Around NMU

Northern Michigan University will continue to rank as second-most affordable among the state's 15 public universities after the NMU Board of Trustees approved new tuition and fee rates for the 2022-23 academic year. NMU will also invest an additional $900,000 in financial aid for students.

An outdoors enthusiast who enjoys running, hiking and kayaking, NMU assistant professor of education Kristen White said that her first four years residing in Marquette have been nothing short of wonderful. 

Northern Michigan University's College of Business has received a five-year accreditation extension from AACSB International. The distinction demonstrates an ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development and learner success.

Northern Michigan University's Center for Native American Studies assisted in the development of “Maawndoonganan,” an Anishinaabe resource manual created and vetted by Indigenous peoples to support educators in implementing Michigan social studies standards. A webinar on using this first-of-its-kind educational resource guide was presented by the Confederation of Michigan Tribal Education Departments (CMTED) on June 29.

Northern Michigan University has embarked on the second phase of developing an interim strategic plan that will provide an onramp for Northern's next president. Following NMU Board of Trustees' approval of the initial proposal presented in late April, steering committees representing faculty, staff and alumni are working over the summer to build action plans for five focus areas identified in the plan.

In his newly published book, “Classic Food and Restaurants of the Upper Peninsula,” Northern Michigan University History Professor Emeritus Russell Magnaghi explores the origins of the iconic U.P. trio: the pasty, cudighi and fudge. He also delves into the evolution of the regional diet, which was rooted in the indigenous foods consumed by Native Americans and influenced by immigrant settlers representing numerous nationalities who introduced additional fare from their home countries.

The history of Indian boarding schools was formally investigated and documented for the first time in a sobering report released in May by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in residential schools—including five in Michigan—with the goal of assimilating them into white culture and, consequently, taking their territories. Northern Michigan University, which offers the state's only bachelor's degree program in Native American studies, has offered a course on the subject for more than 15 years.

Steve Young has seen Northern Michigan University from two distinct perspectives: as a political science student and resident of Bedside Manor house on the first floor of the former Payne Hall in the mid-1970s; and as a 2019 governor's appointee to the NMU Board of Trustees, which he currently leads as chair.

A Northern Michigan University alumna and her NMU faculty mentor contributed to a published paper on a recent study of Alaskan brown bears that found significant variations in their gut microbiomes, depending on where they live. The finding advances scientific understanding of the relationship between wildlife habitat, diet and gut microbiome diversity, and facilitates more informed decisions to support the health of wildlife species.

The Upper Peninsula Digital Network (UPLINK) will present a two-day public event hosted by the Ontonagon County Historical Society that features a presentation on the importance of preserving local history and an opportunity for community members to digitize family memorabilia, photographs and cassette recordings. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 14-15 at the Ontonagon Village Housing Commission at 100 Cane Court.