Caption: Millicent Atkins' statue stands at the corner of Gerber Hall. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. – At its inception in 1901, Northern State University was known as Northern Normal and Industrial School. The admission requirements? Applicants had to be at least 14 years old and have a desire to teach. Now, 120 years later, the Millicent Atkins School of Education continues to distinguish itself as a leader in teacher education, aided by a building remodel and updated scholarship, said Anna Schwan, interim dean of the school of education.

The updated scholarship intentionally reflects Northern’s inception date, in name and amount awarded, as a way to instill a deeper connection with Northern’s history.  The 1901 Scholarship will honor Northern’s teacher school roots, as well as alumna Millicent Atkin’s passion for teacher education by offering qualifying students $1901 a year, for up to four years.

Atkins graduated from Northern in 1940 with a two-year teaching degree. She was a teacher in Lebanon, Mobridge and Webster for years before joining the family business and becoming a farm manager.

Atkins had an appreciation for Northern and the university’s roots as a teacher’s college. When she died, Atkins donated approximately $15 million to Northern’s school of education. It was the largest donation in Northern’s history. In response, Northern renamed the school of education and erected a statue of Atkins. Her donation will fund the 1901 Scholarship.

“Millicent’s gift is special, and her legacy will impact generations of future teachers,” said Schwan.

The new scholarship is applicable for a wider range of students than previous design of the Atkins scholarship model, which was tiered. Starting fall 2024, all students, including current, new and transfer students, pursuing a bachelor's degree in elementary education or an associate degree in early childhood education with a high school GPA of 3.5 or above are eligible for the 1901 Scholarship. Those who do not meet the GPA requirements can still receive $1,000 from the scholarship.

The donation reaffirms that Northern is the best teacher education program in the state and region, Schwan said.

“Education is the most empowering force in the world, and to believe in education is to believe in the future. Millicent was clearly a planner and she believed in education and in Northern,” Schwan said. “We are proud that teaching is the profession for which all other professions depend. Without teachers we would not have a future.”

Remodel

Gerber Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It’s where Northern began, as a teacher education college. The building has been slated for an update, starting in spring 2024, with the hopes to be finished by December 2024.  Presently, the building contains classrooms that were designed for a traditional teacher-centered environment. The renovations will reconfigure much of the existing space to provide environments conducive to preparing 21st century leaders in education, said Schwan.

“We want Gerber to be alive. We want it to be the place where students, faculty, and staff learn, collaborate, research, study, or even just be. I want our building to match the vibrancy of the teaching and learning happening within its walls,” said Schwan.

Gerber Hall currently houses teacher education, sports sciences, psychology, and counselor education. Each department is focused on student-centric instruction that incorporates authentic, innovative strategies for training students to excel in the field of education.

The remodel is just one of the many improvements Northern has made to its campus in recent years. The announcement is on the heels of the Northern receiving the go-ahead for a new business building, which will house the Innovation Center and soon-to-be established nursing degree.

Program updates

“I truly believe that the School of Education at Northern is the best place to learn, teach, and work,” Schwan said. “The programs in have all been thoughtfully designed to provide meaningful classroom interactions and superior experiential learning opportunities.”

Northern has updated several degrees to better suit the needs of students. The master’s degree in counselor education is now offered Hy-Flex, allowing students to participate from anywhere. As part of the SD Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway, Northern launched a flexible learning secondary education program. Two master’s degrees are now offered as accelerated courses: special education and instructional design in e-learning.

In addition, the elementary education program has partnered with O.M. Tiffany Elementary School to have teacher candidates teach two methods courses (language arts and science), providing a ton of authentic experience for the candidates, said Schwan.

“The faculty and staff genuinely care about our students,” said Schwan. “Everything we do, every decision we make is based on what’s best for our students.”