The Measure of Happiness
and Value
Thomas Saelens, Site Manager
The holiday season is one of
thanksgiving, warm festivities, family,
friends, and unfortunately sometimes
stress. The stress is often created by our
social expectations of the holidays and
fear that we do not measure up as a
mother, father, son, daughter, sister or family to an
unrealistic perception of holiday happiness. Instead of
embracing, observing and enjoying the wonderful things
we do have in life, oftentimes it is spent comparing our
fortunes, situations, material acquisitions, and position in
life to others. Happiness involves a strange apparent
paradox of being content with things that make life
wonderful while trying to gain and improve. True
happiness involves being able to use these two
paradoxical views as perfect and mutually inclusive
partners. There is no perfect formula for making life or
the holidays happy or positive but below are some
suggestions. Improving oneself by making the world a
better place is a wonderful way to give and gain. Gaining
does not need to be centered on us as individuals but
often is much more valuable when centered on the larger
spirit of community. Helping others, improving the world
around us, is the great measure of a person’s worth and
value.
Call or Drop By (We Love to Help You!)
Pay Tuition, by Check, Money Order or Credit Card
Buy Supplies, Cash Only
Pencils
$ .15
Pens
$ .40
Notebooks $ 1.50
Green (Mini) & Blue Scantrons
Scantrons & Essay
Blue Books
$ .25
$ .30
$ .40
November 2014
Placement
Testing
Hours
Counseling &
Teleconference
Hours
Monday - Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Gwen Bronson
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
New Student
Orientation
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
2nd 8 Week
10/23/14 - 12/17/14
Nov. 20th
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Keith Allen
(Teleconference)
Monday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Dec. 4th
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The NTC Office …. The Only Stop You’ll Ever Need!!!
MEET THE STAFF:
Thomas Saelens - Site Manager
Marcia Teer - Administrative Assist.
Deborah Potts - Office Assistant
Regina Banks - Workstudy
Sherrie Brown - Workstudy
Taylia Jones - Workstudy
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Mott Community College
Northern Tier Center
4082 W. Vienna Rd.
Clio, MI 48420
OFFICE: (810) 232-8044
FAX:
(810) 762-2551
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday & Tuesday
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday & Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
From The Desk of Thomas Saelens, Site Manager (Continuation)

