NMC Closes Out 2022-25 Strategic Plan, Looks Forward To Next Planning Phase

Trustees for Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) this week reviewed a detailed report card for the now-completed “NMC Next,” the sprawling strategic plan the college adopted in 2022. The plan, which officially wrapped up on June 30, 2025, included goals aimed at improving student success rates, revamping money-losing programs, and instituting practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Jason Slade, vice president for strategic initiatives, also teased the development of the college’s next strategic plan, which is currently in the works and will span from 2026 to 2029.

NMC Next has been the college’s guiding roadmap since January 1, 2022. In addition to enshrining a mission, vision, and values for NMC, the plan outlined five broad strategies for the college to focus on throughout the past three and a half years. Each strategy was then broken down further into 4-6 more specific objectives.

Based on the report that Slade presented at this week’s Board of Trustees meeting, NMC met most – but not all – of the goals it laid out for itself with NMC Next.

Strategy 1: Future-Focused Education

Big-picture goal: “Enhance offerings through flexible academic pathways, innovative instructional delivery models, and relevant, hands-on educational experiences to empower global learners for the future.”

Successes: Of the five objectives outlined in this section, NMC achieved four. Those included increasing the number of students receiving credit for prior learning, adding more online course offerings, rolling out shortened course pathways, and incorporating at least one experiential learning opportunity into all NMC credentials.

Misses: Objective 3 in this category called for NMC to “increase student success and completion rates in online courses from 87% to 90% and hybrid courses from 92% to 95%.” Completion rates were still at 87% for online and 88% for hybrid as of spring 2025. Notably, Slade said those rates align with NMC’s face-to-face courses.

Strategy 2: Student Engagement and Success

Big picture goal: “Develop and deliver comprehensive support services, robust engagement opportunities, and a vibrant collegiate experience to foster learner success, goal completion, and employability.”

Successes: Here, Slade cited increased student participation in extra and co-curricular activities and an elevated percentage of NMC students utilizing success coach services at the college. Since 2022, NMC has also seen seven consecutive semesters of increased enrollment, as well as its highest-ever number of dual-enrolled high school students.

Misses: Despite the leap in dual-enrollment, the college failed to meet its goal of increasing the percentage of area high school graduates matriculating to NMC. NMC Next called for a 44% matriculation rate by fall 2024, but only 33.6% of 2024 graduates enrolled at NMC last year. Data on the graduating class of 2025, Slade told trustees, won’t be released until next year.

Strategy 3: DEI

Big picture goal: “Cultivate an inclusive environment that fosters a sense of belonging and delivers equitable opportunities so all are able to thrive and succeed.”

Successes: In January 2022, NMC announced the appointment of Marcus Bennett, the college’s long-time associate dean of campus life, as special assistant to the president for DEI – a new job created as part of NMC Next. Under Bennett’s direction, NMC formulated a collegewide DEI statement, reduced “barriers affecting student success” (examples include the introduction of lactation spaces and the diversification of repayment plans), launched a mobile food pantry that has distributed 57,639 pounds of food across 1,234 households, developed an on-campus Neurodiversity Support Center, and rolled out new events, like an NMC Pow Wow for indigenous graduates and a recent “employment and disability” presentation.

Misses: Strategy 3 called for improving “application-to-enrollment statistics from 28% to 35% for BIPOC students,” but the fall 2024 rate was just 21%.

Strategy 4: Community Partnerships and Engagement

Big picture goal: “Enhance collaborations that advance community engagement, economic and workforce development, and innovative opportunities for lifelong learning.”

Successes: In this section, Slade touted improved connections with local industry, with highlights including the recent acquisition of a 3D concrete printer for the college’s construction technology program, the development of “a workforce and professional training arm” within NMC’s Extended Education & Training department, and the launch of “a revised career and majors fair model that better integrated industry partners, academic programs, and community partners.”

Misses: Strategy 4 called for Extended Education & Training to become “net revenue positive” as an department by the conclusion of the NMC Next period, compared to a net loss of $485,000 during the 2021 fiscal year. Despite significant revenue gains each year, the department still saw a net loss of $46,994 for 2025 fiscal year.

Strategy 5: Institutional Distinction and Sustainability

Big picture goal: “Leverage distinctive programs that strengthen institutional sustainability and expand global connections for our learners and communities.”

Successes: Described by NMC as the “plan within the plan,” this strategy called for growing and stabilizing “critical programs” like aviation, the Great Lakes Culinary Institute (GLCI), the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, the Dennos Museum Center, the International Affairs Forum, and more. Most of those programs saw leaps forward as part of NMC Next. For instance, NMC Aviation grew its net revenue from $248,167 in 2021 to $723,864 this year, while GCLI executed a “reimagining” that turned the money-losing program (it had a net loss of nearly $376,000 in 2021) to a revenue-positive one.

Misses: NMC set a goal for its Great Lakes Water Studies Institute to “generate positive net revenue by June 30, 2025,” but that program is still operating at a net loss: -$296,855 for the last fiscal year, compared to -$340,080 in 2021. Slade said more information about the finances of this program will be presented at a future board meeting.

“My takeaway for you would be: I think you can be proud of this plan, as trustees,” Slade told the board at Monday’s meeting. “You helped us drive this; you helped us think through big picture; you helped us think about budgeting and everything else.”

When asked by trustee Kennard Weaver how the college can “keep the momentum going” from NMC Next, Slade also teased the development of a 2026-29 strategic plan.

“Our next draft plan development actually kicked off in June,” Slade told trustees. “We know in that next plan that we’re probably going to have about 80% carryover [in objectives] of the current plan, plus key college projects – so, think campus master plan, brand identity, revenue diversification...” Slade also cited student success and enrollment, future-focused education, and campus vibrancy and belonging as elements that will likely feature heavily in the new strategic plan.

According to Slade, NMC’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee will be “engaging employee, faculty, and community groups” in the coming months to shape the new plan, with more information to be presented to the NMC board in the coming months.