Northland College is a
private college
Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. D ...
in
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat of Ashland County. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 7,908 at the 2020 census, al ...
. Founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the
Congregational Church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's descendant, the
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...
. It enrolls 526 full-time undergraduates and employs 60 faculty members and 99 staff members. Northland College is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
.
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, was the North Wisconsin Academy's sole building, providing classroom space, board and cafeteria services. The building was renovated in 1993 and 1994 and remains the centerpiece of campus, housing classrooms and faculty offices for the social sciences and humanities. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Location
![Northland College Ashland Wisconsin Entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Northland_College_Ashland_Wisconsin_Entrance.jpg)
The college is in
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat of Ashland County. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 7,908 at the 2020 census, al ...
, a small city on the shore of
Lake Superior
Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...
. The school is ten blocks from the lakefront. The school's location on the lakefront makes internship opportunities available with agencies such as the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
's Ashland Fisheries Resource Office, the
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge is part of a large wetland complex on Lake Superior, near Ashland, Wisconsin. These coastal wetlands are a significant part of the wildlife habitat and aquatic resources of the south shore of Lake Superior ...
, the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy ...
, and the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
.
Finances
As a result of concerns about the college's financial position, the Higher Learning Commission required Northland to file a financial recovery plan. The college's endowment, which incurred losses in the stock market crash of 2008-09, has since recovered and the college reported 2010-11 fund raising at the highest level in several years.
Academics
Northland College is
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
.
Native American focus
The college has a relationship with the nearby Native American communities, being close to the
Lac Courte Oreilles
Lac Courte Oreilles ( ) is a large freshwater lake located in northwest Wisconsin in Sawyer County in townships 39 and 40 north, ranges 8 and 9 west. It is irregular in shape, having numerous peninsulas and bays, and is approximately six miles l ...
,
Bad River and
Red Cliff Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
reservations. The college offers courses on Native American history, language and culture, and a degree in Native American studies. In August 2011, Northland College received a $163,383 grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation to establish a Native American and Indigenous Culture Center and a Council on Indigenous Relations.
Environmental focus
Each program at Northland College incorporates an emphasis on the environment and sustainability.
[Northland College](_blank)
/ref> Many classes focus on or include environmental issues.
In 1971, shortly after the first Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 b ...
, Northland College hosted its first environmental conference. One keynote speaker was Sigurd Olson
Sigurd Ferdinand Olson (April 4, 1899 – January 13, 1982) was an American writer, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness. For more than thirty years, he served as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests of the Que ...
. The college's environmental outreach arm, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute is an outreach arm of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. A 1971 environmental conference at Northland with Sigurd Olson as a speaker was the origin of the institute. Robert Matteson was the founder o ...
, opened in 1972. The institute works to educate the North country, students and community members about Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
environmental issues.
Northland College is a sponsoring partner of the Chequamegon Bay Area Partnership, a coalition of 14 regional municipalities and tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations working toward the restoration of Lake Superior. Since September 2010, the partnership has won more than $1 million in competitive grants from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to fund habitat restoration, outreach, and education and environmental survey initiatives. This amount includes two grants totaling nearly $500,000 awarded in August 2011.
The college is also part of the Eco League The EcoLeague is a six-college consortium consisting of Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, Alaska; Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin; New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida; Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona; College of the ...
, a five-college consortium that enables students to spend semesters at Alaska Pacific University
Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a private university in Anchorage, Alaska. It was established as Alaska Methodist University in 1957. Although it was renamed to Alaska Pacific University in 1978, it is still affiliated with the United Methodi ...
, Green Mountain College
Green Mountain College was a private liberal arts college in Poultney, Vermont, at the foot of the Taconic Mountains between the Green Mountains and Adirondacks. The college was affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offered a liberal a ...
, Prescott College
Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona.
History
In 1965, the Ford Foundation brought together a group of educators from around the United States. Prescott College was the result of this gathering.
The college was originall ...
and College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private liberal arts college in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. Founded in 1969, it awards bachelors and masters ( M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, an interdiscipli ...
.
Sustainability
Northland College has been recognized by '' Sierra'' magazine, the ''Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...
'', ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine, the National Arbor Day Foundation, the Sustainable Endowments Institute
The Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that is engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in operations and endowment practices. Founded in 2005, SEI is a special projec ...
, and onlineuniversities.com for its commitment to sustainability and developing environmentally conscious campus initiatives. The campus has two wind turbines, five photovoltaic array
A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and co ...
s, four hot water arrays and a geothermal heating and cooling system. Several of the campus buildings have been recognized for their environmentally friendly
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
designs, including the McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center and the Dexter Library, which in 2010 received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
Gold certification.
