The Superior Edge, a civic-leadership program like no other.

This past fall, Northern Michigan University fully implemented its innovative civic-leadership program called the Superior Edge.  To earn an “edge”, students must complete 100 hours of mostly volunteer work in the areas of citizenship, diversity awareness, leadership and “real world” experience.  Students then receive the Superior Edge designation on their student enrichment transcripts.

Are the students interested in participating in this new program?  NMU’s goal was to have 500 participants by the end of the fall semester. More than 800 had already gone through the program’s orientation by the semester break.

Can you imagine being an employer going through hundreds of applications for one open position and coming across a recent graduate with 400 hours of documented initiative above and beyond her degree requirements?

If you need inspiration for how college and universities can change the image of Michigan as an innovative place to live, work, play and learn, look to programs such as Superior Edge.

Sincerely,
Dr. Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University

Photo: Superior Edge students volunteer to help spring clean an area park.

Technology is part of the daily routine at NMU.

Some people may not be familiar with Northern Michigan University, but the technology industry is. NMU is one of the largest notebook computer universities in the world. We have earned international and national awards for our technology initiative. At NMU, all full-time undergraduate and graduate students receive a Lenovo or Apple computer, tech support, software and access to the university’s network as part of tuition and fees. (NMU still remains among the most affordable public universities in Michigan, including the technology package.)

Northern works as a “model notebook computer university” for Lenovo, Inc., the world-wide technology company that recently bought IBM’s PC division  Meru, a national network provider, announced last year that NMU has the “densest wireless network [highest volume] in the world.”

You may think we’re a small rural school isolated from the world. We are rural, although not so small. However, you would be wrong to think we’re isolated from the world. If you would like to see how technology can change a campus, a community, and most importantly, the life of a university student, please visit NMU. We’d love to show off our high-touch, high-tech, high-quality learning environment,and demonstrate how each NMU student is receiving an education in technology, regardless of his or her chosen degree program.

Sincerely,
Dr. Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University

NMU addresses the business and training needs

Implementation of new ideas is sometimes slow on a university campus, but Northern is known for being able to make things happen quickly when the business community comes to us with a need. This was a point highlighted by the selection committee when Marquette County chosen as one of “America’s Most Livable Communities” in 2004.

For instance, when Pioneer Surgical Technology Company, a world-leading medical device firm, needed specially trained employees, NMU created the certificate training program within a year. That became the model for this year’s new partnership with Ironwood Plastics, which has high-paying Upper Peninsula jobs, but not enough qualified candidates to fill them.  Northern offers a line technician certificate program in partnership with the regional power companies and the area’s economic development organization in order to meet a severe shortage of trained professionals available to the Midwest.

Northern also trains the majority of teachers and school administrators, nurses, laboratory clinicians, social workers, public safety officers and heating and ventilation, aviation maintenance technicians that work in the U.P. These professionals serve the critical needs of the U.P. and  the state.

As Michigan’s legislature continues to review and refine higher education funding, we hope you will take this information under consideration.

Sincerely,
Dr. Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University

Photo: Students in NMU’s line technician program pose for a class photo.

New programs fill unique needs

Two new academic programs to be offered in 2007-08 are great examples of Northern Michigan University’s desire to meet unique needs in the U.P. and beyond, while providing excellent career training for NMU students.

The online loss prevention program will be the only bachelor’s degree in the nation for this growing industry, and was designed by request, and in cooperation with, the national professional organization of loss prevention leaders. Some of the largest retail businesses are members of NMU’s advisory board for this academic program.  In nursing, NMU and Oakland University have received a $950,000 grant from the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth to jointly offer a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. The one-year accelerated program, one of only 19 in the United States, will address a critical need in Michigan and the nation for nursing faculty members. Ten of the 20 cohort spots will be awarded to OU students and 10 to U.P. students, providing an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about specific geographical healthcare issues.
           
As Michigan’s legislature continues to consider higher education funding, we hope you are excited about and proud of the possibilities a university such as Northern provides to the state’s educational opportunities.

Sincerely,
Dr. Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University

Did these NMU graduates count in Northern Michigan University’s degree completion rate?  Maybe not.

In fiscal year 2006, students in less-than-associate degree programs (certificates and diplomas) contributed 5.7 percent of NMU’s total student credit hours and 5.6 percent of its fiscal year equated students (FYES) but they did not count in terms of degree completion, according to current standards used in Michigan.

Northern strongly supports the idea that degree completion is an important measurement of any university, but we suggest that the degree completion rate developed by the state reflects and includes all programs that train people for jobs in our economy. These programs have high job placement rates.

As Michigan’s legislature continues to review and refine higher education funding, we hope you will take this suggestion under consideration.

Sincerely,
Dr. Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University