Strategic Plan

Studio 102 Enhances Online Course Delivery

Eric Smith
Oct. 30, 2018 —
NMU recently unveiled Studio 102, a new facility in the Harden Learning Resources Center that enables faculty to record content for online courses and explore virtual reality tools. The centerpiece is a glass lightboard that enables a professor to write in luminous liquid chalk while facing the camera, making “eye contact” with the audience and enhancing student engagement. Software flips the text so that it reads correctly during viewing. Studio lighting, along with acoustic panels on the walls and a rubber floor, also contribute to high-quality video and audio recording capability.

NMU Seeks Community Input on Master Plan

Oct. 23, 2018 —

Northern Michigan University is seeking community input on its campus master plan, which will provide a guide for future physical changes on campus. NMU recorded a recent campus forum where alternatives surrounding seven planning themes were presented, and created a corresponding online survey to gather feedback. The survey will remain open through Friday, Nov. 2.

NMU Board Ensures Continued Compliance with Sexual Misconduct Laws

Board stock photo
Oct. 17, 2018 —

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees has directed the administration to ensure compliance with federal and state laws governing sexual misconduct, including the recent Doe vs. Baum ruling. In that University of Michigan case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that when a Title IX disciplinary proceeding involves competing narratives that require a credibility determination, both parties have a constitutional right to cross-examine each other and witnesses in the presence of decision-makers.

Grant Supports Civic Learning

NMU stock photo
Oct. 17, 2018 —

Northern Michigan University English professor Wendy Farkas is using an Endeavor Foundation grant to integrate civic learning into the English general education curriculum. NMU is among 24 institutions selected for funding from 134 applicants. The funding supports an Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) initiative called “Civic Prompts: Civic Learning in the Major by Design.” The initiative seeks to incorporate civic-minded studies and social responsibility as components within students’ major fields of study.

SRA Forum Addresses Questions

Academic task force
Oct. 4, 2018 —
An Oct. 3 campus forum on the Strategic Resource Allocation (SRA) project served mainly as an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to ask questions about the process. In his opening statement, President Fritz Erickson addressed confusion related to the five quintiles that programs fall under in the reports completed by the academic and support task forces.

NMU Board Invests in Strategic Plan

Image of a board meeting
Sep. 21, 2018 —
The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved a 2018-19 general fund operating budget of nearly $113.8 million. The budget is $3.7 million, or 3.4 percent, higher than last year. The university is advancing its strategic plan with investments in student scholarships, new academic programs, a student success center and athletics. The increase also covers contractual obligations and inflationary cost increases related to utilities, supplies and other expenses.

Foundation Reports Private Giving Increase

Aug. 30, 2018 —
The NMU Foundation is pleased to report a 34 percent year-over-year increase in outright gifts, pledges and expectancies for fiscal year 2018 totaling more than $6.3 million. The amount includes funding for an endowed professorship established by Dr. Mark Lovell (’77 BS) and his wife, Eileen. Departments received direct funds totaling about $1.6 million. Combined with FY 2017 gains, private giving has nearly doubled over the past two fiscal years.

Board Recognizes President's Performance with New Contract

Image of Board Chair Robert Mahaney and President Fritz Erickson
Jul. 13, 2018 —
The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today recognized the “outstanding performance” of President Fritz Erickson with the approval of a new long-term presidential contract. The five-year contract places Erickson’s base salary at $385,000. It also includes a performance-based bonus component, through which he will receive $50,000 for achieving established goals in 2017-18.

Reimagine STEM Youth Academy Planned

Jun. 14, 2018 —
NMU is hosting its second "Reimagine STEM Summer Youth Academy" June 16-29. Students who have completed grades 10-12 will learn creative ways to approach science, technology, engineering and math based on Native American traditions, culture and knowledge. The academy includes one week on campus with learning activities led by NMU faculty and Native American elders, followed by one week at Camp Nesbitt.

UC Project's First Phase Begins

demolition kickoff
Jun. 11, 2018 —

The south wing of the University Center was gutted after a demolition kickoff event last week, launching the first phase of the building's renovation. The book store previously relocated to the Peter White Lounge and West Hall and the North Wind Office to Gries Hall to accommodate reconstruction. The first phase is scheduled for completion in April 2019. Renovations to the Great Lakes wing will begin April 2019 and be completed in August 2019.