Enrollment at Dakota College at Bottineau is holding steady this fall following record numbers set just last year. The North Dakota University System calculates official fall enrollment for all 11 colleges and universities on the 20th instructional day of the semester. That day was earlier this week, September 19, 2022.

The Dakota College at Bottineau campus library extends an invitation to visit the library and check out the banned books display. The American Library Association proclaims September 18-24, 2022 as Banned Books Week. An annual event celebrating the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinions allowing the freedom to read.

Dakota College is excited about repurposing space for students. Student Life Director, Bridget Gustafson saw an opportunity after the dining hall moved out of Mead Hall. Gustafson said, “I knew we had a large space that could be repurposed. The TV room upstairs seemed to be getting a lot of use by the Mead Hall residents, so I thought it would be nice to have a larger area for students to utilize”. After the dining hall addition and Student Center renovation were completed, there wasn’t enough room for one of the pool tables. This started a scheme of plans for repurposing the former dining center in Mead Hall.

Dr. Carmen M. Simone was named Campus Dean and Chief Executive Officer for Dakota College at Bottineau in August 2022. Dakota College is one of five comprehensive community colleges in North Dakota and it is an affiliate campus of Minot State University. Prior to her return to North Dakota, Simone served as President of Western Nebraska Community College. She guided the institution through the worldwide pandemic with a commitment to serving students. During her tenure, the institution also successfully completed virtual and verification accreditation visits, launched a new technical program, and focused on strategic enrollment management.

Dakota College at Bottineau’s Agriculture Department is one of the seven recipients of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant to support the Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grants Program. NIFA’s main objective in this grant is to “promote and strengthen food and agricultural science education” (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) & National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), 2022).

Dr. Steven Shirley, president of Minot State University (MSU) and Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB), announced Monday that Dr. Carmen Simone will serve as the new campus dean at DCB. Simone has an extensive administrative background in higher education, and specifically with leadership experiences at two-year colleges. Most recently she served as president of Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff, NE. Dr. Simone earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota and her doctorate from Colorado State University, both degrees in chemistry.

Over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to become the new North Dakota Farm Management Education (NDFME) Instructor for Dakota College at Bottineau at the Rugby location. Throughout my first year in this position, I have had to explain what my new job entails countless times to family, friends, and members of my community. In doing so I have quickly discovered that there is a widespread misconception of what the Farm Management Education Program is.

Careers in emergency medicine are growing in popularity and demand. Dakota College at Bottineau in collaboration with Trinity Health-First Response Ground of Minot has accepted nine students to the Paramedic Technology program this spring. The Paramedic Technology program is for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who want to advance the level of care they can provide. Students applying to the Paramedic Program must have successfully completed the EMT-Basic Certification, hold a current BLS CPR certification and complete all necessary requirements for acceptance prior to being admitted into the Dakota College Paramedic Technology program.

May is always a busy month for the city of Bottineau, and it is no different for the Horticulture Department at Dakota College. Not only are they getting ready for graduation, but they are also finishing the semester, getting ready for their annual plant sale, and hiring summer workers while managing the greenhouse and campus high tunnels and gardens. This last semester was one for the history books. There was a record number of snow days where classes were canceled due to the weather. There was also a damaging storm that swept through the state in April and damaged all of the high tunnels on campus as well as some trees.