Living and Learning at Northland
Northland is a community that appreciates the diverse gifts and talents of each individual. To assist students in reaching their potential, we offer a variety of student activities, learning opportunities, and support services. There are many offices, departments, and people on campus that engage students in both living and learning outside the classroom. These include the Division of Student Life, the Athletic Department, the Northland College Student Association, music and theatre opportunities, Information Technology, Food Service, Campus Safety, and the Library staff.
The Division of Student Life
A Northland College education is uniquely designed to engage students inside and outside the classroom with both formal and experiential opportunities. The Division of Student Life has developed a set of intentional learning strategies that engage students in a variety of workshops, activities and experiences tailored to enhance their lives outside the classroom. The goals of this co-curriculum are structured so that graduates will:
- Develop a well-rounded and balanced life.
- Ethically guide the work of self and others towards common goals.
- Exhibit their core values and apply those values to important decisions in every aspect of their lives.
Student Learning
The co-curriculum was created to enhance learning opportunities for students. There are two Centers that direct portions of this learning: the Center for Wellness and Lifelong Learning and the Center for Ethical Leadership and Active Citizenship. Each Center has designed a unique set of learning objectives for students to complete during their undergraduate study. Additional learning experiences are available through the offices of Applied Learning, Orientation, Edventures, and Sustainability.
Internships and Applied Learning
The opportunity to enhance classroom learning with “real world” experiences is a central feature of a Northland education. These experiences include internships, externships, seasonal employment, and volunteer options.
For-credit internships: Northland College recognizes the value of internships as part of the learning experience. In some areas of study, internships are required while in others, they are optional. Students work with a faculty sponsor to create for-credit internships. These can be paid or unpaid, and typically happen over the course of a semester, a school year, or the summer. Northland College has developed internship partners who are passionate about sharing their knowledge with students. Opportunities with for-profit, non-profit, and state and federal governmental agencies offer a diverse array of placements for students to choose from based on their learning goals.
Paid and unpaid internships: Students engage in a variety of internship experiences that broaden their experiences or focus their learning and refine their vocational goals. Summer is a typical time when students engage in these internships.
The Center for Wellness and Lifelong Learning
This Center provides an intentional co-curriculum of workshops and learning experiences that encourage students to develop a well-rounded and balanced life. The Center helps students develop multiple ways of knowing the self, others, and the world; and it empowers students to engage actively in life’s challenges by making ethical and fulfilling choices grounded in a rich sense of identity, positive disposition, and healthy habits over a lifetime. We do this by offering a wide array of workshops each semester that encompass one or more of eight wellness dimensions, described below.
Students must fulfill co-curricular wellness requirements in addition to curricular requirements, in order to receive a baccalaureate degree. First-year students are also required to complete a First-Year Experience (FYE) course.
In order to satisfy the graduation requirement, each student needs to complete a workshop from each of the eight Wellness dimensions listed below. While some workshops will focus solely on a single wellness dimension, many workshops will cover multiple dimensions. Most students can satisfy the requirement with 4-5 workshops. Students can complete the requirements anytime during their undergraduate experience however we recommend starting the program during the first semester of attendance.
Transfer students are required to complete all 8 Wellness requirements in order to satisfy degree requirements at Northland College. Transfers and non-traditional students may complete up to 2 dimensions via the prior life experience petition. Petitions must be approved by Co-curricular Council. Any student may complete up to 2 dimensions through council pre-approved advanced study or Attending a Professional Conference options.
The Center for Ethical Leadership and Active Citizenship: Applied Learning
The Center for Ethical Leadership and Active Citizenship is designed to support and foster growth in students who want to explore leadership and service in their communities. The Center’s curriculum leads participants in identifying strengths, acting from their values, provides the tools to lead towards a common goal, and offers the necessary resources to implement a vision for the greater good. After completing both levels, participants can design their own practicum to earn the title of Certified Ethical Leader or Certified Active Citizen. This program is a must for any students wishing to distinguish themselves outside of the classroom.
Students enrolled in this Center participate in a wide variety of leadership and service opportunities both on campus and in the community. Workshops focus on teaching and practicing leadership skills, such as: running effective meetings, exploring values, conflict resolution, citizenship, setting group goals, social and natural capital, collaborative decision-making, diversity, the ethics of power, and much more.
Upon completion, participants can choose up to three Wellness dimensions to earn credit in, receive special recognition at Honor’s Day and graduation, will receive a statement of certification on their co-curricular transcript, and are eligible for campus leadership positions.
