Strategic Plan

Northern's outdoor recreation leadership and management program (ORLM) hosted a delegation from Detroit Outdoors, which aims to inspire the city's youth to spend more time outside in local natural spaces. The groups spent Feb. 3 together on campus and at Marquette's Presque Isle Park. NMU students gained career-preparation insight on facilitating more diversity and inclusion in nature. The Detroit Outdoors youth gained a greater appreciation for the U.P.'s pristine environment, and learned about NMU and its related program.

Northern Michigan University will host a student-focused “Making it in Michigan” event that will highlight the value of work-based learning as part of the college experience. It is scheduled from 2-3:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in the Northern Center Grand Ballrooms. The agenda includes opening remarks by NMU President Brock Tessman and panels of business/industry partners and students.

Northern Michigan University's Biology Department will host Diversity in STEM Week Feb. 5-9. Several events and activities will be presented that “highlight and celebrate the many, often unacknowledged, ways that people from diverse walks of life contribute to the STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The department will also display entries in the Diversity in STEM Art Contest in the 2nd floor atrium of Weston Hall from noon, Feb. 7 through Feb. 9.

EcoReps, Northern's peer-to-peer sustainability education student organization, embodies one of the university's core values and emboldens students to strive toward equitable sustainability on campus. EcoReps is made up of more than 200 registered members, and hosts activities such as the on-campus Zero Waste event planned for the upcoming hockey game against Michigan Tech on Friday, Feb. 2.

Northern Michigan University's “Path to Carbon Neutrality by 2050” plan is now finalized, outlining the strategies for achieving that goal and targeted reductions in carbon emissions for each decade along the way. The completed plan aligns with NMU's core values and strategic priorities, which include a focus on building a culture of sustainability. 

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health will host a U.P. Community Health Town Hall webinar about Direct Care Workers and the field of caregiving. This webinar will be held from 7–8 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 25.

Innovate Marquette SmartZone (Innovate Marquette) and SISU: The Innovation Institute at Northern Michigan University (NMU) have announced dates and programming for the second annual Innovation Week. The professional development conference brings together thought leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs to inspire, enlighten and spark curiosity.

Anne Dahlman, whose higher education experience spans 27 years as a teacher, faculty scholar and administrator, will become Northern Michigan University's next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, effective April 1. The Finland native most recently served as interim associate provost at Minnesota State University Mankato, where she advanced through the faculty ranks and various leadership positions over the past 17 years.

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health, in partnership with Everyday Life Consulting, will offer a Community Health Worker (CHW) certification training program for Upper Peninsula residents in a virtual format starting Tuesday, Jan. 9. The training consists of 12 days of instruction on the nationally recognized CHW core competencies, plus Mental Health First Aid and Adverse Childhood Event training.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today voted to fully divest its endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry by 2028, while also increasing sustainability-related investments by up to 15%. The move aligns with NMU's core values and strategic priorities, which include a focus on building a culture of sustainability. It also expands on related initiatives such as implementing a carbon neutrality plan, creating a new assistant vice president for sustainability position, and enhancing trustee support for the EcoReps student organization.