FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Stephanie Packineau
Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
spackineau@nhsc.edu | 701.627.8021
NHSC Approved to Offer Distance Education Courses
New Town, ND -- The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has provided approval for Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) to offer courses via distance education in addition to the college’s current in-person learning model.
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) has recently received approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to offer courses via Distance Education. Previously, NHSC was approved to offer in-person courses with a limited number of courses that could be offered via Distance Education.
“Our NHSC team has worked very hard to meet the Higher Learning Commission’s rigorous online learning expectations,” said President Twyla Baker, Ph.D. “This is a game-changer for our college. It will allow us to expand academic outreach to Native and non-Native students beyond the borders of our reservation. It will enable students who cannot travel to campus to begin their academic journey from wherever they have access to a computer and the internet. NHSC’s commitment to providing a nurturing learning environment will extend to these students who enroll in our online courses.”
NHSC will plan to continue both in-person and Hybrid synchronous courses, while developing plans to roll out potential courses via online asynchronous methods. The College plans to start with a five year phased rollout plan starting with core requirement classes, such as Science, English and Math offerings; however, this is not a process that happens overnight. NHSC will be working throughout the rest of the year to develop various phases for rolling out Distance Education.
President Baker added, “This has been a long-time goal of the college, as we learned from veteran faculty members, starting nearly 20 years ago. It is gratifying to be able to meet these goals, while also responding to the needs of the community while amid a crisis like the pandemic. I am very proud of our team here that made it happen, and I look forward to seeing our roll-out in coming months.”
Located in New Town, N.D., NHSC offers in-demand certificate programs and associate degrees as well as three bachelor’s degrees. NHSC is the only Tribal College/University (TCU) that offers equine studies and sustainable energy technologies programs. NHSC also offers a world-renowned Native American Studies program that covers three Native languages. Most NHSC students are members of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations, or Three Affiliated Tribes, and reside on the Fort Berthold reservation.
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