Commuter Student Services
 

• Do you live within one mile of campus?

• Do you live in one of the nearby towns (Negaunee, Ishpeming, Skandia, Gwinn)?

• Do you live between 1 and 150 miles of campus?

• Do you come to campus for classes once per week?

• Do you live near campus in an apartment?

• Do you live in a house with your family?

• Do you own your own home?

• Do you drive more than an hour each time you head to NMU?

• Do you ride the bus to get to campus?

• Does it take between five and 15 minutes to get to class from your residence?

• Do you usually not sleep overnight on campus in a residence hall?

If you answered with at least one “yes” to the above questions, you are a commuter student. 

To make your campus experience as comfortable as possible, a wide range of services and facilities are available on campus, which have been designed with the typical commuter’s needs in mind. Among the services offered are:

Transportation Issues

No matter what personal vehicle you use to travel to campus – car, motorcycle or bicycle – it must be registered with the NMU Public Safety Department. Cars and motorcycles must be parked in one of the designated commuter student parking lots, conveniently located throughout NMU’s campus. Maps are available at the NMU Public Safety Department and knowing your rights as a motorist is your responsibility. The registration fees are nominal.

A Car Pooling Network service is also provided by the Dean of Students Office, and allows commuter students from across the Upper Peninsula to share in the costs and time of driving to campus. If you live in Marquette County, public transportation bus services are also available. Contact either the Marquette County Transportation System at 906-225-1112 or the Dean of Students Office for routes and schedules.

Child Care Information

A broad range of alternative childcare services is available to NMU students who are parents of preschool children. Services available include:

• Baby sitters: The JOBSearch Center prepares a list of NMU students who wish to baby-sit for their peers. An updated list is usually available by the third week of each semester in the Dean of Students Office.

• Child care register: A service provided by the Dean of Students Office for those students seeking information about childcare providers prior to making contact.

• Community Coordinated Child Care (4 C’s): A non-profit organization that serves the Marquette community by helping adults better understand children and their needs. 4 C’s publishes a booklet which provides a complete listing of all childcare providers (commercial and licensed home care) in the Marquette area, as well as a wealth of information about social and recreational programs and activities for children. For more information, contact the 4 C’s of the U.P. at 906-228-3362.

Where to Eat on Campus

A meal plan is available for commuter students to purchase through Dining Services. But no matter where you are on campus, you’re never too far away from a place to grab either a good meal or a quick snack. If you’re in the academic mall, stop by Bookbinders Eatery, located on the lower level of the Learning Resources Center. The Marketplace is located in the Gant/Spalding/Payne/Halverson residence hall complex. The Don H. Bottum University Center houses the Wildcat Den on the second floor and Willy’s Snak Shak on the first floor. Vending machines are scattered throughout the campus, including in the fourth floor lounge of the Cohodas Administrative Center, the second floor of Jamrich Hall, the basement of West Science and the first floor of the Thomas Fine Arts building.

Lockers

Several free day lockers are located around campus for student use. All you need to provide is your own padlock. Lockers are located in the following locations: West Science Building, Learning Resources Building, and both the men’s and women’s locker rooms at the PEIF. While in the University Center, you may also use one of the lockers at the NMU Bookstore, which requires a quarter deposit that is returned when you remove your items. Locker rental is also available at the PEIF by the semester for a nominal fee and includes daily towel service.

Renter's Rights

Michigan is considered a “renter’s state” because of its strong legislation protecting the rights of tenants. In addition, in the City of Marquette the housing code requires landlords to maintain rental properties in accordance with standards that protect renters from health and safety hazards. To assist newcomers and those seeking counsel or alternative housing, a full range of services are available at the Dean of Students Office:

• Housing Listings – Updated periodically, this service lists all known rental properties within the general vicinity of campus.

• Tenant Counseling – Pre-rental advice, lease reading service, landlord conflict resolution, housing code violations, roommate problem counseling and related tenant/landlord relations matters are among the areas of concern for which you may seek individual counseling.

• Renter’s Rights Information – Several brochures are available from the self-serve display rack to help you deal with your rental situation. Also available are sample leases and form letters related to maintenance and money problems in renting.
   

Staying Informed

The weekly North Wind (the independent student newspaper) is available every Thursday during the academic year. It has wide distribution on campus at every high traffic area, as well as being placed at 24 locations around the city of Marquette.

The independent student owned and operated radio station, WUPX, can provide you with daily news as well as the kind of musical sound that is popular with most college students. WUPX is transmitted at 91.5 FM.

The official university newsletter Campus is electronically published twice a month during the academic year and monthly, May through August. It contains news and information on faculty, staff, events, policies and programs.

Policies and Regulations

Northern Michigan University endeavors to establish policies and regulations which ensure that the living and learning environment of the academic community is free from disruption. The University attempts to establish procedures, practices, and processes which assist in the orderly pursuit of the mission of the institution. Many of the policies and regulations which govern student life at the University are contained within the Student Handbook. Additional policies may be found in this bulletin, as well as in the Graduate Bulletin, Motor Vehicle Ordinances, University Ordinances, Administrative Policies Manual, Student Organizations Handbook, and Financial Aid Rights and Responsibilities publications. Copies of these publications are available in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Complaints, Exceptions and Appeals

The university also recognizes that some complaints and grievances will inevitably arise. To address these, the university has created procedures for students to register complaints and grievances and receive a reasoned response to the issues which they bring forward.

A number of processes for resolution of specific issues are provided in existing policies and regulations. Students are expected to initiate such processes directly, when possible. The Northern Michigan University Student Handbook can provide students with the steps required to resolve a specific problem. In those instances where no formal resolution process has been established, or it is unclear what process applies to a given circumstance, the Complaint Other Than Grades section of the Student Rights and Responsibilities document will govern resolution. Any questions about the application of this process or the appropriate process to resolve any complaint or appeal should be directed to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Members of the University community having questions about student complaint resolution processes should contact the Office of the Dean of Students.