| Established | 1918[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $8.9 million[3] |
| President | D. C. Coston, Acting President[4] |
| Academic staff | 30 |
| Admin. staff | 212 |
| Students | 2,572[5] |
| Location | Dickinson, ND, USA |
| Campus | Urban (110 acres) |
| Mascot | Bluehawks |
| Website | www.dickinsonstate.edu |
Dickinson State University (DSU) is a four-year public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States, and is a part of the North Dakota University System. It was founded in 1918 as Dickinson State College,[6] and granted full university status in 1987.
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During World War II, Dickinson State Teachers College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.[7]
Dickinson State University began on June 24, 1918 where 104 students attended the first classes at the Dickinson Normal School. The newly established school had no buildings, so classes were held at Dickinson High School under the direction of Dickinson School District Superintendent Peter S. Berg.
The sessions were free of charge to the 104 students who attended, although they paid their own room and board. Subsequent classes were held at the historic Elks Building until May Hall was completed in 1924. The push to create a Normal School at Dickinson stemmed from the need in rural areas for qualified teachers. In the early 1900s, fewer than 25 percent of the teachers in the western half of North Dakota were certified to be teachers.
Richard J. McCallum, president since 2008, was notified on on August 5, 2011, that he would be discharged by the North Dakota University System for inflating enrollment figures in official reports. [8]. The firing was upheld by an administrative law judge on Dec. 9, 2011 [9]. [10] [11]
Dickinson State offers four-year degrees in more than 75 fields of study through 10 academic departments. The school also offers pre-professional and two-year coursework.[12]. However it specializes in teacher education. Most students attending DSU are either education (both elementary and secondary), natural science, or agriculture majors. Dickinson has recently started a Graduate Course programs in the field of Teacher education. This gives participants a head start in graduate school courses but is not an actual graduate program. The University long ago outgrew its original teachers’ college status and has since adopted a broader mission. The present programs include not only teacher education and the liberal arts, but also specialized programs in business, nursing, agriculture, and computer science. There is also opportunity for pre-professional study and vocational training in selected areas.
Student programs are based on a core of General Education courses, including fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and the social and behavioral sciences. Dickinson State University students are encouraged to complete their general education requirements by the end of the sophomore year. Students are then free as juniors and seniors to explore a major field of study.
DSU's sport teams are called the Blue Hawks and play in the Frontier Conference. Hank Biesiot is the current football coach and is one of the few active coaches at the college level with 200 or more wins and 30 or more seasons.
The student newsblog is called The Hawk. Dickinson State also has local Public-access television channel call Dickinson State University channel 20 on the Consolidated Telecommunications cable system.
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