President_Leadership Profile_Rev

Northern State University | 7 Northern State holds accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. NSU teacher education programs are accredited by CAEP, and they comply with South Dakota Department of Education guidelines. Music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The art program is accredited by National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The school’s theatrical and musical offerings consistently attract large audiences from around the region. Northern is also accredited by the ACBSP, CACREP and NACEP. The university is in the process of achieving full membership in COPLAC. Since 2001, NSU’s Center for Statewide E-learning, unique to South Dakota and the Midwest, has provided small, rural high school students across South Dakota with high school coursework in areas of teacher scarcity. As of January 2021, there were 2,954 total student registrations for E-learning, an increase of nearly 15 percent year- over-year. Campus Several major campus improvement projects have been completed in recent years at Northern. New and renovated facilities on campus since 2016-17 have an added value of over $110 million. Those include the expansion of the Johnson Fine Arts Center, Northern’s main performance facility; construction of three brand new residence halls offering suite-style living; addition of the Athletic and Recreation Fields project, which includes a soccer competition field, football practice field and pavilion; and the opening of the state-of-the-art Harvey C. Jewett IV Regional Science Education Center, which enhanced research and science education for NSU students as well as K-12 students around the region. In fall 2021, an on-campus regional sports complex will open, including a new football stadium and softball field. Through a unique, collaborative partnership between Northern and the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a new SDSBVI facility was constructed near the NSU campus, which will be instrumental in the success of Northern’s new M.S.Ed. in Special Education with a specialization in Visual Impairment. Students In fall 2020, Northern State University enrolled 3,431 students and saw slight growth in headcount for the year. The university particularly saw growth in graduate students, and it experienced its fifth consecutive year with a freshman to sophomore retention rate above 73 percent. While most NSU students are from South Dakota and surrounding states, Northern draws students from all over the country and the world. NSU continues to attract an increasing number of high-achieving students, particularly to its growing honors program. Students have numerous opportunities to work side by side with faculty on undergraduate research projects. Northern is also committed to non-traditional and first generation student success. Students see Northern as a nurturing university with low student/faculty ratios (average class size of 17) and personalized student/faculty interactions. Students see Northern as a welcoming university with a community feel, with dedicated professors who care about their ability to succeed in life. Students are hard-working in the classroom and beyond, as opportunities abound for campus involvement in organizations such as student government, student newspaper, band and choral groups, theater productions and intramural sports. They are enthusiastic about outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, hunting, and enjoying a snowy day in winter.