NMC, WMU formally launch joint freshwater curriculum

TRAVERSE CITY — Expanded opportunities to study fresh water — a critical natural resource in limited supply and under threat — will be marked by a signing ceremony and reception Tuesday, May 13, in Traverse City, Mich.

The by-invitation-only event is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus, 715 E. Front St. in Traverse City. It will feature officials signing a new articulation agreement between NMC and Western Michigan University that begins this fall.

NMC and WMU have jointly developed an interdisciplinary curriculum that leads from either an Associate in Science and Arts in Freshwater Studies or an Associate in Applied Science in Freshwater Studies from NMC to a Bachelor of Science in Freshwater Science and Sustainability. The new bachelor's degree has a unique curriculum focusing on freshwater ecosystems and environmental, social and economic issues related to their sustainable use and management.

Students wishing to conduct all of their freshwater science and sustainability studies in Traverse City now may enroll at NMC and earn an associate degree, then seamlessly transfer to the WMU's regional location in Traverse City to complete the final two years of coursework required for the bachelor's degree. Students also may enroll in the bachelor's-only version of the program offered on WMU's main campus in Kalamazoo.

Representatives from NMC and WMU will sign an articulation agreement at the event. NMC President Timothy J. Nelson andDr. Dawn M. Gaymer, WMU associate provost of Extended University Programs, will be speaking at the event along with Hans VanSumeren, director of NMC's Great Lakes Water Studies Institute; Dr. Steve Kohler, WMU professor of biological sciences and Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program director; and Marguerite Cotto, NMC vice president for lifelong and professional learning. Drs. John M. Dunn, president of WMU, and Timothy Greene, WMU provost, will deliver messages via video. Faculty, staff and administrators from both institutions will be present to answer questions.

Release date: May 8, 2014

For more information:

Andy Dolan, Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Northwestern Michigan College
adolan@nmc.edu
(
231) 995-1019