Strategic Plan

High School Seniors' Rural Health Essay Contest Deadline Oct. 30

Oct. 22, 2025
High school seniors who reside and attend school in the Upper Peninsula who plan to continue their education in a healthcare-related field are eligible to participate in the sixth annual National Rural Health Day Essay Contest. Northern Michigan University's Center for Rural Health is partnering with Michigan's State Office of Rural Health to make this possible. The submission deadline is Thursday, Oct. 30.

Rural Leadership Fellowship Program Seeks Student Applicants, U.P. Community Project Proposals

Oct. 13, 2025
Northern Michigan University is seeking student applications and community project proposals for the third cohort of its Rural Leadership Fellowship Program, which offers immersive project-based learning for students while also supporting Upper Peninsula economic and community development projects. The submission deadline for both is Nov. 16.
Rural Leadership Fellowship logo

NMU Hosts Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Food

Oct. 10, 2025
Northern Michigan University will host the 2025 Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Food, a gathering focused on uplifting Indigenous food systems, cultural knowledge and community health, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Northern Center. A free showing of the comedy-horror movie "Seeds" will precede the symposium at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Jamrich Hall 1100. Writer, director and star Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk), who has appeared in the "Letterkenny" and "Reservation Dogs" TV series, will participate in a conversation after the viewing. 
Indigenous Perspectives Symposium graphic

Early Programming Benefits Schultz Fellows

Sep. 9, 2025
The Schultz Family Foundation First-Generation Empowerment Scholarship, which awards NMU students up to $15,000 per year up to four years, was “crafted on the notion that, while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.” The 32 inaugural recipients engaged in pre-semester programming focused on relationship-building, connections to resources and the U.P. community, financial literacy and career readiness.
Schultz Fellows play Northern Money Games to promote financial literacy.

Leach's Convocation Stresses Solid Footing and Bold Thinking

Aug. 20, 2025
In his fall convocation, Northern Michigan University Interim President Gavin Leach celebrated faculty and staff achievements, along with the continuing overall enrollment growth and strong financial footing that have enabled the university to navigate the ever-changing higher education landscape more effectively than many other institutions. Not content with the status quo, Leach plans to expand efforts to explore transformational ideas that will drive innovation and progress while still supporting the university's core values and unique identity. He said bold thinking is required to make Northern distinctive in today's “hyper-competitive recruitment environment.”
NMU Interim President Gavin Leach