Outdoor Orientation
Northland is intimately tied to its surrounding landscape. What better way to start your time here than exploring that landscape? We believe in the importance of sharing this adventure with your fellow new students, so we have made it part of the requirement of the First Year Experience Program. OO is a time to meet people, explore the surrounding area (all the OO trips are within 90 miles of campus), and start creating your unique place at Northland.
These trips are required for first-year students and optional for transfer students. The Northland Outdoor Orientation program is unique in the country for our committed student leadership, the wide variety of locations for trips, and our growing commitment to sustainability. We offer land-and water-based trips for a wide range of student experience, from novices to outdoor enthusiasts.
All Northland Outdoor Orientation trips are student led. Highly skilled and extremely competent leaders undergo group facilitation, backcountry skills, and wilderness medicine training. Each year the trips are different, as students create unique experiences for each incoming class.
The First Year Experience
The First Year Experience (FYE) program is designed to engage new Northlanders in the richness and diversity of student life. We want our students to make the most of their whole Northland experience, and the FYE program is a primer on how to do that. Participation in an Outdoor Orientation trip kicks off the FYE program, taking place before classes begin.
Following the trips, first-year students participate in a sequence of planned events and activities over the first half of the semester, both on campus and in the local area. Students are assigned to an FYE section with 8-10 students and an upper-class student instructor, and will participate in activities with their section or in large-group activities with multiple FYE sections. The First Year Experience program is a requirement for graduation.
Sustainability
At Northland College, sustainability is all about people. We believe that environmental change requires more than technical knowledge of renewable energy, ecosystems, and sustainable business practices; it demands an exploration of human nature–an exploration of ourselves. We focus on environmental leadership throughout the student experience at Northland. Students participate in all levels of our campus life–from volunteering to enhance our “commons,” to work study jobs that support our green features, to capstone projects that help our college innovate. Students are active in governance, strategic planning, and vision setting. They are not just tomorrow’s environmental leaders; Northland students are creating a more sustainable future now.
Northland is a national leader in the opportunities it provides students to take an active role in changing the way the campus does business. The students with work-study positions in campus sustainability graduate with skills that position them for careers in the growing field of sustainability. Some examples of work study positions in sustainability:
Student Government and Organizations
Student organizations on campus include religious groups, political organizations, social fraternities, and academic and recreational interest groups. Student organizations wishing to make use of Northland College facilities or to use the name of Northland College in communications, publicity, and records must obtain permission from the Northland College Student Association (NCSA). Student organizations must meet the NCSA standards and follow NCSA procedures for recognition. In addition, student organizations need to file a copy of their constitution and a list of officers with the NCSA each academic year.
Northland College Student Association
NCSA takes a leadership role in helping the College walk its talk through the efforts of the NCSA Sustainability Director and through projects financed through the Renewable Energy Fund (REF).
Students on Environmental Council draft a variety of proposals for NCSA to consider through the REF.
Participatory democracy is a reality at Northland. Student government through the Northland College Student Association (NCSA), Inc., operates as a non-profit corporation with all students being members of the association. In working with the Faculty Council and the College administration, the association exercises intelligent judgment in issues of concern to all. The Executive and Legislative branches function cooperatively in seeking to provide meaningful programs that are educationally, socially, and administratively relevant to the needs and desires of students. The Student Senate supervises the expenditure of NCSA’s budget, obtained through student fees.
Association committees plan, coordinate, and execute the policies adopted by the Student Senate.
The constituency-oriented Senate functions within this framework of “balance of power” and democratically represents all the students of the College.
Student Support Services
The Division of Student Life provides support to students to enhance their success while at Northland. This support includes:
Academic Peer Tutoring
Northland provides instructional peer tutoring that’s available for all students free of charge. This program of academic support, facilitated by the Student Life office in conjunction with outstanding upper-class students (recommended by the faculty in the particular discipline) provides academic tutoring in a wide variety of subject areas and also for many blocked courses. Additionally, supplemental instruction and support in writing is available. Academic tutor schedules are published each semester; they are distributed to students electronically through email and via the My Northland portal, and paper copies are available in all academic buildings and residence halls.
Career Education Center
Opportunities to connect your strengths and interests to explore career paths, along with developing skills and testing your career choices by gaining experience, are available at Northland. Your educational preparation at Northland, combined with comprehensive career planning, and gaining successive pre-professional experiences in your chosen field, will effectively prepare for life both now and after Northland College. Whether you choose further education in the form of graduate or professional school, and/or employment after college, your Northland education and pre-professional experiences will help successfully leverage those next steps in your life plan.
