Strategic Plan

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative writers and artists nationwide in grades 7-12, are accepting entries. More than $450,000 in monetary prizes—the most in program history—will be awarded. The submission deadline for U.P. students is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3. The Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project site at Northern Michigan University serves as the Upper Peninsula affiliate of the awards.

Northern Michigan University is featured in the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition. NMU earned a GreenScore of 91 points out of 99, securing a spot on the list of 388 unranked colleges that meet the standards for practicing and promoting environmental responsibility. This is NMU's second appearance in the guide.

Northern Michigan University's popular animal-assisted intervention (AAI) program has appropriately gained a new Wildcat named Luna to complement the beloved Wildpups therapy dogs that routinely interact with the campus community, providing comfort, joy and companionship. Luna belongs to NMU social work major Emilee DeForge. After seeing her tortoiseshell feline's therapeutic potential in terms of personality and temperament, the Houghton native was eager to certify her pet for service.

The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University will host the 25th annual Sonderegger Symposium, which features several presentations revolving around Upper Peninsula history. The theme of this year's event is "Above and Below the Surface: Maritime History of the Great Lakes." It will be held on Friday, Nov. 14, in the Northern Center Ballroom IV. Admission is free, and includes a light lunch at noon.

At the Oct. 27 campus forum, Northern Michigan University Interim President Gavin Leach provided updates on the presidential transition, enrollment-related initiatives, facilities projects, and impacts of both the finalized state budget and federal funding cuts. Other staff members gave presentations on progress related to the Grand Challenges in “Our Compass,” Northern's strategic plan. 

WNMU-TV will host a preview screening and panel discussion related to "The American Revolution," a new Ken Burns six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country's founding struggle and its eight-year War for Independence. The screening is open to the public and takes place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the Northern Center Ballrooms on Northern Michigan University's campus. 

High school seniors who reside and attend school in the Upper Peninsula who plan to continue their education in a healthcare-related field are eligible to participate in the sixth annual National Rural Health Day Essay Contest. Northern Michigan University's Center for Rural Health is partnering with Michigan's State Office of Rural Health to make this possible. The submission deadline is Thursday, Oct. 30.

Northern Michigan University is seeking student applications and community project proposals for the third cohort of its Rural Leadership Fellowship Program, which offers immersive project-based learning for students while also supporting Upper Peninsula economic and community development projects. The submission deadline for both is Nov. 16.

Northern Michigan University will host the 2025 Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Food, a gathering focused on uplifting Indigenous food systems, cultural knowledge and community health, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Northern Center. A free showing of the comedy-horror movie "Seeds" will precede the symposium at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Jamrich Hall 1100. Writer, director and star Kaniehtiio Horn (Mohawk), who has appeared in the "Letterkenny" and "Reservation Dogs" TV series, will participate in a conversation after the viewing. 

Northern Michigan University is featured for the first time in the annual Sustainable Campus Index, which celebrates higher education institutions leading the way in sustainability.