Business and Health
Innovation Center

Visitors to Northern State University will soon have an additional entry point on campus that will bookend the recently completed Jewett Regional Science Education Center. Demolition and construction for the new, leading-edge Business and Health Innovation Center will start this spring, with anticipated completion in the fall of 2025. The project includes the demolition of Lincoln and Briscoe Halls. Funding for the project was approved by the US Treasury in September, said Veronica Paulson, vice president of finance and administration.

“The goal is to enhance the corner of 12th Avenue and Washington to make it an inviting point of arrival to campus,” Paulson said. “The architects are studying the traffic flow on Washington Street to determine if any changes are needed to improve safety and provide good access to the building.” Every aspect of the design will enhance recruitment, instruction, collaboration, accessibility, and student engagement, as well as enable community members to directly engage in work, education and health monitoring.

“The Business and Health Innovation Center positions Northern to meet critical workforce needs in business, banking, finance, accounting and nursing,” said Dr. Neal Schnoor, president of Northern. “It is a generational opportunity to advance regional health and economic development.”

The soon-to-be-built facility will house the School of Business, Northern's nursing program, and the Innovation and Startup Center. The Innovation and Startup Center opened January 2023 and is being temporarily housed in the Beulah Williams Library. The new facility will include state-of-the-art nursing labs and simulation equipment.

The development of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at Northern State University is well underway. Northern has received approval from the South Dakota Board of Regents to start the bachelor's degree program, as well as approval from the South Dakota Board of Nursing. The goal is to have the Bachelor of Science in Nursing available to students by fall 2025, in order to address the critical workforce needs in the community, region and state.

“The Fall 2025 Bachelor of Science in Nursing program launch is contingent on final approval of our Associate Dean by the South Dakota Board of Nursing, obtaining new applicant status from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and final approval by the Higher Learning Commission, NSU's institutional accreditor,” said Dr. Mike Wanous, provost, and vice president for academic affairs.

Currently, Northern is looking to hire an Associate Dean of Nursing to launch and direct the program. The program will soft launch in fall 2024 by increasing the number of pre nursing students enrolled. The proposed program will tie neatly into the pre-nursing program Northern has offered for several decades.

“We have a long-standing pre-nursing program that has facilitated the transition of students into traditional and accelerated programs, and with the continuation of this program, we are well-positioned to facilitate the 'soft launch' in fall 2024,” Wanous said.

The current pre-nursing program is considered a “two plus two,” meaning students complete all the pre-nursing requirements in their first two years before being accepted into a nursing program for the last two years.

“Our hope is that with our program, we can start transitioning students into nursing classes as sophomores instead of waiting until junior year, so they get more practical experience,” said Dr. Alyssa Kiesow, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Kiesow also noted that telehealth and gerontology will be embedded into the program and telehealth spaces will be designed into the new Business and Health Innovation Center.

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