In an email to the administration, staff, faculty, students and parents of Northern Michigan University, Board of Trustees Chair Steve Mitchell ‘67 praised the entire NMU family for the way in which they have responded to the Coronavirus issues.
“I want to congratulate President Fritz Erickson and all of the staff, faculty, students and their parents at NMU. This last month has been extraordinary for this university and for this country. The manner in which our university has handled this adversity is truly inspiring. The NMU family has been incredible,” Mitchell said.
He mentioned the Coronavirus crisis and then each part of the NMU family in his email:
COVID-19
This pandemic has created problems that our society has not faced in a century. It has caused NMU to make difficult decisions on every aspect of university life such as:
- How does Northern deliver course work and labs when the governor and president tell us we cannot have in-person classes?
- Does NMU keep the residence halls operational and how does the university deliver food to the students when they cannot dine in?
Therefore:
- NMU transitioned almost over-night to remote instruction (online learning).
- Northern decided we had to keep our residence halls open because many students wanted to stay on campus.
The changes NMU made result from issues far beyond anyone's control, and they were all made with the best intentions for our students at heart.
President and Senior Staff
The leadership that Fritz has provided has been strong, sound, and decisive. The senior staff, Provost Kerri Schuiling, and Vice Presidents Gavin Leach and Steve VandenAvond, has been equally strong in the manner in which they have led.
The Faculty
The faculty has done a tremendous job in an unbelievably short period of time. They have managed to adapt all of their classes to remote instruction so that our students could continue to be educated after in-person classes had to be cancelled. This has not been easy work, but our faculty rose to the occasion in a way that is truly amazing. We as a board, the administration, our students and their parents, should all be eternally grateful for the astonishing job the faculty has done, and continues to do, in assuring that our students get the high-quality education through remote instruction (online education) that they've always had with in-person classes.
Other NMU Team Members
Everyone on this campus has done their part to keep this operation moving forward. The secretaries, the custodial staff, the groundskeepers, the dining staff workers, and the residence hall employees have worked collaboratively to do their share so that we can continue to educate our students in a safe environment with high quality services so we can fulfill the purpose of this university.
Students
Most important are the students, who have been so seriously disrupted. They too have been truly remarkable, especially the seniors, as they watched their most meaningful semester taken away from them by a virus they had never heard of when the semester began. All of our students have stepped up to the plate, they have been courageous, they have been strong, and they have been willing to work with the rest of us make our remote instruction as outstanding for them as the education they have received throughout the rest of the time they've been at Northern.
The Parents
This has been a very difficult time for the parents of our students. They've been working with their kids to determine whether to stay in Marquette or come home. They've had to deal with the disappointment their kids have felt seeing almost an entire semester changed. We appreciate the patience they've shown and how understanding almost all of them have been about problems created by this pandemic. Like the rest of the NMU family, they've been outstanding.
The Board
My fellow board members, Vice Chair Tami Seavoy, Steve Young, Alexis Hart, Bob Mahaney, Jim Haveman, Lisa Fittante, and Donna Murray-Brown, have worked tirelessly with Fritz and his staff to come up with solutions to the new and difficult situation in which we find ourselves. The comments, observations, and recommendations they have made have been very helpful in the decision making process.
Residence Halls – Food Service Open and Running
Parents and students are the ones that have to make the decision as to whether or not they will stay on campus or return home. For those students who have made the decision to remain on campus with their friends, we are proud to have kept our residence halls open and our food service providing outstanding meals, even in this “Grab n' Go” time that has been ordered by the governor. We continue to keep study areas available twelve hours a day in Jamrich Hall. And rest assured if a student stays, he/she will continue to be cared for in the best possible manner. We are also providing skis and other equipment free of charge since the PIEF (gym) is not open.
Commencement
I remember how proud my parents were of me and how proud I was of myself when I graduated from Northern Michigan University 53 years ago. For the past seven years, I've sat on the stage and watched our wonderful students walk past me to receive their diplomas. Before the ceremonies, I and other board members have walked up to the parents and the grandparents and the brothers and the sisters and the children of our graduates to congratulate them on their accomplishment. I know how important this ceremony is, and “NMU will have a commencement at a later date.” Because we still don't know how long the current restrictions will be on, we cannot provide a date at this time. But let me be very specific, there will be a Commencement ceremony for the graduates of the Class of 2020!
NMU Will Prevail!
Remember, we're Yoopers and there is no one anywhere that is stronger or better.
When the great American author William Faulkner received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950, he gave one of the most inspiring and memorable acceptance speeches in history. At the end of the speech, he said “I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail!”
Well, NMU will not merely endure, it will prevail!
It is always a great day to be a Wildcat!
This release was prepared by Steve Mitchell.