Multicultural Services
Students that attend Northland represent a wide range of cultural populations. Preparing students for life in an increasingly diverse, global society is the focus of Northland’s multicultural support services. Individual support is available to help students successfully address the challenges and rewards of college life. Workshops, presentations, programs, social activities, along with student-directed organizations, (Native American Student Association, the GLBTQAI Alliance), provide a rich assortment of educational programming and support in group settings. Support services geared specifically toward the unique needs of international students include helping students understand Northland’s academic requirements, regulations, and programs; helping students adapt to the culture of Northland College; and assisting students on the numerous issues regarding maintaining status as a non-immigrant (F-1) student.
Spiritual Life
Spiritual life at Northland College includes a variety of opportunities. Recognizing the diversity of students’ spiritual backgrounds, most on-campus activities reflect Judeo-Christian, East Asian, and Native American world views. Campus Ministry at Northland:
- encourages renewal through personal counseling, spiritual retreats, and social gatherings;
- invites dialogue and action through talking circles, movies, and service projects;
- offers traditional Christian worship services, Native American rituals, and other spiritual celebrations;
- coordinates projects that focus on a commitment to serving others;
- encourages those students seeking a faith community to reach out to fellowships in the Chequamegon Bay area.
Residential Living
Residence hall living is part of the total educational experience at Northland College. It provides an environment that is conducive to personal growth and an opportunity to develop a sense of community with student peers. In the residence halls, students live in close proximity, and this living pattern assists students as they continue their maturation process.
The Office of Residential Life is dedicated to promoting a healthy living and learning environment for all students. Upper-class students are hired as Residence Hall Directors and Resident Advisors to live in the residence halls. In addition, professional staff members provide program oversight and staff training.
Northland College requires all freshmen and sophomores to live on campus. Exemptions are granted for married students, students from the greater Ashland area who are living with their parents in a primary residence, Armed Forces veterans, or students who turn 21 years of age prior to September of the academic year for which they are enrolled. Questions regarding exemption eligibility should be addressed to the Director of Residential Life.
The Northland campus has six residential facilities, each with its own distinctive personality.
- Fenenga Hall is a coeducational facility and the largest residence hall on campus with the capability of housing approximately 160 students. Its ravine-facing rooms are popular options for students who want a “naturescape” view.
- Memorial Hall is our historic residence hall and provides housing for approximately 80 women. Its charm, fireplace lounge, and uniquely shaped rooms contribute to its popularity.
- McMillan Hall, constructed in 1964, is a coeducational residence hall that houses approximately 115 students. Its location, adjacent to the gym and pool, appeals to many of its residents.
- Mead Hall is the smallest residence hall on campus, housing approximately 50 students. Due to its small size, Mead is a unique and close residence hall community with a great deal of interaction between its residents.
- Townhouse apartments provide an alternative housing option for 32 upper-class students. These two-bedroom, two-bath apartments enhance an independent lifestyle and are conveniently located on campus.
- The McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center (MELLC) is a two-story building consisting of three wings that house 114 students. Resource efficiency and renewable energy sources are integral components. Besides high energy- and water-efficiency features, the building contains four renewable systems: a 120-foot wind tower with a 20 KW capacity, three photovoltaic arrays mounted on trackers that position the arrays to follow the sun, fourteen solar panels preheat hot water for residential use, and composting/waterless toilets in two of the apartments. The building also has a passive solar design and two attached greenhouses.
Counseling Support
Counseling support is available to all students at Northland College. Services are provided in a safe and confidential manner. The college counseling office strives to provide the support necessary to allow for the development of balanced and healthy students who have the tools necessary to be actively engaged in the world around them. Support includes individual counseling on a variety of topics such as healthy relationships, time/stress management, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, grief and loss issues, and crisis intervention. Referral to off-campus providers is also provided.
Health Services
Northland College Health Services Department is staffed by a registered nurse and also served by local physicians who see students on campus once a week and at the clinic by appointment. These physicians are available for consultation at all times when the campus nurse is seeing students. The campus nurse assesses students for signs and symptoms of minor to major medical and emotional disorders. Students are advised regarding self-care for their condition or referred to higher levels of care as needed and in consultation with local physicians. The campus nurse offers CLIA waived testing for strep A, pregnancy, and urinary tract infections. Over the counter medications for pain, cold symptoms, allergies, and other minor concerns are available through the campus nurse. Bandages and other first aid materials are available, along with instructions for use. Immunizations are administered as ordered by physicians. The campus nurse prepares and delivers proactive educational materials to the student body on a variety of health topics impacting the college community. The nurse offers information and guidance for a variety of concerns, including birth control options, coping, substance abuse, disease process and prevention, healthy lifestyles, and more. An effort is made to connect with students at their level and to provide comprehensive care for each individual, with attention to physical, psychological, social, academic, and spiritual health, within the scope of nursing practice.
