Our Standards

Northern Michigan University is committed to excellence in its teacher preparation programs. The quality of our program is attained in many ways:

  • low faculty-student ratios;
  • dedicated faculty;
  • rigorous entrance and retention requirements;
  • approval by state agencies, learned societies, and national teacher accreditation agencies; and
  • opportunities for learning about the teaching profession through direct contact with both students and teachers in K-12 classroom settings.

The quality of our programs also demands excellence from our student participants. Success in the teaching profession is evidenced by competency in basic skills and intellectual capacity; good oral language skills; commitment to the teaching profession; and sound moral character. The presumption is that students come to us with both personal and academic integrity. Conduct at any given time may call into question this premise.

We are also committed to the idea that teachers accept unique responsibility in fostering healthy teaching and learning environments in our schools. The following set of principles are derived from the conceptual framework adopted by our teacher education faculty.

  • Teaching ethically by addressing the full range of human diversity as it impacts the learning of individual students and the class as a whole. This diversity includes (but is not limited to) race, gender, sexual preference and learning abilities.
  • Acting in the best interest of the state and the public in terms of education. When we recommend teacher certification to the state, we are indicating the student has demonstrated the understanding that they will serve the publics' interests.
  • Behaving professionally. This professionalism is not only necessary at the point of the teaching certificate being issued, but must be readily evident at the beginning of the teacher education program as well.
  • Exhibiting professional integrity. The nature of teaching is that it requires the highest form of academic, ethical and moral integrity.