Since the founding of a board of directors in 1954, Rochester University has shared news information with friends and alumni in a variety of formats. Publication frequency has varied depending on staffing and financial constraints.
The North Central Newsletter debuted in 1956, and soon became the Michigan Christian College Bulletin. In 1967, the bulletin became a bimonthly publication for several years in order to obtain better postage rates. From 1972 through 1980, permit requirements were often met by sending various event, fund raising, and admissions brochures.
The bulletin transitioned from a letter-sized format to a larger newspaper format in 1982. Eight years later, the publication was renamed the North Star in honor of the student newspaper which originally bore that name.
Frequency of printed news information decreased with the advent of the eNews and Facebook communication. The most recent change in printed communication occurred in 2004, when the North Star became a colorful news magazine.