Volume 9, Issue 2 -- August 15, 2009
Dear NMU Parents,
We’re ready to start the semester. Are you and your student? I know it’s a very hectic time for your, especially if you’re traveling to NMU. Already the campus is taking on that vibrant, active feeling it gets as the fall semester begins. Below I’ve included a variety of start-of-the-semester notes that I hope will be helpful in getting your daughter or son ready to begin the academic year at Northern. The early weather forecast for next week is a 40-50 percent chance of rain Thursday through Saturday. Keep in mind that predicting weather in the Upper Peninsula is a lot like gambling. That said, you may want to bring your umbrellas, jackets and some plastic sheeting to keep you and your belongings dry. The temperatures are predicted to be in the high 60s, which is perfect moving weather as long as it doesn’t rain.
YOU’RE INVITED: Parents and students who are in the area at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 are invited to attend the university’s convocation ceremony in room 102 of Jamrich Hall. NMU will also be officially launching its WiMAX network at 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, in the Superior Dome. If you’re near the Dome at that time and would like to help us celebrate this major milestone, as well as see demonstrations of the WiMAX network in use, please join us. You are also invited to participate in any and all Welcome Weekend activities held Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 20-23. The full schedule of events can be found at www.nmu.edu/welcomeweekend.
COMPUTER DISTRIBUTION: NMU will hold its notebook computer distribution at the Superior Dome Aug. 20-21, with about 5,000 computers changing hands – approximately 3,000 new computers being handed out and about 2,000 being turned in as “end-of-lease” models. Returning students who are eligible for the exchange received their assigned computer pickup time via their NMU e-mail account sent on Aug. 10. Computer distribution information was mailed that same day to new full-time and all part-time students (who may or may not have their NMU e-mail at this time). Students can also find their assigned times at https://www.acs.nmu.edu/2.2.1.php (log in required). Exchanging an old computer and picking up a new one only takes a few minutes – in fact, probably less than 5 minutes – if the student doesn’t require training or chooses not to register the computer while at the Dome. However, a large training area with support staff is available. For many people, it is worth the extra time to take care of everything right there where there is assistance, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Also, a photo ID is required to pick up a computer. You may want to mention that to your student.
CAN’T MAKE ASSIGNED TIME? Students who can’t make their assigned time should try to come to the Dome from 1-5 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 21). If this is still not doable, students can go to room 122 of the Learning Resources Center (LRC) from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. during the first week of classes. Please keep in mind that students who come to the LRC distribution should allow more time, as it is a smaller service area than in the Dome. Regardless of where a student picks up the computer, he or she must have paid tuition or arranged for a payment plan (www.nmu.edu/paymentplans) and must present some form of photo I.D. Students who will not be 18 years of age by Aug. 20 must bring a computer agreement signed by a parent or legal guardian. For more information, go to the distribution Web page at http://www.acs.nmu.edu/11.5.php. One other note about the distribution at the Dome: entrances are located on Fair Avenue, Wright Street or Pine Street (campus map at www.nmu.edu/map) and you can park in any of the lots surrounding the NMU Sports Complex during the distribution hours.
MOVING IN: Residence halls open for the fall semester at 8 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 20. Students may check in anytime after that. When you reach campus, the first place you want to go is to the main desk of the residence hall to which your son or daughter has been assigned to have him or her check in and pick up the room key. To facilitate move-in, several unloading areas have been designated in the parking lots and on city streets as close to the residence halls as possible. Only students, parents and others unloading vehicles for move-in will be permitted to park in these areas. A map indicating the unloading zones can be found on the Housing and Residence Life site (www.nmu.edu/housing). Look for the yellow signs indicating unloading zones. NMU's motor vehicle ordinances prohibit driving or parking on sidewalks and lawns. NMU Public Safety officers will ticket vehicles being driven or that are parked on sidewalks and/or lawns, a violation of Michigan law (a misdemeanor with a $150 fine). There will be a 45-minute time limit for unloading. Housing and Residence Life has a few garden carts available for check out at each residence hall desk, but we recommend that you bring a handcart in case one isn’t available when you want to check in. For several hours (approximately 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) student volunteers from each residence hall wearing yellow “Housing and Residence Life Move-In 2009/Event Staff” will be available to assist with unloading. Note that our four recently renovated residence halls – Magers, Meyland, Van Antwerp and Hunt Halls – have elevators. Our other residence halls don’t.
