Northwood has welcomed students back for in-person classes and activities for the Fall Semester. In keeping with Northwood tradition, our students, faculty and staff will come together and take care of each other while creating great learning experiences. True to Northwood’s philosophy and values, we will practice personal responsibility and empathy.
Many updates have been made to increase campus health and safety including availability of sanitizing and cleaning products, increased signage on expected procedures and protocols, and physical modifications to increase physical separation with space and/or barriers.
We encourage all students and visitors to campus to practice good hygiene, which is important to prevent the spread of any virus or communicable illness:
Regular hand washing, with soap, for at least 20 seconds
Wear a face covering such as a mask, bandana or scarf indoors
Cover your sneezes or coughs with a tissue or the inside of your elbow - never your hands
Avoid shaking hands
Make sure to get adequate sleep and reduce stress, as these both affect your immune system
If you do notice symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, seek proper medical attention
We strongly encourage students to refer to our Student Playbook for the most detailed and up-to-date guidance on safety practices and protocols for the Fall Semester.
Eligible students have been emailed instructions on how to apply for COVID-19 Emergency Funds as a resource to help with new difficulties arising from the pandemic situation.
For detailed resources and tips for online learning, please visit the Academic Advising area of your Student Portal (My.Northwood).
General Public Resources
Federal, state and local government agencies are providing thorough updates and documentation on their websites:
Northwood students living in foreign countries are encouraged to follow the guidance of local health and government officials.
You may click on each question to view the answer. In many cases, more detailed guidance may be provided in the Student Playbook linked above.
Academics
Currently Northwood still plans to open campus for face-to-face instruction. Expect changes to be made to some classroom spaces and class scheduling to allow for safe engagement between students and instructors.
All our classes this semester may also be taken remotely in a Real-Time Online (RTO) format. Students will have the opportunity to opt for this format by following the proper channels to notify Northwood of their plans.
No classroom will be occupied at great than 50% capacity. Some learning spaces such as computer labs will also employ plexiglass barriers. Consistent with our policy on indoor campus spaces, masks/face coverings will be required at all times.
Health and Safety Precautions
We have developed an extensive Playbook to guide our community in returning to campus this fall. The playbook includes detailed protocols and practices for the safety of students, faculty and staff.
Regular screenings will be incorporated for all individuals on campus, including the use of a mobile app to assist in these efforts.
Appropriate PPE will be provided across campus, including a one-time personal kit for all arriving students and room cleaning supplies at the beginning of the semester. The Housing office is also available to assist in purchasing recommended cleaning supplies during the semester for students to disinfect their living spaces.
If there is a confirmed case on campus, the Midland County Health Department will be immediately notified, and any areas used/occupied by the student will be cleaned. Residential students may have the option to return home for recovery or will have on-campus temporary accommodations for isolation. Commuter students will be expected to isolate at home following instructions from their healthcare providers.
Each residence hall will operate with single-occupancy rooms (no roommates); suitemates will share bathroom spaces and be responsible for cleaning and sanitation.
Move-In
Detailed Move-In information will be available from the Office of Student Affairs during the week of August 10.
Yes, we will be checking temperatures and asking screening questions to ensure a safe environment for everyone in the Northwood Community.
This year our Welcome Weekend will be utilized to deliver the important information and programming that summer Orientation sessions would normally include.
Student Life
For safety reasons, we are limiting guests to one per resident, subject to the same distancing/face covering guidelines for any indoor space on campus. No overnight visits will be allowed.
We do not plan to restrict travel between students’ homes and campus currently; however, we encourage students to do so only on a minimal basis. We expect students to follow responsible behaviors when off campus, including face coverings and distancing.
Dining
All dining locations are planned to be open to receive diners with some changes to operations such as distanced seating, limited capacity and regular sanitation of surfaces/common use items.
Dine-in options will be available at a limited capacity as well as orders for pickup made in advance.
Dining locations on campus will offer hot food selections.
There will be no formally assigned times for students to eat beyond the operating hours of each dining location.
Signage and staff will be present in dining locations to direct traffic flow and clearly mark entrances and exits.
Food will still be served from a buffet line in the Dow Commons Dining Hall. However, buffet items will be served by staff as opposed to a self-serve configuration.
Athletics
We still plan to have athletic activities on campus; however, we are monitoring guidance from GLIAC and other relevant governing bodies that may lead to changes in scope.
International Students
International students who are arriving to Northwood University from outside the United States (by car or air) will have to self-quarantine for 14 days per Federal guidelines.
Admissions
No, COVID-19 will not stop the admissions process. The timeline for students to learn their admission decision from Northwood University is the same.
NU will continue to accept applications until all spots are full.
Admission acceptance decisions may be taken based on the holistic review of a student’s application without SAT/ACT scores when those test scores are unavailable due to consequences associated with COVID-19-driven test cancellations.
A student’s body of work will be reviewed and if there are areas of concern, a student may be contacted by an admissions representative for a personal interview.
Yes; Northwood University is temporarily accepting TOEFL iBT home test and IELTS online home test due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please indicate when you take the test that you would like the results sent to Northwood University.
Northwood University accepts SAT and ACT test scores throughout the year. If testing is not available before the fall of 2020, an alternate GPA-based admissions policy may be utilized.
Yes; Northwood University is currently taking measures to reduce risks for our community. We ask that you work with our Admissions team to arrange virtual video conference support and access resources to explore our facilities remotely. We are encouraging everyone in our community, including prospective students and families, to minimize interaction. We will be happy to welcome you to campus when conditions have improved.
Please see our "Visit" page, scroll down and click on "Schedule a Virtual Tour."
All freshmen will have the opportunity to attend an orientation session. Offerings will be virtual/onsite; this will be dependent on the conditions connected to the COVID-19 crisis.
NU will continue to accept student applications year-round or until all spots are full.
General/Other
We encourage families to discuss any special needs with our Financial Aid Department. They can be reached at mi.finaid@northwood.edu or at (989) 837-4230.
Above all, it is essential during this evolving situation to check usual channels of communication from Northwood; students are strongly encouraged to regularly monitor the online My.Northwood portal and check their Northwood emails for any updates. These updates will contain the latest and most detailed guidance regarding academic operations and campus life.
If any urgent situations arise, updates may also be sent via Northwood NOW alerts and in text messages for students and their families who have signed up to receive them. If you are part of the Northwood Community and have not signed up to receive Northwood NOW messages, please consider doing so now through RAVE Guardian.
Any alerts posted will appear at the top of our website and will include more detailed instructions depending on the exact scenario, so please be on the lookout for them.
Now is still a great time for current seniors to apply to Northwood University for the Fall semester 2020. We still have merit awards up to $11,000/year and additional scholarship and award opportunities that can be combined with merit aid for ambitious, career-minded students. Merit scholarship opportunities are available for students with greater than a 2.5 GPA. We are actively looking for students with future business leadership.
Student applications will be accepted until all spots are full.
Students that were unable to take/retake the SAT/ACT due to consequences associated with COVID-19 may still apply.
Admission acceptance decisions may be taken based on a holistic review of the student’s application. A student’s body of work will be reviewed and if there are areas of concern, a student may be contacted by an admissions representative for a personal interview.
