Student survey on sexual violence, diversity and inclusion launches Feb. 19 in quest to ensure welcoming campus

UND’s Sara Kaiser (left) and Donna Smith are heading up a student survey, which launches Feb. 19, on demographics, sexual violence, and diversity and inclusion. The more students respond, they say, the richer and more useful the information will be. Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

What does UND do well? And what could be better?

A new student survey seeks to discover students’ perceptions and experiences with diversity and inclusion as well as sexual violence.

Those are tough topics to talk about.

“We’re doing the survey because students have experiences and opinions that they don’t share with us,” said Donna Smith, director of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. “We want to know what issues and concerns are important so we can address them as a campus community. Students can give feedback in a way that’s safe for them and informative for us.”

Launching from Feb. 19 to March 12, the survey is an action item for Goal 5 (foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive campus climate) of the UND Strategic Plan.  A link to the survey will arrive in an email from Cara Halgren, vice president for student affairs and diversity and captain of Goal 5, to all degree-seeking students. That includes full time, part time, professional, law, medicine, undergraduate, graduate, on campus and online students.

Listening to students

“We want students to feel heard,” said Halgren. “It’s important to do the survey in light of our responsibilities to the strategic plan and Goal 5. We want hear from students about their experiences in order to determine the best approaches to make the campus safer.”

“Cultivating the ability of all our students to engage with an increasingly diverse workplace is essential for them to be tomorrow’s leaders in action,” said President Kennedy. “This survey will help guide our programming to achieve this goal.”

The survey has three parts, said Sara Kaiser, assistant director of student rights & responsibilities and a member of UND’s Committee on Sexual Violence Prevention and Response, which initiated the survey.

It will focus on demographics, sexual violence, and diversity and inclusion. And the more students respond, she said, the richer the information.

Survey incentives

They’re hoping for a large student response.

“If more students complete the survey, we will get richer, more in-depth information,” said Kaiser. “The results will help guide our work on fostering a more inclusive campus.”

She said she hopes faculty and staff will encourage students to complete the survey, which has been approved by the Institutional Review Board. It is completely anonymous.

Students who complete the survey can enter to win one of three $1000 scholarships, or gift cards to Amazon, Dining Services and Starbucks.

National survey

Cara Halgren

The survey will be developed and administered by the Education Advisory Board, which has conducted similar surveys for higher education institutions across the nation.

There are advantages to using EAB, said Kaiser. Because UND is a member of the organization, the survey will be administered and results will be compiled as a part of our institutional membership dues.

“EAB is a reputable, well-respected organization with a survey instrument that has been used and validated,” said Smith. “It will allow comparison information with similar schools.”

EAB will provide data analysis, an executive summary, guidelines, and compare UND to 10 peer institutions, said Kaiser. The data will be shared on the vice president for student affairs and diversity web site at the end of June.

“The goal is to help us see what we do well to support a safe and inclusive environment, and narrow and prioritize our focus to impact students and ensure a positive experience,” said Kaiser. “The survey is not a magic switch. We hope it provides a roadmap of high impact responses to make UND a more positive environment and to learn where to focus our time, energy and resources.”

“We want to tell students that this is your university and your experience is important to us,” said Smith. “If there are gaps in services, support or programs, we want to hear about that so we can make this the University students want.”

New degree planner software takes the guesswork out of charting a path to timely UND graduation

UND recently signed a contract – in alliance with North Dakota State University – with Civitas’ Degree Map, an online system through which students and their advisors can input particular degree goals, restrictions and requirements to create a flexible road map to a timely graduation. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

University of North Dakota Student Body President Cole Bachmeier was a stellar high school grad.

He had already tackled several advanced placement courses during his time at West Fargo High School, and rolled into his UND freshman orientation with 30-40 college credits already in his back pocket.

Cole Bachmeier

But his confidence took a hit when he sat down to register for his first semester courses.

“It was really intimidating, to be honest,” Bachmeier recalls. “Having not registered before, I was feeling kind of lost. My advisor hadn’t seen so many credits before, and it sort of became a mess. I ended up signing up for a class I didn’t need, and I didn’t realize it until looking back – because I’m very paranoid about these things,” he added with a laugh.

Bachmeier wasn’t alone. The early stages of mapping a degree plan are among the most challenging obstacles students face, and can cause some to give up early on their aspirations. He brought this shared concern to the attention of Registrar Scott Correll and Provost Tom DiLorenzo.

This fall, when the UND Strategic Plan Goal Two team – in charge of increasing graduation and retention rates – started searching for an enhanced degree planner platform to increase student satisfaction and success, they asked Bachmeier to join the conversation.

His student insight led them to a recently signed contract – in alliance with North Dakota State University (NDSU) – with Civitas’ Degree Map, an online system through which students and their advisors can input particular degree goals, restrictions and requirements to create a flexible roadmap to a timely graduation.

“The ultimate goal is to make it easy for students, especially incoming students, to really take hold and know what’s going on in their degree plan,” Bachmeier said. “When you’re jumping in feet-first, you can at least know you have a life raft.”

UND-NDSU collaboration

The new degree planner will be supported through a partnership with NDSU, which will jointly fund and use the system as a pilot program. If the degree planner is successful, Correll imagines its use could spread throughout the North Dakota University System.

NDSU Registrar Rhonda Kitch noted that NDSU and UND are already connected through Campus Connection and similar business processes, so the dual implementation of Degree Map was a natural progression.

“Both NDSU and UND are committed to student academic success and reducing barriers in the academic progress journey,” Kitch said. “Through our shared goals and collaborative relationship we were successful in leveraging a competitive contract for Degree Map.”

“Rhonda and I were both looking at ways in which we can increase student success and increase our rankings by graduating students in a timely manner,” Correll continued. “That’s not only good for the University, it’s also good for the student. They’re not spending extra money and they can actually get into a career and pay back those student loans instead of taking out more.”

Although UND has had four-year program plans available for students and their advisors, Degree Map will make degree planning more proactive and flexible with unique student circumstances. It will work with College Scheduler – an online registration software UND has used for more than a year – to create personalized semester-to-semester course plans.  Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

How it works

Correll says UND has provided static four-year program degree plans for a while, but they can be difficult to modify for unique cases like Bachmeier’s.

“Students come in with transfer credits, or they can have advanced placement credits or dual enrollment credits from high school,” Correll said. “Then you have to start crossing things off of this stagnant piece of paper, whereas a degree planner is going to be interfaced with our student information system, so it will then re-tailor a four-year or less map for the student.”

That’s the key to the ease of the new degree planner – automation. Degree Map will work with College Scheduler – an online registration software UND has used for more than a year – to create semester-to-semester course plans. College Scheduler allows students to enter the classes they need in a given semester, and the tool will create a number of schedule possibilities that can be filtered according to work schedules, student organization/team commitments, or sleep preferences (for those late risers).

Degree Map will help extend that planning capability to the full span of the degree. If a course can’t be completed in the initially planned semester, or program requirements change, the degree plan will offer solutions to keep the student on track.

“What excites me most about this is for our double major or major/minor students who have very different paths,” Bachmeier said. “It’s hard to determine which requirements will work with both majors, and this notifies you if you’re taking two courses when one would cover two requirements.”

The degree planner will also help make the process of future course planning more efficient for the Registrar’s Office.

“When students put in their four-year plan, we can also see how many students are projecting to take, say, Accounting I, three semesters out. It will help us determine how many classes we’ll need, how many instructors, and so on,” Correll explained.

Next step – student success

With the contract signed, Degree Map has entered the implementation phase.

Core Technology Services will wrap up the technical side in the coming weeks, and Correll and his team will take over on the user end. Their goal is to introduce the planner to pilot groups at this summer’s freshman orientation, with a full rollout in November for spring registration.

Even though Bachmeier will soon graduate and head down a new path, he’s proud that he could help find a way to make those important college choices easier for anxious new leaders in action.

“Knowing that students will have this tool to put them at ease that first day of school is so important,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to know that students down the line won’t have the problems that students today run into.”

GRAD 2018 fosters interdisciplinary collaboration & communication, showcases research enterprise

Casey Kohs (right), a master’s student in English, explains her research, “Out of the Woods,” during Graduate Research Achievement Day 2018. She was one of more than 150 graduate students sharing their research, scholarship and creative activity. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

English master’s student Casey Kohs was one of the lone literary scholars in a swarm of more than 150 geographers, space investigators, psychologists and other graduate-level academics packing the UND Memorial Union Ballroom on March 6.

But Kohs was unruffled, even with the responsibility of repeatedly explaining her current research into French folklore and transgender identity.

“I kind of love being next to the guy playing violin. It’s been very calming all day – I have no anxiety,” the Minneapolis native laughed, referring to the fellow graduate student two posters down, taking bow to string to musically present his work.

It’s this kind of cross-discipline variety that, in just its second year, has made UND’s Graduate Research Achievement Day – or GRAD – a beacon of the breadth and quality of research, scholarship and creative activity happening in the UND School of Graduate Studies.

“This is the most exciting day in my year,” said Grant McGimpsey, graduate school dean and VP of Research and Economic Development. “I see these students as the lifeblood of research at this University. Without the graduate students, we don’t have a research university.”

McGimpsey and his team started GRAD in 2017 with three goals in mind. They wanted to give students a platform to perfect the communication of their research, to foster collaboration between disciplines, and to show the community how UND’s students are driving societal change – a key role of the UND Strategic Plan’s Grand Challenge initiatives.

“The research they’re doing has implications for the community, for the campus, for the region, for the state and for the country. In some cases, for the world,” said Associate Graduate School Dean Chris Nelson. “People should know that.”

Communication and collaboration

Organizers of this year’s GRAD used feedback from the inaugural event to enhance year two. This time, participants were offered a workshop to bolster their presenting skills and were given extra time to walk around and check out other posters.

“It’s a good forum for providing a basis for interdisciplinary conversations,” Nelson said.

Those collaborative and communication-building exchanges happened not just amid grad students, but also the more than 100 faculty and guest judges that spent the day bouncing from poster to poster.

“The judges are not necessarily within the discipline in which the students are presenting,” said judge and mathematics professor Ryan Zerr. “It’s relatively easy to talk to people who know what you’re up to in terms of research. But the future is going to be more and more dominated by instances in which we have to ‘make a case’ for what we’re doing.”

“Faculty in certain areas are learning what others are doing in other areas – they’re interested in it, they’re making connections and finding ways to collaborate,” Nelson added. “Beyond the students, two of the faculty judges who met today, from different areas, also found some interesting common ground and now want to collaborate.”

Student-to-student discussions led the graduate body to honor chemical engineering master’s student Kathryn Hall with the GRAD Peer Choice Award for her crisp and relevant presentation of her research into novel lignin-based biocomposites.

If you’re wondering what that means – Hall won for her easy explanation.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all!” she grinned, sparkling award in hand. “Currently, there’s a global waste problem, and that’s how I started my presentation. We have a lot of plastic buildup, so I related it in that way. There’s a biocomposite that is actually able to replace that – as a filler, or almost completely as a 100 percent biodegradable composite.”

Biomedical engineering student Joseph Allen Jr. (left) talks with Kathryn Hall (middle) and Nicole Larson (right), both chemical engineering students, about his research using remote sensing for non-invasive blood glucose testing. Allen Jr. was named a finalist in the engineering category of GRAD, and Hall won the Peer Choice Award. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

Service to the state

While Hall is saving landfills from plastic, first-year biomedical engineering master’s student Joseph Allen Jr. is saving patients from the sting of a needle.

After carefully pinning his white “GRAD Finalist” ribbon to his poster, Allen Jr. explained that he and his team have found a non-invasive method of determining glucose levels in diabetics.

“Individuals won’t have to prick themselves to get their glucose levels and get the proper nutrition or insulin that they need,” he said. “Not monitoring glucose can lead to problematic issues. This non-invasive version would hopefully increase compliance and adherence of folks to take better care of themselves.”

Allen Jr.’s device is heading to clinical trials with Altru Health, and then hopefully to the FDA for approval. If successfully commercialized for diabetes, it could help battle one of North Dakota’s largest public health issues.

State Rep. Emily O’Brien, R-Grand Forks, had prospects like these in mind when was asked to guest judge GRAD. As a UND entrepreneurship alum, she jumped at the chance to connect with the state’s next leaders in action and bring their ideas to Bismarck.

“There are so many opportunities here that are untapped,” Rep. O’Brien said. “So I want to make sure that UND’s grad students and researchers are communicating with the people that are looking for this information, so we can fill those areas of need.”

Word’s out

GRAD and events like it are central to opening public eyes to UND’s research potential.

The Graduate School invited area high school students to inspire their innovative pursuits, asked UND undergraduates to assist to wet their feet in the graduate experience, and urged Grand Forks community members to come take a look.

