Nicolet Celebrates April as National Community College Month

Nicolet College has joined the 1,100 other community colleges across the country to celebrate April as National Community College Month, highlighting the vital role these institutions play in advancing personal growth and building stronger communities. 

“For more than half a century Nicolet has been teaching people the skills they need to build successful lives for themselves and their families and also delivering the workforce skills area employers need to be efficient, productive, and profitable,” said Nicolet College President Kate Ferrel. 

“As we take a moment to reflect on the value of a technical college education in the Northwoods, the state and the nation, it’s worth noting that our drive to keep advancing on our mission to transform lives, enrich communities, and foster economic development is as strong as ever.” 

While the past year has been challenging for everyone, Ferrel noted, the college has made significant advancements in numerous areas across campus. 

These include:   

Nicolet College, economic development partners receive $1 million grant to advance economic development in the Northwoods 

Nicolet College and several regional economic development partners received significant financial resources to work with to advance small business economic development in the Northwoods thanks to a $1 million grant the consortium received from the U.S. Small Business Association. 

Nicolet College, along with their partners the Florence, Langlade, Oneida and Vilas Economic Development Corporations, Grow North Regional Economic Development, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Inc., and the Lac Du Flambeau Tribal Community through their Business Development Center, came together to apply for this grant in July of 2021. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to advance thoughtful and sustained economic growth in virtually all corners of our Northwoods region,” said Sandy Bishop, Nicolet executive director of Economic and Community Development. 

“Without question this generous grant will help provide the resources necessary to help small businesses be efficient, productive, and profitable and also create the meaningful and family -supporting jobs we all depend on for a vibrant Northwoods economy.” 

The Small Business Administration announced that out of 700 applications, 51 had been awarded funding. 

“Project activities will address the needs of the smallest and most underserved businesses throughout rural northern Wisconsin, a region with a high concentration of businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors.” said Toni Van Doren, Nicolet manager of Business and Innovation. 

“These businesses and communities were particularly hard-hit by the pandemic and are struggling to adapt to post-pandemic consumer expectations.” 

Ferrel installed as Nicolet College president at investiture ceremony 

Kate Ferrel became the seventh president of Nicolet College on July 1 of last year during an investiture ceremony on the Rhinelander campus attended by students, staff, community, education, and tribal leaders. 

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to stand before my family, my mentors, my friends, our tribal partners, my advisors, my colleagues, and students to formally accept the responsibility of leading this great institution,” Ferrel said during the event. 

“As we journey together we must keep our mission and vision at the forefront of our minds as it is that that will provide the focus, direction, and energy necessary to accomplish shared goals.” 

The Nicolet College Board of Trustees began the process of selecting a new president in 2020 when then-president Richard Nelson announced he would retire.  

“This marks a new chapter in the history and future of Nicolet College,” said Ryan Zietlow, chair of the Nicolet College Board of Trustees who also served a chair of the presidential selection committee. 

“President Ferrel comes to us with broad experience in the technical college system and we are eager to support her leadership of Nicolet College.” 

New, state-of-the-art manufacturing labs and classrooms advance student learning 

Newly remodeled manufacturing labs and classrooms in the Birchwoods Center opened to students in early spring of 2022. 

The $2.2 million upgrade has created a state-of-the-art training facility for students in Nicolet’s Welding, Electromechanical Technology, Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, Industrial Electronics Technician, and Industrial Mechanical Technician programs. 

The college will also launch a new Metal Fabrication program this spring followed this coming summer with a new Forestry Maintenance program, both of which will also be housed in the Birchwoods Center. 

“It’s critical for the college to stay on the leading edge of technology so our graduates can make that seamless transition into the workforce,” said Jeff Labs, dean of Trade, Industry and Apprenticeships at Nicolet. 

“This large-scale remodel of the Birchwoods Center will help them do exactly that. The skills students will learn are precisely what they’ll need to launch successful careers in a variety of industries and are also what area manufacturers need to be competitive and financially viable.” 

Nicolet College named a finalist for distinguished Aspen Prize 

Citing its strong and broad-based commitment to deliver quality college education, the Aspen Institute selected Nicolet College a national finalist for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. 

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized for our work to advance higher education in the Northwoods by such an esteemed organization as the Aspen Institute,” said Nicolet College President Kate Ferrel. 

“Our dedication at Nicolet runs deep for creating opportunity for residents to earn a quality college education that will help them get ahead in life and build robust communities with the skills they bring to the workplace.” 

Out of the approximately 1,000 public two-year colleges the Aspen Institute evaluated across the country, 150 were selected as finalists. 

Institute staff looked for achievement in five areas. These included teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment, workforce success, and equity for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. 

Nicolet breaks ground on new building to house college’s Public Safety Department 

Last summer Nicolet College broke ground a new Public Safety building that will both expand and improve training opportunities for individuals dedicated to providing protective and emergency services. 

"It’s important for the college to offer the latest in public safety training and this new building and associated projects will allow us to do exactly that,” said Jason Goeldner, associate dean of Public Safety at Nicolet. 

“In the end, it’s the residents of the Northwoods who will benefit the most from the elevated level of training we will be able to provide. Whether this is law enforcement or EMTs responding to an emergency or firefighters heading out to extinguish a fire, they will all have a higher level of training that will benefit everyone.” 

The new 9,065 square-foot building, located next to the Fieldside Center on the Rhinelander campus, will serve as headquarters for the numerous types of training that fall under the Public Safety umbrella at Nicolet. 

These include Law Enforcement, Firefighter Training, Emergency Medical Services, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety, Traffic Safety, Motorcycle Certification, and Hazardous Materials Handling. 

