Welcome to the NSU News Update - providing information on events happening on campus or involving NSU students, staff and faculty.
To submit a news item, send it via email to NSUNews@northern.edu by 5 p.m. Thursday of the week before the announcement should run.
Attention NSU campus community: If you lost an item of value while goose hunting outside of Aberdeen the evening of Nov. 21, please contact Don Heupel, 763-370-9040, to retrieve it. As a reminder, the Northern campus has a lost and found located in Student Affairs inside the Avera Student Center.
Holiday Dinner: Last chance to get your tickets to the 18th Annual Holiday Dinner: Please RSVP to Jerilyn Mielke at Jerilyn.Mielke@northern.edu or 605-626-3007 by noon TODAY, Monday, Nov. 28. The dinner will take place 5-7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Avera Student Center Centennial Rooms. Faculty and staff (plus one guest) are complementary of Northern. The event is hosted by President Schnoor and Student Affairs.
Northern Innovation and Startup Center
Please join us for a tour of the Northern Innovation and Startup Center at the Beulah Williams Library. During the tour and informational session, we will provide an overview of the new Northern Innovation and Startup Center and our work to build a digital economy ecosystem that will benefit Aberdeen and our entire region of northeastern South Dakota. Please RSVP to Hannah Walters at hannah.walters@northern.edu. Tour date and time options:
- Monday, Nov. 28 at 2-3 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 1 at 3-4 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 5 at 9-10 a.m.
- Monday, Dec. 5 at 1-2 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 9 at 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Northern Edge Award
Students may now apply for the fall round of the Northern Edge Award. This award is available to fund research projects at Northern. It is especially intended to aid student projects in under-represented disciplines and/or projects that may not be eligible/competitive for other funding opportunities on campus. Faculty-mentored projects may receive up to $1,000. The award can be used for traditional research expenses or discipline-specific costs such as travel. The deadline for the applications is 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28. Apply here, or for more information, contact Undergraduate Research Coordinator Dr. Susan Citrak at susan.citrak@northern.edu.
Early Musick Ensemble Concerts
On Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. in the west stairwell of the Jewett Science Center, the Early Musick Ensemble will perform some of your favorite hits from the 16th and 17th centuries: “A Concert in a Really Cool Acoustic.” This concert will be repeated the following Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. at the Red Rooster.
Christmas Open House Sale at the NSU Wolf Shoppe
The NSU Wolf Shoppe will have a Christmas Open House Sale, Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Take 25 percent off clothing and giftware, and register for door prizes. Cookies, coffee and hot apple cider will be available Dec. 1.
Attention December Graduates – Welcome to the NSU Alumni Association
The NSU Alumni Association has put together a gift for all the graduates, and will be handing them out on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Student Center lobby. This gift will include an NSU alumni coffee mug, a certificate for a free coffee from Einstein’s, a certificate for 25 percent off one item at the NSU Team Store, 30 percent off one item at the Wolf Shoppe, an alumni pin, and a few other NSU items. Please stop by the table on Nov. 30 to get your gift!
Noon Forums
The final Fall 2022 Noon Forum will take place at noon Nov. 30 in the library, with Jeff Bartel discussing “How Local Botany Has Altered Our History.” If geography is destiny, then history is humanity's free will. One of the things that makes geography destiny is plant life. Every tree, bush, crop and weed influences how families, communities, nations and cultures can grow. Defying destiny, humans survive, adapt and overcome with ingenuity and trade. The legacy of free will is carved into our textbooks. This interaction is not just in our history, it is also strong in our modernity and future. Come Nov. 30 for the noon forum discussing historical plants, people and potential prosperity. Noon Forums, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by Faculty Senate, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and the Center for Public History and Civic Engagement.
Student Success GOLD Series - The One About Preparing for Finals – Wednesday, Nov. 30, 7-8 p.m. in the Maroon Room (upstairs in the Student Center)
It’s the finals countdown! Depending how your semester has gone, finals week can be either a time of wrapping up some remaining exams and assignments, or a more stressful time needing to earn the best grade possible. No matter what category you fall under we can help! The NSU Student Success Center invites students to this interactive workshop to learn about ways to maximize success on your finals! We will give you the tools to create a gameplan for finals week to reduce stress and ace your exams.
Winter Choral Concert
The NSU Winter Choral Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the First Presbyterian Church of Aberdeen, 318 S. Kline St. The concert will feature performances by the NSU Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Early Musick Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Timothy Woods. There is no cost to attend the concert, but attendees are asked for a freewill donation. For more information, contact the NSU School of Fine Arts at 605-626-2497.
