Northland College

Northland College
  • Academics
  • Campus Life
  • Admissions
  • Athletics
  • Centers
  • Sustainability
Search
  • Directory
  • Campus Map
  • Calendar
  • Alumni
  • Giving
  • News
  • COVID-19
More...
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate
    • Faculty
    • Resources
    • Opportunities
      • Internships
      • Undergraduate Research
      • Study Abroad
      • Off-campus Learning
      • Student Jobs
    • Graduate Success
    • Course Catalog
    • Transcript Request
    • Commencement
  • Campus Life
    • Dining
    • Housing
    • Outdoor Orientation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Indigenous Cultures Center
        • Native Student Offerings
        • Powwow & Awareness
        • Community Outreach
        • Native American Museum
    • Get Involved
    • Bicycles & Gear Rental
    • Fitness Center
    • Services
      • Counseling Services
      • Accommodations
      • Health Services
      • Safety & Security
  • Admissions
    • Visit Campus
    • Tuition
    • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Loans
      • FAFSA
      • Veterans
    • Enroll
    • Meet Your Admissions Counselor
    • College Fairs
  • Athletics
    • Athletic Website
    • Athletic Facilities
    • Varsity Club Membership
    • Buy Team Gear
    • Hall of Fame
    • Annual Golf Classic
    • Camps, Leagues, Tournaments
      • 3on3 Basketball Tournament
      • Basketball Camps & Leagues
      • Youth Soccer Camp
      • Softball Camp
      • Volleyball Camps & Leagues
    • Give to Athletics
  • Centers
    • Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation
      • Our Work
      • Student Research Opportunities
      • Lab Services
      • Burke Center in the News
      • Water Summit
    • Center for Rural Communities
      • Rural Livelihood Initiatives
        • Quality of Life Database
        • Northwoods Community Survey
        • Opinion Polls
        • Local Food Systems
      • Human-Environment Connection
      • Publications
      • Data Visualizations
      • Student Opportunities
    • Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
      • LoonWatch
        • About Loons
        • Protect Loons
        • Get Involved
        • Loon Appreciation Week and Poster
      • Timber Wolf Alliance
        • Wolf Awareness Week & Poster
        • Learn About Wolves
        • TWA Speakers Bureau
        • Wolf Status Reports
        • Vision for Wolves
        • Great Lakes Wolf Symposium
      • Youth Outreach Programs
      • SONWA Book Awards
        • SONWA Press Kit
      • Sigurd Olson Legacy
      • Apostle Islands Stewardship Symposium
      • Intangible Magazine
      • Forest Lodge Educational Campus
        • Rental Information
    • Hulings Rice Food Center
      • Compost Center
      • Larson Food Lab
      • Campus Gardens
      • Student Opportunities
  • Sustainability
  • Alumni
    • Alumni Board
      • Alumni Awards
    • Get Involved
      • Ask Our Alumni Panels
    • Transcript Request
    • Update Your Information
    • Events
    • Give
  • Giving
    • Christopher T. Morgan Scholarship
    • Meet Our Team
  • About Northland
    • President Karl I. Solibakke
    • Northland College Magazine
    • Campus Sculpture Tour
    • Advocacy & Public Discourse
    • Consumer Information

It Takes A Community

Gratitude for Our Surrounding Region

By Karl I. Solibakke, Northland College President
March 2, 2022

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • email

President Karl Solibakke stands on a bridge in a blue blazer and tie.As the rate of coronavirus cases declines nationally and we move toward what will hopefully be a less restrictive phase of the pandemic, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past two years and express personal gratitude to the Ashland community for your support during what has been trying times.

My presidency began in November 2019. Only four months later, we found ourselves grappling with an unprecedented global crisis, having to cancel in-person classes and send students home in mid-March as we shifted to remote operations for the remainder of the term. I regret that my first two years as Northland’s fifteenth president were devoted to exceptional challenges, rather than engaging with the wider Ashland community. My overriding responsibility for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff was my primary concern, motivating daily – at times even hourly – adjustments to existing protocols.

Without doubt, the pandemic has shown how interdependent this region is, proving how heavily we rely on one another to help navigate crises.