“The more people who see what it is we’re doing, and that what our students are doing has a direct impact on their lives, the more people start to understand why it’s important,” McGimpsey said.

The open venue of community discussion felt like a gift for many student scholars like Kohs.

“This is another opportunity for me to share my research with those who definitely wouldn’t have contact with it otherwise,” she said.

GRAD 2018 Award Winners

Engineering

1^st Place – Tarek Elderini, Electrical Engineering
2^nd Place – Jeremy Lewis, Chemical Engineering
3^rd Place – Robeam Melaku, Civil Engineering

Natural Science

1^st Place – Tim Wuenscher, Geology & Geological Engineering
2^nd Place – Smruthi Rudraraju, Biomedical Sciences
3^rd Place – Meghan Rodriquez, Biomedical Sciences

Professional, Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts

1^st Place – Diego Rodriguez, Music
2^nd Place – Neha Patel, Geography
3^rd Place – Alex J. Holte, Experimental Psychology

Peer Choice

Kathryn Hall, Chemical Engineering

UND-Pearson agreement will deliver more online education opportunities in North Dakota and beyond

UND already has a strong online foundation in a myriad academic disciplines. Now, under a new agreement with online education giant Pearson, UND can quickly build a presence in other areas with explosive growth potential and do it in a way that promotes both existing and new programs. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

A new relationship is blooming at the University of North Dakota.

After a long courtship, the documents have been signed and two families have come together – UND and Pearson Online Learning Services.

This partnership agreement is a significant milestone for Goal Three of the One UND Strategic Plan in delivering more educational opportunities online and on-campus. Jeff Holm, Goal Three project manager and UND Psychology chair, likens it to a romantic milestone.

Mark Kennedy

“How do couples who just get married feel?” Holm asked. “You’re imagining this future. And when you just get married, you’re thinking there are a lot of great possibilities in this future. The excitement is just electric.”

The possibilities of a UND-Pearson marriage have a solid start. Pearson has already agreed to support UND’s launch of two fully-online graduate programs next year – Cyber Security and Accounting.

As the partnership continues, Pearson will work with UND to introduce two to three more graduate programs later in 2019. They are currently crafting an agreement to build a suite of six to 12 online bachelor’s programs that would launch in the summer or fall of next year.

Pearson’s assistance will focus on programs that are high-demand nationwide and have a lot of opportunity for growth.

“When we were thinking about the right places for us to partner with Pearson, we assessed what employers are looking for now and will be seeking in the future,” said Goal Three team co-coordinator Margot McGimpsey. “That led us to think in terms of academic suites, or areas of expertise that are needed across the country, and even globally – health, human and public services, technology and engineering, education and business programs.”

The University already has a strong online foundation in some of these suites.  But, with Pearson’s assistance, UND can quickly build a presence in areas with explosive growth potential and do it in a way that promotes both existing and new programs.

“Partnering with Pearson, as a leading online program manager, will allow us to extend the reach of our high-quality teaching beyond UND’s classrooms,” said UND President and interim Goal Three Captain Mark Kennedy. “This will allow UND to serve every corner of our state and beyond, while also opening up opportunities to collaborate with other North Dakota schools.”

Bigger is best

On Feb. 22, Holm stood in front of the State Board of Higher Education to outline why Goal Three and a UND-Pearson alliance will not only benefit UND, but the entire state.

He cited data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center indicating declining college enrollments across the country. Last fall, nationwide enrollment was down 1 percent – in North Dakota, it was down 3.1 percent.

However, the growth potential is online, where many working adults and military members are looking for ways to complete a degree. And to remain relevant in the now-booming online realm, UND needs some help.

“Pearson should, in three to four years, help us to quadruple our exclusively online student headcount,” Holm said, adding that there are currently only three public universities in the top 20 schools in terms of exclusively online enrollments. ““Within five years, I think we can be one of those top 20 schools. It will require substantial growth, but this partnership with Pearson can help us achieve that goal.”

Holm also described to the board how a UND-Pearson pairing could potentially advantage the entire North Dakota University System (NDUS), allowing more availability and flexibility for students system-wide to take online courses, fostering opportunities for faculty to cross-teach or share instructional resources, and creating staircases from two-year schools to four-year schools.

“This UND-Pearson partnership is not just a win for UND – it could be a huge benefit for all of the NDUS,” Holm said.

Jeff Holm

Pearson’s part

In its initial partnership terms, Pearson will provide market research to determine which UND programs are in greatest demand by prospective students. They will then help strategically market the program and lead students through the application and enrollment processes (UND will retain the role of application acceptance).

Once students are enrolled, Pearson will provide them with academic success coaches, and will also establish a 6-month relationship with faculty members to support the development of top-notch UND courses.

“Pearson will provide instructional design staff to assist faculty in converting their content, knowledge and work into a digital format that makes sense for an online, asynchronous learning space, in a way that’s highly engaging to students and will meet faculty’s learning objectives,” Holm explained. “Faculty will maintain control of all academic content.”

Both UND and Pearson are investing in this revenue-sharing agreement, and both have a lot at stake at making sure the online endeavor is successful.

“Both want to put together the best possible program, that attracts, enrolls, retains and graduates satisfied students,” Holm said. “The best advertising is the successful graduate who speaks about how wonderful their experience was.”

Arrow in the quiver

A partnership with Pearson is just one “arrow in the quiver” to meet UND’s online goals. The University is already an established online education leader in the region – which Holm says attracted Pearson’s interest in a partnership – and will continue to support and enhance online programs outside of the cooperative agreement.

Extended Learning Director Lynette Krenelka, who also serves as co-coordinator for Goal Three, says UND has been successful in its online offerings by assessing educational gaps – within North Dakota and elsewhere – and identifying how it can help fill those gaps.

“It won’t make sense for every program to partner with Pearson,” Krenelka said. “So we will continue to work within the University to grow current programs and develop new online opportunities as well.”

The UND-Pearson agreement is a major step for Goal Three. But expect many more markers as the Pearson relationship moves past the honeymoon phase into its golden years.

“This helps us increase the likelihood that we will be an important part of online education in the future,” Holm affirmed. “Because I believe the Pearson partnership does that, finalizing this initial beginning with them is very satisfying.”

Seed funding programs provide nearly $3 million to propel UND research community efforts

Vice President for Research & Economic Development Grant McGimpsey has a plan for research excellence at UND. The hunt for external federal funding is challenging and highly competitive among the country’s research universities, so he’s offering seed funding to make it easier. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

The University of North Dakota is a relatively small institution, but it’s building a big reputation.

Last fall, UND was voted one of the top 25 most innovative schools in the country, in a peer survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report. Much of that innovation is brought to life by the University’s research community, and UND is making substantial investments in stoking that creative fire.

UND President Mark Kennedy

In fiscal years 2017 and 2018, seed programs supported through the UND Office of Research & Economic Development and its partners have awarded researchers and scholars an incredible $2,820,000 in funding to ignite their important work.

It’s all a part of the plan for research excellence.

Goal Four of UND’s Strategic Plan is working toward a 2022 metric of roughly $120 million in internal and external research funding. And, according to Vice President for Research & Economic Development (VPRED) Grant McGimpsey, the hunt for external federal funding is difficult and highly competitive among the country’s research universities.

“One way that universities our size can compete is to offer internal funds that can help kick start some internal research that will get us to the point of being contenders for those large federal grants,” he said, adding that it’s encouraging that UND is investing in research at a time at which budgets are constrained. “It reaffirms the University’s commitment to its identity as a research university.”

University of North Dakota President Mark Kennedy agreed, asserting, “These investments strengthen UND’s capabilities to be the chief opportunity engine for our state and students.”

Planting many seeds

The Office of Research – with help from the Alumni Association & Foundation (AA&F) and funding matches from UND Aerospace, Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Mines, and Medicine & Health Sciences – has established three distinct seed programs.

Two years ago it began the Postdoctoral Research Program and Early Career Award Program, funding researchers to hire postdocs and helping pre-tenured faculty build their research and scholarship portfolios.

Those seed programs continued this year, with the addition of a new Grand Challenge-specific series to support society-enhancing research in the areas of medicine, energy, rural communities and unmanned and autonomous systems.

“We’ve tilted the call a little more toward ideas that involve multiple disciplines and multiple faculty, in a way that generates collaboration,” McGimpsey said.

Tailored solutions

The VPRED team worked with each of the Grand Challenge champions to tailor the seed initiatives to be most effective in their respective enterprises.

Tom Erickson, CEO of the Energy & Environmental Research Center

Mark Askelson, interim executive director of the UND Research Institute for Autonomous Systems

“Each one was different,” said John Mihelich, faculty fellow for research and professor of anthropology. “Grant asked them to put their heads together with their teams to see what would make sense for them. They came back with great ideas.”

Mihelich explained that for biomedicine, the seed program was specific to seeking large National Institutes of Health grants, so the awards were fewer, but bigger.

“The program has already helped to initiate some very innovative, multi-discipline collaborations that have a high likelihood of successfully competing for extramural funding next fall,” said Colin Combs, biomedicine chair and Grand Challenge champion.

In the case of rural communities, UAS, and energy, smaller awards were given to increase the breadth of research opportunities.

Tom Erickson, CEO of the Energy & Environmental Research Center and champion of the energy Grand Challenge, says his recipients are using the funds to develop white papers to spark interest from external funding sources and University collaborators.

“We had tremendous interest from the very beginning in the submitted proposals,” Erickson said. “And for those who were selected, there’s high interest in how they can take this and move it on even beyond this white paper initiative. That’s where you really get to see the excitement.”

The excitement is spreading. More than 150 seed fund proposals have been submitted to the VPRED over the past two years.

Mark Askelson, interim executive director of the UND Research Institute for Autonomous Systems and champion of the UAS Grand Challenge, said the response to his seed funding call was outstanding, with 18 proposals that organically bridged several UND colleges and research areas.

“As we move forward, we want to pollinate bigger research efforts that involve multiple Grand Challenges,” Askelson said. “We already have some of that, but we want to stimulate that even more.”

Champion of the Grand Challenge addressing rural health and social problems, Thomasine Heitkamp, is currently working to expand access to training and technical assistance to address the opioid epidemic. Now, she says she’s confident her entire Grand Challenge team is gaining momentum – thanks in part to seed funding.

“The recipients have begun work on their projects and many are pursuing other revenue streams to continue their efforts more robustly,” Heitkamp said. “This includes myriad projects examining oral health, breastfeeding, rural ER visits, research capacity in tribal communities and online tribal court advocacy.”

Computational power

Underlying the forward movement of the Grand Challenges is the growing need to create, store and analyze big data – the foundation of the fifth Grand Challenge – and UND has invested $910,000 over the past year to meet those data needs.

“We have to have the infrastructure in place – the computational infrastructure, the data storage infrastructure, the electricity and the bandwidth,” McGimpsey explained. “All of these enabling pieces will allow these research areas to be more successful.”

The initial funding has put in place the cores, nodes, and terabytes necessary for baseline research support, but McGimpsey says big data is a “multiple-step build” that will require more data experts on campus.

“This will bring us to a level of infrastructure that will allow us to attract more people to come to create and use the data, and then they will inform further building,” he said.

Continued harvest

These investments are just the beginning.

With a plan to more pointedly communicate the engaging and state-serving research that’s happening at UND, the office of the VPRED hopes to work even more closely with the AA&F and UND colleges to garner donor support and offer even more internal funding

“The most exciting part isn’t giving out these awards – it’s seeing how many actually wrote proposals to win these dollars,” McGimpsey added. “It’s great to be at a place where people are enthusiastic about research.”

March Provost Forum touts positive progress with UND website updates and Starfish student success

Tera Buckley, assistant director of Marketing & Creative Services at UND, said a slight hiccup in migrating UND’s revamped website means the timeline to see a souped-up, responsive site – a major item in UND’s Strategic Plan Goal Three aim of enrolling and retaining students – will be adjusted from the end of April to May 21. The date was chosen to avoid disrupting the wrapup of the spring semester. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

After months of planning, data gathering, design and coding, UND Marketing & Creative Services is weeks away from unveiling its first wave of major updates to UND.edu.

But the web team isn’t ready to hand over the front door keys quite yet.

“If you’ve heard me talk about the website project, I use a moving analogy,” Assistant Director Tera Buckley told the March 22 Provost Forum audience. “Everyone’s going to pack their boxes and label their boxes, and then the moving truck is going to show up at a designated time to grab those boxes and move them to the new house.

“Essentially what’s happened is the moving truck is broken down,” Buckley continued. “In technical terms, the migration script doesn’t work the way we would like it to work.”

