NMC Benefits and Services

NMC offers a wide range of benefits and services to members in support of innovation and colloboration between and among its member institutions.

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Community Resources

NMC is first and foremost a community of innovators, and the NMC provides many resources and benefits in support of the NMC community as part of the membership package.

• NMC Summer Conference. Unlimited registrations at the deeply discounted member rate of $595 (non-member rate is $795 each). The Summer Conference is one of higher education's most distinctive and practical technology-focused events.
• The NMC Series of Virtual Symposia. Members receive ten complimentary registrations for the NMC Series of Virtual Symposia (legacy members rate is $125 and non-members rate is $149).
• NMC C-LAB Meeting. Discounted registration rates for the Annual C-LAB Meeting. (Legacy members rate is $125).
• Online Seminars.  Access to the NMC free online conference series - and Connect@NMC.
• NMC’s Campus in Second Life. NMC members can use the extensive NMC Campus as a virtual location for member events, space for classes and presentations, and a Second Life venue to accompany real life events.
• Forums and Listservs. Dynamic, active member discussions on technology, technical challenges, and issues of the day.

To take advantage of NMC Community Resources, contact us via our web site or call us at 512-445-4200.

Web Resources

The NMC’s website includes a host of Web 2.0 and social networking components, and many new services like profiles, RSS feeds, rich media. Some of the new features include:

• Dynamic Content. Virtually every page is updated instantly on loading. The home page features the most current NMC and member news and information and a “tag cloud” that updates based on user tags.
• Embedded NMC Initiative Framework. Large portions of the site are organized around the NMC’s six major initiatives. Content across the site is associated with these initiatives and pulled into each initiatives pages.
• Online Conference Registration and Proposal System. These functions are completely integrated with the site now, enabling fast and easy submission and updates to registration and other information. Once your profile is established, registration and other form-based processes will pull the info automatically for you and give you a chance to update it if needed. Your personal account provides an up-to-date list of all conferences you have attended and all presentations you have made.
• User Profiles. Users can update their own contact information, enter a bio, upload a photo, list job skills, provide account names for web services (Skype, Delicious, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), and even list their Second Life avatar and image. Other users who are online can start a chat session with other members who are online at the same time.
• Member Created Content. All authorized users can contribute a wide variety of content directly to the NMC website.
  
• Conference Presentation Archive.  Browse and search among the hundreds of presentations and related materials from all NMC conferences since November 2007.
• New Media Conference Calendar.  Anyone from an NMC member organization can post a local conference or workshop they wish to share to a shared calendar.
• NMC Job Board.  Anyone from a NMC member organization can share a job announcement on our job board, which we also retain as an archive of previously listed positions.

To access NMC’s Web Resources, contact us via our web site or call us at 512-445-4200.

Free Member Services

NMC members enjoy a wide range of free services that are included as part of the membership package. These include:

• Exclusive printed copies of NMC research reports, newsletters, and other publications. Non-members only have access to electronic versions of these reports.
• Advisory Services from NMC Virtual Worlds (http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/) related to immersive 3D environments, including planning considerations; configuration/security; and design considerations.
• NMC’s exclusive online discussion groups, which explore emerging technologies; solutions to technological challenges; management challenges and issues; staff development and training; and pedagogy.
• NMC’s Custom Survey Service, which provides members a mechanism to quickly assess the pulse of their peers on issues of the day. Included are the Annual Survey of Member Organizations and Topical Technology Surveys on how individuals use specific types of new media.
• Free grant writing consultation services, as well as assistance in identifying partners for funded projects.

For additional information, contact us via our web site or call us at 512-445-4200.

Fee-Based Services

The NMC currently offers two suites of fee-based services. Each is heavily discounted for qualified educational, cultural, and not-for-profit institutions.

NMC Virtual Worlds.  The NMC provides a range of fixed-rate services (http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/services/) in Second Life and other virtual platforms, including:

• Land lease plans for educators and institutions, see chart for pricing (http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/docs/services.pdf)
• Daily sim rentals for event overflow ($250/day)
• Event management ($10 per participant with $250 minimum)
• Basic terraforming & landscape services ($1500 per sim)

For additional information, contact us via our web site or call us at 512-445-4200.

NMC Virtual Worlds Custom Services

The NMC provides a full suite of services in support of virtual worlds targeted expressly to the needs of educational and cultural institutions. Qualified educational institutions and museums receive a 25% discount on these services; NMC members receive an additional 10% reduction. The education and learning full-service provider for Second life, NMC Virtual Worlds (http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/about/) specializes in educational and learning-focused projects of all kinds, large and small, and provides a comprehensive palette of custom services, including:

• Full-service sim and estate development
• Full spectrum design services
• Architectural modeling and rendering
• Custom terraforming and landscaping
• RL object replication and modeling
• Custom scripting & animations
• Custom avatar creation
• Property management services

Detailed proposals will be provided on request. Visit the Virtual Worlds web site for client case studies.

NMC Corporate Partner Services

The NMC offers its corporate partners a range of custom fee-based services, including:

• Custom surveys, focus groups, and other market research services for the higher education market
• White paper conceptualization, research, and development
• Demonstration and proof-of-concept projects

For additional information on any of these NMC member benefits and services, please send an email to info@nmc.org or call the NMC office at 512-445-4200.