Canva: Branding with the NEW NMC Brand (for employees with Canva Teams Accounts)
2025-09-24 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit)
Ready to bring our new NMC brand to life? This class will show you how to use Canva to create on-brand flyers, presentations, infographics, social posts, and more. You’ll learn how to access branded templates, apply approved fonts and colors, and maintain a consistent, professional look in everything you design. Whether you’re promoting an event, sharing a report, or building a slideshow, this session will give you the tools to create polished, brand-aligned materials with ease.
To register via NEOED Learn, please follow these instructions: NeoEd Learn – Registering for Courses Instructions – for Quick Bytes
All courses are offered via Zoom. Please ensure your camera is on during our session to support collaboration and connection.

Mastering Google Email and Calendar
2025-09-26 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit)
Feeling a little lost with Gmail and Google Calendar? You’re not alone! These tools are a huge part of our daily lives at NMC, and mastering them can make a big difference.In this training, we’ll dive into the features that make communication and scheduling a breeze. We’ll show you how to take control of your inbox with Gmail’s labels, filters, and settings. You’ll also learn to streamline your schedule with Google Calendar, including how to use multiple calendars, duplicate events, and customize your settings.
To register via NEOED Learn, please follow these instructions: NeoEd Learn – Registering for Courses Instructions – for Quick Bytes
All courses are offered via Zoom. Please ensure your camera is on during our session to support collaboration and connection.

Google’s Notebook LM and Study & Learn in Gemini/ChatGPT
2025-09-29 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit)
Anyone who works with students should learn how to use Google Notebook LM, a powerful tool that can automatically generate summaries, briefing documents, and even podcasts from your uploaded materials. Your personal data remains private—Notebook LM does not use your content to train its models, and your sources stay secure unless you choose to share them. This session also provides an introductory overview of the Study and Learn features in Gemini and ChatGPT, which enable AI-assisted research, personalized study tools, and more efficient, guided learning experiences. Faculty and staff will leave with practical strategies for integrating these tools to support student success.
To register via NEOED Learn, please follow these instructions: NeoEd Learn – Registering for Courses Instructions – for Quick Bytes
All courses are offered via Zoom. Please ensure your camera is on during our session to support collaboration and connection.

Bitwarden Password Manager
2025-09-30 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Say goodbye to the stress of remembering multiple passwords! Join us for a one-hour training on the essentials of using Bitwarden Password Manager. In this class, you will learn how to install the browser extension, create and manage your secure vault, and save various items like logins, credit cards, and secure notes. We will also cover how to organize your information using folders, generate strong and unique passwords, and utilize the built-in reporting features to enhance your online security. This training is perfect for anyone looking to simplify their digital life and take control of their password management.. Please request your Bitwarden account from athornton@nmc.edu and have your Bitwarden “confirmed” by providing athornton@nmc.edu with your fingerprint phrase (under Settings>My Account in Bitwarden.com) before class.
To register via NEOED Learn, please follow these instructions: NeoEd Learn – Registering for Courses Instructions – for Quick Bytes
All courses are offered via Zoom. Please ensure your camera is on during our session to support collaboration and connection.

Early Alert Survey Due
2025-10-03 10:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York)

CIE Friday Forum
2025-10-03 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Toronto), 2025-12-05 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Toronto), 2025-12-05 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York), 2026-01-02 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | TJNIC 106/07
Join the Center for Instructional Excellence for lunch and professional development programming on the first Friday of the month. Everyone is welcome. Please RSVP to help us make an accurate lunch order. If you forget to RSVP, still come!

Canvas Training w/ Q&A
2025-10-09 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center & Library (IC) Room 104/105

New Faculty Institute
2025-10-10 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-12-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | IC 123

Canvas Training w/ Q&A
2025-10-17 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Osterlin Building/Library, 4000 College Ave, Manistee, MI, United States
The purpose of this one-hour session will be to address best practices for course building and settings, effective use of the SpeedGrader, and the ins-and-outs of cross-listed sections (what we called META’s in Moodle).
The session will conclude with a Q&A.

