Dr. Steven Shirley, President of Minot State University (MSU) and Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB), announced Tuesday, February 24, that Corey Gorder will serve as the new Campus Dean at DCB. Under the operating agreement between the two campuses, DCB is an affiliate campus of Minot State University. The Campus Dean serves as chief executive officer of the Bottineau campus while reporting to the MSU/DCB president. Gorder succeeds Dr. Carmen Simone, who became president of Lake Region State College in July 2025.

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) proudly celebrated its renewed winter tradition, Jack Nation Days, honoring both the college’s historic roots and its evolving campus community. Originally established in 1961 as Smokey’s Week, the celebration recognized DCB’s identity as the North Dakota School of Forestry and was traditionally held during the winter months. The event shifted to a fall homecoming format in 2007 with the return of the football program. With football no longer offered and women’s hockey now part of the athletic lineup, DCB has reestablished this winter celebration under a new name—Jack Nation Days—to honor traditions while embracing the college’s future.

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) celebrates February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. CTE month celebrates programs across North Dakota that gain the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary for career readiness. Michelle Cauley, Natural Resource Instructor, declares it her pleasure to teach CTE courses for Dakota College at Bottineau, “CTE means the world to me, as career and tech education in our state of ND and in our country, these are the foundational jobs that really keep our state and our country moving forward. These are those hands-on, in-the-field kinds of jobs that I have the pleasure of getting to work with students in exploring their dreams and their careers in CTE fields.”

With the arrival of 2026, Dakota College at Bottineau students are turning the page and beginning a new chapter, uniting Jack Naton Days with Smokey’s Week. Since 1961, Smokey’s Week has been a proud tradition celebrating Lumberjack spirit. This refreshed, student-centered identity strengthens our connection to today’s campus community and aligns with our continued vision toward student success.

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) will host its second sUAS Industry Bootcamp from March 31 to April 1, 2026, building on the success of its inaugural program held in 2025. This immersive workshop is designed to equip professionals in agriculture, natural resources, and related industries with practical drone technology skills applicable to real-world challenges.

The Earth Day Committee and Natural Resources Department of Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) is putting out an all-call for 2026 Conservationist of the Year nominees. The annual Conservation Award will be presented during the spring 2025 DCB Earth Day celebration on April 24th, 2026.

Dakota College at Bottineau recognizes students from the fall 2025 semester for their academic success. This academic success recognizes outstanding students who are investing time, energy, and resources to become contributing members of society. Dean’s List students maintain a GPA of 3.5 and higher and the Honor Roll recognizes students who have achieved a GPA of 3.0-3.49. Attached is a spreadsheet with our student names and their hometown state/country.

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) proudly announces that four nursing students from its Minot location have been awarded the 2025 Trinity Health Foundation Nursing Scholarship. This scholarship program, made possible through the generous support of Trinity Health Foundation, continues to strengthen the pipeline of future nurses in the region.

Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC is an institutional accreditor that accredits degree-granting post-secondary education institutions. DCB has been accredited since 1971 and is scheduled for its next reaffirmation in 2029-2030. To prepare DCB for its continued reaffirmation of accreditation, Dr. Lexi Kvasnicka-Gates (KG), DCB Professor of Psychology, began leading the college’s accreditation efforts in 2017 and now serves as Director of Accreditation and Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). For nearly a decade, Dr. Kvasnicka-Gates has helped change the accreditation culture at DCB from one of compliance to one of continuous quality improvement.

The Dakota College at Bottineau Foundation is honored to announce a monumental and heartfelt gift from alumnus Maynard L. Thompson, whose journey began on the campus of the former North Dakota School of Forestry nearly seventy years ago. Thompson graduated in 1957 with a pre-engineering degree, a path he says was shaped almost entirely by the caring faculty who guided him during his earliest days as a college student. Honoring the spirit of caring and giving he received as a pre-engineering student at Bottineau, he has established the Maynard L. Thompson Scholarship Endowment which will support students just like him for generations to come.