NCATE Review

NMU NCATE
Review Home

Northern Michigan
University:
Narrative Overview

Subject Matter/
Program Table

Institutional
Report

Planning and
Analytical Studies

Student Teaching
Totals 1983-2000

Professional
Education Unit:
Definition
Organizational Chart

Conceptual
Frameworks

Contextual
Frames

STANDARDS

Standard 1
Candidate Knowledge,
Skills and Dispositions

Standard 2
Assessment System
and Unit Evaluation

Standard 3
Field Experiences
and Clinical Practice

Standard 4
Diversity

Standard 5
Faculty Qualifications,
Performance, and
Development

Standard 6
Unit Governance
and Resources

NCATE Report
(Word Document)

Past Reports and
Long Range Plans

EXHIBITS LIST
SYLLABI/OUTLINES

NMU-AAUP
Master Agreement

School of
Education Home

NMU Home

NMU State
Accreditation Website

OVERVIEW OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Geographic Location
Northern Michigan University (NMU) is located in Marquette, a city of approximately 25,000 people on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  The campus itself is spread out over 320 acres of land within the Marquette city limits.

The Upper Peninsula consists of 16,446 square miles of land with approximately 20 persons per square mile.  Marquette is located in Marquette County, which can be characterized by few urban centers, widely dispersed population, limited industry, and high poverty levels.  Historically, the area has been tied economically to its natural resources through the mining of ore and the use of its lumber and wood products by manufacturing industries.

The Upper Peninsula was settled primarily by Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans.  Today, the influence of these people, especially from Finland, is still apparent.  Historically the area was inhabited by Native Americans.  Today three percent of the population remains Native American.

History
Northern Michigan University was established in 1899 as Northern State Normal School.  In the first year of operation, it had a faculty of six, a student body of 32, and a campus of 22 acres.  Its mission was to provide teachers for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

A four-year collegiate program was introduced in 1918, and the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded two years later.  In 1926 the Bachelor of Science program began.  In 1928 a graduate program was introduced as part of a cooperative program with the University of Michigan.  In 1942 the school’s name changed to Northern Michigan College of Education.  In 1955 the name changed to Northern Michigan College and finally in 1963 it became Northern Michigan University.

Today Northern Michigan University is a mid-sized state university with a student population of approximately 8,300.  It offers a comprehensive array of academic and professional programs and is accredited by the North Central Association.

One hundred years after the school’s founding, teacher training remains important with one in every seven graduates earning a degree in education.  In addition, we continue to serve the needs of practicing teachers throughout the Upper Peninsula for professional development courses and advanced degrees.

The University also houses the Glen T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics, the Upper Peninsula Center for Educational Development, and the Olympic Education/Training and Great Lakes Sports Training Centers.

Students
The University mainly serves students from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and from around the state.  Sixty-four percent of the students enrolled at NMU are from the Upper Peninsula.  Thirty-four percent of the student body is from Marquette County.  Because nearly two-thirds of the students come from the predominantly Caucasian population of the Upper Peninsula, minority and foreign students form only seven percent of the student body.

Over 6,100 undergraduates are enrolled full-time, including 5,300 in a degree program.  Another 1,020 are part-time students who are degree oriented.

The average age of an undergraduate student at NMU is 24 and the student body is 54% female and 46% male.

Faculty
The faculty at Northern Michigan University is a varied group.  Approximately 80 percent of the 320 faculty members hold the terminal degree in their field.  Sixty-five percent of the faculty is tenured, with 100 percent of the full professors and 90 percent of the associate professors tenured.  206 members of the faculty are male, while 114 are female.

The faculty is represented by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and operates under a Master Agreement between the Northern Michigan University Chapter of the AAUP and the Northern Michigan University Board of Control.  Two major committees outlined in the Master Agreement give faculty an active role in curriculum and policy at the University.

Recommendations for curriculum and academic program changes are made by the faculty through the faculty Academic Senate to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Curriculum or academic program changes are those involving such matters as changes in course titles or numbering; changes of departmental prerequisites; introduction or deletion of courses in the major, minor, or elective category; evaluation of student performance; and academic program content defined so as to include the structure of an academic program as it relates to certification, degree requirements, subject matter, and/or any other recognized professional criteria as determined by the faculty qualified to teach the program.  In addition the Academic Senate is responsible for making recommendations concerning the consideration of new majors and minors.  Finally the Academic Senate is responsible for recommendations concerning academic use of University computer resources, academic calendars, proposals for faculty grants and curriculum development grants, faculty endorsement of the awarding of earned degrees, as well as other academic matters brought before it for consideration.

An Educational Policy Committee (EPC) made up of seven faculty members, the six deans, and an administrator appointed by the President has the responsibility of advising the Vice President for Academic Affairs and keeping the Association informed on mission statements, on short- and long-term academic program planning for the university, and on financial considerations attendant to implementation of new programs such as majors and minors.  In particular, the responsibilities of the EPC include concern with making recommendations on such matters as: enrollment patterns and projections, the allocation of budget for the support of academic programs, the generation of credit hours within schools and academic departments, and staffing requirements within schools and academic departments.

Curriculum
The majority of students are enrolled in four-year undergraduate programs with majors and minors distributed among 22 departments in four Colleges: The College of Arts and Science; College of Professional Studies; The Walker L. Cisler College of Business; and the College of Technology and Applied Sciences.  There is also College of Graduate Studies which offers 10 master’s degrees and an Education Specialist Degree.

NMU confers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Social Work.  Degrees are awarded in more than 100 areas.  In addition, associate degrees and one-year certificates are offered in a variety of areas.

The undergraduate curriculum, through its major, minor, and liberal studies requirements ensures that students receive an education that provides them with the skills and knowledge required for a career and for advanced study in a professional discipline.  They also receive a broad education in the sciences, humanities, and arts.  The philosophy behind the liberal studies component is that a well-educated person needs to know more than can be learned form his/her area of concentration.  This philosophy allows for an intellectual foundation in liberal arts and general studies on which the professional studies are built.  The 40 credit hour requirement in liberal studies makes up approximately one-third of the credits needed for a baccalaureate degree.

The Graduate College at Northern Michigan University encourages graduate education that (1) upgrades professional competence by providing programs designed to train for careers in a wide variety of areas; (2) prepares individuals for more advanced academic work, particularly in the academic disciplines; (3) provides research, opportunities such that the student becomes knowledgeable regarding research techniques, and participates actively in research, and (4) serves the unique needs of students by providing post-baccalaureate educational opportunities for individuals and groups at convenient geographic locations and times.