Other campus initiatives include the student-managed Renewable Energy Fund, which provides over $40,000 annually to fund campus sustainability initiatives, the Northland Bike Shoppe, which provides free-to-use bicycles for the campus community, and a robust campuswide composting program, which diverts nearly two tons of food waste
Food loss and waste is food that is not eaten. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Overall, about o ...
from landfills each year.
Northland is an active member of several organizations focused on sustainability in higher education, including the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, the Midwest Regional Collaborative for Sustainability Education, the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence, and the Leadership Circle of the American Colleges and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment, which commits participating colleges to constructing buildings that meet or exceed LEED Silver certification.
Campus life
Northland's campus has 19 major buildings, and is dominated by the new student union, completed in 2003, and Wheeler Hall, built in 1892 and renovated during the 1993–1994 school year. The buildings are predominantly brick with sharply peaked roofs, in an effort to emulate the region's historical brownstone architecture. The campus centers on an open mall, a grassy area where students gather to sunbathe and play.
Two buildings on campus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, Wheeler Hall and Wakefield Hall.
Northland's has a smoke-free campus with the exception of pre-approved Native American ceremonies.
File:Wakefield Hall.JPG, Wakefield Hall
File:Northland College Wheeler Hall.JPG, Wheeler Hall
Wheeler Hall is a building on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California in the Classical Revival style. Home to the English department, it was named for the philologist and university president Benjamin Ide Whee ...
File:Mary Van Evera Visual Art Center Northland College.jpg, Mary Van Evera Visual Art Center
File:Dexter Library, Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin.JPG, Dexter Library
File:Northland College Sign Ashland Wisconsin.jpg, Sign
Athletics
The school's athletic teams are called the LumberJacks and LumberJills. The school competes in NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
in all sports. It is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) is a college-level athletic conference. The UMAC is a conference of NCAA Division III since the 2008–09 season. Prior to that, it was a non scholarship conference affiliated with National Associatio ...
and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is a college athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. In women's gymnastics, it competes alongside Division I and II members, as the NCAA sponsors a single champions ...
(WIAC) for hockey. Northland was with the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association
The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-on ...
until 2019. There are 15 varsity sports. The LumberJills compete in volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, golf, hockey, lacrosse, and softball. The LumberJacks compete in lacrosse, soccer, cross country, basketball, hockey, golf and baseball. Nordic Skiing is offered as a club sport for both men and women.
Notable alumni
*Albin C. Bro
Albin Carl Bro (1893–1956) was a Christian missionary and educator, United States diplomat, and the fifth president of Shimer College.
Early life and education
Bro was born in Prentice, Wisconsin, on September 4, 1893. In 1917, he graduated ...
, president of Shimer College
Shimer Great Books School (pronounced ) is a Classic_book#University_programs, Great Books college that is part of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Prior to 2017, Shimer was an independent, accredited college on the south side of ...
* Laurie E. Carlson, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
*Stan Gruszynski
Stan Gruszynski (born February 6, 1949) is an American farmer and Democratic politician from Marinette County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Marinette County board of supervisors since 2020. During the presidency of Barack Obama, he was Wisc ...
, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
* Barbara Linton, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
*Beth Meyers
Beth Meyers (born May 29, 1959) is an American social worker and Democratic politician. She has been a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 74th Assembly district, in northern Wisconsin, since 2015.
Biography
Born in Bayfi ...
, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
*Jamling Tenzing Norgay
Jamling Tenzing Norgay (born 23 April 1965) is an Indian-Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer.
Biography
Norgay is the son of mountaineer and guide Tenzing Norgay (who first climbed Mount Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary) and Daku, his third w ...
, Nepali Sherpa mountain climber
*Sigurd F. Olson
Sigurd Ferdinand Olson (April 4, 1899 – January 13, 1982) was an American writer, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness. For more than thirty years, he served as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests of the Quet ...
, author and environmentalist
* William Plizka, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
*Paul Feldhausen
Paul Elvie Feldhausen (born June 14, 1946, in Madison, Wisconsin.) is a former player in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots in 1968 as a tackle.
Career
Feldhausen was a nine letterwinner and MVP of both the football and basketb ...
, Member of the 1968 Boston Patriots team
See also
*Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute is an outreach arm of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. A 1971 environmental conference at Northland with Sigurd Olson as a speaker was the origin of the institute. Robert Matteson was the founder o ...
* WRNC-LP, student-owned radio station
References
External links
Official website
Official athletics website
{{authority control
Private universities and colleges in Wisconsin
Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Church of Christ
Education in Ashland County, Wisconsin
Buildings and structures in Ashland County, Wisconsin
1892 establishments in Wisconsin
Ashland, Wisconsin