Northland College alumnus Dr. Andy Matheus at Main Street Clinic has served as the College’s chief medical officer for a number of years. As in the past, Dr. Matheus has been an exceptional resource, helping us secure COVID tests, PPE, assessing health risks, and influencing the protocols that have kept our campus open and the wider community safe. In tandem with college leadership and our COVID Planning and Response Team, Dr. Matheus’ expertise has allowed the College to flourish during the pandemic. At the same time, Ashland City Council, Mayor Debra Lewis, and Memorial Medical Center have been invaluable partners. I remain deeply indebted to fellow community leaders and take pride in our mutual achievements.

As the pandemic progresses and hopefully recedes, we will carry on by modifying our approaches and procedures, where appropriate. We continue to operate our on-site testing center, while maintaining isolation and quarantine spaces for students in need. Our level of preparedness has allowed us to weather the recent omicron spike and Northland remains vigilant and resilient. Our focus is on supporting students, as they struggle with the emotional and existential trials posed by the virus, while finding appropriate avenues to sustain the aspirations of our dedicated faculty and staff.

Despite the toll that the challenges have taken, we are committed to maintaining our campus and serving the wider Ashland community. Collectively, we miss gathering for in-person events that once united the campus and Ashland communities, such as concerts, religious services, lectures, conferences, theatrical performances, lunches, dinners, and conversations, but most decidedly, we have foregone our annual Fall Festival with Northland alumni. Like everyone, I yearn to return to a day when we can be a collective once again. Until then, and on behalf of a grateful college, let me express deep and abiding appreciation for your encouragement.

  • Northland College student Emma Holtan

    The Chequamegon Bay Region Spoke and the IJC Listened

    In September of 2019, the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation hosted a conference with the International Joint Commission (IJC). The purpose was to…

    The Chequamegon Bay Region Spoke and the IJC Listened
  • Northland College Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religion David Saetre

    A Spirit of Imagination

    Some years ago, I began an address to an organization facing uncertain times with a quote from the poet T.S. Eliot: “humankind cannot bear very…

    A Spirit of Imagination
  • Andre-Forest_Lodge_students

    Slow Down, Do Less

    How are you going to teach outdoor education online? was the question I was asked most this summer. As a professor of outdoor education, each…

    Slow Down, Do Less
  • Northland College Campus

    Northland Remains Vigilant

    As Northland College continues to negotiate the perils of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have pledged to update the community on the status of our campus…

    Northland Remains Vigilant
  • Visit
  • Info
  • Apply

News

  • Trespassing With Edward Abbey

    It was November 17, 1977, exactly two years and a week after…

  • In Gratitude and Recognition

    After decades of generous support, The DeWitt and Caroline Van Evera Foundation…

  • Northland College Participates in No Mow May

    Northland College is participating in “No Mow May,” an initiative aimed at…

  • From the Archives: Olson Delivers the First Johnson Lecture

    Sam Johnson was an early supporter of environmental studies at Northland College…

  • A Dream Career That Started Here

    Tim Carpenter ’74 led the way up the steep portage carrying a…

  • Bridging a Passage

    Bridges hold an innate magic. Spanning spaces that would otherwise be difficult…

  • From the Archives: Assembling The First Advisory Board

    An essential component of Bob Matteson’s vision for the Sigurd Olson Environmental…

  • Fall Fest Returns September 21–24, 2022

    After two years without in-person reunions, Fall Festival is returning to campus…

  • Discovering the Northland Spirit

    Students from the Spiritual Life Center theme house first guided me through…

  • From the Archives: A Corner Office—in the Basement

    In its early days, what was then the Sigurd Olson Institute of…

News Archive »

1411 Ellis Avenue
Ashland, WI 54806
(715) 682-1699 | Map
  • About Northland
  • Consumer Information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Take a Class
  • Employment
  • Campus Store

my.northland.edu

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 Northland College. All rights reserved.

https://www.northland.edu/news/adp-column/it-takes-a-community

Our website uses cookies for necessary functions and to enhance your browsing experience. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Accept & Continue