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Student Handbook:

Academic Affairs


College of Arts and Sciences

203 Spafford Hall – 626-2524

Under the direction of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Clyde Arnold, Academic Affairs includes University College, Honors Program, Library, Enrollment Services, 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.

249 Seymour Hall, 626-2601

Dr. David Grettler, 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, 326 Seymour Hall, 626-2404

  • Department of Foreign Language and Speech Communications, 326 Seymour Hall, 626-2404

  • Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy, 250 Seymour Hall, 626-2601

  • Department of Mathematics, 224 MeWaldt-Jensen, 626-2456

  • Department of Political Science and Sociology, 250 Seymour Hall, 626-2601

Office of Graduate & Extended Studies

 

Graduate Studies

104 Spafford Hall, 626-2558

Extended Studies

104 Spafford Hall, 626-2486

Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree should call or stop by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Honors Program

140-141 Seymour Hall, 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:

  1. to stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and critical evaluation of ideas and behavior;

  2. to enhance the skills of critical research, writing, and speaking; and

  3. 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

Beulah Williams Library
102 Library, 626-2645
 
Dr. J. Philip Mulvaney, 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://www.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.

 

 

Registration

101 Dacotah Hall, 626-2012

Peggy Hallstrom, Registrar

The Records and Registrar’s Office acts as the central location for all academic records and is responsible for registering students for classes. Copies of the Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog are available from this office, as well as copies of the fall, spring, and summer class schedules.

Call or stop by the Registration office with any questions related to class scheduling or academic records.

School of Business

101 Lincoln Hall, 626-2400

Dr. Doug Ohmer, 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

109 Gerber Building, 626-2415

Dr. Bruce Petrie, Interim Dean

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

  • Department of Special Education, 145 Gerber Building, 626-2417
  • Department of Elementary and Secondary, Education, 145 Gerber Building, 626-2417

          (Including Early Childhood Education)

  • Department of Health and Physical Education, 42 Barnett Center, 626-3336
  • Department of Psychology and Counselor Education, 145 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, Interim Director

The University College provides several types of academic support services free of charge.  These services include supplemental instruction and tutoring, as well as assistance with mathematics and writing.  The Interim Director of the University College is Steve Rasmussen, Dacotah Hall, Room 201B.

Math and Writing Center

209 Dacotah Hall, 626-7782

Vicki Evans, Director (Writing Center)

Kami Fischbach, Director (Math Center)

Academic support services are located in the Math and Writing Center, which is located in Room 209 of Dacotah Hall.  It is generally open from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday.  Please check with the Math and Writing Center 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 in mathematics or writing, or they can set up an appointment by calling 626-7782, although appointments are not necessary to utilize these services. 

Supplemental Instruction and Tutoring  

201 Dacotah Hall, 626-2633

Heidi Fisher, Director

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.

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