Making the Holiday’s Positive
1. Be healthy in mind and body. Eat right, get
enough sleep, and think positive regarding
life and yourself.
Donate or purge unneeded items,
decorations and clutter from you
home.
3. Do not be afraid to accept help from
others.
4. If you need help during for the
holidays, there are many community
resources. VFW, Salvation Army,
and local Churches. Talk to
someone if you need assistance.
2. Set a “Happiness Budget” and a “financial
budget” for your holiday expenses.
A happiness budget includes things you can
do, with little or no money, which will
increase happiness, good will, and warmth
for those you touch or interact with. This
could include:
 Give a gift from the heart. Making a gift or
doing something for someone is a
wonderful present. It expresses more
meaning to those you care about and
also provides the giver with a positive
and memorable feeling.
 Define the meaning of the holiday for
your family. Set-up new traditions or
customs.
For example, you can
De-emphasize
commercialism
and
materialism by donating time to a helpful
cause/charity and by making at least one
present.
 Create a “Make a Daily Difference”
Calendar. Select a year, month or other
time frame in which you will do something
each day to make the world a better
place.
 Do something for someone you know.
Make dinner for someone that has an
illness, take an elderly neighbor
shopping , to bingo or some other activity
 Write a letter to someone you care about
expressing your love or forgiveness to
them and how much they mean to you.
The NTC staff and I hope that each of you
will have a warm and wonderful holiday.
We hope to see you continue your
success at MCC and the Northern Tier
Center in the 2015 Winter Semester.
Please read the back page of this
newsletter regarding the upcoming winter
registration.
Thomas Saelens
Thomas Saelens, Site Manager
& the MCC Northern Tier Staff
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Fall
Fall 1st Half
Fall Late Start
Tuesday, April 1
August 28
Payment deadline
Fall 2nd Half
Registration Began
August 28
Payment deadline
August 28
Payment deadline
August 28
Payment deadline
August 19 Payment must be paid August 19 Payment must be paid August 19 Payment must be paid August 19 Payment must be paid
at time of registration
at time of registration
at time of registration
at time of registration
You can set up Payment Plans
through September 2
You can set up Payment Plans
through September 2
You can set up Payment Plans
through September 2
You can set up Payment Plans
through
September 2
You can purchase Books
You can purchase Books
You can purchase Books
You can purchase Books
8/11/14-9/12/14
8/11/14-9/12/14
9/29/14-10/9/14
10/23/14-11/13/14
September 2
First day of Class
September 2
First day of Class
September 29
First day of Class
October 23
First day of Class
ADD/DROP Sept. 2 - Sept. 8
No registration after class starts
without the instructor consent
No registration after class starts
without the instructor consent
No registration after class starts
without the instructor consent
Sept. 8
Last day to drop FULL refund
Sept. 8
Last day to drop FULL refund
Oct. 6
Last day to drop FULL refund
Oct. 29
Last day to drop FULL refund
Sept. 12
Last day to Drop HALF refund
Sept. 12
Last day to Drop HALF refund
Oct. 9
Last day to Drop HALF refund
Nov. 3
Last day to Drop HALF refund
Sept. 13 Date of Record
Sept. 13 Date of Record
Oct. 10 Date of Record
Nov. 4 Date of Record
Thanksgiving Break November 27 & November 30
December 10
Last day to DROP with "W"
October 15
Last day to DROP with "W"
December 10
Last day to DROP with "W"
December 10
Last day to DROP with "W"
December 17
Last Day of Class
October 22
Last Day of Class
December 17
Last Day of Class
December 17
Last Day of Class
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Key Dates: Winter 2015/3 Semester - 15 Week Classes
Payment Policy Notes
Date
Nov. 1
Registration begins
Dec. 1
Financial Aid Priority Processing & SAP Appeal Deadline Date
Dec. 6 – Jan. 21
Students can purchase textbooks in the MCC Bookstore using
Financial Aid
Dec. 15
Starting Dec. 16
ALL payments methods must be in place by December 15 or
student’s courses will be dropped
ALL payment methods must be in place same day of
registration or student’s courses will be dropped
Jan 10
Classes Start
Jan 16
Last day for FULL refund
Jan. 19
Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday - COLLEGE CLOSED
Jan 21
Last day for HALF refund
Jan 22
Date of Record - Classes registered on or after this date will not be paid
by Pell and TIP
April 24
Last Day to Drop with “W”
Winter 2015/3 Semester - Late Start
Feb 9
Feb. 9 - 19
First day of Class
Students can purchase textbooks in the MCC Bookstore using
Financial Aid
Feb. 16
Last day for FULL refund
Feb. 19
Last day for HALF refund
Feb. 20
Date of Record
April 24
Last Day to Drop with “W”
Winter 2015/3 Semester - Second Half
Mar. 5
Mar 5 - 23
First day of Class
Students can purchase textbooks in the MCC Bookstore using
Financial Aid
Mar. 18
Last day for FULL refund
Mar. 23
Last day for HALF refund
Mar. 24
Date of Record
April 24
Last Day to Drop with “W”
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This Thanksgiving holiday, more than 13 million Americans will travel to spend the holiday with friends and family,
leaving their homes empty for opportunistic burglars. Follow these Thanksgiving safety tips to ensure your family's
safety this holiday season.
To ensure a worry-free holiday, these simple,
convenient travel and Thanksgiving safety tips to
keep your family and home safe for the holidays:










