• TAD Faculty Show open at Talley Gallery through Feb. 19
• 95 people brave cold for Beaver Freeze ice-fishing tournament
• A.C. Clark Library hosting Native Voices exhibit on health & illness
• "World's Largest Stick Salute" kicks off Hockey Day in Minnesota
• Performance-enhanced biology course creates transfer pathway to BSU
• BSU, NTC staff receive awards at Minnesota State CFO Conference
• Marketing students hold mock trade show at Mayflower Building

Progress on Priorities 3 and 5

• February – Financial Stability/Marketing Reputation
• March– Facilities/Governance Structure
• April – Student Success/Successful Competition
• May – Athletic Advisory Council (AAC)

Hagg-Sauer project remains on schedule, under budget

The university’s project to demolish and rebuild Hagg-Sauer Hall and to renovate areas in four other academic buildings on campus remains on schedule and on budget.

Karen Snorek, Vice President for finance & administration, provided an update on the project at a Jan. 11 open forum in Hagg-Sauer Hall. She announced that the university received an additional $75,000 to renovate bathrooms on the fourth floor of Bensen Hall during that building’s renovation, bringing the project’s total to $22.587 million. 

Snorek also announced that construction bids, opened Dec. 20, came in lower than projected. The selected base bid came in at $14,345,613, which allowed for optional items to be added back into the project and bring the current construction cost to $14,964,689. Two additional optional projects — upgraded interior wall panels for Hagg-Sauer Hall and an outdoor pedestrian bridge on Hagg-Sauer’s south side  — are still being evaluated and may be added to the project as well.

The project’s renovation phase, which will see space updated in the A.C. Clark Library and in Bangsberg, Bensen and Sattgast halls, is also underway. Asbestos abatement on the first three floors in Bangsberg was completed Jan. 11, and began on the third and fourth floors in Bensen on Jan. 14. That process was scheduled to be completed Jan. 28. 

Travis Barnes, physical plant manager, said the university hopes to begin renovation projects on Feb. 4, pending final building and demolition permits. He also reminded the campus that Hagg-Sauer Hall must be completely vacated by May 17 so demolition of that building can begin.

Faculty and staff who will be relocating as part of this project are reminded to select office chairs for their new locations. Also, anyone on campus is welcome to vote on carpet samples being considered for Hagg-Sauer Hall. Samples may be reviewed in the stairwell landing behind the Human Resources office on Deputy Hall 3rd floor.

Visit the News & Updates section of the Hagg-Sauer Hall Project page at the Office of Finance and Administration for more information.


Please use the feedback form to let us know if you have questions or concerns, or if you have suggestions for other information you'd like to see on the Hagg-Sauer Project site.

HLC Assurance Argument is taking shape

As Fall Semester ended, so did the bulk of the self-study process. Our five Criterion Committees effectively surveyed the entire institution to obtain an effective picture of all the things we do to support our students. Thank you to all who helped in the process. We are now in the process of drafting the complete Assurance Argument that demonstrates how BSU satisfies the twenty-two Core Components that are distributed among the five criteria used to evaluate the institution. The primary responsibility for drafting the Assurance Argument falls to HLC Co-directors, Randy Westhoff and Marty J. Wolf. Don’t worry, you will have a chance to help, too. Later this semester we will share the draft Assurance Argument with the campus for comment and feedback. See last week’s Campus Update for more details. 

Here are some reminders of things you can do to help ensure BSU’s continuing accreditation.  

• Make sure assessment activities for your area are up-to-date. 

• Each faculty should ensure that their dean has an up-to-date curriculum vitae. 

• Each department should ensure that departmental mission and vision statements are easily found on the department’s webpage.  

• Each program should have programmatic student learning outcomes clearly identified in an appropriate place on the website.

Please use the feedback form to share questions or comments on the accreditation process with HLC co-directors Randy Westhoff and Marty J. Wolf. You may submit the form without including your name or email address.

Emergency preparedness and safety update

Erin Morrill, security coordinator in the BSU/NTC environmental health & safety office, is gearing up to launch a Continuity of Operations Planning process in the coming weeks. This process will kick off with a discussion-based exercise focused on BSU/NTC's immediate needs following an emergency or disaster. The Continuity of Operations Plan helps ensure the continuance of critical operations by identifying essential functions and key resources. Department-specific plans will be created to help build the overall plan for both BSU and NTC.

As a result of the fire drills conducted in September 2018, Erin will be seeking out building coordinators for each academic building on campus. Building coordinators will be asked to assist during evacuations and other emergencies. More information will follow, but if you are interested contact Erin. 

In addition to emergency preparedness, Erin is also responsible for occupational health and safety at both BSU and NTC. Dale Dreyer has taken on environmental health & safety duties. The two are working on updating and adding safety programs, policies and training. Offices and departments on campus that have been working with Erin and Dale should be on the lookout for more information in the future.

The Environmental Health and Safety page on the BSU website will be undergoing some construction and changes as well; in the meantime, if you can't find what you are looking for on the website always feel free to email or call at 755-2545. Dale has been hard at working in Sattgast creating a new chemical inventory, cleaning up no-longer used spaces and creating a building Safety Committee. The Sattgast Safety Committee is a sub-committee of the larger Bemidji State University Safety Committee that meets quarterly. Dale is chairing the sub-committee group and joining the larger BSU Safety Committee chaired by Erin. Dale will be the new contact for pickup of hazardous waste or sharps in your area that need to be disposed of. Please contact him to set up a pickup time.

Winter is in full force and this week's weather has been a good reminder for us to be extra cautious. In extremely cold weather it is important to remember to limit the time you spend outdoors, to wear layers and cover as much skin as possible. Frostbite can happen in a matter of minutes. As hard as we try, there are still roadways, sidewalks and walkways that are covered in snow and ice; wearing shoes or boots with good traction, taking your time, and even walking like a penguin can help prevent slips and falls. Entrance areas to buildings and stairs may also be a little hazardous with the melting snow and sand tracked inside by shoes. Please report any icy sidewalks to staff, building managers or to the safety and security office. Remember also to fill out a first report of injury with your supervisor if you do experience a slip, trip, fall or other injury. If you have questions about this process please contact your supervisor, the Safety Office or Human Resources. 
 
Erin Morrill
Public Safety Coordinator
Bemidji State University I Northwest Technical College
(218) 755-2545 | erin.morrill@bemidjistate.edu