University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota at Grand Forks is a doctoral level university characterized
by a wealth of attributes to which many other institutions around the country aspire:
a solid foundation of the liberal arts, a manageable size, high-quality students
and faculty, a diverse curriculum, a widely recognized program of graduate education
and research, law and medical schools praised for quality and innovation, rich cultural
resources, and an outstanding record of alumni support.
UND was founded in 1883 by the Dakota Territorial Assembly, six years before North
Dakota became a state. Unlike most state institutions of higher education west of
the Mississippi, it did not begin as an agricultural school or as a teachers college.
Organized initially as a College of Arts and Sciences, with a Normal School for the
education of teachers, UND soon evolved into a full-fledged, multi-purpose university.
Instruction of graduate students and the conducting of research were under way before
the end of the 19th century.
The mission of the University of North Dakota today is articulated in this statement,
on file with the State Board of Higher Education:
The University of North Dakota, as a member of the North Dakota University System,
serves the state, the country and the world community through teaching, research,
creative activities, and service. State-assisted, the University's work depends also
on federal, private, and corporate sources. With other research universities, the
University shares a distinctive responsibility for the discovery, development, preservation
and dissemination of knowledge. Through its sponsorship and encouragement of basic
and applied research, scholarship, and creative endeavor, the University contributes
to the public well being.
The University maintains its legislatively enacted missions in liberal arts, business,
education, law, medicine, engineering and mines; and has also developed special missions
in nursing, fine arts, aerospace, energy, human resources and international studies.
It provides a wide range of challenging academic programs for undergraduate, professional,
and graduate students through the doctoral level. The University encourages students
to make informed choices, to communicate effectively, to be intellectually curious
and creative, to commit themselves to lifelong learning and the service of others,
and to share responsibility both for their own communities and for the world. The
University promotes cultural diversity among its students, staff, and faculty.
In addition to its on-campus instructional and research programs, the University
of North Dakota separately and cooperatively provides extensive continuing education
and public service programs for all areas of the state and region.
With an enrollment of more than 10,500 students, UND is the largest university
in the Dakotas. It offers 17 doctoral programs, the M.D. degree, the J.D. degree,
specialist degree in one program, master's degrees in 47 programs, and undergraduate
degrees in 81 fields of study. The University is composed of ten major academic units:
College of Arts and Sciences, Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, College of Business
and Public Administration, School of Engineering and Mines, College of Nursing, College
of Education and Human Development, Graduate School, School of Law, School of Medicine
and Health Sciences, and the Division of Continuing Education. Instruction is offered
on campus, as well as remotely through a variety of outreach methods, including interactive
video, the Internet, and on-site instruction at locations throughout the State.
The University's operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999,
was $251 million, of which about one-fourth was expected to come from the state treasury.
UND's full-time faculty and research staff numbers 643, non-instructional staff 1502,
and outpatient clinic staff 46, for a total of 2191 full-time employees. Excluding
the U.S. Air Force bases, UND is North Dakota's largest single public or private
employer.
The Fall 1999 enrollment, 10,590, included 8,680 undergraduate students, 1,492
graduate students, 189 law and 229 medical doctor students. About 60 percent of the
students identified themselves as North Dakotans, 24 percent as Minnesotans. Non-residents
represented all of the states and 65 foreign countries. Degrees granted since the
first commencement in 1889 total 89,458.
Research, an expectation of individual faculty and graduate students, is centered
in the colleges and academic departments, and is funded largely through the acquisition
of external funding from the federal government, foundations, and business and industry.
Some $37.4 million in such support was received by UND in 1998-99. Although research
is conducted across the academic disciplines, major concentrations include the Energy
and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the
Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, and the physical and biological sciences in
the College of Arts and Sciences. The University also operates a variety of research
bureaus, institutes and centers, and maintains a formal link to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center.
Finally, mention must be made of the University's public service mission, which
manifests itself in many ways, most of them based upon the vast wealth of specialized
expertise that exists on the campus and is available to help the State meet the challenges
and opportunities of the new millennium. Among specialized units providing direct
service to business are the Center for Innovation, the Office of Work Force Development,
and Small Business Development Center. Under the leadership of President Charles
E. Kupchella, UND is pledged to further expand its involvement in activities that
support the economic development of the State.
