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.

COVID-19 News

• Current Self-Reported Case Count: Total active cases: 10 (5 students; 5 faculty/staff). Total students quarantined or isolated: 32 (16 on campus; 16 off campus). (Numbers as of April 8, 2021; please note: those in quarantine/isolation aren’t necessarily confirmed or symptomatic cases)
• Mask Level: NSU is at Level 3, which requires face coverings in all public indoor spaces on campus. Learn more about the SDBOR Face Covering Protocol here.
• Webpage Updates: Northern has updated its COVID-19 Webpage, now including various FAQs for students, faculty and staff.
• Requesting Supplies: To request COVID-19 supplies from NSU Facilities, please work with your supervisor to determine the proposed needs for your entire department and submit an order using this online form.

NSU Testing Center Hours

The NSU Testing Center will have new hours beginning Monday, April 12, 2021:

• Monday-Wednesday-Friday: 1-4 p.m.
• Tuesday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-noon

Due to COVID protocols, there is a limit to the number of students allowed to test at one time, so please schedule your appointment(s) early.

Food Drive

A Business Leadership group will be hosting a food drive April 12-16 in the Student Center for the Salvation Army. They will be accepting any non-perishable food items. They hope to help feed families in need in the community and raise awareness.

Upcoming CETL Events

• Tuesday, April 13, at 3:30 p.m. in MJ 203, Lara Nelson, the Director of Northern’s American Indian Circle Program, will host a panel discussion on decolonizing data, research and curriculum in higher education. Panelists will include Drs. Amber Henderson, Pamela Monaghan-Geernaert, Kristi Brownfield and Dani McQuillen. A free assortment of cheese and crackers will be provided for those who attend in-person but not to those who attend via Zoom (passcode: 70uNqr). We hope to see you all here for this important discussion.

Thursday, April 15, at 4:30 p.m., CETL hosts the NSU counseling faculty and graduate students for a Feel Good Thursday Event. Have you ever felt like you don't belong or are not as competent as others believe you to be? If you or somebody you know has ever felt this way, you may benefit from listening to Dr. Shalini Mathew and Shuhui Fan who will discuss and explain what Imposter Syndrome is and how you can help yourself and/or others with this. Everyone is welcome to this event! This event is online only, please join via Zoom (password: s35Tc2).

NSU W.A.V.E.

NSU W.A.V.E., or Wolves for Advocacy, Volunteerism, and Engagement, is the newest NSU student organization! It focuses on performing community service on campus and around Aberdeen, as well as advocating for many different causes and groups of people through service and education. If you would like to be a member of W.A.V.E., click here and enter your name(s) into the Google Form. If you or your organization would like to participate in either of the below W.A.V.E. events, please email current President Kayla Jensen at kayla.jensen@wolves.northern.edu:

• Ditch Clean-Up Day with Environmental Club: Wednesday, April 14, starting at 4 p.m.
• Card-Making Event for Local Nursing Home Residents: Friday, April 16, 4-6 p.m.

Student Webinar

Through the Healthy Homes Partnership, students are invited to participate in a free, one-hour webinar that focuses on actions students can take in their residence to maintain or improve indoor air quality for optimum respiratory health. The webinar will be offered on the following dates and times (Central Time): April 12 at 6 p.m.; April 20 at noon; and April 22 at 6 p.m. Students are asked to register for the webinar at this link. 

Instructional Technology is offering the following trainings in MJ203 and via Zoom:

• Wednesday, April 14, at 2 p.m. - Copyright in Higher Ed (Faculty Training)

For more information on upcoming trainings, please see our training schedule. To register, please see our registration form.

Northern Lights Launch Party

The Annual Northern Lights launch party is set for April 14, 2021, at 5 p.m. in the Statue Garden next to JFAC. (In case of bad weather we will move the launch to the Black Box Theater, located in JFAC.) Print issues will be available for purchase (cash or Venmo accepted) at the launch party and afterward by contacting current President Madi Filber: madi.filber@wolves.northern.edu. All students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome!

‘Native Soul Art’ Exhibit

Jerry Fogg’s “Native Soul Art: 11 Degrees of Tatanka” will be on display until May 14 in the JFAC Gallery. On Wednesday, April 14, artist Jerry Fogg will be in the JFAC Gallery from 4-5 p.m. to discuss his work and artistic process. During this time, drum group T’a Bloka Ska will be in the JFAC lobby performing songs. This event is free and open to the public. Masks are required for all patrons, and attendees are asked to follow appropriate social-distancing protocols. Jerry Fogg, an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe (Ihanktowan Nakota Sioux Oyate), uses various materials to create unique works of art that tell a story. “Foggma” is the name Fogg has given his distinct mixed media style and approach. Every piece is one-of-a-kind, and never reproduced.

Native Art and Sound Event

Northern is hosting a native art and sound event on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Johnson Fine Arts Center Gallery and lobby. Artist Jerry Fogg will be discussing his artwork, “Native Soul Art: 11 Degrees of Tatanka,” which is currently on display in the JFAC Galley. Drum group T’a Bloka Ska will be performing songs in the JFAC lobby area as well. This event is sponsored by the Native American Student Association, American Indian Circle Program, Multicultural Student Affairs and Northern Art Galleries. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. Masks are required for all patrons, and attendees are asked to follow appropriate social-distancing protocols.