The hiccup in migrating the website means the timeline to see the brand new, responsive site – a major item in UND’s Strategic Plan Goal Three aim of enrolling and retaining students – will be adjusted from the end of April to May 21. The date was chosen to avoid disrupting the wrapup of the spring semester.

Bold new site

Buckley wasn’t just bringing the bad news. She came bearing the gift of a preview of the first wave of content that will launch in later this spring.

“The part you’ve all been waiting for – tadah!” she exclaimed, gesturing to the bright, modern and clean website projected behind her.

The May unveiling will include a new homepage, all new landing pages, a new academic program finder (including 240 unique program pages), a more functional search appliance and completely new navigation.

The site’s new “Explore Programs” database-driver interface allows prospective students to browse all of UND’s academic program offerings in one location without having to know what school, college or department it resides in, or even the exact name of the program. Buckley gave the example of journalism – UND doesn’t offer a journalism program, but programs offered by the School of Communication and Department of English would spring to the page.

A screen capture shows the new “Explore Programs” interface of the soon-to-be-launched UND.edu redesign. Image courtesy of UND Marketing & Creative Services.

Once a program is clicked, the site offers a program snapshot with fresh photography, costs and aid, a “request more information” form and other highlights.

Buckley says her team has been working with department chairs to create solid statements of differentiation to show students and families what sets UND’s programs apart.

“We’ve really tried to emphasize the need for clear student outcomes on these pages. People are coming here and expecting a great return on their investment,” Buckley said. “We need to highlight that, yes, you do get a return on investment by coming to UND.”

Among other notable changes to the site is the removal of the A-Z index and My UND link currently at the top of all UND webpages. The new highly intuitive search tool will eliminate the need for those options, and navigation will instead be broken into admitted students, current students and faculty/staff.

Buckley told the crowd they can expect to see a draft site rolled out internally before the May 21 launch date, and urged people to play around with it on different devices to help find any bugs or issues.

“We want people – we need people – to tell us what’s wrong,” Buckley said. “It’s not complaining, it’s just helping us out.”

Be sure to follow the website redesign blog for the latest updates.

Shari Neslon, assessment and systems administrator for UND Student Academic Services, says use of Starfish, a new student success system used to track students’ paths toward graduation, has been growing since April 2014, and has exponentially gained momentum with the launch of the University’s One UND Strategic Plan. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

Hook for Starfish

A website refresh will recruit students, but it’s a part of Shari Nelson’s job to keep them here – and it was her turn to explain how an online platform called Starfish is helping.

As assessment and systems administrator for Student Academic Services, Nelson holds a lead role guiding the first action item of Strategic Plan Goal Two (increasing retention and graduation rates) – to execute a plan for full use of Starfish advising functionality by faculty, advisors and students by 2022.

“Our big drive with students is to help them be aware of what this system is,” Nelson said at the forum. “My goal is to have Starfish just be a part of the culture here at UND, so that when you say Starfish, people just don’t go, ‘What?’”

Nelson explained that the robust features of the student success system have been slowly rolling out since April 2014, and have exponentially gained momentum and buy-in with the launch of the Strategic Plan.

UND data indicates that at least 68 percent of faculty are already completing midterm survey reports through Starfish, with an aim of a 70 percent completion rate by this fall.

“We only need to grow 2 percent to reach that, and I’m confident that with some of the things we have in place that we will reach our goal,” Nelson said.

The Starfish team is developing tip sheets for faculty, staff and advisors and have already gathered online tutorials and user manuals on their website. They will continue to speak directly to advisors, chairs and deans to extend campus wide education and communication of Starfish’s benefits. This summer, all students at orientation will receive access to Starfish training.

The team is also finding ways to increase the use of Starfish’s “kudos” feature by 10 percent every year, in which faculty can recognize a student for doing great work. From spring 2017 to spring 2018, the number of kudos given increased by an incredible 87 percent.

With a growing list of student-retaining functions like kudos, text alerts and a new “request help” option, Nelson knows Starfish will continue to gain support.

“We can all help students graduate in a timely matter and help them achieve their goals,” she said. “That’s really what it’s all about.”

Rewarding faculty and staff for success of University remains a top priority, President says

UND President Mark Kennedy says, in a statement today to staff and faculty, that he is optimistic for the future of the University because of the strategic goals set forth in the OneUND Strategic Plan. Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

I’d like to address a question brought forward to me by faculty and staff: will there be raises in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2018?

As UND set its plan for the 2017-19 biennium to reflect the reality of state funding levels and the guidelines from the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) in place in the Spring of 2017, it was important to create stability in a time of change. We decided to make no further cuts, but the result was no raises in either year of the biennium, including the upcoming academic year.

Recent changes by the SBHE would allow for the use of appropriated dollars to provide merit raises, but only to the extent that they were being funded with documented reallocation or cuts elsewhere in the budget or with new funds generated from enrollment growth, which did not occur at the University level. Therefore, proceeding with pay increases for the coming year across the University would only be possible if we went through another round of cuts.

UND President Mark Kennedy

We are left with no easy choices. As painful as it is to decide that we proceed with the original plan for the biennium that no merit increases can be provided for 2018-19, that is the path with which we are left. I very much wish we could reach a different conclusion. The impact on our faculty and staff weighs heavily on my mind.

It is inappropriate to blame the North Dakota Legislature for our fate and I sincerely apologize for ever doing so. The University of North Dakota holds immense appreciation for the support provided by the Legislature.

We will have to see what North Dakota’s economy has in store for us, but I am optimistic. My optimism rests on the cohesive way in which so many at UND have worked together to energetically pursue the strategic goals we set out for ourselves in our OneUND Strategic Plan. We will outline both the many accomplishments to date and priorities for the next six months in the next issue of UND Today. Much has been achieved, even as great steps remain ahead. The more diligently we pursue to achieve the plan we have before us, the more we will make our own luck.

As we peer into the future for the next legislative session, please know that our highest priority will be to deliver merit pay increases in the next biennium. Yes, UND will be seeking funding for capital projects to advance our recently completed campus master plan. We will be working with many on the need to invest in the state’s research universities, UND and NDSU, as the best path to diversifying the state’s economy to avoid these cyclical swings. But at the top of our priority list is being able to reward those upon who the success of this university rests – you, our faculty and staff.

I am sorry I do not have more immediate positive news. Thank you for your dedication to the success of the University.  As OneUND, I remain confident that brighter days are ahead.

 Mark Kennedy, President

City partners with UND to innovatively unite the community’s two ‘downtowns’

UND planners are collaborating with the City of Grand Forks and community organizations to revitalize the vibrant connection between campus and downtown, with University Avenue as the catalyst. From left to right: UND President Mark Kennedy, Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland, UND Associate Vice President for Facilities Mike Pieper, and Evolve Grand Forks’ Jonathan Holth. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

The University of North Dakota is forging a new path with a Strategic Plan for its future. But the institution has much to learn from its own history.

When Chandler Hall is razed later this year, the demolition team will salvage a piece of the building containing a bracket pulley from an early 20^th century streetcar, one that traveled the two miles back and forth between the University campus and downtown Grand Forks.

The pulley is a reminder of the important link between the educational and economic pillars of the community – a connection city leaders and University planners and students are now reigniting, with the cooperative re-imagination of University Avenue as a vibrant, unifying Main Street.

“This is our chance to get back to the connection that we once had,” said Mike Pieper, UND associate vice president for facilities.

With a shared 2017 Vibrancy District Plan as a base, the two entities crafted a blueprint to leverage already existing infrastructure as a foundation for a more welcoming corridor, using joint planning and funding to increase walkability and public transit between the districts; explore public-private partnerships for concentrated mixed-use development; create new opportunities for housing and Greek living; and challenge area students to engage in the process.

If successful, UND and the City will unite their respective “downtowns,’” bringing economic vitality into the community and making Grand Forks a destination for students, young professionals, and families.

“Just as our University wants to be part of a vibrant Grand Forks, we also want our local community to be the proud home of UND,” said UND President Mark Kennedy. “When we’re able to partner with the City to enhance its vibrancy initiatives, it simultaneously enhances the appeal of UND’s community.”

This rendering shows what could be possible through a vibrancy partnership between the City of Grand Forks and UND. The entities plan to merge two projects – the 2020 repaving of University Avenue and the University’s Coulee to Columbia campus beautification initiative. A revamped road would include safer medians and lighting, potential bike lanes, benches, landscaping and more. Image courtesy of JLG Architects.

Perfect situation

The University and the City of Grand Forks are harnessing a whirlwind of opportunities. The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and City’s plan to rehab University Avenue in 2020 (from downtown to State Street on campus) fell in step with UND’s Coulee to Columbia initiative to enhance the appearance and functionality of campus along University Avenue.

The timing was right for teamwork.

“The collaborative world that we live in now requires us to work together,” said Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland. “It’s an integrated world, where we can’t afford to be separate and distinct. So it’s exciting that we’re working on some foundational steps and real concrete solutions.”

The City and UND have submitted a joint grant to the NDDOT under Governor Doug Burgum’s Main Street Initiative to receive funding for safety and amenity work that is best completed before the 2020 repave of University Avenue – smarter medians, enhanced bus stops, benches, decorative lighting and more.

“The terminology being used for the street itself is a ‘complete street,’” Pieper explained. “We want a complete street because it’s easy to move around in and it’s good for pedestrians, bikes and cars. There’s quality lighting, it’s safe – it’s all-around attractive.”

Pieper added that that those updates will foster another potential piece of UND’s 30-year master plan – bringing in private partners to develop mixed-use retail/restaurant/apartment spaces in currently vacant pockets along University Avenue, including the area across the street from the Law School and Memorial Union.

City planners will work with UND to rezone these prime areas, and other areas along University Avenue’s connecting corridors, through micro PUDs – or planned unit developments. The University will also seek state incentive designations for some properties, offering potential developers tax incentives to build.

Tied into that discussion will be future opportunities to better concentrate the Greek community with available construction space on University Avenue east of Columbia Road, as well as areas for additional housing choices, ultimately drawing students, staff and others closer to all of campus’s newly established conveniences.

“People will want to live there, and they can move either to campus or to downtown with the improved linkage,” Pieper said. “The work that we’re doing is centered on our students and staff, but it has the ability to pull the entire community in to use those amenities. Once you get a couple of developments in there, you have a pretty robust corner of campus, and more will organically start to happen.”

Mike Pieper, UND associate vice president for facilities, points out where new opportunities may arise for mixed-use development along University Avenue during an April 2 walking tour of campus. The University will work with the City to bring in new amenities, attracting more people to study, live and work on or near campus. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

Student power

One may imagine a lot of “guys in ties” driving this vibrancy initiative, but the ideas of the UND student body have been a cornerstone of planning and execution.

Student Body President Cole Bachmeier has consistently met with President Kennedy, the Grand Forks Mayor’s Office and development leaders to ensure the student voice is heard.

“Students are the ones who are the future of Grand Forks and UND. They are the ones you need to retain to grow Grand Forks,” Bachmeier stressed. “Who better to have help direct the future of University Avenue than the stakeholders who use it the most?”

Bachmeier is also in talks to bring a bike share program to campus. If approved by student government, it would be another chance to utilize a streamlined route to downtown. “We want to remove the boundaries that we currently have and make Grand Forks a more cohesive town,” he said.

The student role in city development is being further fortified by the team at Evolve Grand Forks, who are partnering with UND, the Alumni Association & Foundation and more to create a contest for UND and Grand Forks high school students.

The #MainStreetGF Challenge asks students for community-enhancing proposals based on the three pillars of Governor Burgum’s Main Street Initiative – healthy, vibrant communities; smart, efficient infrastructure; and a 21^st century workforce.

“We hope that this will keep students engaged in the issues that matter in Grand Forks,” said EvolveGF’s Jonathan Holth. “EvolveGF and UND recognize that it’s important that our youth have a strong say in how their community develops, and this programs addresses that head on.

“The entire community,” Holth continued, “will be stronger coming out of this because of the program’s ability to elevate ideas, collaborate across organizations, build relationships and foster partnerships that will last for years.”

Unlike a century ago, when it took a clanging streetcar to connect town-and-gown partners, these relationships can now be built on the desire for an innovative, safe and welcoming community.

“It’s gone beyond concept and just talking, into some really viable options,” Feland said. “Sometimes we talk a lot,” he added with a smile, “but now we’re talking about real opportunities and turning those opportunities into action.”

UND finalizing priority funding requests for examination during the next Legislative session

President Mark Kennedy calls Merrifield Hall (above) “the most beautiful building on campus, a real architectural jewel.” However, built in 1929 and nestled in the heart of campus, the liberal arts hub carries a heavy price tag in deferred maintenance costs and needs updates. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

Through enacting its new Campus Master Plan, the University has established a 30-year vision for its campus.