CIE Coffee Club
2025-10-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York), 2025-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Toronto) | Library Reading Room
Supporting Honors Contracts and Phi Theta Kappa

Presenters: Katy Knight, Lindsey Dickinson, Mark Howell

CIE Friday Forum: Practical Approaches to Controversial Discussions with John Zachman
2025-11-07 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Osterlin 205
Talking to others with different ideologies is challenging in these polarized times. If it’s difficult for us, how do we begin to help students engage with ideas and people they disagree with? And how do we respond to spontaneous discussions of controversial issues in the classroom?
Dr. John Zachman spent his sabbatical investigating these tough questions and developing practical answers. He joins us to share his research in his presentation, Democratic Deliberation in the College Classroom: Practical Approaches to Promoting Rigorous Analysis of Controversial Issues. Topics covered in his talk will include:

Current obstacles to engaging in deliberation with others.

The importance of developing in our students the ability to rationally analyze controversial issues.

Why engaging students in thoughtful analyses of key issues is essential to the health of our political society, as well as to their own personal autonomy.

A sampling of pedagogical approaches that will help to overcome the obstacles our students face in engaging with ideas that they see as hostile to their beliefs and their identities.

While John’s research is centered in his discipline of political science, he will offer strategies for guiding discussions of controversial topics that arise organically in any classroom. For instructors in the technical fields, he has suggestions for guiding discussions around ethical issues. Even if none of these situations apply, John says his presentation will be relevant to all faculty who are interested in “the broader liberal arts mission of colleges and universities.” We wholeheartedly agree!
Lunch is at 12:30 with the presentation at 1. See you in Osterlin on Friday!

New Faculty Institute
2025-11-14 14:15 - 15:45 (America/Toronto) | IC 123
14 Nov. 2025 NFI Agenda Welcome to the New Faculty Institute, a monthly meeting hosted by the Center for Instructional Excellence for new full-time and adjunct instructors. Our meetings feature guests from around the college who share guidance on the logistics of teaching at NMC. I line up guests for our meetings, but your input will guide future programming. Tell us what you need to know, and we’ll find the person who can give us the answers. But we are as much about creating relationships as about sharing information. We hope that the friendships you make in your “newbie” cohort will last throughout your career at NMC. NOTE: Adjunct instructors are welcome! You are paid a $25/hr stipend for attending the New Faculty Institute. — Janet Lively, CIE Director

CIE Coffee Club: Practical Approaches to Controversial Discussions with John Zachman
2025-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Library Reading Room
Join us to continue the conversation with Dr. John Zachman on discussing controversial issues in these polarized times. John began sharing his sabbatical research on the topic at the Nov. 7 Friday Forum, but will focus on classroom strategies at the Coffee Club.
Whether or not you were able to attend the Friday Forum, you will benefit from John’s discussion of pedagogical approaches to ease the obstacles our students face in engaging with ideas that they see as hostile to their beliefs and their identities.
We’ll have coffee, of course, and treats. See you fireside!

Join with Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/cmn-uajg-gtn
Or dial: (US) +1 567-281-8095 PIN: [REDACTED]#
Learn more about Meet at: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9282720

CIE Coffee Club: Practical Approaches to Controversial Discussions with John Zachman
2025-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Toronto) | Library Reading Room
Join us to continue the conversation with Dr. John Zachman on discussing controversial issues in these polarized times. John began sharing his sabbatical research on the topic at the Nov. 7 Friday Forum, but will focus on classroom strategies at the Coffee Club.
Whether or not you were able to attend the Friday Forum, you will benefit from John’s discussion of pedagogical approaches to ease the obstacles our students face in engaging with ideas that they see as hostile to their beliefs and their identities.
We’ll have coffee, of course, and treats. See you fireside!

