Academic Affairs

College of Arts and Sciences

358 Tech Center – 626-2601

Under the direction of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Tom Hawley, Academic Affairs includes University College, Honors Program, Library, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education, School of Fine Arts, Graduate and Extended Studies, Institutional Research and Grants and Contracts. Among the many important duties of the Academic Affairs Office are the preparation of the Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog, fall, spring, and summer class schedules, the coordination of commencements, and the supervision of all academic matters.

Dr. Celestino Mendez, Dean

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences oversees the following departments:

Department of Biology, 224 MeWaldt-Jensen, 626-2456
Department of Chemistry and Physics, 224 MeWaldt-Jensen, 626-2456
Department of English and Linguistics, 261 Tech Center, 626-2404
Department of Foreign Language and Speech Communications, 261 Tech Center, 626-2404
Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy, TC 358, 626-2601
Department of Mathematics, 224 MeWaldt-Jensen, 626-2456
Department of Political Science and Sociology, 238 Tech Center, 626-2601

Office of Graduate Studies

104 Spafford Hall, 626-2558

Office of Extended Studies

106 Spafford Hall, 626-2568

The Office of Extended Studies sponsors workshops, online and correspondence courses offered through NSU. (effective Fall, 2009, all correspondence courses offered through Extended Studies will be online).

Our students come from all over South Dakota, and several other states. They are people who have careers, families, and other commitments that make going to a residential college nearly impossible. They are folks who started college a few (or several) years ago, interrupted their education, and now want to get that degree they always wanted. They are also students at regular colleges who have scheduling difficulties, such as jobs, sports, full sections, etc., and find online courses the perfect answer to many of those difficulties.

You can take classes and still have a life! Find out what is possible, and let us help you reach your goals.

Our courses are all term based and can be registered for via WebAdvisor.

Office of Extended Studies

Spafford Hall 106

605-626-2568 phone

605-626-2542 fax

exten@northern.edu

Honors Program

TC 357, 626-7728

Dr. Ken Blanchard, Director

The Academic Honors Program is an enriched program for academically talented and highly motivated students. The purposes of the program are:

to stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and critical evaluation of ideas and behavior;
to enhance the skills of critical research, writing, and speaking; and
to develop the capacity for independent learning.

High school seniors who have an ACT score of 26 or above and rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating class are invited to join the program. Currently enrolled students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above are encouraged to submit an application form. Students who do not meet these entrance criteria but can demonstrate that they have made a commitment to the objectives of the program may also apply and be considered for admission.

Students who complete at least 18 credit hours in honors courses (including an Honors Thesis) will graduate from the program with the highest honors awarded by NSU, the designation In Honoribus. Program graduates receive a diploma in Latin and are given special recognition at commencement. For further information or an application for admission, contact the Director of the Honors Program.

Beulah Williams Library

102 Library, 626-2645

Robert Russell, Interim Director

The Beulah Williams Library is one of the finest undergraduate libraries in the state of South Dakota. Its mission is to provide quality resources to enhance student learning and to enrich the NSU community.

The Library's operations and services are supported by the South Dakota Library Network/Aleph online catalog system. The Network, which consists of 52 member libraries, provides access to a database of over 3.5M items, its holdings are available to residents of the entire state, as well as the world. Similarly, students and faculty at NSU have immediate access to the holdings of all other libraries in South Dakota. With their NSU library card, they are able to check out materials from other universities in the state system and from the public library and Presentation College library here in Aberdeen. Through the Library’s membership in MINITEX, a co-operative consortium of libraries in Minnesota and the Dakotas, this immediate access is extended to the entire three-state region.

The Library subscribes to over 100 online databases which enable students to have access to over 32,000 online journal titles, most of which are full-text. The Library’s holdings consist of more than 250,000 items and include over 35,000 federal and state documents, nearly 300,000 microforms. Access to all of these collections is provided to students and faculty 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Library's web site at http://www3.northern.edu/library.