The College requires proof of insurance for every student enrolled full-time. If proof is not provided, students will be charged for a school-sponsored plan.
Special Services: Services for Students with Special Needs
Direct services for students with special needs are provided on an individual and flexible basis. Services provided include problem resolution, advocacy, and help with adaptive equipment, tutoring, and other accommodations for academic assistance. In addition, the Office of Student Life acts as liaison to College offices, professional health and counseling services, and vocational rehabilitation programs.
Students who have special needs may use these services with the following considerations: These services are available to students who provide documentation from a qualified professional that indicates a student’s need for assistance. Requested accommodations are to be used for the purpose of academic assistance.
A unique fixture at Northland College, the Outpost offers high-quality, low-cost gear for students to rent. The Outpost is full of tents, backpacks, boats of all flavors, and skis (cross-country, telemark, downhill) to match anyone’s ability level. We have nearly every kind of outdoor gear a student might need to be outside recreating in every season of the year, so get out and play! The Outpost serves as a consignment shop for gently used gear, which allows students to sell their old gear and possibly upgrade at a lower price. We outfit Outdoor Orientation trips, class trips, Wellness workshops, community requests, individual students and more. Outpost: Start your adventure here!
Athletics
The Northland College athletic program supports the educational mission of the College by providing programs that develop the principles of fair play in amateur competition, that encourage the academic success and health and welfare of student-athletes, and that emphasize high standards of sportsmanship and ethical conduct. The College also strives to develop athletic programs that provide fair and equitable treatment of men and women and to promote a sense of community across campus.
The athletic program is the responsibility of the Athletic Department, under the direction of the Athletic Director. The Athletic Advisory Board provides guidance and advice on matters of policy. The College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division III.
Students can participate on varsity intercollegiate teams in basketball for men and women, soccer for men and women, cross-country running for men and women, volleyball for women, ice hockey for men, softball for women, and baseball for men. An intramural program offers opportunities for students to participate in a variety of different activities on individual, team, and coeducational levels. Northland College has an active Nordic ski club with access to a multitude of outstanding trails and local races.
Musical and Theatrical Performing Opportunities
The Northland College fine arts program supports student participation in a variety of musical and theatrical groups. Groups are also open to other members of the campus community and to the general public. Participation for credit is an option.
- The Symphonic Band is devoted to the study and performance of traditional and contemporary band literature and presents several concerts throughout the academic year.
- The Northland Singers is a mixed choir that tours nationally and internationally and performs two annual campus concerts, one at Christmas and another in spring. Vocal and chamber music ensembles are offered for advanced singers and musicians.
- The Jazz Band is for advanced performers who are dedicated to the study and performance of jazz and dance arrangements.
- The Chequamegon Symphony Orchestra has a community-based board of directors and a season of three or four concerts, including major and challenging orchestral repertory of the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
- The Lumberjack Chorus is open to all men who enjoy singing a variety of choral literature, including spirituals, folk songs, and classical selections.
- Accidentals is an advanced women’s ensemble that performs classical selections, ethnic music, and vocal jazz.
In addition to music, theatre productions are hosted by The 4th Wall, a student-run organization. Students can participate as actors, technicians, or administrators.
College Radio Station
WRNC-LPFM (97.7) is one of the newest and most exciting community radio stations in Northern Wisconsin. Broadcasting from the Ponzio Campus Center on the Northland College campus in Ashland, Wisconsin, WRNC provides a variety of community generated programming and nationally-syndicated daily and weekly shows. From Democracy Now! To National Native News to Tent Show Radio, and the Weekly Wake Up to Deep Cuts to Raising Ophelia, Northland College community supported Radio offers unparalleled access to the public airwaves.
Dexter Library
Dexter Library, built in 1969 and renovated in 2008, consists of two levels, holding approximately 74,000 volumes and 64,000 individual titles. The library subscribes to 250 print periodicals and provides access to more than 50 computerized databases, including full-text journals, magazines, and newspapers; data; and abstracting and indexing databases. More than 30,000 full-text journals and magazines are available through the library’s subscription databases. Internet and database access is available in the library’s computer lab and on public workstations. Accessing the databases from off campus only requires that students provide a network login and password.
