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A number of NMU academic departments are celebrating their graduates virtually, in lieu of the university's formal commencement, which was postponed by COVID-19. Two examples are the School of Nursing, which will hold an online BSN ceremony on Friday, May 8; and the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (EEGS), which offered a live-stream ceremony May 1.

In the latest "Wildcat Minute" video from WNMU-TV, NMU alumni share messages of support and advice for graduating seniors who comprise the class of 2020.

Northern Michigan University will begin planning for a return to face-to-face instruction for the fall 2020 semester. The NMU Board of Trustees today approved a proposal from President Fritz Erickson, with the assurance that the university will abide by state and federal recommendations and lawful orders.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees presented its annual Student Achievement Awards for significant contributions to the quality of life at NMU through extracurricular activities or work in a university department. Recipients were: Chloe Wilkinson, outstanding student, any class standing; Jamie Kimble and Mark Holmgren, outstanding graduating seniors; and Cody Mayer, outstanding nontraditional student. Mindi Garrow earned the outstanding Global Campus student award for her commitment to online education.

Eleven students will comprise the first graduating class from Northern Michigan University's medicinal plant chemistry program, which made its debut in fall 2017 as the only four-year degree of its kind to combine experimental horticulture and advanced analytical chemistry with an optional entrepreneurial track. 

Northern Michigan University is the 18th-safest campus nationwide and second safest in the state, according to rankings released by YourLocalSecurity.com.

Criminal Justice is one of several departments that have come up with ways to recognize their May graduates in a virtual format, after commencement was postponed by COVID-19. Staff members assembled a PowerPoint slideshow featuring seniors' photos and future plans. It includes Cynthia Benson, the department's outstanding graduate and McNair Scholar, who balances academics with her role as a single parent. 

Northern Michigan University has announced plans to teach all Summer Session II courses remotely. Most were scheduled for online delivery prior to the COVID-19 crisis, but NMU will extend that format to all courses offered from June 29-Aug. 8. As previously announced, NMU will suspend the $50 per credit distance learning fee for all online courses in Summer Sessions I and II.

Northern Michigan University will transition all of its on-campus summer orientation sessions to an online format and suspend all related fees for those who register by May 31, in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

To help Northern Michigan University's Food Pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic, freshman social work major Jacob McCann decided to use his remaining Dining Dollars to purchase food and donate it to the pantry.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association has launched an alumni-owned business directory in conjunction with the university's Wildcats Mean Business campaign. The directory is an effort to promote Wildcat businesses across the country and encourage the NMU community to support these businesses.

Since COVID-19 escalated in mid-March, NMU alumni and Trenary Home Bakery co-owners Brianna Wynsma ('15) and Marco Dossena ('17) have been donating fresh bread, Trenary Toast and other items to food pantries in Marquette and Gwinn. The NMU Food Pantry is one of their regular delivery stops.

Northern Michigan University has not let COVID-19 disrupt its French Camp for Young Learners, a 15-year collaboration with a local elementary school that provides students with basic knowledge of French language and culture. The silver lining of this year's modified, virtual format is that the efforts of NMU students have the potential to reach a much larger audience.

The NMU School of Art & Design's Winter 2020 Senior Exhibition had to migrate to a virtual gallery because of COVID-19. This year's event showcases the work of 44 graduating artists.

NMU Professor Gary Brunswick was surprised to learn this week that an extra set of ears had been periodically listening in on his Introduction to Marketing class since it transitioned online in March. It only became obvious when a student asked if her Dad—within earshot in an adjacent room at their Marquette home—could ask a question during Tuesday's lecture. The two men engaged in a complimentary email exchange afterward.

Northern Michigan University has announced two changes potentially impacting students: suspending the $50 per credit online fee for all distance learning classes for summer 2020 sessions I and II; and revising the grading scale alternative for the winter 2020 semester to a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) option. 

A Native American community engagement class at NMU closed out the semester learning how to create interactive online content such as moccasin games, craft workshops and a "Digital Resilience Webinar Series" to engage audiences in the context of COVID-19.

NMU music department faculty members are using YouTube to expand their educational and entertainment outreach. Erin Colwitz began a "Women in Music" video lecture series and Mark Flaherty launched an NMU Jazz "Tune of the Week" performance series. 

NMU's History Department has implemented “Reacting to the Past,” an active learning pedagogy of role-playing games designed for higher education. Students are assigned character roles with specific goals and must communicate, collaborate and compete effectively to advance their objectives. Professor Kathryn Johnson had the challenge of converting RTTP to a virtual platform in response to COVID-19.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Northern Michigan University's Food Pantry has remained busy, but had to adjust how food is distributed to students who remained on campus during the pandemic.