Through the Library’s membership in MINITEX, a co-operative consortium of libraries in Minnesota and the Dakotas, this immediate access is extended to the entire three-state region. Williams Library provides rapid, online delivery of Interlibrary Loan requests. Courier service in the three-state region provides for rapid interlibrary servicing of book requests, and journal requests are filled through an electronic delivery system, often in as little as two days.

Reference librarians and all library staff are available to help in the use of the Library's resources, and are committed to providing a variety of services to enable students to identify, locate, and use the appropriate information resources.

The library is open seven days a week during the fall and spring semesters, and five days a week during the summer.

School of Business

101 Lincoln Hall, 626-2400

Dr. Sharon Paronto, Interim Dean

The Dean of the School of Business oversees the following:

Center of Excellence in International Business
Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunity
Department of Accounting & Business Law
Department of Banking & Financial Services
Department of Economics and Finance
Department of Management and Marketing
Department of Management Information Systems and E-Business Education
South Dakota International Business Institute

For help in contacting department staff, please call 626-2400.

School of Education

112 Gerber Building, 626-2415

Dr. Connie Geier, Interim Dean

The Dean of the School of Education oversees the following departments:

Department of Special Education, 115 Gerber Building, 626-2417
Department of Elementary and Secondary, Education, 115 Gerber Building, 626-2417 (Including Early Childhood Education)
Department of Health and Physical Education, 41 Barnett Center, 626-3336
Department of Psychology and Counselor Education, 115 Gerber Building, 626-2417

School of Fine Arts

316 Spafford Hall, 626-2497

Dr. Alan LaFave, Dean

The Dean of the School of Fine Arts oversees the following departments:

Department of Art, 206 Dacotah Hall, 626-2514
Department of Music and Theater, 315 Spafford Hall, 626-2497

University College

201 Dacotah Hall, 626-2633

Steve Rasmussen, Director

The University College provides academic support services free of charge for NSU students. These services include academic advising, Supplemental Instruction and tutoring, as well as assistance with mathematics, writing, and reading. The University College also houses NSU’s TRiO Student Support Services. The Director of the University College is Steve Rasmussen, Dacotah Hall, Room 201B.

Academic Advising for First-Year Students

201 Dacotah Hall, 626-2633

Madia Droppers, Coordinator

University College advisors help guide students through the transition to college and through the academic advising process, including registering for pre-general and general education requirements. Advisors also help students with academic resources, and other campus resources.

Math, Writing, and Reading Centers

209 Dacotah Hall, 626-7782 (Math and Writing Centers)

205 Graham Hall, 626-3427 (Reading Center)

Vicki Evans, Director (Writing Center)

Kami Fischbach, Director (Math Center)

Denise Finstad, Director (Reading Center)

The Math, Writing and Reading Centers provide one-on-one tutoring in their respective areas. The Math and Writing Centers are located in Room 209 of Dacotah Hall, and the Reading Center is located in Room 205 of Graham Hall. They are generally open from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday. Please check at the beginning of each semester to get current operating hours. There are also evening hours that are announced at the start of each semester. Students may simply drop in for assistance, or they can set up an appointment by calling, although appointments are not necessary to utilize these services.

Supplemental Instruction

201 Dacotah Hall, 626-2633

Heidi Fisher, Coordinator

Supplemental instruction groups, or peer groups led by peer tutors, are organized for a number of courses each semester. These include courses in the sciences and history, as well as other areas that fulfill general education requirements. The students who lead these sessions work closely with the faculty and help students to understand the material for upcoming exams and quizzes. In addition, individual tutorials can be arranged by contacting Heidi Fisher. All of these services are free of charge. To learn more about these services, contact the University College at 626-2633.

TRiO Student Support Services

201 Dacotah Hall, 626-2633

Heather Scott, Director

TRiO SSS is a federally funded program designed to help participants graduate from college. Program activities and services are designed to help participants achieve their educational, personal, and career goals. For more information about the program please contact the University College at 626-2633.

For more information on these services refer to the university catalogue.