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Expanding Access, Creating Opportunity, Empowering Success 

The Office of Opportunity, Empowerment, and People at Northern Michigan University is committed to expanding access, creating opportunities, and empowering students, faculty, and staff to thrive. Through strategic collaborations on campus and with community partners, we ensure that all individuals—regardless of background or circumstance—have the pathways, resources, and support needed to succeed.

By removing barriers and fostering environments where individuals can fully participate, we advance educational access and success for students from a variety of backgrounds, including first-generation college students, those with limited financial resources, and individuals who come from academically underprepared backgrounds. We also facilitate faculty and staff development, creating spaces for open dialogue and meaningful engagement, ensuring that all members of the university community can contribute and grow.

The Office of Opportunity, Empowerment, and People drives impact through:

• Center for Community & Connection: A 360° support hub to access resources, build connections, and engage in initiatives that provide opportunities to strengthen academic achievement, sense of belonging, civic engagement, civil discourse, and the belief in oneself. Serves NMU students, faculty and staff, and the Upper Peninsula community by using civil discourse and civic engagement to discover and provide the supports that are needed to thrive in the community.
• The Wildcat Collective: Leaders of Honor & Ambition Mentorship Program: A private and grant funded mentorship initiative designed to empower students while fostering connections that lead to careers in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.
• MiLEAP Summer Housing Support Program:  A grant funded initiative providing tailored resources and support to help Pell eligible and first generation students transition, excel, and achieve their goals.
• King-Chavez-Park (KCP) Select Student Support Services (4S) – Grant funded tailored initiatives and support designed to increase retention and graduation rates of students from academically underprepared or social-economically disadvantaged populations.
• King-Chavez-Park (KCP) Visiting Professor Program - Grant funded initiative to increase the number of instructors in the classroom to provide role models for academically or economically disadvantaged students. Preference may not be given to visiting faculty on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, or national origin.
• BIPOC Outdoors Summit - Helps everyone look to the outdoors for experiences that will enrich their lives.
• Cultural Initiatives – Dynamic efforts that work to preserve and celebrate cultural traditions while validating and affirming all human difference.
• Global Ecosystem – Collaborations with local, regional, national, and international organizations to increase access to mentorship, develop leadership opportunities, and expand career pathways.

Through these initiatives the Office of Opportunity, Empowerment, and People ensures that every student, faculty, and staff member has the access, resources, and support needed to thrive.

Dr. Shawnrece Butler joined NMU in January 2024 and serves as the Assistant Vice President for Opportunity, Empowerment, and People. With over 25 years of higher education experience, Dr. Butler is a visionary leader recognized for her exceptional achievements in disrupting traditional boundaries in order to meet the needs of people where they are at, not where others believe they should be. As a seasoned academic leader, she uses data-informed strategies to advance educational access, opportunity, and empowerment initiatives with a focus on non-traditional student populations, including students from populations with limited resources or academically underprepared backgrounds, pell eligible students, and first generation students.  She has a Doctorate of Philosophy from Kent State University and an MBA from Stetson University.

As the Assistant Vice President for Opportunity, Empowerment, and People, she holds a pivotal role on the President’s executive cabinet. Dr. Butler partners with University leadership to embed access, opportunity, empowerment, and belonging into the institution’s mission through high-impact practices, distinctive co-curricular programs, dynamic campus engagement, and strong community partnerships. She also fosters faculty, staff, and student development by facilitating open dialogue and encouraging the free expression of all viewpoints, promoting civil discourse and inclusive teaching and learning environments.

Invest in a Brighter Future for All

NMU is committed to eliminating opportunity gaps and reducing barriers for students from all backgrounds and lived experiences. With your support, the university can create meaningful change, ensuring all students thrive and position itself as a beacon for a brighter, more inclusive future.