Northern Michigan University: Difference between revisions

Northern Michigan University is a four-year university established in 1899 located in Marquette, Michigan of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Northern Michigan University was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as a normal school to provide teacher preparation programs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. When it opened its doors in 1899, Northern enrolled thirty-two students who were taught by six faculty members on a 22-acre campus.

In 1963, Northern was designated as a comprehensive university serving the diverse educational needs of Upper Michigan. Accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs are offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Professional Studies.

Graduate education was inaugurated in 1928 when courses at the master’s degree level were offered in cooperation with the University of Michigan. In 1960, Northern established its own graduate program.

NMU has four academic divisions:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Walker L. Cisler College of Business
• College of Graduate Studies
• College of Professional Studies: • School of Education • School of Nursing • School of Technology and Applied Sciences

Northern Michigan University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

All education programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Other accreditations include the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; American Chemical Society; Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Professionals (surgical technology); Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (communication disorders); Council on Social Work Education; Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Certification; International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.; Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulation, State Board of Nursing; National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences; National Association of Industrial Technology; National Association of Schools of Music.

In addition, the nursing programs (practical nursing, baccalaureate and master’s degrees) are fully approved by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulation, State Board of Nursing and the baccalaureate and master’s degrees are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The baccalaureate degree programs of the Walker L. Cisler College of Business are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The Teaching, Learning, and Communication initiative places a notebook computer in the hands of every full-time undergraduate student and makes NMU one of the largest public university laptop programs in the world. In addition, each full time member of the faculty is issued a laptop computer as part of tuition and fees. Laptop program participants receive a new notebook computer every two years. Northern’s campus-wide effort for technological mastery helps NMU students compete in the high-tech global marketplace after they graduate. The university has national and international awards for its innovative work in the area of technology in higher education.

Northern Michigan University's vision for education in the 21st century is a learning environment that embraces technology to enhance student access, promote the development of independent learners and encourage greater student-faculty communication and collaboration. To help achieve this vision, the university has implemented a laptop program that ensures students and faculty have a standard set of tools (hardware and software) that meet a majority of their computing and telecommunications needs, promotes communication and enables quality support. NMU is the first public university in Michigan — but one of many nationwide — to pursue the idea of a "laptop" campus.

In fall 2000, full-time NMU undergraduate and graduate students (registered for 12 or more credit hours) were supplied with a general purpose, laptop computer with a standard set of applications and convenient, 24-hour access to the campus network (including the Internet). Classrooms in new/remodeled buildings were designed to facilitate laptop/network use by faculty and students; some older classrooms were retrofitted. Not all classrooms have a port at every seat because student in-class use is not always appropriate. Network ports are available in lounges, study rooms and laboratories. Campus residence hall rooms, faculty and staff offices, and many classrooms already had network ports. University apartments have improved network access. Although electronic documents are encouraged, networked printers are installed in various campus locations for hard copy documents.

The university has a help desk and walk-in service center to handle laptop maintenance problems.

NMU leases the laptop computers and issues them to students on a two-year replacement cycle (a student will not have a computer more than two years old). Students or their parents may contact their insurance provider about adding the computer system to their existing coverage if they desire more insurance than the initiative provides. Continuing students who pre-register for the following fall will be able to use the laptop through the summer at no additional charge.

Part-time students may, at their option, participate in the program. Part-time students may also, for a fee, check out the laptops from the library on a daily basis.

NMU steering committee members have learned much from those who have already established similar programs. An NMU team visited Wake Forest University, which has had a program in place for three years, and the University of Minnesota Crookston which is in their seventh year of a similar program.

NMU continues to support and improve "specialty labs" as a function of need and resource availability. These are labs designed to meet the needs of specific academic programs that have special equipment and software needs (e.g., graphic design, computer science, GIS, CAD among others). Many of the administrative processes of the university are now available via the Web. Students can register, view their grades and will soon be able to do their own on-line degree audits. An increasing amount of information about the university is now available on the Web, including: enrollment statistics, academic program information, department information, computer use and help information, minutes of various campus committees, the university activity center and much more. The Center for Instructional Technology in Education (CITE) in the LRC is a place where faculty can, for example, scan materials for use in lecture presentations or on Web pages, learn how to use new Web development tools or other instructional support applications, and find/review materials on course design. Faculty can obtain assistance in preparing course materials from full-time staff and trained student assistants.

NMU’s Wildcats compete in the NCAA's Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in basketball, football, golf, hockey, skiing, cross country, soccer, volleyball, track & field, and swimming/diving. The hockey program competes in Division I as a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. One group who attends the hockey games are the Puckheads who are the die-hard fans. They are identifiable by the construction helmet adorned with a puck atop of them. One of the school’s main rivalries involves Michigan Tech, a school that is also located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Division II football team plays in the world's largest wooden dome, the Superior Dome. Notable athletes include Mike Dellangelo, famed tailback for Ishpeming High School. Dellangelo, lead IHS to a 1975 MHSAA Class 'C' Football title. Gary Stewart, an all-American wide receiver from Menominee High School.Others, include Bernie Anderson, and James Marana, current head football coach of Westwood High School.

National Championships (4):

• 1975 - Football - NCAA Division II
• 1991 - Men's Ice Hockey - NCAA Division I
• 1993 - Women's Volleyball - NCAA Division II
• 1994 - Women's Volleyball - NCAA Division II

National Runners-up (4):

• 1980 - Men's Ice Hockey - NCAA Division I
• 1992 - Women's Swimming and Diving - NCAA Division II
• 1992 - Women's Volleyball - NCAA Division II
• 1995 - Women's Volleyball - NCAA Division II

Basketball Final Four (1):

• 1961 - Men's Basketball - NAIA Division I

The United States Olympic Education Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University is one of four Olympic training centers in the country and the only one located on a college campus. The USOEC is, in terms of residents, dedicated to providing educational opportunities for athletes while offering world-class training.