The plan, unveiled in January, provides a launching point for planning the road – and structures – ahead.

In the near term, Mike Pieper, associate vice president of facilities, wants to ensure that the University is making smart investments that will fit with and serve the long-term master plan down the road.

And while strides in fundraising have given legs to projects such as a new home for the College of Business & Public Administration and renovations to the Chester Fritz Library, an infusion of state capital could help UND with other immediate needs.

The University plans to make three priority funding requests during the next legislative session: (1) the remodeling and restoration of Merrifield Hall, (2) the creation of a new science and technology center, (3) and a major investment in other academic and technological infrastructure upgrades.

UND will present its proposals to the North Dakota Legislature early in 2019.

Merrifield Hall is one of the busiest buildings on campus as the “instructional home” to the English department, which alone serves 3,000 students a year. It’s also home to philosophy & religious studies, languages, theatre arts and the Writing Center. UND intends to ask the state for help to make the old building more energy efficient and technologically advanced. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

Core maintenance

Merrifield is one of the busiest buildings on campus. President Kennedy says, “It is the most beautiful building on campus, a real architectural jewel.”

Debbie Storrs

Built in 1929 and nestled in the heart of campus, the liberal arts hub carries a heavy price tag in deferred maintenance costs and needs updates, according to Pieper.

The proposal would address energy inefficiencies and enhance technological capabilities of its highly utilized classrooms. Additionally, all of the building’s outdated mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems would be replaced.

Pieper stressed the heavy use of Merrifield would stay the same – it just needs a 21^st century treatment for 21^st century students and faculty.

“If we want to deliver what students are looking for, it’s hard to do that in a 1929 building,” he said. “What’s good is the 1929 building was constructed very well and it can be easily modified.”

If the project, estimated at $35 million, comes to fruition, Merrifield could serve students and faculty for another hundred years.

Debbie Storrs, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, sees Merrifield as the “instructional heart” of UND’s campus. Merrifield is home to the English department, which alone serves 3,000 students a year for its composition courses. It’s also home to philosophy & religious studies, languages, theatre arts and the Writing Center, which caters to an interdisciplinary base of UND students.

“Learning outcomes and experiences of students should be enhanced through upgraded classroom spaces that facilitate collaboration, hands-on-learning, multimedia sharing and pedagogical flexibility,” she said. “The curriculum at UND has embraced nationwide shifts in how instructors teach and students learn, but our current classroom spaces constrain our ability to engage in such projects with maximum impact.”

One-stop STEM

Next of the three funding requests is perhaps the most ambitious. It’s a project with an estimated cost of more than $100 million but could eliminate around $70 million in overdue maintenance as well as reduce UND’s building footprint near the campus core.

Currently it’s called the “STEM Project” – a new complex that would use existing structures (Starcher Hall and Hyslop’s North section) with a link between them. It would result in updated “wet labs” for multiple disciplines, and integrate cutting-edge technologies within UND’s learning spaces.

STEM is an oft-used acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Pieper’s focus with the STEM Project lies in its economic advantage. Reducing square footage and upkeep to establish more efficient, modern buildings would shift available dollars to classrooms and staffing.

“The built environment in which students are attending class and our staff are going to work every day play a big role in our ability to recruit and retain talent,” Pieper said. “That will continue to be a challenge in higher education, but these changes address that.”

The new building, with up-to-date labs, also would allow temporary tenants of more northern-situated Columbia Hall to move back to main campus.

Existing needs

Creating an alternative means of funding UND’s new steam plant opened up the third spot on the list of proposed state appropriation requests to instead focus on an opportunity to improve existing structures.

Michael Pieper

It’s a $45 million multifaceted infrastructure investment project that reaches across campus to address crucial flight-training needs at UND Aerospace, work on historic campus buildings, and solidifying UND’s IT framework.

After receiving first-phase funding for an aircraft apron – where planes park and board – in 2015, UND Aerospace is ready to complete the project. Referred to as the “classroom of UND flight training,” the deteriorated state of portions of the existing apron poses safety risks. Also, with a national pilot shortage forecasted over the next 20 years, UND needs its training ground to remain top-notch.

Like Merrifield, other historic buildings on campus are severely energy inefficient. The Historic Building Envelope Project, as it’s called, would replace outdated windows, doors and roofs – lowering operational costs and creating better working environments for students and staff.

The final part of the infrastructure investments request would complete UND’s data wiring and security, providing electronic door access systems and surveillance cameras for building exteriors, as well as establishing a 1-gigabit data standard within buildings to improve the wireless network on campus.

“The University has been smart and listened to what the state had to say in terms of wanting to see more investment in existing buildings,” Pieper said. “Most of what we’re asking for centers on improving what we already have.

“If officials look at the master planning for future projects like the STEM building and the long-term operational savings that our projects focus on, they’ll be able to see UND is in line with previous recommendations.”

Grand Challenge proposals could propel state growth

Driving world-changing developments of UAS in a way that reflects UND’s values is one of five bold Grand Challenges that UND has embraced to help generate opportunity in North Dakota, address social issues and diversify the state’s economy.

UND expertise could power great things for North Dakota.

President Kennedy believes that state investments in UND initiatives tied to the One UND Strategic Plan will spark growth and benefit North Dakotans.

“The Strategic Plan is more than just a guiding document,” Kennedy said. “It’s a pathway to UND achieving its mission to serve as the chief opportunity engine for North Dakota and our students.”

The plan includes five Grand Challenges focused on generating opportunity by helping diversify North Dakota’s economy and addressing social issues.

Investment sparks

Success stories abound at UND. From developing the first unmanned aircraft systems programs in the world to technology that helped enable oil drilling in the Bakken, UND has a demonstrated record of success when it comes to turning research into revenue.

And the Grand Challenges could take North Dakota even further.

“Upfront investments will return more money to the state,” said President Kennedy. “Investments by the Governor and Legislature will have an economic impact and spark a better quality of life for North Dakotans.”

Kennedy asked the five champions to detail how new investments could ignite opportunities to benefit North Dakotans, diversify the economy and address problems such as opioid addiction.

This is what they said.

Promoting energy security and environmental sustainability for the state and nation is another of UND’s Grand Challenges. Research indicates that a 1 percentage increase in oil extraction could yield $3 billion per year in state economic activity and hundreds of millions in state taxes. A state energy research center at UND, where this work already is happening, is the best path to unlock those benefits.

Energy extension

UND can take coal from survival to success, said Tom Erickson, champion of the Grand Challenge to promote energy security and environmental sustainability and CEO of the UND Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC).

Agriculture and energy power the state, and Erickson believes that an energy research center at UND, similar to the NDSU Agriculture & Extension Service, would help energy remain accessible, affordable and environmentally responsible.

The EERC has a record of leveraging state funding through federal and industry partnerships. For example, a project to generate ammonia using wind energy has transformed a $437,000 state investment into a $2.9 million payoff. Similarly, a UND carbon capture project which traps carbon dioxide emissions from a power plant and injects it into oil wells to boost output has netted $12.7 million from a $3.2 million state investment.

UND can do even more, said Erickson, to increase oil recovery while decreasing environmental impacts, and by harvesting rare-earth elements, activated carbon, cobalt and other high-demand products from coal.

A one percentage point increase in oil extraction, Erickson said, could yield $3 billion per year in state economic activity and hundreds of millions in state taxes. A state energy research center is the best path to unlock those benefits.

As part of yet another of UND’s Grand Challenges, researchers at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences are addressing health challenges. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

Transforming health 

North Dakota has high rates of cancer, Alzheimer’s and substance abuse, with an aging population and health care disparities in rural and tribal areas, said Colin Combs, champion of the Grand Challenge to transform health care in North Dakota and Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, along with Marc Basson, associate dean for medicine.

Basson sees opportunities to reinvent health care across North Dakota by partnering with hospitals and patients to pioneer medical advances. The SMHS has received more than $50 million in federal funding over the last 15 years to examine such vexing questions as how environmental factors can lead to cancer, but has not focused on patient research.

An institute for clinical studies would take advantage of federal and private funding for clinical trials of medications and devices. Successful developments would benefit patients, save hospitals and patients money and improve health care across the state, as well as lower Medicaid expenses paid by the state.

An investment from the state would jumpstart the research while ensuring future returns with a healthier workforce, better access to health care and revenues from drug and device development. The program could be self-funded within a few years, said Basson.

“We could become the first medical school to partner with hospitals and reinvent health care across an entire state,” said Basson.

Tackling addiction

Along with access to health care, rural and tribal communities face social problems, such as opioid addiction, alcohol dependence and domestic violence, said Thomasine Heitkamp, champion of the rural health Grand Challenge and professor in the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines. She is tasked with solving rural health and social problems.

“The needs are greatest in those rural and tribal communities,” said Heitkamp, who would like to focus on preventing addiction and other problems. She believes that an addiction research center, headquartered at UND and serving other states in the region, could harness addiction science and research, leading to better health outcomes and increased productivity. The center would work with other areas on campus, including nursing, medicine and social work. She also anticipates partnerships with NDSU and other institutions of higher education in the region.

Already highly successful in attracting federal and private funding, Heitkamp believes the center would leverage that funding while benefiting North Dakotans.

“You can’t solve this problem in silos,” said Heitkamp. “This would save dollars, families and lives, and every dollar spent in treatment saves $4 to $7.”

Leveraging leadership in UAS

A national leader in unmanned aircraft systems education and research that has pioneered its use in agriculture and energy as well as policy and law enforcement, UND could continue that lead when it comes to cyber security and data analytics, said Mark Askelson, champion of the Grand Challenge to drive the world-changing developments of UAS and interim director of the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS).

The Institute for Unmanned & Autonomous Research has yielded major funding from the FAA for detect and avoid technology, and industry partnerships with companies such as Xcel Energy have yielded benefits for both industry and UND.

Askelson’s goal is to maintain UND and North Dakota’s leadership status by offering a rapid response team for use by the military, FAA, industry and government that could quickly offer applied research and technology. The team would use big data to, for example, model oil reservoir pools and increase cyber security.

“This could offer a big return to the state,” Askelson said.

A big data hub

UND already provides big data expertise as the lead institution in a multi-university project for digital agriculture, funded by the National Science Foundation, and it’s also co-lead in another NSF project to determine industry and academic computational needs in the Midwest.

UND can do more, said Grant McGimpsey, speaking of the Grand Challenge to effectively, efficiently and ethically produce, manage and securely use information and vice president for research & economic development.

“Big data is important to North Dakota,” said McGimpsey. “We can convert data to valuable information.” He added that agriculture, UAS, energy, utility, construction and transportation sectors all use big data, and it’s critical to enhance acquisition, storage, communication and security, as well as to convert the data to usable information.

McGimpsey is advocating a project that will conduct research and development to rapidly produce practical data solutions.

“This is a non-traditional, rapid response approach to industry research,” McGimpsey said, adding that it would leverage existing UND research and infrastructure, assemble experts from UND and NDSU, and form a laser-focused team to rapidly solve industrial data challenges. He noted that other institutions reap billions of dollars for such services, and UND could be a region-wide leader.

One UND Strategic Plan marks multiple milestones toward purpose of serving the state and its students

In the heart of Grand Forks, students, researchers and scholars are working as One UND to soar even higher. The Flagship University of the Northern Plains serves as the chief opportunity engine for North Dakota, using the One UND Strategic Plan as its compass. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

North Dakota is a state of pioneers.

It’s a state of innovators.

It’s a state of leaders in action, and its training ground is the University of North Dakota.

In the heart of Grand Forks, students, researchers and scholars are working as One UND to move society forward. The Flagship University of the Northern Plains serves as the chief opportunity engine for North Dakota, using the One UND Strategic Plan as its compass.

And the course has never been so clear for one the country’s Top 25 Most Innovative Schools.

Together with its public and private partners, the University of North Dakota is leveraging technology, collaboration and real-world experiences to create healthier, smarter and more vibrant communities.

A strategic plan is only as good as the foundation it is built upon, and UND has already established a solid one – less than a year into implementation.

Goal One – Provide a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation

Achievements

Debbie Storrs

Goal One will develop leaders who bring a skill set to the workforce that is enhanced by critical thinking, communication and cultural competency.

To ensure that it is meeting this aim, UND has begun an effort with the Association of American Colleges & Universities’ VALUE Institute to measure the effectiveness and learning outcomes of its liberal arts foundational experience.

The University is expanding opportunities for experiential learning and internships through partnerships with the UND Center for Innovation and the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation (InternGF), the Energy & Environmental Research Center (Energy Hawk program) and the City of Grand Forks.

Investments in active learning spaces have helped faculty incorporate advanced technology and modern curricula into their courses to enhance student learning. A quick tour through campus reveals a Math Active Learning Lab for self-paced coursework, a DigComm lab utilizing virtual reality to improve speaking skills, and a number of SCALE-UP classrooms for team-based learning.