NMC Observed Holiday
2025-11-27 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-28 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)

Yellowdig Webinar: Boost Engagement, Skip the Student Fee
2025-12-04 10:00 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86504723330?pwd=[REDACTED]
In a recent CTL Newsletter, we shared an exciting opportunity to try Yellowdig for FREE this Spring: Exclusive Pilot Opportunity: Try Yellowdig FREE in Spring 2026!
This is an exclusive offer for only a few NMC faculty members. If you’re thinking about this opportunity or if you are looking for proven strategies to combat isolation and maximize student success in your online, hybrid, or face-to-face courses, we are pleased to invite you to a webinar for NMC faculty focused on using Yellowdig to cultivate a vibrant community, boost student engagement, and foster a strong sense of belonging—crucial factors for retention and performance in the digital learning landscape.
Webinar Details
Who: Any NMC faculty member interested in learning how to use Yellowdig.
What & Why: Learn how Yellowdig—a community-building platform designed specifically for academic courses—can transform passive participants into active, connected learners. Hosted by:

Alessandra Puilen, Yellowdig Success Partner

Dr. Sarah Montgomery-Richards, NMC Adjunct Faculty and GVSU Assistant Director of Faculty, Northern Michigan

Dr. Mark Howell, NMC Communications Faculty

When: Thursday, December 4th; 10:00 a.m. EST
Join the Webinar
What You Will Learn
This insightful session will provide you with practical, proven techniques for successful adoption:

What is Yellowdig? A brief, clear overview of the platform’s core features.

Boosting Engagement: Practical, proven strategies for using Yellowdig to increase student activity and meaningful interaction, moving beyond traditional discussion boards.

Fostering Belonging: Specific techniques to use Yellowdig to build rapport, reduce isolation, and create a stronger social presence for all learners.

We look forward to seeing you there and sharing successful strategies to make your courses more engaging and effective!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86504723330?pwd=[REDACTED] (ID: 86504723330, passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone
(US) +1 719-359-4580 (passcode: [REDACTED]
Joining instructions: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://applications.zoom.us/addon/invitation/detail?meetingUuid%3Dln9izTAYQqmZXPrChCfpjw%253D%253D%26signature%3D680e6ebba2a6a0d10ef9bec3961e71e773af7d32ea7b03f6bf96e6a6925acc9a%26v%3D1&sa=D&source=calendar&usg=AOvVaw0OrQyWFrvxD1cUcLXhtT4M
Meeting host: alessandra.puilen@yellowdig.com
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86504723330?pwd=[REDACTED]

CIE Friday Forum
2025-12-05 12:30 - 14:00 (America/Toronto), 2025-12-05 12:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Okerstrom Fine Arts Building
We’re pleased to invite you to a special event for this Friday Forum to re-energize before the final push of the semester! Once again, our fine arts faculty are hosting us for a hands-on workshop, this time to make bright, personalized holiday cards. We’ll fuel up our creativity with lunch at 12:30 in the Okerstrom Art Building, then start painting. Please RSVP so we can prep, but come anyway if you forget!

Join the Center for Instructional Excellence for lunch and professional development programming on the first Friday of the month. Everyone is welcome. Please RSVP to help us make an accurate lunch order. If you forget to RSVP, still come!

New Faculty Institute
2025-12-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York), 2025-12-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Toronto) | Library Reading Room TJNIC203
12 Dec. 2025 NFI Agenda Welcome to the New Faculty Institute, a monthly meeting hosted by the Center for Instructional Excellence for new full-time and adjunct instructors. Our meetings feature guests from around the college who share guidance on the logistics of teaching at NMC. Your input will guide future programming. Tell us what you need to know, and we’ll find the person who can give us the answers. But we are as much about creating relationships as about sharing information. We hope that the friendships you make in your “newbie” cohort will last throughout your career at NMC. NOTE: Adjunct instructors are welcome! You are paid a $25/hr stipend for attending New Faculty Institute — Janet Lively, CIE Director

Grades Entered by 11
2025-12-17 10:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