With more than 70 resident athletes and coaches, the USOEC is the second-largest Olympic training center in the United States, in terms of residents, behind Colorado Springs. In fact, the USOEC has more athletes than the Lake Placid and Chula Vista sites combined. Over the years, it has grown into a major contributor to the U.S. Olympic movement.

Current resident training programs include boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, short track speedskating, weightlifting, and women’s freestyle wrestling. Athletes must be approved by the USOEC, their national governing body and NMU to be admitted into the program.

USOEC athletes attend NMU or Marquette Senior High School, Marquette, Michigan while training in their respective sports. The student athletes receive free or reduced room and board, access to world-class training facilities as well as sports medicine and sports science services, academic tutoring, and a waiver of out-of-state tuition fees by NMU. Although athletes are responsible for tuition at the in-state rate, they may receive the B.J. Stupak Scholarship to help cover expenses.

On-campus USOEC athletes live in NMU’s Meyland Hall, eat in campus dining halls, and train at the university’s Berry Events Center and Superior Dome.

The USOEC also offers a variety of short-term training camps; regional, national, and international competitions; coaches and officials education clinics; and an educational program for retired Olympians.

Residence hall government is an important facet of student life and NMU. Ten to twenty students from each of the ten residence halls are elected and/or appointed to meet with the staff from their hall on a weekly basis. They represent their peers on a variety of matters pertaining to their residence hall community and campus life.

Students who participate in hall government have the option of participating in various leadership training activities.

One student from up campus (4 halls) and two from down campus (6 halls) are elected to serve on ASNMU, NMU's Student Government.

NMU is very fortunate to have a large number of student organizations which are governmental, academic, programming, social, religious, and athletic, as well as residence hall related, in nature. There are over 200 registered student organizations that provide programs and activities for the campus community.

The Student Leader Fellowship Program (SLFP) is committed to developing competent, ethical, and community-centered leaders. Over a two-year period, students participate in six component areas (Fall Retreat, Mentors, Leadership Theory and Practice Course, Skill Builders! Leadership Workshops, Community Service Internship, and Special Occasions) focusing on self-development and community development.

The NMU Volunteer Center is designed to assist students, both individuals and in student organizations, as well as faculty and staff at the university with finding ways in which they can contribute to the Marquette community.

The Superior Edge was developed in 2004-2005 by a task force that included students, faculty, and staff. The Superior Edge encompasses a wide range of in- and out-of-classroom experiences that will provide Northern Michigan University students with a distinct advantage by better preparing them for careers, lifelong learning, graduate school, and life as engaged citizens.

The Honors Program provides talented undergraduates the opportunity to take a series of rigorous coursework that leads to the designation of Lower Division Honors, Upper Division Honors or Full Honors on their academic transcript. For Full Honors, students must complete two years (20-24 credits) of lower division honors courses, two years of a foreign language, mathematics at the pre-calculus level or higher, 12 credits of upper division coursework in their major or minor that have been "honorized", and a capstone project in the final semester before graduation. To qualify for acceptance to the program, students must have a recalculated GPA of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), an ACT score of 27 or above and submit two letters of recommendation.

The Associated Students of Northern Michigan University (ASNMU) is made up of three distinct branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The ASNMU President, Chris Storves, is the Student Body President and chairs the Executive Board. The Executive Board and Student Body President comprise the Executive Branch.

Representatives elected to represent Student Affairs groups and Academic Affairs comprise the Legislative Branch. A member of the Legislative Branch is elected as chair of the ASNMU Board.

The All Student Judiciary (ASJ) is a panel composed of 16 students who hear cases involving students who violate the regulations of the University Student Code is the judicial branch of ASNMU.

The Legislative and Executive branches of the student government oversee collection and disbursement of Student Activity Fee and govern the disbursement of funds to registered student organizations.

Wildcats of Northern
We're behind you in this game
We're the Wildcats of Northern
Do your best to win acclaim
You are the pride and joy
Of every person young and old
So do your best
For Northern's glory
Fight for the Green and Gold

Hail Northern, we thy sons and daughters
Now bring thee tribute long deserved
Thou beacon light 'mid natures grandeur
Through passing decades well-preserved
Oh, may we labor with untiring zeal
That when these golden days have flown
We may with honor face the future
And match thy courage with our own

Hilton, Miriam. Northern Michigan University: The First 75 Years. Marquette, Michigan: Northern Michigan University Press, 1975. and Northern's Communications & Marketing director, Cindy Paavola, 2006.

• Howard Schultz, CEO and Chairman of Starbucks.
• Steve Mariucci, Former head coach of Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and University of California Golden Bears
• Tom Izzo, Head basketball coach, Michigan State University
• Lloyd Carr, Head football coach, University of Michigan
• Jerry Glanville, Former head coach of the Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons; current head coach, Portland State University
• Dallas Drake, Former captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.
• Don Waddell, General manager of the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League.

• Official NMU web site
• United States Olympic Education Center
• NMU Wildcats CCHA webpage
• Academic Mall Live Webcam (requires Windows Media Player)
• Campus Weather
• NMU Fight Song & Alma Mater
• The North Wind. NMU's Campus Newspaper

Mike Gleason - ESPN Broadcaster.