Also, according to the National Fire Protection
Association, Thanksgiving is the leading day
for home-cooking fires. These fire-safety tips
to ensure everyone has a safe and healthy
Turkey Day:
Remove fall-related objects that might allow
access to your home. For example, ladders for
cleaning leaves out of gutters can be used to
enter a window or scale a fence.
Don’t post Thanksgiving travel plans on
Facebook, Twitter or MySpace letting people
know that you will be out of town.
Turn your telephone ringer down so no one
outside can hear repeated rings; and review
your answering machine message to make
sure it does not imply that you are away.
Make sure to have all mail, newspapers, and
deliveries stopped or picked up by a neighbor,
friend or relative.
Never leave a key hidden outside. Burglars
know all the best hiding places.
Secure all windows, including those upstairs
and reduce the chance of easy entry by cutting
tree limbs away from second-story windows.
Have a friend move your car occasionally if it is
parked in the driveway.
Use timers to operate lights.
Have a home security system installed that
includes a 24-hour fire monitoring service that
automatically dispatches the fire or police
department.
Consider installing a Web-based home security
system, such as eSecure , that allows you to
check on your home while away and even arm
and disarm your system from any laptop, cell
phone, PDA or other Web-enabled devices.



Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher in the
kitchen in case of emergency, and teach
your family how to use it.
Be cautious when using turkey fryers as
they pose a number of distinct safety
concerns, including burn and fire hazards.
Never wear loose fitting clothing when
cooking. Long, open sleeves could ignite
and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot
burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly
rolled sleeves when cooking.
Utilize these Thanksgiving safety tips this
holiday season, and be thankful for your
home and family's safety.
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Monday
8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
1:25 PM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday
1:25 PM – 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
If a student registers and
sets up a payment plan:
BEFORE
Dec. 23, 2014
Pay: 1/3 of total tuition + $30 fee
Payment Due Dates: Jan. 6th, Feb 1st, & Mar. 1st 2015
BETWEEN
Jan. 5th - Jan. 31st, 2015
Pay: 1/3 of total tuition + Jan. 6th payment -$30 fee
Payment Due Dates: Feb. 1st & Mar. 1st, 2015
BETWEEN
Feb. 1st - Feb. 28th, 2015
Pay: 1/3 of total tuition + Feb. 1st payment + $30 fee
Payment Due Dates: Mar. 1st & Apr. 1st 2015
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Weather Emergencies:
 Please enter the numbers for the
contact method you prefer to receive.
Remove the number from any of the
methods you do not wish to receive
notifications from “Save Changes”
when completed.
If a tornado warning is issued, all students and staff
should follow directions given over the public address
system and/or follow directions given by Emergency
Response Team members. All Emergency Response
Team member wear bright yellow jackets.
 If you wish to remove yourself from
all notifications click the “Remove
Notification” button and “yes” on the
“Are you sure?” popup.

Emergency Notification System: In the event of
any on-campus emergency a voice or SMS (text
message) will be sent. All Students, Faculty and
Staff are encouraged to sign-up for this notification.

Student Email Notification: Students will be
notified through their MCC Webmail address of
specific class cancellation, site-specific closings or
college-wide closings.
 Sign-up for Directions: Go to MCC4me The system allows the college to notify
students, faculty, and staff of an on-campus
emergency. You can be notified by:

for a recorded message
Call
announcing a school closing.

