Dr. Nick Nissley has been the President of Northwestern Michigan College since January of 2020.
Dr. Nissley described the difficult path he travelled from what he described as the other side of the tracks to his salvation at the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, whose mission was "to solve poverty in America, one child at a time." Dr. Nissley sees his role as that of a servant leader, "possibilitarian" and community builder--clearly a glass half-full person.
NMC is an impressive institution, with:
- 4,500 Unduplicated Credit Students Annually
- University Center, Dennos Museum Center, WNMC Radio Station, Rogers Observatory
- Extended Education
- 50,000 'Learners'
- Baccalaureate Programming
- $50M Enterprise with $50M Foundation
COVID-19 hit the area not long after Dr. Nissley became President at NMC. To negotiate through the difficulties posed by the pandemic NMC developed the 4Rs:
- Refocus
- Reopening
- Reimagining
- Righting the Ship
These steps have permitted NMC to reopen per CDC guidelines, emphasizing safety first. The school also has been able to right the ship, with a balanced budget, no tuition increase, no layoff of staff or faculty and the beginning of strategic planning.
NMC also has developed Futures for Frontliners, a program designed to reward those serving in frontline occupations who have not yet earned an associates or bacheors degree, as well as Reconnect, a program for Michigan residents who are 25+ years of age who have completed high school but no college degree. To see Dr. Nissley's PowerPoint presentation click here.
.