Senior Art Exhibition

Brandi Krueger’s senior art exhibition will be on display April 4-17 in the NSU Lincoln Gallery. The reception for her exhibition will be at 6 p.m. April 14 in the Lincoln Gallery. Her art will feature paintings, drawings, digital art and printmakings from landscapes, nature and humanism.

Cornhole Tournament 

Intramurals will be hosting a Cornhole Tournament on April 15 at 7 p.m. at the NSU Soccer Fields! Prizes will be awarded to the team who finishes first as well as the best dressed, so let's see what you've got, Wolves! Masks are required. Let's have some fun!

International Student Awards

Faculty and staff: Remember to cast your votes for the International Student Awards to be given out at the International Student Gala later this month. Please take a quick minute to cast your votes by Friday April 16, using this link. It will really mean a lot to our students knowing that their fellow Northern family values the presence and impact of our international community. You do not need to cast a vote for every award listed!

‘Equity-minded Faculty Workloads’ Workshop

“Equity-minded Faculty Workloads by Design,” a workshop with Dr. KerryAnn O'Meara, will take place at 10 a.m. CST April 16 via Zoom. O'Meara, professor of higher education at the University of Maryland, will share what she learned with colleagues during a five-year, action research project aimed at promoting equity in how faculty labor is taken up, assigned and rewarded. Registration is required to access the Zoom link. Please contact meredith.redlin@sdstate.edu.

Unity Walk

The Athletics Council on Community, Culture and Social Justice, in partnership with the Campus Activities Board, invites all members of the Northern and Aberdeen communities to a Unity Walk on Monday, April 19. The walk will begin on the campus green (outside the Student Center) at 7 p.m. that evening, with pre-event T-shirt sales, sticker handouts, and music beginning at 6 p.m. Join us as we uNite for equality on our campus! Read more HERE. Have you purchased one of our End Racism t-shirts? If not, no worries: We will be selling shirts beginning at 6 p.m. prior to the walk, and also in the Barnett Center offices. Shirts are $20 for short sleeve and $30 for long sleeve.

Salvation Army College Day

College Day is every Wednesday afternoon at the Salvation Army Community Corps Center (not the Thrift Store), 1003 Sixth Ave S.W. Free food is available from 1 to 5 p.m. Students can bring their own bags, or grocery sacks are available on the donation table. Enter the east side of the building and the receptionist will direct students to the donation table.  

International Student Gala

The International Student Gala is coming up on Wednesday, April 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Centennial Rooms. This event will be a celebration of our international students and the graduating seniors, complete with food and music! If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Stephen Deduck at stephen.deduck@northern.edu as soon as possible. Due to limited room capacity, once slots fill up, no further guests may attend. The event is open to all!

Annual Enrollment Reminder

Just a reminder for all benefits eligible staff: Annual enrollment for your insurance is right around the corner – May 3-17. You should be receiving regular emails and mailings at home from the South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources regarding the changes to the plans this year. All staff will be required to log into the annual enrollment site in May to enroll in your benefits as your current elections will not roll over due to the significant changes to the plans. Please log into the benefits website here for further information and updates. 

Spring Commencement

NSU will hold an in-person spring commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 8, in the Barnett Center. Guests will be welcome, with each participating graduate receiving four tickets to use for family and friends. Masks will be required per S.D. Board of Regents policy, and attendees will be appropriately spaced throughout the Barnett Center. To accommodate graduates with more than four guests, alternate viewing sites will be made available on campus in the Johnson Fine Arts Center, and commencement will be live-streamed. For loved ones unable to attend, the ceremony will be live streamed through the Northern State University Facebook page, the NSU Graduation and Commencement page, and locally through cable channel 12.

American Indian Circle Program Cultural Education Time

NSU is dedicated to the recognition of tribal traditions and ceremonies that complement the holistic well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The first Tuesday of every month from 12:15-12:30 p.m., we come together and have cultural education time to talk about what smudging is, the importance it symbolizes in Indigenous culture and a time of reflection. For the spring 2021 semester we ask that you mask up and meet on the campus green in front of Spafford so that there can be social distancing. The American Indian Circle Program would like to invite the campus community to come and participate in our monthly Smudge. Everyone is welcome!

Online Tutoring Sessions

The NSU Tutoring Center offers free online sessions to any Northern student for all general education courses and most upper-level courses. The sessions are conducted via Zoom, which allows real-time interaction between students and tutors. For more information or to set up an online tutoring session, students can email nsututoringcenter@northern.edu

Employee Assistance Plan

Benefits eligible staff: Please keep in mind that your benefits plans include free use of our Employee Assistance Plan. Every eligible staff member has five free visits available with a counselor. If you need assistance, please utilize this wonderful benefit, found at this link; the password is southdakota.

Name Tag Orders

NSU Communications and Marketing orders name tags for employees once a month. To request a name tag for the next campus-wide order, fill out this online form.

Wolves Athletics

Stay up to date with NSU Wolves news on the athletics webpage.