Student Art Exhibition Reception
Gabby Grieme’s senior art exhibition will be on display through Dec 18 in Gallery X, located in room 106 of the NSU Johnson Fine Arts Center. A reception for her exhibition, titled “More Than a Body,” will take place 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in Gallery X. “More Than a Body” consists of digital illustrations that aim to deconstruct societal gender norms, beauty standards and sexual objectification of women.
Project Updates
- Human Resources Transformation: The Senate Bill 55 Task Force recommended that the Board of Regents conduct a review of Human Resources across the system in an effort to identify efficiencies and potential areas for consolidation. The Board of Regents contracted with Segal Consulting to conduct a thorough review of human resources across the entire system. At the conclusion of the review, Segal provided a list of recommendations with the overall goal of moving “HR from a largely transactional function to one that provides strategic, value-added services to the system.” In August, the Board of Regents directed staff to develop a plan to implement the recommendations provided by Segal. To move this work forward, a Steering Committee and an Advisory Committee were formed. A project charge and timeline were developed by the Steering Committee and approved by the Board of Regents at the October meeting. Several subcommittees comprised of personnel from each campus will be working diligently over the next 18 months to implement plans to ensure the success of the project. More information regarding the HR Transformation can be found on the Board of Regents website.
- Campus Master Plan: NSU has contracted with CO-OP Architects to update the 2017 Campus Master Plan. Members of the Executive Leadership Team, the Deans and the Director of Facilities have met twice this fall with the team from CO-OP to share ideas and review a comprehensive list of rooms. With the completion of many of the projects listed on the 2017 Master Plan, the focus of the updated plan will be on optimizing the use of existing facilities to support strategic priorities. The campus community will be invited to share thoughts and ideas as the plan begins to take shape in the spring. The goal is to have the new plan completed by the end of March.
- FY24 Budget Address: Governor Noem will share her FY24 Budget Recommendations when she delivers her address to legislators on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The Board of Regents’ budget request of $88,707,296 included requests for base funding to cover a tuition freeze and additional funding for maintenance and repair along with one-time requests to fund campus priorities. A full list of the Board of Regents’ FY24 budget request submitted to Governor Noem for her consideration can be found at this link.
All-Campus Smudge
The American Indian Circle Program will host an all-campus smudge the first Tuesday of each month at 12:15 p.m. in MJ 112 (outside on the patio). Smudging is the burning of sacred plants and is done individually or in a group to begin a new or to cleanse a space. We seek to build community, so everyone is welcome!
Next Silent Book Club Meeting is Dec. 6
This isn’t your regular book club. No set books to read. No pressure to share or discuss. Never worry if you haven't finished the book. No judgment.
The Silent Book Club model means we are not all reading the same book at the same pace. There is no homework and no pressure to lead or contribute to a discussion. We introduce our books and ourselves at the start of the meeting and then we dive into reading for an hour. Simply bring yourself and whatever you're currently reading (we don't care about genres or formats, anything goes!) All readers are welcome—even e-readers.
The Silent Book Club meets the first Tuesday of every month from 4 to 5 p.m. on the Campus Green (by flagpole), weather permitting. The last fall semester meeting is Dec. 6.
In case of inclement weather, meet in the library Round Room. Everyone is welcome, and anyone can join! Consider joining if you are unable to find time and space to just enjoy a book. That's it! No pressure whatsoever. For additional information, contact Nicole.Christiansen@northern.edu. Hosted by Williams Library.
Angel Tree
The Millicent Atkins School of Education is hosting an angel tree for the Salvation Army. Please come pick a tag and buy a gift listed for a child in need in our community! Gifts are to be returned unwrapped to the School of Education by Dec. 14, 2022. Please contact Jessica Vogel, jessica.j.vogel@northern.edu with questions.
Northern Lights Now Taking Submissions!
Northern Lights is now taking submissions for the 2023 issue of Northern Lights. Students can submit their stories, poetry, art, creative nonfiction, photography, original essays and songs to northernlights@northern.edu, or message us on Facebook! Accepted submissions will be included in our literary magazine that is released in March 2023. Please submit all written works as a Word document (.docx) or a PDF (.pdf), and any artworks as a JPEG (.jpeg) or JPG (.jpg) file. Submissions are open until Dec. 31, 2022. If you have any questions, including how to submit, contact Lead President Madi Filber, madi.filber@wolves.northern.edu.
‘Be Northern’ Nominations
Do you know someone in the NSU campus community who should be featured on Northern social media? Nominate a student, faculty, staff or alum to be featured as a Be Northern on NSU Instagram and Facebook! Nominated are accepted through this online form.