Around NMU

Criminal Justice is one of several departments that have come up with ways to recognize their May graduates in a virtual format, after commencement was postponed by COVID-19. Staff members assembled a PowerPoint slideshow featuring seniors' photos and future plans. It includes Cynthia Benson, the department's outstanding graduate and McNair Scholar, who balances academics with her role as a single parent. 

Northern Michigan University has announced plans to teach all Summer Session II courses remotely. Most were scheduled for online delivery prior to the COVID-19 crisis, but NMU will extend that format to all courses offered from June 29-Aug. 8. As previously announced, NMU will suspend the $50 per credit distance learning fee for all online courses in Summer Sessions I and II.

Northern Michigan University will transition all of its on-campus summer orientation sessions to an online format and suspend all related fees for those who register by May 31, in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

To help Northern Michigan University's Food Pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic, freshman social work major Jacob McCann decided to use his remaining Dining Dollars to purchase food and donate it to the pantry.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association has launched an alumni-owned business directory in conjunction with the university's Wildcats Mean Business campaign. The directory is an effort to promote Wildcat businesses across the country and encourage the NMU community to support these businesses.

Since COVID-19 escalated in mid-March, NMU alumni and Trenary Home Bakery co-owners Brianna Wynsma ('15) and Marco Dossena ('17) have been donating fresh bread, Trenary Toast and other items to food pantries in Marquette and Gwinn. The NMU Food Pantry is one of their regular delivery stops.

Northern Michigan University has not let COVID-19 disrupt its French Camp for Young Learners, a 15-year collaboration with a local elementary school that provides students with basic knowledge of French language and culture. The silver lining of this year's modified, virtual format is that the efforts of NMU students have the potential to reach a much larger audience.

The NMU School of Art & Design's Winter 2020 Senior Exhibition had to migrate to a virtual gallery because of COVID-19. This year's event showcases the work of 44 graduating artists.

NMU Professor Gary Brunswick was surprised to learn this week that an extra set of ears had been periodically listening in on his Introduction to Marketing class since it transitioned online in March. It only became obvious when a student asked if her Dad—within earshot in an adjacent room at their Marquette home—could ask a question during Tuesday's lecture. The two men engaged in a complimentary email exchange afterward.

Northern Michigan University has announced two changes potentially impacting students: suspending the $50 per credit online fee for all distance learning classes for summer 2020 sessions I and II; and revising the grading scale alternative for the winter 2020 semester to a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) option.