Dickinson State President outlines workforce focus, new cybersecurity and health programs during legislative campus visit

Dickinson State University President Scott Molander told a North Dakota Higher Education Institutions Committee meeting in Dickinson that the university will push workforce-aligned programs, expand online and hybrid delivery, and strengthen partnerships with local K-12 and industry to meet regional labor needs. "I'm 82 days on the job now," Molander said as he outlined plans to grow enrollment and to make campus offerings more workforce ready.

The presentation emphasized Dickinson State's dual mission — pairing career and technical education (CTE) with traditional bachelor programs — and several near-term program goals. Molander described a planned Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and a proposed master’s in athletic training, and said faculty have completed Quality Matters training to raise online-course quality. "We re going to create a workforce advisory board to make sure our students are learning exactly the skills that they're going to need out in our regional workforce," Molander said.

Nut graf: Committee members and community partners said Dickinson State nd local K-12 schools have expanded shared programming and facilities to address immediate workforce needs — particularly in health care, trades and technology — while university leaders seek state and private support to scale new program capacity.

Community and employer speakers described active coordination. Marcus Luton, Dickinson Public Schools superintendent, listed five ways the district collaborates with Dickinson State — from dual-credit early entry courses to shared CTE facilities — and said last year 34% of graduating students left with relevant work experience. "We share space. We utilize our softball complex, their soccer complex, their football field," Luton said, describing facilities and program sharing that school and campus leaders use to expand local training options. Local manufacturers also said DSU is a key talent pipeline. Guy Most, president of Baker Boy, told the committee the university helps upskill employees and supply technicians for automated manufacturing. Chris Johnson of TMI Systems described internships and seasonal student hires as an important recruitment channel.

Health and allied programs were a major emphasis. Dickinson State has retooled nursing to increase capacity: faculty reported rising applications and higher enrollment in pre-nursing, and a planned traditional BSN pathway designed to shorten time to licensure for returning students. Nursing coordinator Melissa Wagner told the committee that adjusted program structure and investments in simulation and an Anatomage virtual cadaver table aim to raise graduate preparedness. "We have invested in advanced simulation and virtual training," Wagner said, and noted the program expects to place students into regional clinical partners.

Academic leaders described new and expanded hands-on resources. Doctor Liz Friedman (School of Applied Science) said DSU now has both a virtual cadaver lab and access to UND-supplied cadavers for anatomy instruction, and said agreements with NDSU are in progress to create pathways in pharmacy and other health fields so students can remain in western North Dakota for advanced training.

CTE and college pipeline: Dickinson nd the local CTE center, housed in repurposed industry buildings, serve hundreds of credit hours per year and can deliver welding, health careers, emergency responder and construction skills with industry partners on site. Luton and Dickinson State officials said articulation agreements are being developed so high-school students can apply dual-credit and CTE coursework toward DSU certificates and degrees.

Online and enrollment strategies: Molander said online course enrollment has risen sharply and forms a key pillar of recruitment, especially for working adults. The university has a goal to segment markets — traditional, CTE/technical, online, master’s programs and returning adults — and tailor programs accordingly. He emphasized targeted marketing to regional high school cohorts and said the campus is pursuing stackable credentials and short-certificate options for business and IT skills that local employers asked for.

Funding and foundation: Ty (DSU Foundation) summarized the foundation's fundraising growth and said the foundation now awards about $2 million in scholarships annually. He credited state challenge grants and many small annual donors with building endowment and scholarship capacity that helps student affordability.

What was not decided: Committee discussion highlighted that many DSU efforts rely on external funding (state match grants, philanthropic gifts, federal grants) and internal reallocation; no new legislation or committee motions were taken at the meeting.

Ending: Committee members said they will follow up with system and legislative staff on program outcomes and workforce fund grant details; Dickinson State offered optional campus tours after the meeting.