May 6, 2002
Issue9

NMU Board Approves Tuition and Fees Schedule

NMU should maintain its rank of having the fourth-lowest tuition and fees among the state’s 15 public universities with the 2002-03 rate schedule approved Friday by the Board of Trustees.

For full-time undergraduate students from Michigan, the annualized cost of attending NMU – including tuition, fees, room and board – will be $10,410. This is an increase of $616 or 6.3 percent from 2001-02. The breakdown of the annualized cost is as follows: tuition and fees will total $4,780, which is expected to remain below the state average and amounts to a $423 increase over the previous year; and the room-and-board rate for a double-occupancy residence hall unit will be $5,630, up $193.

The board also agreed to revise the fee structure. Tuition bills previously included three itemized fees to cover NMU services, technology and infrastructure. Listing them separately gave some students and parents the mistaken impression that they were optional, when in fact they were required. Now they will fall under the umbrella heading of university fee. “This is not a new or additional fee,” said Gavin Leach, associate vice president for finance and planning. “We took the total of last year’s required fees and put all but a fraction of that into tuition. We couldn’t roll all of it into tuition because that would have unfairly increased the per-credit cost for part-time students. The $296 university fee will be charged to full-time students because they use campus services and facilities to a greater extent than part-time students.”

Northern bills now will include three charges: tuition, the university fee for full-time students and the student activity fee. The latter is approved by the student body. New full-time undergraduate students will also pay an additional one-time athletic events fee of $100, which went into effect last year after a student referendum.

The board also approved a 2002-03 general fund base budget of $79 million. The bulk of that total – nearly $50 million – will come from the state. Tuition and fees will account for about $28 million.

Capital Projects Update: Part II

The last issue of CAMPUS featured an overview of three major East Campus facilities projects and future plans for Whitman School. This week, we look at a number of capital improvement projects either in progress or scheduled to begin this summer.

Printing and mail services will move across campus to the Services Building to consolidate with transportation and central receiving. Work is well under way on the $630,000 project, which should be completed in August.

NMU will take advantage of the summer period to install sprinklers in the residence halls. There are also plans to equip each room with a centralized smoke detector and to install visual and audio alarms and centralized smoke detectors in corridors and public spaces. The $3 million project is scheduled for completion in November.

Phase II of the Learning Resource Center renovations will create a student commons area with the expansion of Bookbinders Eatery and an outdoor gathering space. Phase II also impacts the all-campus tutoring satellite operation, the writing center and audio-visual operations, with estimated completion in October. Phase III, which involves renovating WNMU-FM in the lower level, is scheduled to be finished in November. Total cost of the tri-phase LRC project is $2.2 million.

The U.S. Olympic Education Center will be in need of a new home when Hedgcock is transformed into a student services center and Magers Hall is vacated. Work toward that end will begin this summer at the Superior Dome. The first floor will be used for administrative and coaches offices, recreation services offices and a sports training room. The second floor is designated for Greco-Roman wrestling, boxing and locker rooms. The estimated cost of the project is $1.9 million with completion expected in January 2003.

The domino effect of these construction and renovation projects on campus will extend to Magers, Lee and Carey Halls, the Cohodas Administrative Center, Quad II and the Summit/Center apartments. There are some tentative plans for these buildings, but discussions about their future use will continue throughout the coming year.

Excellence in Teaching Awards Announced

Earl Kaurala (Education), Yvonne Lee (Technology and Occupational Sciences), and Robert Myers (Mathematics and Computer Science) are recipients of the 2002 NMU Excellence in Teaching Awards.

The Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee (TLAC) came up with the program to replace the discontinued MAGB awards. Recipients will receive a $1,000 cash award and plaque at Fall Convocation.

Nomination criteria include a sustained record of high achievement in teaching evidenced by positive peer observation, high student qualitative and quantitative evaluations; thorough knowledge of subject matter; clarity, organization and consistency in subject presentation and assessment; enthusiasm for teaching and learning; creation of a safe and open learning environment; and experimentation with teaching and learning paradigms.

Library Hours Impacted

Olson Library's hours of operation will be affected by renovations on the main floor. The library will be open for a limited time, from 4-8 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, May 15-16. It will be closed on Friday, May 17. Regular hours will resume on Saturday, May 18. These renovations will not affect other services offered in the Learning Resource Center. Library materials may be renewed by calling 2260 or by e-mail (renewal@nmu.edu). They may also be returned prior to the temporary closure.

Bookbinders Closed for Summer

Renovations in the LRC will also impact the summer schedule for Bookbinders Eatery. The dining facility closed at 3 p.m. Friday. The goal is to reopen in time for the start of the fall semester.

Bailey Receives Executive Award

NMU President Judi Bailey is one of eight campus leaders in the nation selected to receive an Executive Leadership Award from CASE – the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

CASE presents the award annually to the head of a member institution in each of eight districts. Bailey is the winner in District V, which covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"I'm surprised and humbled, but at the same time, I don't look at this as an award going to Judi Bailey," she said. "It is a reflection of the fact that we have an incredible team assembled here that works well together all of the time for the benefit of the university and its students. I share this with everyone because it's really for all of us."

Bailey was notified of the impending honor through a surprise announcement at Friday's meeting of the NMU Board of Trustees. Chair Dan DeVos and Fred Joyal (Academic Affairs) presented her with a ceremonial medallion. She will be formally recognized in July at the CASE International Assembly in Chicago.

“The NMU community has been energized by her vision, work ethic and leadership,” wrote DeVos in his nomination letter. “She has challenged students, faculty and staff, and those of us who serve on the governing board to be bold in bringing Northern to the forefront as a leader of 21st century higher education. Her enthusiasm, belief in NMU’s potential and sheer determination has caused many to rethink their perception of Northern as a small, regional school.”

According to CASE guidelines, nominees for the Executive Leadership Award must demonstrate the ability to actively support advancement, create a vision and inspire others, establish a positive image for his or her institution while leading it to higher levels of success, increase the institution’s stature in the community, and encourage innovation and risk-taking among employees.