Next Steps

To create a deep portfolio of quality high-impact practices (HIPs) for its students, the Goal One team is compiling a list of currently offered HIPs and will ensure every student engages with three or more HIPs during their undergraduate experience.

The team will also develop pathways for students to create double major or major/minor/certificate combinations to fit their individual interdisciplinary interests and career goals without extending their graduation timeline.

“Ensuring UND graduates have a strong liberal arts background is beneficial to the state,” said Debbie Storrs, captain of Goal One and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “We will graduate students who have breadth of knowledge and important social, problem solving and intellectual skills that are in high demand by employers, resulting in greater economic productivity of the state, region and world.”

Goal Two – Increase graduation and retention rates

Achievements

Hesham El-Rewini

Goal Two is using technology to help UND students stay on academic track. Its online student success and advising tool, Starfish, continues to gain usage among students and faculty. From Spring 2017 to Spring 2018, the completion rate for midterm reporting through the platform climbed more than 20 percent.

This spring, UND partnered with North Dakota State University (NDSU) to select a degree planner software that will allow students to track the progress and remaining requirements of their degree plans, helping them to avoid missteps and graduate on time.

The Goal Two team has also busted at least 11 barriers to enrolling as a returning or transfer student, and 65 percent of UND programs have adjusted to a more manageable 120 credit hour standard.

Next Steps

By September, UND will more clearly define best practices for its advisors through student surveys, determining what areas of support will help them most on their path to a career.

Also in the fall, a pilot campaign will introduce students to the new degree planner and show them how a few clicks can create smooth sailing to a diploma.

The University has also made a priority of reducing the number of actions that can cause a “hold” on a student account, hindering their ability to register for classes.

“Improving graduation rates will help students, the University and the state in many ways,” asserted Goal Two captain and dean of the College of Engineering & Mines, Hesham El-Rewini. “Graduating in four years will help students save on college expenses, reduce student loans and expedite their joining of the workforce.”

Goal Three – Deliver more educational opportunities online and on campus

Achievements

President Mark Kennedy

The University of North Dakota is spreading the message throughout the state and beyond that it is the home of Leaders in Action with the launch of a new brand message based on surveys from the UND community, alumni and stakeholders. A revamped digital marketing drive – harnessing the Leaders in Action tagline and unique program selling points – has already increased advertising productivity.

In order to open up the opportunity of a UND education to even more students as soon as this fall, the University has launched a review of its scholarships awards.

Following an assessment of today’s workforce needs, UND has attained approval to introduce two new programs this fall – data analytics and cyber security.

Even more offerings will grow from a recently penned agreement with Pearson online program management, which will begin with assistance in launching online master’s degrees in cyber security and accounting, building on UND’s already regionally dominant online education foundation and creating new opportunities for degree pathways within the North Dakota University System.

Next Steps

By the end of the spring semester, new campus banners will welcome visitors with Leaders in Action imagery, and the May 21 launch of a redesigned, mobile-friendly UND.edu will make it easier for prospective students to find a program that suits them.

Through another collaboration with NDSU, UND will select and begin implementation of new Customer Relationship Management Software to analyze and respond to the needs of prospective students and their families.

By September, UND will have concluded its review of the enrollment management and scholarship awarding processes, paving the way for future leaders in action.

“Goal Three’s objectives are framed around the idea that UND has an opportunity to play a vital role in shaping and advancing North Dakota’s economy over the coming years,” said UND President and interim Goal Three Captain Mark Kennedy. “We are creating opportunities and reducing barriers for our students to earn high-demand degrees and certificates that can be directly applied in our region’s economy.”

Goal Four – Enhance discovery at a level consistent with most research-intensive universities (Carnegie R1)

Achievements

Grant McGimpsey

The formation of five Grand Challenge teams – charged with addressing societal problems especially important to North Dakotans through interdisciplinary work in biomedicine, energy, UAS, rural communities and big data – has revved up UND’s research enterprise. The University has already provided $3.7 million in seed grants and postdoctoral funding this biennium to help faculty garner additional external research funding – historically a 7-to-1 return on investment.

The University is drawing closer to its goal of becoming a Carnegie R1 university after reexamining its process of reporting and directing research investments. That examination, paired with a rise in externally funded expenditures, allowed UND to report more than $100 million in total research expenditures.

The development of the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS) is fortifying public and private partnerships across North Dakota to help the state lead the way in the exploding field of UAS.

Next Steps

By this fall, the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Business & Public Administration and Engineering & Mines, as well as the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, will have defined research expectations for their respective academic units – with the ultimate goal of requirements in every college.

The Research & Economic Development team will also implement software to assist in research proposal submissions, and will conclude revisions to its Digital Measures reporting system to help researchers and scholars more easily and clearly document their productivity.

“Research drives technology and economic development in core sectors of North Dakota’s economy,” said Grant McGimpsey, vice president for research and economic development and captain of Goal Four. “At UND, we’re creating new opportunities to expand and diversify our industry sectors and new career prospects for graduates.”

Goal Five – Foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive campus climate

Achievements

Cara Halgren

Diversity is integral to a campus climate that builds well-informed and empathetic citizens, and UND is fostering that environment.

The Goal Five team has traveled across North Dakota to assess the needs of the state’s tribal colleges and create pathways for those students to continue their success at UND. They’ve begun efforts to establish 2+2 programs (also known as “Finish in Four”) for priority degrees, starting with an agreement with Candeska Cikana Community College for general studies, social work and marketing degrees.

The team has also completed a campus climate survey of all degree-seeking students to evaluate current thoughts on sexual violence, diversity and inclusion, which will allow the University to better target its support efforts. A proactive step in this direction was the establishment of CVIC at UND this January, a partnership with the Community Violence Intervention Center to station a prevention & education coordinator on campus.

The recent formation of the Department of Student Diversity and Inclusion will pull units and resources together to enhance student support.

Next Steps

In the months to come, UND will analyze the results of the campus climate survey and outline next steps for turning that data into action.

To create more buzz and attendance for cross-cultural events on campus, the University will heavily market those opportunities and define benchmarks for student and community turnout.

Another fall priority is improving the year-to-year retention rate for half or more of the racial, ethnic and first-generation population segments reported in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

“Fostering an inclusive environment at UND serves the state by ensuring that we are attracting and educating the best students with interest in evolving fields of study,” said Goal Five captain and vice president for Student Affairs & Diversity, Cara Halgren. “We have the opportunity to show students who may be new to the area all of the great things that living in Grand Forks and the greater North Dakota area has to offer.”

Goal Six – Meet educational needs of active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families

Achievements

UND Provost Tom DiLorenzo

The Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) is a core piece of the Greater Grand Forks community, and UND is positioned to serve those who serve on the base and beyond.

The Goal Six team worked beside GFAFB leaders to identify what programs are most in demand by the military, with plans of working with Goal Three to initiate those programs. Three UND degrees have already been accepted by the Air University Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) – general studies, communication and psychology – allowing airmen stationed anywhere to continue their degree online with UND.

The University has also simplified the way in which American Council on Education (ACE) credits are received, making the transfer of some credits earned through military learning equivalent to required UND courses.

Next Steps

Moving forward, UND will continue to add degrees to its online AU-ABC partnership based on the current and future education needs of airmen.

By September, UND hopes to develop additional partnerships with Army University, as well as Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges – an association of schools making college degrees easier to obtain for frequently transferring military members and their families.

“With two Air Force bases and a significant presence of military personnel, veterans and ROTC units, Goal Six will allow UND to better serve a significant group of our citizenry,” explained UND Provost and Goal Six Captain Tom DiLorenzo. “We believe that this will increase their long-term connections to North Dakota by building a better workforce and broadening our North Dakota family.”

DeAnna Carlson Zink, UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEO, is the captain for Goal No. 7. Image courtesy of Sam Melquist.

Goal Seven – Attract support for the University by actively engaging alumni and donors

Achievements

The University’s graduates and supporters are the lifeblood of UND and its tradition, and those connections spawn the opportunities available for incoming leaders in action. To keep those relationships strong, the Goal Seven team is working to enhance donor relations and target fundraising efforts.

Fundraising goals have been established for every dean and vice president to improve relationships between specific colleges/units and their donors and ultimately increase the capacity for dollars raised.

The Alumni Association & Foundation has also begun testing and refining its crowdfunding efforts, which have already yielded success for several campus organizations.

Next Steps

The team has several goals for the six months ahead, starting with surpassing its prior year number of donors.

Next will be a focus on marketing the importance of giving, with the assembly of a virtual toolkit that will contain photos, impact stories and other materials to effectively present that message to alumni and potential donors.

From now through September, a number of alumni social events are planned throughout North Dakota and Minnesota, including meeting points in Minneapolis, Fargo, Bismarck and the Bakken region. The events ignite the giving fire in graduates, reminding them what made their time at UND so pivotal.

“Donors fund scholarships, research, top-flight professors and so much more at UND,” said DeAnna Carlson Zink, UND Alumni Association & Foundation (AA&F) CEO and Goal Seven captain. “As we educate the future leaders of North Dakota, the state reaps the benefits of the well-rounded students that UND produces.”

UND shows Gov. Doug Burgum its plan for opportunity in a challenging higher education landscape

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (middle) made a five-hour visit to the University of North Dakota campus on April 6, during which he heard UND’s plan to overcome higher education challenges to serve its students and the state. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum walked into the board room of UND’s Robin Hall Friday morning and got to warmly shaking hands with every person in it.

Soon he came to Morgan Tomchuck, a dietetics major invited to share her experience with UND’s new Math Active Learning Lab (MALL).

“I’m Morgan Tomchuck – I’m just a student here,” she said timidly as she gripped Burgum’s hand.

“No, not just a student,” he replied. “You’re why we’re here.”

This was the first stop of a five-hour visit to the University of North Dakota, during which the governor heard from campus and community leaders and students about recent achievements of the One UND Strategic Plan, current building and infrastructure challenges around campus, and ambitious plans to make UND the research giant of the Northern Plains.

It was a lot to pack into 300 minutes, but the UND team was primed for action.

“We recognize the fact that there have been a lot of changes going on in higher education,” UND President Mark Kennedy said, addressing the day’s initial gathering. “Our belief is that the changes that you see now are just a shadow of what’s yet to come.”

President Kennedy further explained to Burgum, first lady Kathryn Helgaas Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and their staff that UND is harnessing these changes through its Strategic Plan – for the benefit of its students and the state of North Dakota.

Kennedy said that a swell in automation is altering the career landscape, causing demand for four-year and advanced degrees to rise. The day’s presentations would highlight how UND will be ready with the necessary innovative technology and leading-edge program offerings.

Dietetics major Morgan Tomchuck explains to Gov. Burgum and his team how UND’s new Math Active Learning Lab (MALL) took her from dismal grades in College Algebra to acing every test. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

Financial fortitude, tech opportunities

Big intentions are nothing without solid financial planning. UND Associate Vice President for Finance Karla Mongeon-Stewart led the gubernatorial group through “Academic Finances 101,” and how UND is encouraging campuswide innovation through MIRA – Model for Incentive-based Resource Allocation.

“This is going to transform UND,” Mongeon-Stewart said. “We’re rewarding effective use of our resources, we’re capturing data so we can actually measure what we need to measure to be successful, we’re aligning our resources with our strategic priorities, and we’re aligning our physical and human capital to meet the needs of our students, our state and our world.”

Provost Tom DiLorenzo laid out how the University is leveraging technology throughout the seven goals of the Strategic Plan, beginning with high-tech active learning classrooms.

He explained the benefits of the online student success and retention platform Starfish, as well as the anticipated rise in timely graduation rates from new Degree Planner software, and turned it over to Student Body Vice President Erik Hanson, who sang the gospel of UND’s free open educational resources (OER).

“This has truly been a difference maker in terms of cutting down the costs of education,” Hanson said, adding that UND has become a case study for other universities. “We’re not just leaders in this state – we’re leaders globally on this.”

These high-tech tools – coupled with new offerings of high growth degrees, like Data Science and Cyber Security, and new internship partnerships throughout the community – are setting up UND graduates for successful careers in fields not even yet imagined.

Jeff Holm, project manager of UND Strategic Plan Goal Three (creating more educational opportunity online and on campus), described how a partnership with Pearson online program management will help UND survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive online education landscape. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

Leading online

The University is executing plans to build on its current position as the largest online education provider in an eight-state region – something Strategic Plan Goal Three (providing more educational opportunity) project manager Jeff Holm says UND is now in position to do.

With an already region-leading online foundation and new partnership with Pearson online program management to assist with upfront program launch investments, Holm says UND can keep up and thrive in a higher education world that is become increasing niche, flexible and mobile.