Area radio and television stations will be alerted
whenever a decision is made to close the
school. See the MCC Newsstand for links to
local television outlets.
Please do not call the Department of Public Safety with
questions about school closings. This will help keep the
dispatchers’ lines available to handle emergency conditions
and notifications that are required during an unsafe weather
condition.
 Voice messages to phones (system is
TDD/TTY friendly)
IF MCC IS CLOSED: This will be reported on all above
noted sources.
 Text messages (SMS to cell phones)
IF MCC REMAINS OPEN: No public announcements are made
and all scheduled classes are expected to meet as planned.
-8-
Financial aid disbursements vary
depending on the type of aid awarded,
amount of the aid, and the date the aid
is awarded. Please note the following:
Why wait for checks in the mail?
eRefund is the easiest, fastest, and safest
way to get your refunds.
Welcome to MCC Bear Direct eRefund,
automatic direct deposit options provided
in partnership with PNC Bank to enable
easier, faster access to account refunds.
Grants:
Once the FAFSA application and all
requested documentation is submitted,
an award notification indicating the award type and amount of
Title IV funds (Pell and SEOG) will be issued to the student.
Funds are disbursed to the student’s account to pay for tuition
and bookstore changes incurred.
You can enroll online to have refunds deposited directly into a
checking or saving account or a prepaid debit card.
That means your funds are available right away. No more waiting
for a paper check to arrive in the mail.
Beginning with the Fall 2013 semester, Pell Grants will be
disbursed to students account during the 9th week of the
semester. Refund checks will be mailed upon attendance
verification. Any unused funds will be issued by check to
the address on the system (contact the Registration Office to
update your address).
You’ll receive an email notification when your actual eRefund has
been processed and is ready to be transferred to your bank
account or loaded onto your debit card.
Students are not required to use Bear Direct eRefund to receive
their refunds, nor are students who choose to use Bear Direct
eRefund required to open a PNC checking account to participate.
If you choose not to sign up for Bear Direct, you will still receive
your refund by paper check in the mail.
Loans:
Loan disbursements will be disbursed to the student’s account
once received electronically by the lender. Any outstanding
tuition and bookstore charges will be deducted. Beginning with
the Fall 2013, Direct Loans will be disbursed to students
account during the 9th week of the semester. Refund checks
will be mailed upon attendance verification. You MUST be
enrolled for a minimum of six (6) credit hours to be eligible to
receive loan funding.
Why Enroll in Bear Direct?
FREE -There is no charge for the service.
OPTIONS - Choose to have refunds deposited directly into a
checking or saving account or have the funds loaded onto a debit
card.
Loans are scheduled for at least two disbursements, which
vary by the loan period. The anticipated disbursement dates
will be indicated on the Notice of Guarantee and Disclosure
Statement received from the U.S. Department of Education.
CONVENIENCE - You will have access to funds sooner. No
more waiting for the mail or making an extra trip to the bank to
deposit your check.
SECURITY - Direct deposit eliminates the possibility that your
check will be lost in the mail or stolen. And you won’t have your
check returned to us as “undeliverable” if there’s a problem with
your address.
Scholarships:
Scholarship funds will be disbursed to students depending on
the specific scholarship criteria. Any unused funds that are
allowed to be disbursed to the student will be issued by check
to the address on our system (contact the Registration Office
to update your address).
Direct Deposit Options & Fees:
T.I.P. (Tuition Incentive Program):
Funding will experience in full refunds. Mott will process
refunds once the State of Michigan completes their payment
processing and send TIP funds to the college. Students may
notice a credit balance on their WebAdvisor account until their
refund is processed.
How fast?
Is there a fee to use?
REFUND CHECKS EXPIRE 60 DAYS FROM
THE DATE ISSUED. ANY UNCLAIMED
FINANCIAL AID REFUNDS WILL BE
RETURNED TO THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. OTHER UNCLAIMED
REFUNDS WILL BE SENT TO THE STATE
OF MICHIGAN.
How will I know if I
am receiving a
Payment?
Direct Deposit
Into Your
Own Account
Direct Deposit
into PNC
Account
Pre-Paid
Debit
Card
Up to 48
Hours
24 - 48
Hours
Up to 48
Hours*
NO
NO
NO
Email
Notification
Email
Notification
Email
Notification
*
PNC will not mail the debit card until there is a refund to load to it.
Allow 7-10 days for the initial processing and mailing of the card. Once
the card is received, all future refunds will load to the card within 48
hours.
There is a PNC ATM available for use on main campus. It is located next
to the Bear Bistro Café in the Curtice-Mott Building. There is no fee for
individuals who have a PNC card, whether it is for a PNC account or PNC
reloadable card. For individuals who use a non-PNC bank card, the fee is
$2.50.
Continue on next page
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Bear Direct (Continuation)
eRetund
Options
PNC Fee
Direct Deposit to
Own Account
NONE
Direct Deposit to
PNC Account
NONE
Description

If your bank information changes, it is
critical to update your banking information
for proper crediting of your refund. Go to
your Bear Direct Account to make the
changes.

