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Northern Michigan University will provide emergency grants of up to $700 to eligible students who have been financially strained by the COVID-19 crisis. NMU is using its share of the recently approved CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund monies for this purpose. The application period ends May 25. The grants will be awarded after that date.

Northern Michigan University has been named a “Gold-level Veteran-Friendly School” by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. The program recognizes academic institutions committed to supporting the needs of veterans and military-connected students with gold, silver or bronze status, based on their services and programs.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is accepting nominations for the 2020 Upper Peninsula Folklife Awards through June 1. The annual awards honor individuals and organizations for their notable efforts in preserving and promoting the folk culture of the region. 

It began with an isolated request months ago, but has expanded into a meaningful mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. On most days since the “stay home” order was implemented, recently retired music teacher and NMU alumnus Chris Charboneau ('93) has posted a video of himself playing a different song on the piano—and frequently singing along—for his Facebook friends. The activity gives him a sense of purpose and allows him to channel his creativity in a way that boosts others' spirits during socially isolated, uncertain times.

Recent NMU graduate and Michigan Army National Guard Sgt. Adam Szabo is one of six soldiers delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies to county seats in the Upper Peninsula for distribution to those in need. He is an automotive logistics specialist with the 1431st “Sappers” Combat Engineers in Calumet.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center recently received a gift of $25,000 to create a new multi-media web project based on the relationship between the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University. The website will feature expansive content detailing how the U.P. defined NMU and, in turn, how NMU helped shape the future of the Upper Peninsula.

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.