“With over 3,000 exclusively online students, we’re the only institution in the [North Dakota University System] that is operating at the level at which it can sustainably be a net revenue generator,” Holm told Burgum. “As competition increases … there’s the necessity of going big in this area, or going home.”

“This is the kind of conversation we’ve been trying to have,” Burgum said about UND’s desire to blend online and campus opportunities to stay relevant and support student needs. “It’s been misconstrued that I’m for online and against on ground. I’m for financial solvency.”

“And so are we!” Mongeon-Stewart piped in, to the laughter of the room.

Community connections

Following remarks from Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity Cara Halgren regarding revived connections with North Dakota’s tribal colleges – including new “Finish in Four” programs that help tribal students complete their education at UND – the governor heard from VP for Research & Economic Development Grant McGimpsey about UND’s research strides in addressing state societal challenges and diversifying the economy.

As the morning’s final presenter, Associate Vice President for Facilities Mike Pieper explained how UND initiatives, like a 30-year master plan and Coulee to Columbia beautification project, will help to right-size, modernize, and better connect UND’s campus with the Grand Forks community.

The University has aligned planning and funding with the City of Grand Forks to revamp University Avenue as a new “main street” connecting UND with downtown, making the stretch more attractive with enhanced public transit and pedestrian features, as well as proposed mixed-use developments to draw people to campus.

Jonathan Holth of Evolve Grand Forks unveiled his organization’s part in connecting UND and downtown – a contest called the #MainStreetGF Challenge, in which UND and high school students pitch their community-building ideas for a chance at a hefty cash prize and a lead role in developing their concept.

These collaborative projects fall in line with the pillars of Burgum’s Main Street Initiative – creating healthy, vibrant communities using smart and efficient infrastructure to attract and retain a 21st century workforce.

“This is so awesome. You’re addressing all three pillars, and you’re tying in youth engagement in a really solid, meaningful way,” the governor said. “One of the things that’s been missing is the youth engagement piece, and you have really opened the doors here.”

The multifold morning session included many blueprints, anecdotes, facts and figures, but – at this time in the state’s history – it was just what the governor wanted to hear.

“The financial models of universities are under threat from multiple different directions, so it’s so refreshing that we’re actually having that discussion here,” Burgum said at the conclusion of the presentation. “We’re not talking about ideology – we’re talking about economics and how economic business models can be driven by dramatic changes in technology. This is happening to every industry, and too many universities act like it’s not happening to them.

“So … we can just stop right now. It’s been a great hour,” he added with a satisfied smile.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum takes a moment after lunch at UND’s Wilkerson Commons to pick up some raffle tickets from Alpha Sigma Phi’s Carson Hein (far left) and Mark Frahm. Photo by Kaylee Cusack/UND Today.

Just the start

Following a morning of intense strategic discussion, Burgum and his team were whisked off to a rolling campus tour, examining areas that could benefit from renovations or rebuilds and describing how actions from the state could help turn those plans into realities (see this UND Today story for reaction to that tour).

Burgum then sat down for lunch with UND Senate leadership, at which dining topics spanned the new Task Force for Higher Education Governance, collaboration with North Dakota State University, and the state’s K-12 education system.

From there, it was off to the last stop – a demonstration from the five captains of UND’s Grand Challenges in research (see this UND Today story for reaction to that presentation).

But before hopping in his ride, Burgum took a moment to once again connect with those who drove the visit – the students, this time selling raffle tickets for a cause in Wilkerson Commons.

Three hundred minutes – one collectively successful conversation about how UND can change with the winds of education, with a little support from the state’s top official.

“I think that Governor and first lady Burgum walked away from their visit with a far more positive view of the University of North Dakota,” President Kennedy said at day’s end. “They were impressed with the innovation UND is embracing to not just survive, but thrive, in today’s turbulent times for higher education. They better understand our role in generating opportunities for our state and students with our dedication to learning, discovery and service.”

Head of UND facilities lays out full menu of University projects in construction, demolition and parking

UND campus planners like Mike Pieper, through a revised 30-year Campus Master Space Plan, aim to make the University layout “more compact, connected and captivating.” Proposed blueprints are headed to the State Board of Higher Education for its review.

From vibrancy initiatives to capital requests, Associate Vice President for Facilities Mike Pieper is getting ready to present some innovative UND campus blueprints to the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE).

That said, UND Provost Tom DiLorenzo tapped Pieper as the semester’s final Provost Forum presenter to give attendees a sneak peek.

“There are a number of campus changes happening,” UND Provost Tom DiLorenzo told the April 12 crowd. “We thought this would be a good time to give you an overview.”

Pieper kicked off the conversation with an overview of the 30-year UND Campus Master Space Plan to make UND more compact, connected and captivating, crafted in partnership with design firm Sasaki earlier this year.

He explained that his team planned out 30 years as a way to preserve space for future priority projects and construction to avoid building UND “into a corner.”

“The plan really focuses in on the next six years,” Pieper said. “I see a similar type of scan happening every six years, just to see where we are.”

The 30-year vision of the UND Campus Master Plan takes into account future land designations for areas that that could see growth under the One UND Strategic Plan, like research and medicine. Associate Vice President for Facilities Mike Pieper says his team will reexamine the plan every six years to make sure it still supports University priorities. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

Funding for facelifts

The next six years will be busy for the UND construction, renovation and demo docket. Pieper gave updates on three major projects that won’t need capital funding from the state in the next legislative session – a proposed new building for the College of Business & Public Administration ($70M), the reworking of the J. Lloyd Stone House into a student engagement center ($4.5M) and renovations to the Chester Fritz Library ($21M). These projects will move forward using state-approved private fundraising dollars.

Associate Marketing Director Jennifer Swangler was interested to know more about the plans for the J. Lloyd Stone House, which could be moved across University Avenue, north of the current Montgomery Hall. “How might that space be different than other student gathering spaces?” she wondered.

Pieper explained that the restored venue – UND’s only building on the National Register of Historic Places – would be more geared toward older students, serving as a venue for graduate school events, dissertation presentations and more.

Considered one of the most beautiful and historic buildings on campus, Merrifield Hall (above), built in 1929, is the liberal arts hub on campus. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

Capital from the capitol

With the next legislative session just months away, UND has solidified three requests for projects that will require financial support from the state.

The first will be a $35 million remodel of Merrifield Hall, one of campus’s most utilized academic buildings. The project would address critical maintenance needs and enhance classrooms with the technology students require to gain skills necessary for the modern workforce.

Mike Pieper

The second request will be a new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) building, proposed to be placed in the campus core, connecting the historic northern section of the Hyslop and a remodeled Starcher Hall. The project would provide necessary “wet labs” for increased research and student experiential learning.

“It’s much more cost effective to build this type of laboratory space new than to try and retrofit,” Pieper said. “The project would even benefit from just design money, so we could dig into it more deeply. Our goal is keeping the momentum of this planning going.”

The third funding ask will be for a series of infrastructure projects that includes repairs and energy efficiency enhancements to UND’s historic buildings, major work on UND’s flight apron/ramp, and technology upgrades to campus buildings – such as a more robust wireless network and completion of electronic door access and exterior camera surveillance systems.

Pieper will also be asking for authorization – not funding – of several other short-term campus projects, such as an addition to the High Performance Center and potential replacement of Memorial Union, which students could vote to approve as soon as this fall.

“What we need from the Legislature is approval to sell revenue bonds, which the students would pay back through student fees,” Pieper clarified.

Active summer

Facilities will be busy with a swell of summer projects and demolitions. Their work includes repairs and upgrades to several parking lots – namely the Clifford Hall lot, the Columbia Hall lot, and the Bronson lot (south of the new Medical School).

Summer demolition is scheduled for the housing around Northwestern Drive and the Stanford Road 6-plexes, as well as Robertson/Sayre, Corwin/Larimore and Chandler Halls.

“Plans with the new steam plant are also chugging along,” Pieper said, referring to the $75 million public-private project currently in pre-development. The proposed plant will be much smaller and more efficient than the current plant, and would be located just to the south of the Facilities building. Pieper hopes to present a full plan to the SBHE in August.

Pieper also took a moment to update the forum of the evolving partnership with the City of Grand Forks to revitalize the University Avenue connection between campus and downtown, including a 2020 repave of the corridor and enhancements to make it a “complete street” – safer medians, enhanced bus stops, benches, lighting and vehicle/pedestrian wayfinding signs.

Renovation work will continue in O’Kelly Hall through at least late October, incorporating a new space for the Teaching Transformation & Development Academy (TTaDA).

The 12-member UND Parking & Transportation Advisory Committee is looking for ways to simplify parking for the roughly 10,000 student, staff and faculty permit holders who drive to and from campus each day. UND archival image.

Parking matters

Pieper took time to alleviate some concerns about proposed changes to future parking permitting.

The UND Parking Committee is examining ways to pay for increasingly dire pavement repairs, which could require an annual $3 million investment to address and maintain. Permit rates haven’t increased since 2011, and it’s created what Pieper calls a “perfect storm” of funding needs.

The committee is also talking though ways to shift parking zones to better suit driver needs.

“We have excess parking, and that’s a surprise to many people,” Pieper said, further explaining that UND sells approximately 10,000 permits a year for more than 11,700 spaces. “Some of the parking isn’t necessarily where we want it, and we may not have enough where we do want it.”

When asked if UND would see any permit changes for the coming academic year, Pieper indicated that there was no desire to rush any alterations or raise any rates, as most staff won’t see merit-based raises this year.

“I met with the parking committee for the last time this semester last week, and I do plan to have a parking forum before school is out – but it’s not as urgent anymore,” Pieper said.

This was the final Provost Forum of the semester. Those with topic ideas for fall fora can reach out to the Provost’s Office.

New Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion combines American Indian Student Services with Multicultural Programs & Services

Stacey Borboa-Peterson will direct the new Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion. Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

American Indian Student Services and Multicultural Programs & Services will merge on July 1, said Cara Halgren, vice president for student affairs & diversity.

The move is mostly behind the scenes, and students should not see any change in services, she said. The American Indian Student Center and Multicultural Programs & Services both will remain open.

Stacey Borboa-Peterson will direct the new Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion.

“Our mission is to focus on student recruitment and enrollment, as well as retention and completion,” said Borboa-Peterson. “There will be no physical changes. Two units that previously had been doing the same work will be merged into one.”

Being strategic

The change allows the office to be more strategic in meeting Goal 5 of the One UND Strategic Plan, fostering a welcoming, safe and inclusive campus climate, said Halgren.

“This is meant to align with Goal 5 and allows for greater focus on those priorities,” said Halgren. “At the same time, we want to be good stewards of fiscal resources and create greater efficiencies.”

“Our goal is to foster partnerships with admissions and tribal colleges in effort to increase student success,” said Borboa-Peterson.

Halgren said discussions about merging have been taking place for some time.

Serving students

“We have appreciated the communications and student feedback we’ve received about possible ideas for diversity and inclusion at UND,” said Halgren. “We believe these changes reflect the best interests of serving our current and future students on campus.”

Cara Halgren

The change will allow better use of resources, including Faculty Fellows, and focus on the expertise and interest of faculty, said Cassie Gerhardt, associate dean of students and director of student involvement and parent programs.

“Our priorities are in the classroom,” said Gerhardt. “One of the Essential Studies goals is to support faculty development and increase diversity in classroom. This will help develop curricular aspects without new resources.”

There will not be any staffing changes, said Halgren, adding that AISS Interim Director Linda Neuerburg will assume her previous title of assistant director for the new unit, while Borboa-Peterson will be director.

“I am grateful for the expertise and thoughtfulness as shown by Linda and Stacey,” said Halgren. “This merger would not be possible without their leadership and dedication to students. They have been great advocates of the merger and helped members of the campus community understand the possible benefits.”

VPFO: UND better positioned to adapt to new round of fiscal austerity thanks to strategic plan

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in his latest budget guidelines, is proposing more rounds of cuts for UND and the North Dakota University System. Still, UND Vice President for Finance and Operations Alice Brekke, a veteran of many past state budget cycles, sees in the governor’s preliminary outlook glimpses of silver around what many would interpret as gray storm clouds on the horizon. UND archival photo.

Editor’s note: President Mark Kennedy will discuss UND’s budget situation at the annual meeting of the University Council, 3 p.m., on Wednesday  in Room 7 of the Education Building.

UND Vice President for Finance and Operations Alice Brekke admits she’s a glass-half-full person when it comes to most things.

That’s still the case after North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum recently released sobering news in his budget guidelines for the next biennium. He called for even more cuts across the North Dakota University System on the heels of $100 million in base funding reductions for higher education in the current biennium.