When you click on the Bear Direct
eRefund logo or link, you are leaving
MCC website and entering a PNC Bank
service.

Changes made to demographic
information (address, email, etc…) in the
Bear Direct eRefund portal will not be
reflected in Mott’s records. You must
update both.
PNC Debit Card:
Replacement
$10.00
Inactivity
$3.00
Per month after the
5th month of inactivity
Paper Statement
$ 5.00
Per paper statement,
if requested by student
Out of Network
ATM Fee
$2.00
Per withdrawal at
domestic ATMs
International
ATM Fee
$5.00
Per withdrawal at
International ATMs
Take your college performance to the next level.
FREE STUDENT WORKSHOPS
Located in the orientation
Room, PCC 2270.
These workshops are
designed to help
Improve Your college
performance, as well
as to boost Your
confidence so you will
succeed.
HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A
GREAT CLASS SCHEDULE
ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION
Monday, December 8, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Presented by: Dan Thomas
Presented by: Tom Shannon
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Financial Aid
Services
offered at the
Northern Tier Center!
Fridays in Oct. & Nov.
8:00 am-5:00 pm
Nov. 7
$
$
$
$
Nov. 14
Nov. 21
Get answers from qualified FA representatives!
Determine your method of payment before
winter term payment is due!
Save time & gas!
Sign-in at the front desk for service!
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As Site Director for Northern Tier, I want to help
each student be successful in life and in the
classroom. I may not have the answer to every
question but, my staff and I enjoy helping…so
do not hesitate to ask.

I want to share some information regarding
Winter 2015 registration and tips regarding
finishing the Fall semester strong.
Below you will find suggestions for both college
transition and one for making your holiday less
stressful.
Semester Transition Tips:
1. Winter Registration Begins Sat. Nov. 1:
Register Early to reduce stress and be
eligible for the NTC “Early Registration
Reward Drawing”.
 Register for classes before the MCC
Holiday Break-DEC 23. The college will be
closed from December 24, 2014-January 4,
2015. We re-open on Jan. 5!
 NTC Early Registration Prizes:
Anyone
registered for Winter NTC classes on or
before 4:00 pm 12/23/2014 will be in the
drawing for one of four prizes.
 $100
bookstore Gift Card, MCC
Sweatshirt, Restaurant Gift Card, MCC
Shirt.
 Winter means difficult weather and this is
a great time to take classes close to home.
Review your class schedule to reduce your
drive time for the winter weather. Most
general classes can be taken at the NTC/
Clio site. See if NTC in Clio has classes that
you need!
 Qualified students may register on-line or
in person at any campus location. NTC and
all campus locations will have Counseling
hours to assist students with registration
before and after the holiday break.
Make sure to check your financial aid status.
December 15, 2014 is the payment deadline
date. Students can register after this date but
must secure a payment option at the time of
registration. A MCC payment plan can secure
your classes if your Financial Aid is being
processed.
3. Finish your Fall Classes Strong. If you feel you
may not pass, talk to your instructor regarding
options to improve your grade, seek tutoring,
talk to students who are doing well in the
class, do not be afraid to ask for help!
4. If you need to drop/withdraw from a class for
Fall semester, make sure you understand how
it will affect your financial aid, tuition
balances, and academic standing. You may
speak with a Counselor for assistance.
5. December 10, 2014 is the last day to drop a
class and receive a “W”. The “W” on your
record will not affect your G.P.A but it will be
used for Financial Aid standards.
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