Higher Education Computer Network
The Higher Education Computer Network (HECN) provides centralized information
technology services to North Dakota University System institutions and related entities.
Services are provided collaboratively by HECN-North at the University of North Dakota
and HECN-South at North Dakota State University. HECN is committed to enabling the
provision of education and services to its constituents anytime, anywhere.
The mission statement of HECN is as follows: "The North Dakota Higher Education
Computer Network (HECN) is committed to utilizing current technology to create an
enhanced human environment, positioning itself to utilize future technologies for
the benefit of NDUS students and employees and the citizens of the State of North
Dakota."
HECN has adopted the following guiding principles in keeping with the North Dakota
University System strategic plan Pathways to the Future:
1. The geographically-disbursed higher education institutions of the state can
communicate, cooperate, and provide the citizens of North Dakota with a quality education.
2. North Dakota, although sparsely-populated, can compete effectively among those
of greater populations and shorter distances.
3. Incorporating technology both on campus and at remote sites will enhance learning.
4. HECN will support faculty use of information technology resources to enhance
their instructional and research capabilities.
5. Easy-to-use student, financial, and human resource information systems must
be made available to make the operations of the campus run smoothly.
6. HECN must provide administrative staff access to accurate, timely information
to make informed decisions, and measure and monitor outcomes.
The HECN-North portion of HECN's mission focuses on providing services and support
primarily for the administrative and networking needs of the North Dakota University
System.
Interactive Video Network
The mission of the North Dakota Interactive Video Network is to provide opportunities
for North Dakota residents to enroll in university credit and non-credit classes
and other events utilizing video conferences and associated telecommunications at
strategic locations throughout the state.
University credit classes have first priority for scheduling on IVN; however,
the system is also utilized by government, higher education and private individuals
and organizations for interviews, meetings, workshops and seminars.
The ND IVN is a statewide compressed digital videoconferencing network connecting
21 classrooms at the 11 North Dakota University System (NDUS) campuses. The network
also has connections with interactive video rooms at the five North Dakota Tribal
Colleges, the State Capitol, the State Hospital, and 23 ITV classrooms in the Great
Western ITV Network.
Online Dakota Information Network
The mission of ODIN is to provide access to library and information resources
for the citizens of North Dakota
ODIN is a statewide library computer system that has been in operation since 1989.
More than forty ODIN libraries share the use of one computer system with library
catalog software. While the participating libraries operate in a shared system, they
still are able to maintain independent policies and practices at each library.
The ODIN library system activity provides for the shared creation, maintenance
and access to multiple databases. Higher education libraries and a number of state
agency, public, school, and special libraries cooperate to create and maintain bibliographic
records representing the holdings of all the libraries in a single database. Library
users can elect to search the entire database, effectively searching every library
in the system at one time, or they may choose to search only the records of a specific
library or predefined group of libraries. Such sharing supports both public use of
the database for finding material in any of the libraries and also supports administrative
functions including tracking the purchase and receipt of materials and the loaning
of books and other library materials. The participating libraries also cooperatively
purchase and make available to the public databases created by third parties.
The staff for the support of the ODIN library application consists of one administrative
and two technical support staff. The office space for the central support office
is on the University of North Dakota campus. The computer system and library
catalog software are maintained by the Computer Center Staff.
Technology Overview:
University of North Dakota
Information technology impacts the instruction, research, infrastructure, student
services and administrative areas of the University. Information technology is a
tool, which enables and enhances both the primary mission of the institution and
the support services underlying that mission. Faculty deliver classes, or portions
of classes, via the Web, telephone conferencing, video tape, interactive desk-top
video conferencing, chat rooms and IVN. For example, information technology enables
the Space Studies program to deliver its entire MS program to more than 200 students
in 40 states and 16 countries via the Internet and videotapes. Information technology
allows linking faculty with distant students, agencies, preceptors and potential
students. Video technologies, such as multipoint video conferencing and streaming
video, allow students, faculty, staff and community members remote from the campus
to participate more fully in events hosted at the University.
