The attractiveness of the NMU campus in the beautiful natural environment of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a unique asset that should play a prominent role in our portfolio of academic programs, our research agenda and the efficiency with which the campus operates. While the campus itself represents NMU's physical assets, academic programs and other campus operations represent the human capital of the university community. Both are instrumental in sustaining the university's collective efforts to maintain a standard of excellent practice, manage costs and achieve the institutional mission.

 

Goal. Utilize the Campus Master Plan and related initiatives to continue to build and develop a greener and more learner-centered campus.

 

Priorities:

• Establish strategies and a communication plan for implementation of the Campus Master Plan that ensures the highest possible level of input from the NMU and local communities as financially feasible components of the plan are implemented.
• Examine classroom and other learning spaces to create the highest quality learning environments, and to advance the application of new pedagogies and technologies.
• Continue campus discussions regarding the "library of the future" to identify state-of-the-art facilities, collections, technology and collaborations that will meet current and emerging instructional and research needs, and that will support the goals and priorities of the Road Map.
• Utilize consultants' recommendations to enhance the bookstore, dining services and conference services operations.
• Continue efforts to secure resources necessary to support implementation of the Campus Master Plan.

Goal. Enhance processes throughout campus operations to guide the use of resources and inform resource allocation.

 

Priorities:

• Develop benchmarks for campus units to gauge efficiencies and time-saving practices.
• Provide training opportunities at all appropriate levels to improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of office operations.
• Develop incentive and reward systems for departments implementing cost-saving and time-saving strategies.
• Develop a structure to assess staffing in all areas of the institution to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.

Goal. Enhance the portfolio of academic programs, research and other activities that leverage the university's location in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

 

Priorities:

• Consolidate NMU's several environmental science efforts into a cohesive whole that will take full advantage of educational and research opportunities unique to the natural environment of the Upper Peninsula to best attract and serve students and faculty.
• Work to enhance opportunities, funding and events that strengthen and increase current university areas that focus on the Upper Peninsula—Center for Native American Studies, Center for Upper Peninsula Studies, Beaumier Heritage Center and NMU and Central Upper Peninsula Archives.
• Create a task force to examine expanding or adding programs that take advantage of U.P. assets and that would be unique to the region or nation, including such assets as the environment, local geography, recreation, rural demographics and lifestyle and weather.
• Provide seed funding for faculty-student research projects focused on the U.P. region.

Goal. Be a model community for sustainable education and practices.

 

Priorities:

• Enhance efforts in all campus operations to achieve the highest possible standards of sustainability practices and energy efficiencies.
• Seek LEED certification on all capital projects.
• Establish benchmarks for environmental literacy for all NMU graduates and develop a plan to achieve them.
• Identify new opportunities for academic study, external funding and research in sustainability and other related areas.