After tragedy, Hanson asks students to focus on one another’s well-being
On Jan. 29, Bemidji State President Richard A. Hanson challenged nearly 500 students at a campus-wide gathering to confront the dangers of alcohol abuse.

MPR’s Jon McTaggart named Distinguished Minnesotan
As the 33rd recipient of Bemidji State University’s Distinguished Minnesotan Award, Jon McTaggart ’83, president and CEO of American Public Media Group, was invited to present the keynote speech at BSU’s 96th Commencement ceremony on May 8.

University’s location and price garner praise and recognition
It’s no secret that Bemidji State prides itself on its location on the shore of Lake Bemidji in the scenic and serene Minnesota north woods. That unique setting and the way BSU students take advantage of it helped the university earn two recent distinctions related to outdoor recreation.

In January, Affordable Schools named BSU one of America’s 30 most affordable schools for outdoor enthusiasts. The organization examined out-of-state tuition data from a variety of sources and researched schools’ proximity to natural features such as beaches, mountains and lakes. The list also considered the availability of outdoor-focused recreational clubs and student activities.

In March, Scout.com named BSU the top U.S. college for fishing. Lake Bemidji is an active year-round fishing lake with six public boat accesses. The Scout.com story noted that in addition to Lake Bemidji,
400 fishing lakes are within 25 miles of campus, a fact not lost on BSU’s competitive college fishing club.

Hagg-Sauer Hall demolition aimed at greater efficiency
A major construction project to tear down Hagg-Sauer Hall, Bemidji State’s main academic building, and extensively renovate several other university buildings could get underway as early as next summer.

For improved space utilization, plans call for Hagg-Sauer Hall to be replaced with a state-of-the-art classroom and learning center at its current lakeside location. The project would also include reassignment of faculty office and classroom space throughout the campus.

The $16 million project would reduce campus square footage by more than 53,000 square feet and renovate 73,000 square feet of space in Bensen, Bridgeman and Bangsberg halls and the A.C. Clark Library. If the Legislature approves funding, demolition and construction could be completed by March 2018.

BSU received $1 million in state bond money to plan and design the project in 2014 and will seek funding for construction and renovation during the Legislature’s 2016 bonding cycle. The university submitted pre-design documents to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system in October.

VP Bill Maki to lead group of five Iron Range colleges
Bill Maki, Bemidji State’s vice president for administration and finance, has been chosen as the next president of the Northeast Higher Education District.

Maki has been vice president of finance and administration at both BSU and Northwest Technical College since 2004. He’ll take over leadership of the five-college consortium on July 1. In January, he was one of two administrators to receive the 2015 Chancellor’s Award for outstanding leadership and management of BSU finances.

Dr. Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, said Maki is a leader who has worked hard to advance public higher education in northern Minnesota.

“He is a gifted leader with experience on the Iron Range,” Rosenstone said. “He understands rural campuses, and he knows how to make them work financially.”

A national search has begun to replace Maki.

BSU senior wins 2015 Exhibitor Achievement Award
Matthew McLaughlin, a senior art and design major from Hibbing, won the 2015 EXHIBITOR Media Group Student Achievement Award.

BSU Foundation completes land sale for student apartments
The BSU Foundation in January completed sale of an 11-acre parcel of land in the heart of Bemidji to a local developer that plans to construct a new student apartment building to be managed by university housing staff.

Alumnus joins foundation staff in Twin Cities outreach role
Bemidji State alumnus and former Alumni Association Board Vice President Justin Klander ’01 is continuing his service to the university as a major gifts officer based in the Twin Cities. The business administration graduate began his new role in April, working to engage the nearly 12,000 alumni who live and work in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Office in historic Bemidji building gives BSU a downtown presence
Bemidji State is a player in a major economic development initiative for the greater Bemidji area: establishment of a multi-agency hub for workforce training, business recruitment and entrepreneurial initiative.

In April, BSU opened its Center for Community Partnerships in the Mayflower Building, a 114-year-old red brick structure on the south end of downtown Bemidji. It was purchased, renovated and equipped by Greater Bemidji, a regional economic development organization, in conjunction with the city of Bemidji, the George W. Neilson Foundation, the university and others.

BSU’s office, visible from a central, first-floor atrium, will be staffed on a regular, rotating basis by representatives of BSU Career Services and the the university’s Marketing and Research Solutions group. Staff and faculty from across the campus and Northwest Technical College will be able to use the office as needed.