Information technology is used by students, faculty and researchers throughout
the University to gather information, solve problems, prepare and present written
and oral reports, and conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Servers
host discipline specific applications such as mathematical, graphics and visualization
programs and a wide range of databases to enhance students' understanding and learning.
Real-time and archived chemical, biological, business, mathematical, language, literature,
weather and geospatial technology information is made available to students, faculty
and staff in support of academic and research activities. Planetary science and astronomy
students and researchers use technology in remote sensing and data analysis. Instruments,
such as telescopes, can be located in most effective locations, and, with remote
operation and data gathering, the need for students and researchers to travel to
the instrument is minimized.
The University libraries use computers, the Internet and other information technology
to acquire and catalog materials for library collections and to provide access and
deliver information services to students, faculty, staff and other users. Students,
in those departments who require student ownership of laptop computers, have improved
access to class notes, resources, and expanded learning opportunities both in and
out the classroom. Students, faculty and staff use e-mail to communicate with colleagues,
to collaborate, and to distribute information widely. Offices and departments throughout
the University develop and enhance Web sites for current and prospective students,
faculty and staff and the public. Those sites are used to publish information, offer
opportunities for interaction, publish research, and offer resources. Students and
prospective employers are brought together via Web sites. Some federally mandated
accommodations for students with disabilities are met with information technology.
Information technology provides central monitoring and energy management functions
throughout the University's major building and facilities providing significant reductions
in utility costs as well as increased safety and efficiency. Telephone services are
provided for over 6600 faculty/staff/administration/student stations located on the
UND campus, GF airport facilities and the Fargo Medical Education Center.
In order to support the technology advances listed above networking is being updated
for greater bandwidth and to support voice, video and data in the future. Connectivity
is being expanded through additional cabling, upgraded networking equipment, additional
remote access, and wireless networking to allow students, faculty and staff to work
in a wider variety of settings, on and off campus.
Higher Education Computer Network
HECN, in conjunction with ITD, forms NDIN, which provides wide-area networking
capabilities for all state governmental entities in North Dakota. Both HECN-North
and HECN-South continue to strive to provide sufficient and efficient use of network
bandwidth to support the administrative, instructional and research activities of
the University System.
HECN-North provides hardware, software and support for the Administrative Information
Systems (AIS) of the North Dakota University System. HECN-North personnel, located
at UND and NDSU, perform all development and maintenance of the AIS.
HECN continues to explore alternatives for replacing aging administrative systems.
Because of the significant cost of replacing all systems at this time, other avenues
are being explored. The HECN is currently beginning a data warehouse initiative to
provide easier and faster access to selected AIS information. There is also an ongoing
initiative to Web-enable the current administrative systems.
The HECN administration believes the role of technology is, and will continue
to be, integral to all areas of higher education -- administrative, instructional,
research and public service. Therefore, the HECN must continue to pursue opportunities
to enhance and upgrade its systems and technology.
Interactive Video Network
The North Dakota Interactive Video Network (IVN) utilizes H.320 compressed digital
videoconferencing technology to support distance learning at all NDUS campuses and
other selected locations at the ½ T1 (768 KB) data rate. The system provides full
two-way audio and video between all sites. The network is also preparing to support
use of multipoint H.323 standard Internet videoconferencing when the bandwidth of
the Internet to various communities in North Dakota is capable of supporting both
data and video applications.
Online Dakota Information Network
The ODIN system provides NDUS and other libraries support for teaching and research
by providing the ability to search library collections for book and journal titles.
Users of the system can search the collections of any or all libraries in the system.
ODIN also provides access to databases of millions of magazine and journal articles.
The full text of many of these articles are also available online.
Both the library collections and the article indexes and text are available from
outside the library at all hours effectively expanding library service hours.
To create an increasingly user friendly services ODIN is using and expects to
expand the use of Web interfaces for the delivery of information to the user community.
This will make it easier for casual users to use the system productively and will
ease the training load on librarians in ODIN libraries.