At the start of the Fall 2025 semester, the University Center left the Boardman Lake Campus and integrated itself into NMC’s main campus, based in the Beckett building. Since opening the University Center in 1995, NMC has had the goal of providing the Traverse City area with the ability to earn four-year degrees while staying local. However, before the Fall 2025 semester, the University Center was not located on the main campus, requiring those taking classes through the University Center to commute off campus. NMC currently has five University Partners: Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Ferris State, Davenport, Central Michigan, and Michigan State’s School of Agriculture. With half of NMC’s student population enrolling with goals of transferring, the move was an easy decision to make. 

Within the Beckett building, both Grand Valley and Ferris have their own designated areas where meetings can take place, as well as lots of room for students. 
While many of the classes that the University Partners offer will take place in the Beckett building, Cari Noga, a Public Relations Specialist for NMC, says the move gives the partners many more resources than they previously had. Noga hopes that with this move, the University Partners will be more integrated into daily life for students. With the move being new this semester, Noga says that they have yet to see a significant change in enrollment or engagement, but commented that these new changes “can only help”. The University Partners are always looking for interested students. Noga recommends that any students who are interested in being involved with one of them find a faculty member in the Beckett building to get started. 

Due to the relocation, the Boardman Lake Campus will no longer be inhabited by the University Center. Noga explained that instead of NMC’s business division, the Human Resource office and Extended ED programs will take over the space, with The Greenspire School taking over the upper floor. The future for the building is still unsure, as NMC’s board of trustees will need to decide what will be the best use of the space. 

One of the services that the University Partners will continue to offer is Direct Connect. Direct Connect allows students to be enrolled in NMC and simultaneously be enrolled in GVSU, Ferris, or Davenport. This program is recommended to students who want to earn their four-year degree from one of these schools, while cutting down the price and being able to stay local. Sebastian Eaton-Ellison is enrolled in the Direct Connect program through GVSU, majoring in Allied Health and minoring in Political Science. While Eaton-Ellison’s classes are taken online, he commented that with the recent changes, he feels very well supported and that he has “help from two different universities”. 

Moving forward, NMC is hoping to provide Direct Connect programs through all five of its University Partners. They are also hopeful that these new developments will empower students who are continuing with the University Partners and encourage new students to look into the possibility of earning a four-year degree through NMC and one of their partners.