By most indications, life on the Bemidji State University campus has been as close to normal as one might expect, considering the world’s response to the ever-present COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed its second anniversary.

Following a 2020-2021 academic year in which activity on campus was essentially silenced, a move-in weekend which saw hundreds of resident students moving back in was a welcome sight.

In her remarks at BSU’s fall 2021 Welcome Breakfast with faculty, staff and administrators, President Hensrud set the stage for the year by warning that the pandemic was not yet a thing of the past.

“If there is something we have learned from this pandemic, it’s that change is the only certainty,” she said. “What we know one day is likely to change the next.”

Her prediction proved to be correct, the ebbs and flows of COVID-19 on campus and in Beltrami County continued to create obstacles and opportunities throughout the year.

MINNESOTA’S ATTESTATION AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS

The first significant challenge of the new academic year came in early August, when the state of Minnesota implemented a policy requiring all state employees to either attest that they had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to a weekly testing protocol. The policy, which included faculty, staff and administrators at BSU and other Minnesota State universities, took effect in September.

A short time later, Minnesota State implemented a system-wide policy to require several categories of students, including those living in on-campus residence halls or participating in certain extracurricular activities, to also attest to their vaccination status or take part in weekly testing beginning in October.

“While this was a surprise, our employees generally responded well to the policy,” Hensrud said. “Even before this requirement we sensed that our faculty and staff had taken the responsibility to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19 at a much higher rate than the general county population, and that turned out to be correct.”

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An on-campus testing center was set for the small percentage of employees, which included student workers, who were unable to attest to having been vaccinated.

BSU’s resident students also have consistently attested to vaccinations that far surpass the state’s averages for their age group. While vaccination rates for Minnesotans aged 18-24 spent most of the fall semester in the high-50 percent range, by late January data gathered by BSU’s Division of Student Life and Success indicated that nearly 70 percent of the 829 students living on campus reported that they were vaccinated.

INCREASING SUPPORT FOR OUR STUDENTS

BSU’s return to normal on-campus operations brought with it increased attention on the need for intentional, personal student support services. Throughout the fall semester, through a series of programs funded by grants and other activities, BSU began offering additional resources to support student success.

Significant amounts of support for BSU students came in the form of COVID-19 funding received as part of American Rescue Plan funds passed by both presidents Trump and Biden. In total BSU distributed approximately $4.6 million in federal funding to students in the form of direct distributions to Pell Grant-eligible students and others based on financial need, and in the form of individual emergency aid grants. During the summer and fall of 2020, BSU distributed approximately $2.43 million, with an additional $2.16 million scheduled for distribution during the Spring 2022 term.

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The Niganawenimaanaanig support program for Indigenous nurses was renewed for an additional four years through a $2.2-million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant, and a new program supporting Indigenous psychology students launched in the fall with an inaugural cohort of six, funded by a grant from the Minnesota State system.

In November, students at both BSU and Northwest Technical College began receiving laptops and other technology support funded by the Governor’s Emergency Educational Relief program. During the three-year program, BSU and NTC will distribute 125 laptops to students with demonstrated financial need, and provide 30 stipends for internet access — both data services and hardware. The program will help underserved students by providing the technology necessary to receive online education.

HISTORIC FALL FOR BEAVER ATHLETICS

Beaver Athletics saw its 2020-2021 competitions significantly impacted by COVID restrictions, and fall sports — including the football and soccer programs — had their seasons canceled entirely.

Excited and energized by the opportunity to return to the field, both programs assembled arguably their finest respective seasons in school history and, for the first time ever, both teams appeared in the NCAA Championships. Football made its first appearance ever, while soccer made its third tournament trip since 2017.

You can read more about the remarkable seasons assembled by these programs later in this issue of Bemidji State University magazine.

ART GALLERIES RETURN

Like most of campus, BSU’s historic Talley Gallery spent the 2020-2021 year in a mostly vacant state. With the return of foot traffic to campus and with Bridgeman Hall back to normal capacity for in-person classes, world-class art exhibits have resumed in the gallery. Demonstrating the power of art to reflect the world around us, this year’s exhibits have created remarkable parallels to the university community’s experience as it continues to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mitch Blessing, associate professor of technology, art & design, exhibited a career-spanning collection of his work during the fall, entitled “Worth Repeating.”

“‘Let go of the illusion of control’ and ‘enter flow state’ were both mantras for me for the show,” he said in an interview with Bemidji’s KBXE radio.

Gordon Van Wert’s sculpture work followed Blessing’s exhibit. His show, “Legends in Stone,” featured carved representations of Anishinaabe stories and traditions using stone and marble. The exhibit was a reminder of the permanence of stone and stories, and of mankind’s ability to harness the power of the world around it to thrive and endure.

BSU alumnus and local illustrator Nicholas Jackson ‘06 was the gallery’s first exhibit of 2022, with his timely and appropriate exhibit, “Through the Darkness: Painted Hope” illuminating the Talley’s walls until mid-February. Jackson said the exhibit told a journey of resilience and exploration.

EMERGING FROM THE PANDEMIC

By midway through the spring semester, as pandemic conditions began improving rapidly following the Omicron surge, many mitigation strategies began to change. Minnesota State relaxed its system-wide protocols for use of face coverings in indoor, public spaces on its campuses, and BSU’s mask mandate was lifted in late February. Revised guidance from the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health also led to a removal of the attestation and testing requirements for on-campus resident students in March.

President Hensrud praised the campus for its ongoing diligence and endurance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in an early February message to employees at BSU and Northwest Technical College.

“While we certainly have friends and colleagues on our campuses who have been stricken gravely ill by COVID-19, I continue to be relieved that our operations have not been severely impacted by spread on our campuses,” she said. She also encouraged the campus community to continue taking personal responsibility for their safety and for the safety of others.

“Your efforts and your dedication continue to ensure that our community remains safe for our faculty, staff, students and visitors,” she said.

Information on BSU’s Coronavirus response, including links to a system-wide Minnesota State situation dashboard and CDC’s county-level data tracker for Beltrami County, continues to be available and frequently updated at bemidjistate.edu/coronavirus.