The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package that passed the U.S. House and Senate and was signed by President Joe Biden last week includes $1.2 million in congressionally directed spending that will enable Northern Michigan University to expand LTE broadband service to rural communities in the Upper Peninsula and northeastern Lower Peninsula through its Educational Access Network (EAN).

Efforts to improve child care availability and affordability in the region received a major boost this week when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that the MI Tri-Share Child Care pilot program would expand to seven new facilitator hubs across the state, including the Marquette-Alger Educational Regional Service Agency. It was MARESA's partnership with Northern Michigan University—the first local employer to sign up for the program—that helped to secure $300,000 from the state for the hub's pilot year.

Northern Michigan University's world-premiere production of Above the Timberline has been selected as a finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The play will be performed virtually in January as part of the Region 3 festival in Madison, Wis.

Northern Michigan University Associate Professor Madison Ngafeeson recently completed a one-year professional development sabbatical, during which he enrolled as a full-time student in Harvard University's business analytics program. Now he is applying the knowledge gleaned from his experience to collaborate with NMU College of Business colleagues on shifting the computer information systems (CIS) program to data analytics.

Northern Michigan University will hold a virtual commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 1. Nearly 900 graduates will be honored at the ceremony, which will be broadcast via the internet and on WNMU-TV13. Bryan Terrell Clark, the Broadway star who played George Washington in Hamilton, will be the commencement speaker.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved two new scholarship initiatives. The Transfer UP-Winter Awards will support students who wish to enroll at NMU for the Winter 2021 semester, which begins Jan. 19. A new $1 million U.P. scholarship fund is also being developed to assist new first-year transfer students from the Upper Peninsula entering NMU in Fall 2021.

Northern Michigan University is using a strategic combination of investments, university and federal aid, and cost-saving efforts to address tuition rates, coronavirus safety concerns and uncertain fiscal year 2021 state funding. The strategy could amount to a zero net increase for many students for the fall semester. It also keeps NMU's tuition and fees second most affordable in the state for the 17th consecutive year.

Northern Michigan University has adjusted its fall semester schedule. Classes will begin one week earlier than usual—Monday, Aug. 17—and the semester will end shortly before Thanksgiving on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The decision follows the university's previously announced plan to return to face-to-face instruction.

Northern Michigan University will launch a new, multidisciplinary indoor agriculture associate degree this fall. The program will prepare students for careers in medicinal plant and agricultural food production, as well as the indoor growing system industry. It will also empower them to grow plants year-round in northern climates, addressing potential food insecurity issues.