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Northern president addresses funding problems, possible solutions

MARQUETTE, MI--   Northern Michigan University is facing some big challenges, but the school’s opportunities are even greater.   

That’s according to President Fritz Erickson, who gave his fall convocation address Wednesday.  Lower enrollment nationwide, rising university costs, changes in state funding, and expectations of what a good college experience should be have come together in what some are calling a higher education “perfect storm.” 

Erickson says strategic planning will be critical for NMU.

“I want us to be bold, to be innovative, and to be absolutely fearless at strategic planning,” he says, “because the bottom line is that we can’t expect different results by doing the same things the same way in the same places as we have always done them.”   

Erickson wants to set an aggressive timeline and bring a completed strategic plan to the Board of Trustees at their December meeting.  He says besides enrollment, the plan will address academic excellence, student success, outreach and engagement, and innovation and investment. 

NMU’s school year begins on Monday.  

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.