Around NMU

In his fall convocation ushering in a new academic year, Northern Michigan University President Brock Tessman outlined a trio of “grand challenges” that NMU will focus on moving forward, and updated the university's core values and mission/vision statements. All are included in the close-to-final version of the “Our Compass” strategic plan, and were the direct result of extensive engagement opportunities on campus and in the community last year.

Northern Michigan University is partnering with Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette to launch Wildcat Gold, a new beer created by alumni, for alumni, in celebration of NMU's 125th anniversary. The gold lager will make its debut at the next Alumni Friday event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 23, at the Blackrocks Brewery Pub. It will also be offered at the Homecoming football game tailgate party on Saturday, Sept. 21, and at Wildcat hockey games this season, while quantities last.

Northern Michigan University's Criminal Justice Department will double the number of students working directly with the Michigan State Police (MSP) to analyze U.P. homicide or missing persons cold cases in the hope of generating new leads. The recently approved state budget includes a $200,000 funding boost for the collaboration, which launched in fall 2022. 

Northern Michigan University has selected a new alma mater titled “Northern Pride” in conjunction with its 125th anniversary year. The anthem was composed by NMU multimedia journalism professor Dwight Brady.

Northern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University are collaborating on an Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, which gives students practical experience in identifying customers, strategic partners and suppliers critical to the success of early-stage Upper Peninsula companies.

Northern Michigan University's enrollment report for the winter semester that began in January shows an increase of 330 students, or 5.3%, compared with the same time last year. The overall headcount is 6,657. Improved persistence—the percentage of students who re-enroll after the fall semester—is also encouraging, particularly among freshmen.

Three new leadership appointees at Northern Michigan University will advance NMU's core values and strategic priorities related to inclusion and belonging, sustainability and academic excellence. Shawnrece Campbell, previously at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is assistant vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. NMU professor and alumna Jessica Thompson is assistant vice president for Sustainability. Anne Dahlman, most recently at Minnesota State University Mankato, will begin as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs on April 1.

Her high school graduation ceremony was canceled by the pandemic, but Rebekah Allen will make her Northern Michigan University commencement especially memorable by serving as the student speaker. The first-generation college student from Davison, Mich., will also earn a bachelor's degree in English-creative writing at the Dec. 16 ceremony in NMU's Superior Dome.

The rapid proliferation of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), which creates new content from existing data almost instantaneously, is transforming the educational landscape. Some are eagerly embracing AI as a powerful tool that will make learning more personalized and accessible, and provide-data driven insights for educators. Others are concerned it will increase academic dishonesty, generate biased and false information, and adversely impact security and employment. Northern Michigan University is taking proactive steps to ensure that it is incorporated responsibly and effectively.

Some people are apprehensive about participating in improv comedy because of its unscripted format that requires quick thinking to play off unpredictable ideas presented by others on stage or in the audience. But Northern Michigan University assistant professor Peter Felsman is the lead author of a published study providing the first evidence that improv training can significantly reduce a common trait of social anxiety and depression: discomfort with uncertainty.