China Trip Reviewed

A Northern delegation’s recent trip to China and the opportunities explored for partnering with educational and corporate entitites was the main focus of Wednesday’s university forum. President Les Wong said there were palpable differences associated with China’s “red-hot, hyper economy” compared with his three previous visits to the country before joining NMU.

“The energy, sense of optimism and knowledge that they are at the center of the world’s economy was so obvious wherever we went,” he said. “The investments they’re making in higher education and K-12, and their efforts to transform into a modern culture made me speechless. New campuses are being constructed everywhere. Full Story

Formula Funding Update

The legislature and Gov. Jennifer Granholm added $1 million to Northern's appropriation to help it transition to the legislative funding formula applied this year. At Monday's forum, President Les Wong said that if Northern makes no adjustments to its curriculum or operations and the formula remains in its current form, the university will face a $15 million decrease in its state appropriation. That amounts to about a third of the $46 million in state support NMU received for the current fiscal year. Full Story

Faculty Award Program Nominations Accepted

The nomination or application deadlines for three faculty award programs for the 2006-07 academic year are set for early November.

Recipients will be recognized at the Celebration of Scholarship ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7. Full Story

Printed Bulletins Phased Out

The undergraduate bulletin will become an online-only publication next year. Printed copies will no longer be available. The university published 7,000 hard copies of the 2006-07 undergraduate bulletin (pictured) at a cost of about $12,000. Full Story

Tortilla Curtain Author Discusses Book via ITV

T.C. Boyle, author of The Tortilla Curtain, will present a reading from his book and participate in a live discussion with campus and community members via interactive television (ITV) on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The event is part of the “One Book, One Community” program. It is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Great Lakes Rooms of the University Center. Full Story

NMU is TOEFL Site

Northern is now the only official test center in the Upper Peninsula for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL.

More than 6,000 colleges, universities and licensing agencies in 110 countries accept TOEFL test scores, including NMU.

Full Story

First Nations Food Taster Nov. 3

The sixth annual First Nations Food Taster at NMU will be held from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, in the Jacobetti Center. A variety of traditional First Nations foods will be served.

Full Story

NMU Hosts Halloween Events

Children of NMU employees, students and alumni are invited to trick or treat through the University Center and enjoy a party in the Peter White Lounge from 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. Offices and student organizations will distribute goodies. Youngsters can reap more sweet rewards from 5-8 p.m. in the NMU residence halls. Students will greet visitors in the lobbies and take them on guided trick-or-treating adventures, with areas designated for different age groups.

A costume parade with prizes will be held during an intermission of Saturday night's hockey game against Ohio State. The student Cat Pack organization will do the judging.

Management professor Claudia Orr (College of Business) may seem like all business, but at heart she is a passionate outlet mall shopper.

“Anytime I travel anywhere, I look on the Web before I go to find out if there are any outlet malls nearby,” she said. “My favorite store is Steinmart, which I describe as an upscale version of T.J. Maxx.”

A Marquette native, Orr has been teaching at NMU for 25 years.

Full Story