WHAT TO BRING, WHAT TO LEAVE HOME: We recommend that your son or daughter consider bringing enough of their belongings with them to feel comfortable and to enjoy their first few weeks at school. Once he or she and his or her roommate see what they have together and how it all fits in their room, the two of them can have other items they want or need sent to them. Many students bring much more than they need and then have a tough time making it all fit comfortably. We also want to remind you that there are several things your student should not bring, as they are not permitted in residence hall rooms (e.g. candles, beds or mattresses from home, electric heaters, clamp-on bed lamps, George Foreman grills, hot plates). Note that students who are hunters and bringing weapons to campus for this purpose must register and store them at NMU’s Public Safety and Police Services. Weapons are not permitted anywhere else on campus. It is also important that students remember that whatever items are in their rooms when they arrive must stay in their rooms. University-provided furnishings are not to be removed and stored elsewhere. For more information on what to bring and not to bring, check out Housing and Residence Life’s site at www.nmu.edu/housing.
RAD PADS: You can find loft instructions, measurements and guidelines on the loft guidelines page of the Housing site, if you are planning to build one. Another option is to buy one from the NMU Constructors, a student group consisting primarily of construction management and building technology majors. The group will build a loft of your choice and assemble it in your room for you. Lofts are sold on a first-come, first-served basis until the group’s material supply is gone. There are three basic designs: L-frame ($175), single ($125) or double ($180). Orders can be made in the Payne/Halverson lobby or by e-mailing Chris at csinger@nmu.edu. Lofts will be assembled through Friday, Aug. 28.
NEED HOUSING? NMU students eligible to live off campus who haven’t found housing yet or who have had their housing plans fall through may want to contact Housing and Residence Life (housing@nmu.edu) about any remaining on-campus options, or view the Dean of Students’ online off-campus housing list.
FINANCIAL MATTERS: MyNMU.edu (http://my.nmu.edu) is where students can find their e-bill statements and make payments. Tuition, fees, room and board were all due on Wednesday, Aug. 12. I strongly urge students to review their financial aid file on MyNMU.edu to confirm that there are no outstanding requirements that they need to take care of to process the award. Students expecting to receive overage checks will be sent an e-mail to their NMU account with information on when their check will be available for pickup. The earliest that overage checks might be available is Friday, Aug. 21, so plan accordingly. Overage check situations occur when financial assistance is more than the cost of university-related fees. A reminder that if you need payment plan information it can be found at www.nmu.edu/paymentplans.
EATS AND TREATS: NMU’s welcome back picnic is Thursday, Aug. 20, at noon-6 p.m. in front of the Marketplace dining hall. All parents and students are encouraged to attend. It is sponsored by NMU Dining Services, Coca-Cola and Gordon Food Services. … Encourage your NMU student to attend the 23rd annual Fall Fest, which takes place on the first day of classes (Aug. 24) from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the academic mall. More than 60 businesses, more than 90 student organizations and 25 volunteer agencies will be represented. Entertainment, food and free ice cream will also be available. This is a great opportunity for your student to learn more about the Marquette area and student organizations.
RESERVING TEXTBOOKS: The course book list for the fall semester has been posted on the NMU Bookstore site (www.nmu.edu/bookstore). Students can also reserve their books for pickup next week if they put in their order by Monday, Aug. 17. Reserved books can be picked up Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 20-23. Last semester the student government asked us to put a process in place where students could charge textbooks to their student account. It went well, so this semester we’ve continued it. One word of caution about ordering online textbooks from national book-selling companies: some online sites do not take returns on textbooks. So, students should proceed with caution if they are unsure about a course and they must be sure they are getting the correct edition of the required book.
CHANGING COURSE SCHEDULES: Students who wish to change their fall course schedule can do so pretty easily during the first four days of classes. No add card is required for a course with open seats; the student just needs to register for the course at MyNMU.edu (http://my.nmu.edu). To gain a seat in a course that is full, the student must have the instructor sign an add card. The last day to add a full-semester course is Thursday, Aug. 27. All signed add cards must be dropped off at the Student Service Center, C.B. Hedgcock, room 2201. Students do not need the instructor’s signature to drop a course from now until Aug. 27; they can do so at MyNMU.edu. After Aug. 27, they must go to the Student Service Center to do so. The last day to drop a full-semester course for a 100 percent refund and no grade is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1. Students who do not attend the first four days of a course can be dropped by an instructor so the seat is available to another student. First Year Experience participants need approval from the FYE office to drop a course. Also, some majors require freshmen to get permission from their advisers to drop a course.