The College library’s primary role on campus is to support the academic programs of the institution. Toward that end, the materials (books, journals, databases, videos/DVDs) that the library acquires reflect past and current curriculum offerings of the college and provide access to basic texts throughout the liberal arts. In addition to curriculum support, the library maintains a small leisure reading collection as well as a juvenile/young adult collection, primarily in support of the Education program.
Students can access the library’s catalog at http://library.northland.edu. The library website also provides links to and information about search engines and search tools, quality web sites arranged by subject areas, citing sources and preparing a bibliography, and sites that provide free online access to journals and books.
Books and journal articles not available at the library may be borrowed from other libraries through the library’s interlibrary loan (ILL) service. There is a charge of $1.00 per item received for this service; the fee is waived for students doing research for their capstone projects.
The library has a variety of study rooms, collaborative work areas, and individual spaces in which students can work. Two seminar rooms and a classroom are used for regularly scheduled classes but can also be reserved by students and student groups when not otherwise occupied.
Campus Dining
Northland’s food service provider, Chartwells, has served the community for more than twenty years. Dedicated to sustainable, alternative, and organic food practices, Chartwells offers a diverse array of options for a variety of appetites and palettes. In addition to vegetarian and vegan programs, 20 percent of the fresh produce used is organically grown, and all eggs are from cage-free chickens. Chartwells works closely with student groups and organizations to implement into their catering and dining service menus produce from the campus student gardens and alternative soda products from the student vending initiative. A number of sustainable initiatives are also implemented by Chartwells, including reusable mugs and bags, composting food scraps, trayless meals in the cafeteria, and sustainably harvested coffee and food (most notably, local seafood from Lake Superior).
Technology
The Information Technology (IT) department services the Northland College network, which includes Internet, network, email, and public computer labs, and provides technical support for those services. Students can choose to bring their own computers but also have access to computers in the various labs. All students, after completing the Admission process, will get a college email account and access to the College’s portal. More computing information can be found at: http://www.northland.edu/student-life-support-computing.htm.
Communication Commission
The Communication Commission (CommComm) coordinates the four student media on campus.
Each is supported with funds assessed through a special student communications fee. The media are student-run and have their own organizational structures.
Drifts is the student-produced campus newspaper. It is devoted to the general life of the College and offers opportunities for students to gain experience in journalism and business management.
Wedge, the Northland College yearbook, is a publication of the student body, illustrating in word and image the events of interest occurring during the college year.
Mosaic, the Northland College literary magazine, contains original poetry, photographs, illustrations, and prose selections contributed by students and other members of the Northland College community.
WRNC is the College radio station, sending news, information, and music out over the airwaves to the campus and nearby community.
Campus Safety
An independent security company, supplemented by Facilities personnel, provides campus Safety services. Fire alarms are provided in all buildings and medical emergencies should be called in to the local 911. The College also provides safety training and awareness activities to the campus community throughout the year. Residence halls also hold periodic fire drills and health/safety inspections for their residents.
Drug Use and Abuse
Because of the negative personal, social, medical, and psychological effects inherent in drug abuse, Northland College supports both federal and state laws regarding the possession, use, and sale of restricted drugs. College officials are expected to cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies seeking to control and eliminate the illegal use of such drugs and will make no effort to assist students in avoiding the legal penalties of arrest and conviction on charges of possession and/or use of restricted drugs. College officials will seek immediate expulsion from Northland College for students arrested in connection with the unlawful sale or distribution of such drugs on the grounds that such persons constitute a clear and imminent threat to the College community. Northland College encourages students who may have become involved in drug or alcohol abuse to seek the assistance of health care practitioners or professional staff within the Office of Student Life for confidential consultation.
Firearms
Handguns of any type, including pellet or BB guns, are not permitted on campus. Students wishing to bring rifles and shotguns suitable for hunting or target shooting onto the campus must register them with Campus Safety and store these firearms in a designated area. The specific regulations governing the storage and transportation of guns on campus is included in the Residential Communities Handbook. Please contact the Office of Residential Life at reslife@northland.edu for further details.
Traffic and parking
Students are allowed to have vehicles on campus, subject to the traffic and parking regulations of Northland College and the City of Ashland. The College administration reviews these regulations annually and revises them as necessary. All drivers need to become familiar with the parking regulations and obtain the appropriate permits. Permits are obtained from the cashier in the Business Office. Parking stickers are required for on-campus overnight parking. |
