NORTHERN TODAY 6 FALL 2015 THEN NORTHERN State University announced it would offer programs at Huron Community Campus. “I was so excited to have a second chance,” said Moran, of Huron. Moran is now starting her fourth year of classes through NSU’s partnership with HCC. While the reduced tuition rate is a positive, the major benefit for Moran has been location – she lives only two blocks from campus. “The fact that I can walk to class after work is the greatest benefit,” she said. “I work full-time and I know that I would not be able to take the classes that I want or need if I had to drive two-three times a week to do that.” Northern began offering undergraduate courses in Huron in fall 2012. Since then, program offerings and student numbers have grown, said Ronald Brownie, director of NSU Online and Continuing Education. Last fall, the first cohort of graduate students began at HCC. This group of 38 will complete their Master of Education in Teaching and Learning in summer 2016. Brownie said the partnership has far exceeded expectations. “Without this program, students would not have the opportunity to get a degree in higher education,” Brownie said. “This is an unbelievable opportunity.” ‘The perfect opportunity’ Jackie Tschetter has taken classes at Huron Community Campus for two years. “I was unemployed, and I actually thought this might be the perfect opportunity for me to go back to school,” Tschetter said. “So I did.” She first enrolled part time, but recently started going full time. She’s pursuing an AA in general studies, and would eventually love to pursue a bachelor’s degree and work as a drug and alcohol counselor someday. Without HCC, she would not have been able to attend college. The biggest benefit has been the flexibility of hours. “I’m able to work full time, and then go to school in the evenings,” she said. “I love the fact that it’s not during the day. Hours is what got me.” Moran is taking the required courses she needs to earn her associate degree in general studies, but she also takes electives that interest her. She takes two to three classes a semester, so it has taken her longer. While she’s not sure if a career change is in her future, Moran plans to work toward a bachelor’s degree. The campus Huron Community Campus is on the site of the former Huron University and Si Tanka University. After those schools closed, an endowment was turned over to the city to be used for student higher education costs. The Huron Community Campus Foundation Board was created. The board asked NSU to deliver courses there, and the Board of Regents approved the partnership in 2010. The board covers part of the cost, so students pay only $50 per credit in tuition and fees. All classes are face to face in the two buildings on campus. Besides traditional classrooms, the campus includes an old theater building and a science lab. Students can complete an associate degree in general studies at HCC. With the new graduate program, students meet one Saturday a month and one Sunday a month for eight hours. The instructors – a mix of adjunct professors and NSU faculty members who travel to Huron to teach – have done an exceptional job working with students, Brownie said. This fall, faculty members Dr. Jeff Jay and Dr. Connie Geier are among the instructors in Huron. Just as some of the professors travel to HCC, so do students, who come from towns including Brookings, Watertown and Webster. A broad age of students are served, from 17-year-olds taking courses through a high school dual-credit program to individuals in their 50s. (continued on page 7) NORTHERN NEWS NSU, HCC partnership provides students with perfect opportunity When the former university in Huron came to an end, Robin Moran thought her chance to go to college had ended as well. Pictured at Huron Community Campus are Jackie Tschetter (left) and Robin Moran (right).
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