” are key to the success of local child care businesses. “For nearly every pilot, a personal relationship with one or more mentors who had experience running a child care business was critical to getting their business up and running,” the report said. Interestingly, pilot participants did not see other child care owners and operators as competitors. “With demand for care far exceeding supply, they recognized that child care business owners and operators must work together to provide the care their community needs and deserves,” Wixson noted. Anderson agrees that real-time guidance from fellow providers was far more valuable during her licensure process. “I think the navigator spots should be offered up to current providers with firsthand experience to help others get through the process,” she said. PACTKeagan Anderson’s Boyne City child care business is at capacity with 12 children and an additional 13 awaiting openings. Most of the children in her care are from Emmet County; their parents had been driving to Charlevoix or East Jordan for child care before they found a spot with Anderson. Continued on next page8 ASPIRE - YOUR NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE “I recommend calling any in-home center you find in the area. Everyone, nine times out of 10, will take your call and offer help and advice.” Uncovering the True Cost of Child Care The third barrier noted by Wixson’s team, funding — more specifically, providers’ ability to charge rates reflective of the true cost of child care — was described by the national initiative Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies as “the most important initial step in expanding quality services for young children” in Michigan. Wixson found that many family child care owners do not pay themselves a set salary based on their true costs. Rather, their rates reflect the “going rate” in the community, which is informally regarded as what families can afford to pay. “This approach to family child care owner/ provider salary drastically undervalues home-based providers, and often results in income equivalent to less than $5 per hour,” according to the P5 Fiscal Strategies report. In Emmet County, that means providers are running their businesses on incredibly tight margins, allowing them to keep their doors open, but at great personal cost. The business owners Wixson interviewed were reluctant to even consider adjusting rates to reflect the true cost of care. “While they were interested in learning about innovations, resources, and tools that could help them better support their businesses,” the report said, “they feared raising rates if it meant stressing parents’ budgets. They were genuinely concerned about the welfare of the families in their care, and about the chance of losing customers by raising prices.” And yet, one in three Emmet County families spends more than $1,000 per month on child care. Even for families earning $100,000—$150,000 per year, a $1,000 monthly payment exceeds what is considered affordable by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (7% of household income). “Prioritizing living wages for staff should not be in direct conflict with serving families,” Wixson said. “In order to position child care businesses to be able to raise their rates, we must simultaneously increase the financial support available to families.” On a federal level, this means expanding thresholds for the state’s Child Development and Care subsidy, according to Wixson. Nearly 19,000 Michigan families received subsidized child care through the program, but that number represents BLS Current Salary MIT Living Wage $47,210 $76,539 $37,768 $63,255 $35,950 $51,849 $39,884 $34,684 $51,849 $26,680 $39,884 Assistant Director Director Lead Teacher Assistant Teacher Family Child Care Provider/Owner Family Child Care Assistant Teacher Child Care Salary Options in cost modeling $26,680 IMPACT Continued from page 7 *Note: As living wage varies based on family composition, a weighted average was created for Michigan using data from a similar study in another state. Bureau of Labor Statistics data reflecting current child care salaries is contrasted with baseline living wages as determined by the MIT Living Wage* calculator, a comprehensive estimate of the employment earnings a full-time worker requires to cover the costs of their family’s basic needs where they live. Source: Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies report, “A Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis of the Prenatal to Five System in Michigan,” June 2023just 10% of families who are eligible for the benefit. On a local level, it means reframing child care as an investment not only in Emmet County’s children, but also in its employees and economy. “There is a price tag for quality child care,” Wixson said. “We can either pay it up front, as an investment in our employees and providers, or we will continue to pay for it in employee turnover and a loss of families in our area.” Phase II of NCMC’s Child Care Initiative includes providing employers and child care business owners with a “proof of concept,” which means demonstrating the feasibility of a true cost business model — essentially “changing the child care landscape in Emmet County,” Wixson says. It’s a Herculean task she describes as exciting and overwhelming, but she believes the time is right for a change to the true cost model. “Employers in our area know that ‘status quo’ isn’t sustainable,” Wixson said. “Something has to change.” And while Anderson was fortunate to have strong financial backing when she opened her business, she knows it isn’t the case for many others, including one in-home provider she worked for recently. “She had to start her business with the money she had from a previous job,” Anderson said. “For the first couple of months, she struggled to pay me and to pay herself. Just being able to stay open was a challenge in the beginning.” Still, Anderson says the barriers she’s faced are nothing compared to the fulfillment she feels as owner of Little Ducklings Childcare. “For anyone thinking of starting their own child care business, no matter what obstacle comes up, just keep pushing through, because it’s so worth it in the end,” she said. “I get to watch these kids grow and learn while spending the day with my own children. It’s the best job I could have asked for.” p Phase II of NCMC’s Child Care Initiative begins with implementing a true cost fiscal model that supports living wages and benefits to sustain and grow the child care workforce. Here’s how: Leading the change to a true cost fiscal model PROOF OF CONCEPT: THE NCMC CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOL PROGRAM •Establish the NCMC Child Care and Preschool Program, a four- classroom proof-of-concept prototype that demonstrates the feasibility and viability of a true cost fiscal model. •Provide technical assistance to help local child care providers adopt a true cost model to sustain and grow their businesses. These are the first steps in a long-term plan that will include many exciting updates. Follow our progress and find the latest news at ncmich.edu/cci. LIVING WAGE SALARY SCALES & CAREER PATHWAYS •Develop a living wage salary and benefits scale based on Emmet County’s cost of living. •Create academic and career pathways for students who want to pursue a career in early care and education. EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT •Collaborate with Emmet County businesses to pilot expanded child care assistance for working parents. •Help employers find the right combination of benefits to attract and retain their workforce. WHAT’S NEXTNext >