Alice Brekke

The governor’s 2019-2021 budget guidelines were released in a public address on April 17. Burgum explained they are needed because general fund expenditures exceed projected revenues and because the state depleted reserves to balance its current budget. It could mean about $24 million less funding over two years for UND and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Still, Brekke, a veteran of many past state budget cycles, sees in the governor’s preliminary guidelines glimpses of silver around what many would interpret as gray storm clouds on the horizon.

Foremost, she stressed that a great deal of the conversation will occur between now and the spring of 2019, when final budget decisions are made.

“This is just the first step in what is a months-long process, and that process has many layers to it,” said Brekke about the governor’s early outlook.

Council address

As for the guidelines, Brekke said she noticed several strategies laid out by the governor that are echoed in UND’s newly implemented One UND” Strategic Plan — a clear sign the University already is aligning itself with the strategic direction of the state.

Burgum’s calls to replace outdated practices with innovative approaches, more collaboration and rigorous self-examinations of every program and expenditure have become more routine on campus in UND’s new strategic culture.

“We are in a fortunate place, right now, in that we have a strategic plan that really gives us the opportunity to think hard about our priorities and our strategic direction,” Brekke said.

On Wednesday, President Mark Kennedy plans to expand on UND’s unique revenue positioning within the University System as well as other important decisions that will have an impact on the University, during the annual meeting of the University Council, set for 3 p.m., in Room 7 of the Education Building.

“We will be working hard to make the case that not only are we aligned with state priorities but that we are being efficient in delivering a quality product,” Kennedy said.

Reinforcing visit

And if Burgum’s visit to UND early last month is any indication, UND also is doing quite nicely adapting to the “leaner, stronger and more innovative” guidelines coming out of Bismarck.

President Mark Kennedy

While at UND, Burgum and his team raved about UND’s effort to expand online education on campus through a partnership with Pearson Online Program Management, a setup that could bolster enrollment on and off campus and establish new revenues streams for the University.

Burgum also liked how UND is working collaboratively with the City of Grand Forks to revamp University Avenue as a new and vibrant “Main Street” between campus and downtown Grand Forks. The project falls in line with Burgum’s “Main Street Initiative.” The governor was especially impressed how UND and Grand Forks leaders included students in development of the project.

At another stop, Burgum was briefed on efforts under way at UND to address so-called “Grand Challenges” in the state and nation. UND plans to tie its state funding requests to these Grand Challenges that address UAS cybersecurity, big data collection, energy development, addiction prevention and more. The proposals are expected to result in positive returns by leveraging dollars or attracting more money from industry and the federal government.

“The governor seemed very impressed with our proposals to jump start significant increases in research in each of our Grand Challenges with an initial state investment,” Kennedy said. “I remain hopeful that, in addition to whatever base funding level results, the state will seriously consider additional investments in emerging technologies that can diversify the state’s economy.”

Growth opportunities

Despite the overall austerity of the governor’s preliminary guidelines, Burgum did say that re-investment in state priorities would be something he’d consider. He said new requests for capital projects also would be considered in the next budgeting process – positive developments for UND.

Pending approval by the State Board of Higher Education, UND plans to make three capital requests during the next legislative session: (1) the remodeling and restoration of Merrifield Hall, (2) the creation of a new science and technology center, or STEM Center, (3) and a major investment in other academic and technological infrastructure upgrades. Merrifield renovation and new STEM Center, alone, would go a long way in reducing UND’s deferred maintenance expenses, which had been projected during the last legislative session to reach $500 million.

Here’s what to expect:

• August, UND will use information from the governor’s guidelines as well as input from the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) to craft and submit a “biennial budget” to the North Dakota Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
• In the fall, UND will be afforded time to meet with OMB analysts to answer questions and provide additional clarity.
• First week of December is UND’s first crack at seeing how the governor’s guidelines evolved into his official Executive Budget. This will be released during the 2019-2021 Legislature’s organizational session.
• Mid to late January 2019 is UND’s first legislative budget hearing. This time it will be before House Appropriations Committee.
• February 22 is crossover, in which bills are transferred between houses. The State Senate then will have its turn to deal with UND matters.
• April 26, is the last day of the 2019-2021 legislative session.
• May-June, once the Legislature makes final decisions, the SBHE will weigh in with final guidance on future spending plans for campuses.

Adapt and overcome

Brekke explained that UND already has done a great deal of work to prepare for, and even embrace, leaner budgeting principles through implementation of a University-wide strategic plan that works. That plan; along with more analytical firepower coming out of colleges and services units, as  well as the adoption of an incentive-based resource allocation budget model (MIRA); has allowed UND leaders to connect decisions to results like never before.

UND now can be proactive, flexible and more nimble through the reallocation and redeployment of resources to higher priorities, based on the strategic plan. These are the kinds of things that should be happening whether UND is in a budget squeeze or not, Brekke says.

At last week’s SBHE meeting, staff representatives talked about how difficult it was to hear the governor’s guidelines and its impact on employee morale.

Brekke heard those words and said it’s important to acknowledge such feelings, but at the same time, leaders need to help their communities adapt and embrace change.

“I don’t think we can pretend we are in a place that is different than where we are now,” she said.

In case you missed it: University well-positioned for future, says President Kennedy in U-Council address

UND President Mark Kennedy , last week, spoke to a packed room, making the case that UND delivers quality education and is aligned with state priorities. His comments came during the president’s annual University Council address. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

UND and its students are doing wonderful things, said President Mark Kennedy at his University Council address May 2.

He spoke to a packed room, making the case that UND delivers quality education and is aligned with state priorities. Slides and statistics helped him make his points about budget, the Strategic Plan and its progress, and goals for the future.

“Our graduates succeed because of your hard work,” Kennedy said, adding that when his mother was recently hospitalized, one of her nurses was a UND graduate. As he and First Lady Debbie Kennedy took a selfie with her, other UND grads at the hospital – the pharmacist and marketing manager – asked to be included. The end result? A large group photo!

“The region and nation are better off because of UND, and that’s one of many reasons I’m happy to be here,” he said.

Kennedy announced that Peter Johnson, longtime UND spokesman and part-time interim vice president for university & public affairs, who “retired” last July, will stay on half-time to assist during the upcoming Legislative session.

“Peter has the longest-running retirement in UND history,” Kennedy said to laughter from the audience.

He is seeking the perfect fit for vice president of university relations, and will wait until there is more certainty with the budget to fill the post.

Kennedy told his University Council audience that, besides state funding, there are other state decisions that could impact UND, including pay increases, health care, the funding formula, tuition flexibility, research investments to diversify North Dakota’s economy, governance, capital requests and more. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

Budget questions

There are reasons to be concerned about the budget, said Kennedy, especially after N.D. Gov. Doug Burgum called for a 10 percent reduction for most state agencies, including higher education, in his budget guideline.

“There is a long road with many turns before the budget process concludes,” Kennedy said. The State Board of Higher Education will require budgets from NDUS institutions, the governor will finalize his budget in December and the State Legislature will determine the final budget next spring.

Kennedy said UND is less reliant on the state than any other public college or university in the state with 26 percent of its funding coming from the state. By contrast, Dickinson State receives 56 percent of its funding from the state. “If you put it in context, that would be 10 percent of the 26 percent,” Kennedy observed.

Besides funding, there are other state decisions that could impact UND, including pay increases, health care, the funding formula, tuition flexibility, research investments to diversify North Dakota’s economy, governance, capital requests and more.

“We will make our case,” Kennedy said. “The number two oil-producing state in the nation can afford a premier university.”

Strategic positioning

Kennedy said UND is positioned to handle nearly any storms coming its way.

“We have the ability to move forward, even though it may be tough,” he said. “The answer to our challenges is the Strategic Plan.”

Boosting online programs, which Gov. Burgum has championed, and the recent contract with Pearson Online Learning Services, will help UND grow, Kennedy said. UND has 3,346 online-only students, with the capacity for many more.

UND’s scale is a particularly a benefit online, Kennedy said, noting that in an eight-state region, UND has the most students who are online-only of any other public university. Given that, Kennedy noted that UND’s closest substantive online compeititors are Arizona State University and Purdue.

New marketing plans for prospective students will also raise enrollment, especially as the Leaders in Action campaign moves forward, Kennedy said. A mobile-friendly web site, which rolls out May 21, should also help recruit students.

New addidas Fighting Hawks apparel and the new mascot are signs that UND is moving beyond the logo controversy. This and efforts to improve campus ambience, including by replacing the steam plant though a public/private partnership, will also help UND’s student recruitment.

New programs, certificates and degrees, for example in cybersecurity, will offer opportunity to more students and research expenditures have topped $100 million for the first time, he noted.

And UND has been named one of the Top 25 most innovative universities by US News.

During questions from the audience, the President emphasized the continued importance of the liberal arts foundation to UND’s academic programs, among other topics. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

A path for growth

“Add it all together, and we are on a path for growth even without accelerating online programs,” Kennedy said, adding that more online and on campus students can deliver even better opportunities.

During Gov. Burgum’s campus visit last month, Kennedy said the governor was pleased and excited about the five Grand Challenges, for which UND is requesting seed money. With a relatively small investment, these new initiatives could yield increased revenues from other sources.

There are many reasons to feel good about the future, Kennedy said as he ended his talk.

During questions from the audience, the President emphasized the continued importance of the liberal arts foundation to UND’s academic programs, the focus on underserved fields of study where UND can leverage its flagship status when selecting degrees offered through its partnership with Pearson, the Univerity’s intent to return to a stand alone instance of Blackboard next spring, and the ability of all departments to find a way to participate in Grand Challenges research.

What’s in a statement?  UND’s updated version gets to the core of what it is and does in 200 fewer words

The State Board of Higher Education approved a new, new more modern mission statement on April 26. UND last revised its mission statement in 1991. UND archival image.

It’s short, powerful, and transformative.

“To provide transformative learning, discovery, and community engagement opportunities for developing tomorrow’s leaders.”

UND’s new mission statement was approved by the State Board of Higher Education on April 26.

“I love it,” said Vogeltanz-Holm, outgoing chair of University Senate. “This gets at the heart of what is important to the University.”

She was one of the campus leaders tapped last October to revise UND’s mission statement, which was last updated in 1991. The goal was to have a shorter, sharper statement that is more aligned with UND priorities and the Strategic Plan.

They honed the 219-word mission statement to just 13 words.

“This is a new, modern statement about what we do at UND,” said Vogeltanz-Holm, who also serves as professor and director of the Center for Health Promotion & Prevention Research at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Strategic mission

“This fits with the mission, vision, values and goals of our Strategic Plan,” said Stacey Borboa-Peterson, director of student diversity & inclusion, who developed the mission with outgoing Student Body President Cole Bachmeier and Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of History Jim Mochoruk. “The new mission will guide us forward.”

“I’m very excited,” said Bachmeier. “This better reflects who we are today. We’ve gone from 200-plus words to just under 20. We need to capture people’s attention. This mission champions our priorities and will get people excited about UND.”

The group crafted two statements reviewed by President Kennedy and the Executive Council in November. After a few changes, it was sent to campus governance for comment in December. The State Board approved it last month.

Borboa-Peterson spent two years researching UND’s strategic plans and their history for her doctoral dissertation, looking at the evolution of the mission from UND’s founding in 1883 to present day.

“It’s important that people who work for and on behalf of the institution, as well as current and prospective students know and are able to articulate the mission,” said Borboa-Peterson. “Now, in just one sentence, people will know that.”

“The new mission is transformative,” said Vogeltanz-Holm. “It captures a feeling that we hope will lead to inspiration.”

Updated front door  for UND targets prospective students, is mobile friendly and ‘visually stunning’

UND Marketing & Creative Services Web specialist Matt Schill conducts training recently  on the new UND website for University employees. The new website is set to launch May 21. Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

In a week, “UND.edu,” the online front door of the University, will be sporting a brand new look and improved functionality.

Tera Buckley, assistant director of UND Marketing & Creative Services, knows that the changes will be for the best.

“It’s going to be very different, but different in a good way,” she said.

On May 21, Buckley and her team will flip the switch on the first wave of updates to the University’s website. She says the biggest changes are its visual features and the way the site will be navigated.

“One of our goals was to have a visually stunning site and I think we’ve done that,” she said. “The site is now more prospective student-focused.”

Every major, minor, certificate or anything else UND offers will be in a new storefront. To find results, students looking for the next step in their education won’t need to know the specific college, department or name of a program. The new program-finder was built to address the most pertinent questions students might have about a program. It even allows students to directly compare program requirements.

“We know the number one decision-making process for prospective students is if we have their program of interest,” Buckley said. “We want to immediately answer if we have the program they want and what it will allow them to do upon graduation. You can browse on-campus or online, you don’t have to go to a separate extended learning site – it’s all in one place.

