MENU

The North Dakota State College of Science has named nine students from its Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician program to its summer semester 2017 President’s Honor List. The Honor List recognizes students who have achieved grade point averages of 3.5 or higher while taking at least 12 credits with letter grades.

The honorees include:

• Ethan Brazee; Thompson, N.D.
• Nolan Higgins; Jamestown, N.D.
• Wyatt Hoyt; Devils Lake, N.D.
• Andrew Jutz; Detroit Lakes, Minn.
• Gerard Klein; Minot, N.D.
• Tanner Larson; Cleveland, N.D.
• Cole Setter; Horace, N.D.
• Dakota Soland; Hazen, N.D.
• Samuel Spradley; Dickinson, N.D.

Fall enrollment numbers are now official for the North Dakota State College of Science. Total student enrollment is 2,985, which includes Wahpeton, Fargo, online and early entry students. This is a slight drop compared to fall 2016 enrollment, which totaled 3,003.

Fall enrollment data shows 442 students taking at least one class at the NDSCS-Fargo location, which is a nearly 3% increase over 2016. There are 483 students taking classes at multiple NDSCS locations, or through a combination of in-person and online instruction. The number of high school students taking Early Entry classes through NDSCS has increased by more than 4% from 684 in 2016 to 714.

The student body is comprised of 1,942 freshmen and 1,043 sophomores. There are 1,707 full time students, while 1,278 are enrolled part time. There are 963 students living on the NDSCS Wahpeton campus in residence halls or apartments.

There are 2,050 students from North Dakota, with 47 of the state’s 53 counties represented.

North Dakota State College of Science celebrated the completion of a $13 million campus water and sewer infrastructure replacement project today. This two-year project focused primarily on replacing the majority of the campus underground water and sewer lines and repairing or replacing several streets and parking lots on campus. Additional outcomes of the project included improved outdoor lighting and security, safer pedestrian walkways, enhanced fire protection, and updated signage and beautification initiatives across campus.

The project was funded with $13,298,000 in state appropriations from 2015-2017 capital assets funding during the 64th legislative assembly. NDSCS was able to significantly address its deferred maintenance with this project and saw an approximate 20% reduction in deferred maintenance.

The project included:
• Addition of a new, iconic arch at the south entrance to the Wahpeton campus.
• Removal of 82,000 square yards of bituminous asphalt. This is the equivalent of 230 basketball courts.
• Installation of 25,000 linear feet of pipe. This is five miles, or the equivalent of 25 times around the OJ and Dee Jensen track at the Earl “Skip” Bute Stadium.
• Enough concrete to fill the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center.
• Planting of 380 trees, numerous areas of shrubs, plants and native grasses.
• Restoration and reseeding of 17 acres.

Bolton & Menk, Inc. of Fargo was the engineer of record for this project. KPH Inc. of Kindred was the prime general contractor, and Scott’s Electric of Wahpeton was the prime electrical contractor. Approximately 15 sub-contractors also performed work for this project.

North Dakota State College of Science opened a state-of-the-art instructional facility for its Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology program today. The world-class lab and classroom were made possible through a combination of public and private funds and donations. Students in the HVAC/R Technology program can now train on the latest technology used by industry, enabling them to gain the skills needed for technically advanced careers.

Public funds from a $400,000 North Dakota Department of Commerce workforce enhancement grant were matched by more than $432,000 in private donations from Trane®, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services. In addition to donated equipment, Trane representatives oversaw the complete installation of the systems to ensure they are fully operational.

The NDSCS HVAC/R instructional areas now boast eight rooftop units, a water source heat pump, an air handler, ten variable air volume boxes, Air-FiTM wireless controls and Tracer® SC system controllers. Students are immersed in the curriculum that features this state-of-the-art equipment, and the theory behind how the mechanical systems work together to make buildings as efficient as possible.

“HVAC is a high demand career in North Dakota,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “This public-private collaboration helps to solve the state’s need for HVAC technicians. This is a model that needs to be replicated, as everyone wins in the end.”

Through a partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), NDSCS offers its HVAC/R students five certifications to demonstrate that they have been educated to industry standards. NDSCS instructors worked with Trane and NC3 to develop curriculum. Jeff Kukert developed a curriculum for variable speed motors and Mark Wood developed a heat pump curriculum. They are both NC3 Certified Master Instructors and are certified to deliver BAS Level I, residential airflow, residential refrigeration diagnostics, variable speed motors and heat pump curriculum to students.

Graduates from the NDSCS HVAC/R Technology program in 2016 had a 100% placement rate. Individuals interested in the program can learn more online at ndscs.edu/hvacr, or by attending the College’s Electrical, HVAC/R, Manufacturing Day on Monday, November 6. More information and registration for this event can be found online at ndscs.edu/specialevent.