Friday, Sept. 21, 2012

 

AAUP Contract Approved

The NMU Board of Trustees today approved a new three-year contract previously ratified by the American Association of University Professors. AAUP is the larger of two faculty bargaining units on campus and represents 382 members. The union vote was 226-29 in favor of the proposal. Full Story

 

NMU Board Approves General Fund Budget

The NMU Board of Trustees has approved a $108 million general fund operating budget for 2012-13, an increase of nearly $4.5 million, or 4.3 percent, from the previous year. Most of the change can be attributed to increases related to contractual obligations, health care, student assessment and compliance, support for student programming/activities and inflationary adjustments for utility and maintenance agreements. For a full review of today's action, read the Full Story.

 

Board Updated on Facilities Projects

The first architectural renderings of the new academic building were shown to the finance committee of the NMU Board of Trustees as part of an update on facilities projects. The full board later approved a recommendation that the new building retain the name John X. Jamrich Hall. In June, NMU received state capital outlay funding for the facility, which will replace the existing Jamrich Hall, where more than 40 percent of university classes are held. The design stage is in its final phase. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2013 and the building is expected to open for fall 2014. The academic building will be located between the Learning Resources Center and Hedgcock and its construction will meet LEED certification standards.

The renewable energy plant on Wright Street is progressing on schedule. Ironworkers recently posted their evergreen and flags at the top of the structure, indicating their work on the frame of the building was completed. The furnace equipment had already been put in place and the structure was built around it. The first test burn is tentatively scheduled for early February. When opened, this facility will provide 87 percent of NMU’s steam consumption and 16 percent of our electricity needs. 

 

Enrollment Report Announced

Northern’s 10th day enrollment report shows the continuing undergraduate count is within 17 of the 2011 figure, which Paul Duby (Institutional Research) called highly surprising after a record-setting number of graduates last year “drained the pipeline.” Graduate student enrollment increased slightly, also defying projections, and the number of enrolled veterans is up by 50, or more than 23 percent. But total enrollment decreased by 154 students—or 1.7 percent—mainly at the junior and freshman levels. Full Story

 

NMU Earns Military-Friendly Rank

Victory Media has once again named Northern Michigan University to its list of Military-Friendly Schools released by G.I. Jobs. The 2013 list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students, and ensure their success on campus. This marks Northern’s fourth straight appearance on the annual list. Full Story

 

NMU Cadets Outperform Nationwide Peers

A team of seven cadets in the Northern Michigan University ROTC program recently outscored all other teams in the nation at the Leadership Development and Assessment Course in Fort Lewis, Wash. NMU Cadets exceeded course standards in all evaluations and received the highest possible evaluations from their own peers at the competition. More than 5,000 Army ROTC Cadets from 273 colleges across the country participated in the course. Full Story

 

United Logo UNITED Conference Sept. 24-27

Northern's seventh annual Uniting Neighbors in the Experience of Diversity (UNITED) conference will be held Monday, Sept. 24, to Thursday, Sept. 27. This year’s featured presenters include a motivational speaker on achieving lifelong goals, the director of a documentary about three soldiers from the Upper Peninsula, an author who gives a performance based on his book about gay black men from the South, a Paralympian skier and mountain climber and an expert on medicinal herbs. Full Story

 

Alumni Honored This Weekend

Two NMU alumni with Upper Peninsula roots will be recognized for their achievements during NMU’s Homecoming celebration. Robert Wallenstein of Fort Wayne, Ind.—known as Bob Chase in the radio industry—and Dr. William Bowerman of College Park, Md., will receive the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award. Full Story

 

Game Day Celebration Set

NMU will host a community block party in celebration of the 2012 Homecoming game on Saturday, Sept. 22. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Third Street between Magnetic and Kaye. It will feature free kids’ activities, face painting and photo/video booths. Entertainment will be provided by Double Trouble DJs, the NMU dance team, the NMU marching band and winners of the NMU stepping competition. Food will be available for purchase from area restaurants.

             

“When alumni and students talk about their Northern experience, they don't just talk about the campus and the weather; they talk about all the places and people that make NMU a special place,” said Robyn Stille (Alumni Relations). “Game Day is an opportunity for us to partner with those businesses and organizations that mean so much to our graduates and students and create a fun, new experience for the whole community.”

             

The block party will precede the 2 p.m. kickoff of the NMU vs. Ashland Homecoming game in the Superior Dome.

                         

Barb Boyer (Dining Services) struggled to identify something people would be surprised to learn about her because she leaves so little to guesswork. “I’m pretty open. In fact, my friends are usually saying, ‘TMI, Barb.’ Too much information.”

 

As a principal account clerk, Boyer encounters plenty of financial information on a daily basis. She processes invoices from the five Dining Services retail operations: Smoothie King/Temaki & Tea, Melted, the Marketplace, Wildcat Den and Fieras. She also records manager credit card activity through the Concur system and runs encumbrance and budget reports. Her favorite part of the job is not found on paper, but in personal interactions with students she sees regularly who work in her office on the main level of the University Center or in the Den upstairs. Full Story