NMU Offers Free COVID-19 Educational Modules June 10, 2020

Northern Michigan University is offering 11 self-paced, online educational modules related to the COVID-19 pandemic free of charge. NMU faculty members from a variety of disciplines developed the short, non-credit courses. Topics range from the scientific aspects of coronaviruses and testing to the impacts on communities, businesses and families.

“We really wanted this to be a community service, with Northern delivering a broad spectrum of COVID-related information in a comprehensive bundle of smaller modules that the public can access,” said Kerri Schuiling, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Each takes about an hour to complete at one’s own convenience and is monitored by a faculty member.”

The modules and associated faculty members are:

• Biology of Coronaviruses, Josh Sharp
• Business of a Public Health Crisis: Commerce, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Michael Crum
• COVID-19 Testing, Paul Mann
• COVID-19, the Internet and Your Inbox: Checking What is and is not Reliable, Bruce Sargeant and Jim Marquardt
• Emotional Wellbeing and Resiliency During COVID-19, Mary Etchison and Christine Hartline
• An Introduction to Indigenous Food Systems, Martin Reinhardt
• Learning Activities for Family Fun (LAFF), Kristen White and Gaby Eyzaguirre
• Pandemic Planning & Crisis Communication, Jes Thompson
• Race, Gender and Social Justice, Rebecca Ulland
• The U.S. Government Pandemic Response Playbook, Carter Wilson
• When Staying Home Isn’t Safe (domestic violence), Abigail Wyche

These modeuls are available through NMU’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) online course system. Stephanie Zadroga-Langlois of CEWD and Matt Smock of Instructional Design, Technology and Media were instrumental in coordinating the required logistics to offer the courses.

Schuiling said the COVID-19 modules, with their emphasis on collaboration and innovation, are the first courses to come out of NMU’s new SISU Institute for Innovation and Transformational Education. Approved by the NMU Board of Trustees in December, the SISU Institute is responsive to the design-thinking process of creating or transforming academic programs. It cultivates a collaborative, interdisciplinary campus culture that supports novel ideas and the freedom to be visionary and entrepreneurial.

To access the COVID-19 modules, visit