U.S. News and World Report ranks BSU high again

For the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report has named Bemidji State University one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest region.

In its annual review of America’s Best Colleges, released Tuesday, Sept. 12, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bemidji State in a tie for 32nd among public institutions in the Midwest region — its highest ranking since 2014 — and tied with seven other institutions for 109th among all colleges and universities, public and private, in the region — up six places from a year ago, according to a university release.

BSU has appeared on the U.S. News list of the Midwest region’s top colleges and universities each year since 2009.

U.S. News & World Report’s rankings categorize schools based on mission according to classifications developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and, in some cases, by geography.

The Midwest region includes institutions in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

BSU’s online ed recognized

Bemidji State University’s online offerings earned some recognition from a pair of websites this month.

The website Early Childhood Education Degrees declared the university’s online education bachelor’s degree the nation’s sixth most affordable, and Nonprofit Colleges Online said BSU has the 23rd-best scholarship support for online students, according to a statement from university staff.

The latter website’s editors bill themselves as an amateur stand-up comedian and certified permaculture designer. The former does not have any readily-available information about its staff.

Bemidji State offers seven majors and seven minors completely online, including online degree-completion programs designed for students who already have the equivalent of their first two years of college completed or transferring at least 24 college credits. BSU uses an interactive software program that allows the use of a personal computer to receive and submit assignments, work in groups, explore advanced learning options and interact with instructors and other distance learners.

Bemidji State’s online programs give students the same opportunities to participate in class discussions, post assignments and receive feedback from professors that they would have on campus. BSU’s Center for Extended Learning is dedicated to assisting off-campus students, beginning with the the application process and connecting them with the programs and services they may need.

Upcoming ‘Honors Council’ lectures

The Honors Council Lecture Series is hosted by the Bemidji State University Honors Council, the advisory group to BSU’s honors program composed of 12 faculty members representing each of the university’s colleges. Student representatives are also elected to the council by their cohorts for one-year terms.

Here is a list of upcoming lectures, all of which are scheduled at 7:15 p.m. at Hagg-Sauer, Room 102 unless otherwise noted.

• Sept. 28: Dr. Jeanie McDermott, Dr. Tiffany Hommes, Dr. Shiela Paul, professors of nursing. “Sustaining Lifelong Wellness.”
• Oct. 5: Dennis Lunt, professor of humanities. “Torture and American Philosophy.”
• Oct. 18: Dr. Kelly LaVenture, professor of business administration. “Analyzing the economic impact and stakeholder perceptions of destination promotion: A case study of the “First City on the Mississippi” as “True North.”
• Nov. 1: Dr. Jessica Durgan, professor of English. “The Cultural Phenomenon of Color.”
• Nov. 13 in Hagg-Sauer 100: Dr. Mark Wallert, professor of biology; Kyle Bagnell and Clarice Wallert, graduate students. “The Na+-H+ Exchanger Isoform 1 as a Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Cancer.”