CAR AND BIKE REGISTRATION: Students can get a jump start on the semester by ordering their parking decals online. All vehicles that park on campus must be registered. The cost of a student parking decal for the year is $130. Students must also register any bikes or motor scooters they plan to use on campus, although there is no charge for non-motorized registration. To learn more, go to the parking page on the Public Safety site. Parents, you do not need parking permits if you are just here temporarily to help move in your NMU student. However, if you visit later in the semester and will be parking on campus, you must park either in the visitor spaces or stop by Public Safety to get a free temporary parking pass. And for those without a car, the Wildcat Shuttle is a great form of free transportation around campus and throughout Marquette County.
EMERGENCY ALERTS: Don’t forget that your student can sign up for emergency text message alerts and can sign you up to receive them, too. While the service is free – aside from any text messaging fee associated with the cell phone carrier – it isn’t automatic. Students must opt in by registering at http://myweb.nmu.edu/alerts. They will need to input their NMU e-mail account information and they must have a phone that accepts text messages. Students can also sign up family members to receive the same alerts sent to the campus community. The system is designed to enable all types of text messaging, but we only use it for emergency notifications and snow day announcements. To learn more about NMU’s emergency text messaging program, go to www.nmu.edu/publicsafety.
TICKET DISCOUNT: The NMU EZ Ticket Office is offering advanced ticket prices for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Short Track Speedskating to Northern students from Aug. 19-31, a 25 percent discount. We didn’t feel it was fair to have the advanced ticket sale campaign over the summer without offering it to the students when they were on campus. The Trials take place at the Berry Events Center on Sept. 8-12. Several of the skaters who have qualified for the Trials are current or former United States Olympic Education Center resident athletes. It’s going to be quite the event. All of our country’s best short-track speedskaters are expected to participate, including stars like Apolo Anton Ohno. We anticipate large crowds, possibly sellouts on several or all of the nights, so let your student know that if he or she is planning to attend now is the time to purchase their tickets. For more information, go to www.goldrushskate.com.
ON THE NATIONAL SCENE: In July, NMU became the first McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program in the Upper Peninsula. There are only 185 McNair institutions in the nation! Our McNair grant funding is $880,000 over four years. The program provides federal grants to universities to prepare low-income, first-generation college students and students from groups underrepresented in graduate education, for doctoral study. NMU will sponsor 25 McNair scholars each year. … The WiMAX network launch kicks off NMU’s “Tech Turns 10” celebration. In fall 2000, NMU started its campus-wide laptop program, making us one of the largest laptop universities in the nation. Now we mark the start of the second decade of technology leadership as one of only 59 WiMAX license holders in the world. Northern’s WiMAX network will be one of the largest active networks. In fact, one of our technology partners estimates NMU will make up 10 percent of the world’s WiMAX use. What exactly is WiMAX? It’s a wireless signal that can be measured in miles, rather than in feet, which is how far a WiFi signal can travel. This new type of wireless allows NMU to help off-campus students in the City of Marquette to have Internet access 24 X 7 in the same way that those students who live on campus do, thus continuing to expand the learning environment.
A FINAL NOTE: For a lot of parents this is a scary, uncomfortable part of the parenthood experience, giving your son or daughter wings to fly – in the classroom, in the community, in their place of residence, socially, financially, professionally. I understand that uncertain feeling. I don’t think any parent ever forgets what it felt like to have your child’s hand in your hand when they were little, or how unsettling it was when they didn’t want you to hold their hand anymore. Waving goodbye as I’d pull away from campus each year when my sons were in college always reminded me of that same sensation. You know they’re ready to do this on their own, but you’d just like to keep holding their hand to make sure they don’t fall down or run too fast or get lost. In reality, they probably are going to fall down a few times while climbing to new heights in a complicated world. They’ll run too fast toward some goal or desire. They’ll get lost a few times and have to learn to navigate on their own. My advice: take a deep breath, say a prayer and let go. Be their support system, their greatest cheerleader, their compass, the understanding ear in a late-night telephone call. But don’t be their problem-solver, their planner, their supervisor. When things don’t go perfectly right (in your eyes or theirs), don’t make the call, have them make it; don’t fill out the form that needs to be processed, just tell them which one it is; don’t intervene (unless it’s at a critical level), point them in the direction they should go next; and don’t make decisions for them, but ask them what they plan to do. And each time they’re trying to figure these things out on their own, keep reminding yourself that they did learn to look both ways before crossing the street.
Les Wong, President
Northern Michigan University