Nicolet College honored with second national Promising Places to Work diversity award 

For the second consecutive year, Nicolet College was named a Promising Places to Work award winner in 2021 by two national organizations that support diversity efforts by community colleges across the country. 

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) partnered with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education to recognize Nicolet for its “best-in-class student and staff recruitment and retention practices, inclusive learning and working environments, and meaningful community service and engagement opportunities.”  

Nicolet was the only college in Wisconsin and one of 16 across the country to receive a Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges award in both 2020 and 2021. 

Nearly 12 percent of Nicolet students are racial and ethnic minorities. This is compared to about 5 percent for the general population of the Nicolet College District. 

Tribal Business Management Certificate to go online thanks to education grant 

Nicolet College has advanced its efforts delivering online instruction to students of color thanks to a $30,000 grant the college recently received from the Urban Institute’s Career and Technical Education CoLab. 

The college will use the funds to develop the academic infrastructure needed to offer its Tribal Business Management Certificate in a flexible online format, said Laura Wind-Norton, dean of the University Transfer Liberal Arts program at Nicolet. 

“The end goal is to deliver this instruction to more people in the three indigenous communities in the Nicolet District and beyond,” Wind-Norton said. 

“Increasingly we are seeing that flexibility is key for individuals to earn a college education. People have lives, they have families, they have jobs. College needs to fit around all of that. And creating a structure where students can complete their coursework at times that are best for them, wherever they are, really is key for individuals to succeed in college.” 

For more than a decade Nicolet has offered the Tribal Business Management Certificate in the traditional classroom setting in the three tribal communities in the Nicolet District. 

Former President Richard Nelson honored with WTCS Eagle Management Award 

Citing his ability to serve as a catalyst for innovation, remove barriers for students to higher education, and advance academic achievement, the Wisconsin Technical College System last summer awarded then-Nicolet President Richard Nelson with its prestigious 2021 Eagle Management Leadership Award. 

“Dr. Nelson took an early, passionate, and productive interest in the ability of technical colleges to serve all students,” said Morna Foy, president of the Wisconsin Technical College System. 

“Because of his unique style and ability to lead from a strengths-based approach, he has fostered collaboration across a wide variety of college and business functions, maximizing resources, and accelerating innovation.” 

Nelson served as Nicolet president from 2015 to 2021. 

Strong partnerships, community support allows Northwoods Community Garden to thrive in first season 

In partnership with Nicolet College and ArtStart, the Northwoods Community Garden in one short year went from being just an idea being bantered about by a small group of people to a thriving and expansive garden that produced an abundance of healthy food and also served as the site for numerous educational classes and community events.  

The inaugural season last year for the garden located in the Field at Nicolet started with 48 plots, each measuring 10 feet by 20 feet. Community members and organizations promptly rented all of those plots, creating a waiting list. 

To meet the growing demand, the Garden Board decided to develop an additional 16 plots, which will be available to rent this coming summer for $40 each. 

“It was nothing short of both humbling and amazing to watch the garden grow over the season and in so many different ways,” said Pete Zambon, president of the Northwoods Community Garden Board. 

Zambon was also equally humbled and amazed at the strong community support the garden received to get it up, running, and thriving. 

Along with countless volunteer hours by many people, individuals and organizations also pledged strong financial support. To date, more than $31,000 has been raised from community members and organizations for garden development. 

Nearly $10,000 of the total came from the Rhinelander Community Foundation, Rhinelander PEO, Kiwanis, the Rhinelander Women’s Club, and Wisconsin Public Service. 

The rest came from individuals through a variety of fundraising campaigns. 

In addition to growing healthy food, the location also doubles as a teaching garden with many Nicolet College and ArtStart classes taught on site. 

This past year classes included growing indigo for the Fresh Leaf Indigo Fabric Dyeing, Weaving the Wild Basketry, Wild Apothecary and Herbal Remedies, along with opportunities for area youth to learn hands-on gardening skills through the University of Wisconsin – Extension 4-H program. 

This summer the garden was also the site for the AMASS art exhibit by artist Ian Van D. 

“The strong community support the garden has received in the past year is something we very much appreciate and want to only build on for an even better year in 2022,” Zambon added. 

First-ever large-scale emergency training exercise at Nicolet College enhances skills for students entering many professions 

In an emergency, several professions often must work together quickly and efficiently in order to provide the services necessary to ensure the safety and positive outcome for all involved. 

That was the goal of a real-world, first-of-its-kind simulation exercise at Nicolet College last fall that brought together students from the Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, and Nursing programs along with representatives from the Human Services field. 

“These students don’t really get to interact that much when they are on campus, so we wanted to create an exercise where they all had to work together in a professional capacity,” said Nicolet Nursing Instructor Dilya St. Louis, who led the coordination of the simulation. 

“After these students graduate and start their careers, it will be common for them to work with others from different professions. We wanted to give them that experience, to interact with each other and for all of them to practice the specialized skills they’ve learned in Nicolet labs and classrooms.” 

The training scenario started with a staged 911 call to alert authorities of a possible intoxicated and suicidal man acting strangely in the Field on campus, which prompted Criminal Justice students to respond to assess and secure the scene. 

Once deemed safe, Emergency Medical Services students arrived to stabilize the now-patient and transport him to the “Nicolet Hospital,” where Nursing students provided a higher level of medical care. 

The scenario concluded with Substance Use Disorder Counselor students creating a treatment plan for the individual. 

The exercise was funded by the Wisconsin Northern Highland Area Health Education Center and Nicolet College.