Olsen Emphasizes Turning Challenges into Opportunities in First Convocation

In his first fall convocation, Northern Michigan University President Chris Olsen outlined his vision for the future of NMU, with a focus on being different, better, and distinctive, while promoting positive change across the university.

"Change is sometimes scary, but in a lot of ways it should be energizing for us," Olsen said. "We simply must be ready and willing to make changes - changes that will preserve the things we love about Northern."

The university must evolve, Olsen said, as the shifting landscape of higher education creates a multitude of challenges, including a nation-wide drop in population among traditional college-aged students, a decline in public perception of the value of higher education, and the effect on enrollment of the State of Michigan's promise to provide free community college to all.

Part of that change Olsen said, requires departments across campus to examine their operations with three key questions in mind:

• What can be done better?
• What can be done more efficiently?
• What can be done differently from other higher education institutions?

A first step in this effort was reducing staff sizes through a voluntary employee separation, with 43 employees opting to take the university-offered buyout.

"I certainly want to thank those folks who have chosen to retire, for decades of commitment and service to students and the community," Olsen said. "Those are huge losses and we will be hard pressed to replace that level of experience and expertise."

"Right-sizing" will be a multi-year process, Olsen said, and will impact all areas of NMU. Olsen used his own unit as an example of a campus area under change where four administrative positions will be combined into one as a result of the buyout, with some duties dispersed to other positions and others eliminated. Additional reductions will take place in the form of planned retirements over the next few years.

"That's a lot of change at the top of a relatively small division, and it will be an area that's even smaller two or three years from now," Olsen said. "Across campus, I hope we can have the same thoughtful, strategic review of work and to answer, proactively, some of the questions my division is taking on right now, prompted by the buyout.

"Again, what can we do more efficiently or differently? What do we no longer need to do? These apply to every part of the university," he added. "The good news - and its very good news - is we get to do this with some level of thoughtfulness over the next few years."

In an effort to lean into NMU's best differentiators, Olsen said the university will provide a greater investment in high-impact practices such as study abroad, undergraduate research, and internships and work-based learning.

"The university is committed to broadening those kinds of experiences for all students - not a select number, not for those who come from families who can afford to do it anyway," Olsen said, adding there will also be an expansion to the Honors Program.

Additionally, Olsen touched on declining public perception of the value of higher education, citing statistics that show the financial return on a college degree is still strong, with additional options for tuition support that didn't exist in decades past making college more accessible.

"Every study, every study - and there are dozens of them - examining the financial return on investment is positive across the board. Of course it's worth it, maybe more so now than at any point," Olsen said.

Statistics show a healthy return on investment for NMU students, with the job placement rate among NMU graduates at 97 percent, and 39 percent of the last graduating cohort leaving the university with no debt, while the remaining 61 percent graduating with debt averaging less than $23,000.

"That's about a third the cost of a new car, and your degree that you get does not depreciate when you walk across the stage, like when you drive that car off the lot," Olsen said. "Those are good numbers we should be proud of, we should talk about, and we should emphasize. It's a fantastic investment."

After a decade of relatively stable enrollment, Northern will see a decline among freshmen as well as overall enrollment, with official numbers to be released following the 10th day count in September. To address this, and ensure NMU stands out among the plethora of choices for potential students, Olsen said faculty and staff must make a commitment to not simply state how the university is different, better or distinctive, but to show it.

"We offer better experiences than students get elsewhere and we should not be shy or apologetic about putting that in front of people every day," Olsen said.

Olsen emphasized the positive position the university is currently in, with a recently announced A1 rating from Moody's and a "clear identity, a clear and consistent mission, and multiple factors that differentiate us from lots of other institutions."

He concluded his speech with a call to demonstrate the impact of the Northern experience on students and alumni, and to embrace a spirit of change and evolution to ensure NMU's continued success.

"I know that everyone here, faculty and staff, care so much about students, this institution and the community that you will do what is needed to turn today's higher education challenges into opportunities," Olsen said. "Northern is a world-class institution, with world-class faculty and facilities, and we are fortunate to be located in one of the most unique, amazing places in the country."