MARQUETTE -- Northern Michigan University President Les Wong addressed students and faculty Wednesday in anticipation of the new school year.
    
Wong began by reviewing the highlights of the previous year that included a campus visit by President Obama.

This year Wong says the university faces a number of challenges including a budget reduction of nearly nine million dollars.  Because of the budget cut, 36 positions at the university will remain unfilled.

Despite those challenges, Wong remains enthusiastic about the future of NMU.

"The creativity, the teaching, the learning, when you have that big idea, sometimes you shouldn't be thinking about money, and our folks don't.  They say how can we do that, how can we get the right people together and make that idea become real.  I think that happens in every corner of this campus," said Wong.

Classes at Northern will begin on Monday, August 29.