“The high-impact pages we know prospective students are using, like admissions, applications and financial aid are all included in this first wave.”

Necessary upgrade

This rollout comes after over a year of planning, designing, and coding. The last time UND.edu received a significant redesign was 2010, and Buckley says it’s far past due for upgrades. The new site has a modernized look and, most importantly, a mobile-friendly interface.

Assistant Director of Marketing & Creative Services Tera Buckley presents updates on the UND website redevelopment during March 22 Provost Forum. Photo by Jackie Lorentz/UND Today.

“We’ll see a lot of improvement with organic search, with Google and Bing,” she explained. “We’re being punished in their algorithms because we haven’t been mobile-friendly. It will take a few weeks after the launch, but we’ll see our organic traffic go up significantly.”

“We’ve changed the site navigation to better serve prospective students, but that isn’t to say we aren’t serving faculty and staff,” Buckley said. “They and current students are going to be served in a different way.”

Some of the biggest changes frequent site visitors will notice are the absence of the A-Z Index and the My UND page. On May 21, the index will be integrated into the site’s new universal search bar. With My UND, those functions will be integrated into the main header of the site, including a dedicated drop-bar for the most used campus logins. It’s different nomenclature, but still the same amount of clicks from the homepage.

Showing their stuff

Buckley’s point of excitement in this process is the ability to showcase the University in a new way. The updated designs bring photography and campus imagery to the forefront.

“We have a lot of great program offerings; we have a beautiful campus,” she said. “Finally, our new front door to campus will be as welcoming as the campus itself.”

They’re also trying to say more by saying… less. The current site has around 30,000 pages, a number Buckley says is unacceptable. The standard metric for an institution like UND is one page per student, so her team has spent considerable time cleaning up and deleting outdated, redundant content.

“For example, the extended learning site went from over 3,000 pages to under 500,” Buckley said. “When you have redundant content, your own pages compete against each other in a search. If you have 10 ‘About UND’ pages, it’s likely one of them is accurate and up to date. The rest are probably old and not reflective of what we want to be saying about the University.”

And is the team doing this page by page?

“Absolutely,” she said with a laugh. “We’re prioritizing higher-traffic pages, but everything is getting touched.”

Refined strategy

With respect to the UND Strategic Plan — the administration’s five-year vision for the University — redeveloping UND.edu serves Goal 3: delivering more educational opportunities online and on-campus.

“When people look at the high-level landing pages, they’ll see that we’ve weaved in strategic initiatives into the content,” Buckley said.

She offered examples such as images that showcase UND as a military-friendly school. The Honors program is showcased. Online education options are at the top of the academics page before breaking down into individual schools and colleges.

“We’ve taken a hard look at the strategic plan, pulled areas that are prospective student-related, and featured them prominently on high-traffic pages,” she said.

As for the launch, Buckley would be the first to tell you May 21 will be a rough day. She expects many things to break and asks for forgiveness on the first day. On subsequent days, she is urging everyone to report run-ins with bugs, inaccuracies and other issues.

“Feedback is extremely valuable,” she said. “We don’t want people to complain amongst themselves. We need our site visitors to fill out a short form and tell us what’s going on.”

On the new UND.edu pages, a link called “Website Feedback” will take users where they need to go to voice concerns. This includes aspects such as program information in the new program-finder function.

The next wave of updates will occur this fall, and the following updates will be implemented during instructional breaks going into 2019.

To learn more about the effort, visit the project blog.

New online and face-to-face graduate accountancy degrees in high demand

With high placement rates, successful alumni, a robust internship program and certification pass rates higher than the national averages, the UND Accountancy program’s reputation precedes it. The department is now building on that success with a new master’s program delivered on campus and online. Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today.

The accounting field is expected to change more in the next five years than it has in the last 50.

And the UND Accountancy is helping students meet this challenge with new on-campus and soon-to-be-launched online graduate degree programs.

“Our goal is not only to prepare graduates to pass the CPA exam, but to prepare them with critical thinking and professional skills necessary to excel throughout their careers,” said Katherine Campbell, professor and chair of accountancy.

“With high placement rates, successful alumni, a robust internship program and CPA exam pass rates that are up to 20 percent above national averages, the UND Accountancy undergraduate program has a strong reputation,” said Campbell.

The department is building on this success with its Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program.  In addition to a campus-based program, the department is launching two additional MAcc tracks online with instructional design and marketing support from Pearson Online Learning Services.

Solid ground

“The new master’s program is built on solid ground,” said Campbell, “and offering both campus and online delivery allows us to make opportunities available to a broader population of students.”

“It also helps fulfill Goal 3 of the One UND Strategic Plan, delivering more educational opportunities online and on-campus, as well as Goal 1, cultivating critical thinking skills,” said Campbell.

Katherine Campbell

Campbell said the new MAcc Program was in such high demand that the campus-based program launched this spring instead of next fall as originally planned.

“The on-campus program is a professional track, designed for students who hold undergraduate accounting degrees,” said Michelle Garske, director of graduate programs & accreditation. In this track, students have the opportunity to customize their learning experiences through concentrations in data analytics, organizations and leadership or public administration.

Campus students can accelerate their degree by entering into the MAcc combined program, which enables qualified students to dual count six credits of graduate accounting coursework to fulfill their undergraduate degree requirements. In the fall 2018 semester, the campus program will also feature an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s (ABM) program, which will allow exceptional undergraduate students to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years by dual counting up to 12 graduate credits. The ABM program will provide a new opportunity for UND Accountancy to recruit high achieving high school and undergraduate students.

“Most accounting majors plan to earn their CPA, which requires 150 credit hours,” Garske said. “Now they can become eligible to sit for the CPA exam while earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time.”

To serve a broader population of students who are interested in studying accounting at the graduate level, two online tracks of the MAcc will be offered beginning in Spring 2019.

“The fundamentals track is designed for people without an accounting background who may be looking for a career change,” said Garske. “The practitioner track is for individuals who have previously studied accounting and want to continue their graduate learning experience online.”

Michelle Garske

“Delivery of high quality online programs requires special skills. That is why the department is working with Pearson,” said Campbell, adding that Pearson offers valuable services including state-of-the art online instructional design support. “Faculty provide course content and work with Pearson’s professional staff to incorporate graphics and technology to make online classes as rigorous, engaging and interactive as those offered on campus.”

“I have been so very impressed with the willingness of the Accountancy faculty to expand into the online learning space,” said Jeff Holm, Goal 3 project manager and UND Psychology chair. “Their decision will let them reach new and different types of students. In the changing landscape of higher education, it’s critical that we at UND are thinking, not just outside the box, but as if there is no box, when it comes to providing new educational opportunities to our students. Kudos to Accountancy!”

Campbell added that working with Pearson’s online instructional designers is a development opportunity for faculty. “Faculty can use those skills to augment face-to-face courses.”

Ready for the future

“Research shows that accountants who earn a master’s degree are more likely to be promoted and become partners in public accounting firms, so it’s important for students to have that opportunity,” said Campbell.

“Skill sets change,” she continued. “Accounting was one of the first information systems and accountants were the original data analysts, but new technology is changing the accounting profession. There is a world of opportunity for those who can develop and communicate quantitative information to support better decision-making. We are responding to that need with programs that prepare students for the future. Campus and online graduate programs will open professional doors and develop competencies that will allow UND Accountancy graduates to follow their passion to work in almost any area of business or nonprofit endeavor.”

Kennedy updates business community on strategic plan progress, urges leaders to work together

UND President Mark Kennedy recently updated about 100 members of the Greater Grand Forks Economic Development Corp. and The Chamber of Grand Forks-East Grand Forks on how UND’s roughly year old One UND strategic plan is surging ahead. He also urged the business community to get behind the University as the chief opportunity engine for the region and premier flagship university on the Northern Plains. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

My, how things have changed in a year.

It wasn’t long ago that President Mark Kennedy unveiled the University’s comprehensive One UND Strategic Plan for the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks business community.

He was at it again recently, updating about 100 members of the Greater Grand Forks Economic Development Corp., and The Chamber of Grand Forks-East Grand Forks on how that roadmap for UND’s future is surging ahead.

Kennedy also urged the business community to get behind the University as the chief opportunity engine for the region and premier flagship university on the Northern Plains.

“We want to become that magnetic place that brings people to UND and to Grand Forks,” Kennedy said. “And if you want to be that magnetic place, you have to have a strong relationship with the world’s best college town.”

Standing out

Kennedy said, despite a period of major cost-cutting, UND was able to find ways to stand out in a crowd by carving out $3 million for new marketing initiatives.

It funded a branding overhaul at the University with new slogans and messaging, led by the “Leaders in Action” tagline – a spirited summation of UND’s students, faculty, staff and alumni. With new light pole banners now lining University Avenue, he spoke of upcoming plans to tie the campus to downtown Grand Forks-East Grand Forks with complementing banners, helping to solidify the town-gown bond.

More transformation came with the launching of UND’s student-centered and mobile-friendly website, a primary portal for prospective students and their families.

“During its first month, we’re seeing an 84 percent increase in undergraduate leads (interest from prospective students) and a 52 percent increase in graduate student leads,” Kennedy said. “This should have an impact in the fall of 2019.”

UND also streamlined the process for transfer students to continue their education in Grand Forks. And by collaborating with NDSU on a new digital “Degree Planner,” prospective students are able to map out exactly what they’ll need to do to graduate quickly.

Beautification efforts

In an effort to right-size and beautify the campus core, UND will have removed 52 buildings by the end of the summer that are underused or past their prime. This has trimmed more than $70 million in deferred maintenance for the University. And those savings will only grow as other campus changes are enacted.

Plans also are on track to remove the unsightly Steam Plant from the heart of campus and build a new, more cost-efficient version on the University’s western edge. A new revenue model ensures the move won’t cost the University or the state.

Improvements to iconic buildings, such as Merrifield Hall, and adding a more majestic entrance to the Chester Fritz Library, are part of future plans. Furthermore, UND students, in the future, will have a chance to vote on funding a new Memorial Union with increases to their student fees.

Challenges accepted

Kennedy spent a good portion of his talk on UND’s research enterprise, which topped $100 million in expenditures last year. Much of the focus was on UND’s 5 Grand Challenges, an effort to maximize the University’s research in a few broad areas important to the state and region: unmanned vehicles, big data, energy and sustainability, biomedicine, and rural health.

As part of this work, UND repurposed $4 million for Grand Challenge seed grants, aimed at securing much more in federal or other sourced funding.

Kennedy used the opportunity to think big and to share thoughts for the future, including visions that one day unmanned system studies at UND, now largely nested under RIAS (Research Institute for Autonomous Systems program), would be as big as UND’s Energy & Environmental Research Center.

Kennedy said good things have happened at UND and in North Dakota regarding UAS research, but other states are quickly catching up.

Also, given the importance of energy exploration and sustainability in the state, Kennedy wondered if the time might be right for UND-affiliated energy extension outlets throughout North Dakota, similar to the existing agriculture extension model.

Kennedy added that UND, with its School of Medicine and Health Sciences and other allied health partners, and their collective focus on rural health, is uniquely positioned to develop an Institute for Clinical Studies to meet the healthcare needs of rural America and to combat the nation’s growing opioid crisis.

UND President Mark Kennedy (right) converses with Keith Lund, president and CEO of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corps., before Kennedy’s recent presentation to Grand Forks area business leaders. Photo by Connor Murphy/UND Today.

Echo chamber

Kennedy also talked about UND’s growing global presence in online education. Currently, UND has about 3,500 students taking classes exclusively online and nearly 3,000 taking some combination of on-campus and online courses.

About a fourth of UND’s salaries are paid through online tuition, he said.

Recently, UND partnered with Pearson, a leader in online education management, to initially help UND launch two degrees– one in graduate level accounting and the other in cyber security. The arrangement allows UND to offer online the same quality education for which it is known on campus, while Pearson handles much of the marketing and promotion. In addition to enhancing online and on-campus educational opportunities, the partnership provides potential growth in enrollment and new tuition revenue for UND.

It also could lead to more new jobs for the local economy, Kennedy said.

The online expansion strengthens UND’s reputation, certainly, as regional leader in online education, but also as a player in a market now dominated by marquee institutions such as Penn State, Arizona State and Purdue University.

“We believe that UND can be even bigger than you could ever imagine, and this is what energizes us,” Kennedy said.

In response to a question from the audience about how the local business community can help UND succeed, Kennedy kept it simple.

Much like the One UND plan — it’s a team effort, he said. The University and the community must stand with and for each other; the synergies are vital to the long-term success of both.

“Our goal is to have UND thrive not just survive,” Kennedy said. “That only happens in an echo chamber with a community working together in lock step with each other.”