Northland College (Wisconsin)

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Northland College
Motto:	A Highway Shall be There
Established:	1906
Type:	Private Liberal Arts
Endowment:	18.5 Million
President:	Karen Halbersleben, Ph.D.
Staff:	181
Undergraduates:	748 undergraduates
Location:	Ashland, Wisconsin, USA
Campus:	Rural, 220 Total Acres (890,308 m2
Colors:	Orange and Blue
Nickname:	"Lumberjacks" or "Lumberjills"
Affiliations:	UCC
Website:	www.northland.edu

Northland College is a small, coeducational, liberal arts college in Ashland, Wisconsin, USA. Initially founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the Congregational Church, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's descendant, the United Church of Christ (UCC). The college currently enrolls 748 undergraduate students and employs 82 faculty members and 99 staff members. Its current president is Dr. Karen Halbersleben.

[edit] History

Northland College is the successor to the North Wisconsin Academy, and was founded on the same tract of land. Wheeler Hall, built in 1892, is what used to be the sole building of the North Wisconsin Academy, providing classroom space, board and cafeteria services. The building was renovated in 1993 and 1994 and remains the centerpiece of campus. Today, Wheeler houses classrooms and faculty offices for the social sciences and humanities and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[edit] Campus life

Northland's campus is small, having only 19 major buildings, and is dominated by the new student union, completed in 2003, and Wheeler Hall, built in 1892 and renovated in 1993-94. The buildings are predominantly brick with sharply peaked roofs, in an effort to emulate the region's historical brownstone architecture. The campus is centered on an open mall, a grassy area where students gather to sunbathe and play ultimate.

The campus atmosphere is relaxed, and the faculty are generally congenial and laid back. Small class sizes make it easy for students and professors to get to know each other. There has been a hippie flavor to the student body - dreadlocks, patched clothes, and bare feet are common; business attire is rarely seen, however, recently the college's trustees have placed a premium on the school's athletics programs--this has, in turn, attracted a student population in sharp contrast to what people now call "hippies."

[edit] Native American focus

The college has a solid relationship with the nearby Native American communities, being close to both the Bad River and Red Cliff Ojibwa (Chippewa) reservations. The college offers courses focusing on Native American history, language and culture, and offers a degree in Native American studies.

[edit] Environmental focus

Northland College hails itself as "The Environmental Liberal Arts College", and many classes focus on or include environmental issues.

In 1971, shortly after the first Earth Day, Northland College hosted its first environmental conference. Keynote speakers included Sigurd Olson. The environmental outreach arm of Northland College, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute opened its doors in 1972. The institute works to this day to educate the Northcountry, students and community members about Great Lakes environmental issues.

The college is also part of a 6 college consortium called the Eco League, where students can spend semesters at Alaska Pacific University, Green Mountain College, Prescott College and College of the Atlantic.

[edit] Location

The college is located in Ashland, Wisconsin, a small town on the shore of Lake Superior. The school is only ten blocks from the lakefront. The region, known for its harsh winters, is sparsely populated, the nearest major population center being Duluth, Minnesota. The nearby town of Bayfield, Wisconsin is a major summer vacation spot, attracting many seasonal residents from the Twin Cities and Chicago. The school's location on the lakefront makes internship opportunities available with agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Ashland Fisheries Resource Office(AFRO), The Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

[edit] Athletics

The schools athletic teams are called the LumberJacks and LumberJills. The school competes in the NCAA Division III in all sports. The school is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Jamling Tenzing Norgay - Mountain climber
• Sigurd F. Olson - Author and prominent environmentalist
• Stan Gruszynski - former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

[edit] 2006 protests

On October 26, 2006, more than fifty students and several members of the faculty and staff staged a sit-in at the Administration Building to protest a perceived lack of community voice at the administrative level. At the heart of the issue was a decision by the college to end a longstanding relationship with the night watchmen employed by the college in favor of a contracted security firm.

Following a series of community meetings, a group of students began organizing a direct, community response to the administration's decisions. At 9:00 in the morning on the 26th, students unfurled several large banners in support of the action around the campus while simultaneously addressing the faculty council and beginning the demonstration. At the faculty council, near-unanimous support was given for the sit-in.

At the end of the demonstration, President Halbersleben and six representatives from the student body signed an agreement developed by the members of the student body. Included in the agreement was an item calling for the creation of a budget advisory committee composed of student, staff and faculty representatives. To date, the structure of the budget committee has not been finalized and no meetings have taken place.

[edit] See also

• Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
• WRNC-FM, student-owned radio station

[edit] External links

• Northland.edu
• Northlander Book Exchange