The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees and senior administrators participated in an All-Student Forum hosted by ASNMU student government on Tuesday, March 15. They fielded student-submitted questions via Zoom for nearly two hours.
Board Chair Stephen Young opened the virtual forum by stating that one of the top priorities the board identified at its most recent meeting in February was a need to improve communications with key stakeholders.
“Obviously students are one of the key stakeholders we work with,” Young said. “That's why we're here this evening. We want to start that process of trying to improve that communication link between students and us. And I want to assure you this will not be a one-off. We want to make this a regular thing we that do with students so we can get feedback from you and you can hear from us about what's going on. We're very sincere about that.”
Also in February, the board asked Trustee Jason Morgan, a Northern alumnus and former president of ASNMU, to serve as a point person to interface more directly with students. Young said Morgan will be reaching out to student groups “about what we can be doing to make that process and our communication a little better.”
The forum touched on a wide variety of topics that included the NMU presidential search process and progress; decision-making regarding mask mandates; diversity and inclusion efforts; the NMU Foundation's efforts to facilitate redevelopment of the former hospital complex; planned campus facilities projects and use of existing buildings; divestment from any Russian companies in the university's investment portfolio; child care concerns; the possibility of increased graduate assistant (GA) support; and the perpetual issue of campus parking.
ASNMU's top officers also appeared onscreen and introduced themselves at the beginning of the forum.
“I'm super excited to be able to participate in this,” said ASNMU President Bethany Beavers. “It's a cool opportunity to branch ‘admin,' students and board and all of the different aspects of campus. Hopefully students use this opportunity to ask questions and maybe come away with a greater sense of connectedness with campus.”
“I'm glad we can all work together and create a better campus for everybody and get everyone better-connected,” added ASNMU Vice President Thomas Kettler.
The forum can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoFbDluQM_A. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the NMU Board of Trustees is Thursday and Friday, April 28-29.