General Information

North Dakota State Board of Higher Education

The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) is the policy-setting and advocacy body for the North Dakota University System (NDUS) and the governing body for North Dakota’s 11 publicly supported colleges and universities. The SBHE also oversees the North Dakota State University Extension Service and Agricultural Research Stations, Northern Crops Institute, State Forest Service, and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute.

The SBHE is made up of seven citizen members appointed to four-year terms and one student appointed to a one-year term by the governor. The Council of College Faculties selects the board’s non-voting faculty advisor, and the NDUS Staff Senate selects the board’s non-voting staff advisor.

The College

Williston, (estimated) population 31,000, offers cultural events and many entertaining options. The surrounding countryside offers unique opportunities for hiking, cycling, canoeing, fishing, hunting, and one of the best public golf courses in the nation. Once explored by Lewis and Clark, this area where the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers meet is dotted with reminders of North Dakota’s rich history including restored Forts Buford and Union.

WSC operates as a two-year public community college in the NDUS. The College is one of 11 institutions under the North Dakota SBHE’s jurisdiction. WSC is authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.

WSC offers transfer programs leading to Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. Students can complete the first two years of many majors and transfer with junior status to most four-year colleges and universities.

The Associate in Applied Science degree and the certificate program are awarded to students completing career-technical programs. Students receiving career-technical training may continue at a four-year college or university, earning an advanced degree.

WSC operates on the semester calendar. All academic units are expressed in terms of semester credit hours.

Mission

The mission of WSC, “Where the People Make the Difference,” is to provide accessible, affordable, life changing, and life-long educational pathways to residents of North Dakota, the Upper Plains, and beyond.

Vision

We are committed to student excellence. We embrace quality student experiences, open communication, and actionable data that enrich personal relationships among our college, faculty, and students.

We believe that people make the difference; that the College is the heart of the communities we serve; that our facilities are a needed, neutral, and central community space; and that our faculty and staff serve multiple and diverse needs in a global environment.

We strive for a strong student presence on-campus, expanded offerings, fiscal sustainability, modern facilities, current technologies, and continuous improvement as a result of both our master and strategic plans.

Values

Purpose

The two-year colleges respect and acknowledge the need to remain open to evolutionary change to ensure they can respond to the needs of the citizens of North Dakota. They share the following core purposes:

1. To provide academic transfer courses and programs that are parallel and equivalent to those offered during the first two years at baccalaureate institutions.
2. To provide career and technical education, as well as customized training, to prepare the learner for careers in a specific occupation.
3. To provide cultural, educational, occupational, and vocational programs to each campus’ host community and the state of North Dakota in the form of courses, workshops, seminars, and institutes.
4. To provide community service and applied research in collaboration with business and industry to enhance economic development.
5. To provide open access and support services for a diverse student body.
6. To facilitate baccalaureate and graduate degree course work within the service area via telecommunications and other appropriate modes.

History

In 1931, legislative action authorized the establishment of junior colleges in North Dakota cities with a population exceeding 10,000. The Legislative Assembly amended the law in 1941 to allow junior colleges in cities with a population exceeding 5,000. An extension of junior college legislation Came in 1961 with the approval of the North Dakota SBHE to establish an off-campus education center in conjunction with a state-supported college or university. WSC resulted from this legislation.

The University of North Dakota (UND) first offered extension classes in Williston during the fall of 1957. In 1961, WSC, then known as the UNDWilliston Center, founded its own resident campus, faculty, and curricula through a contractual arrangement between UND and Williston School District #1. This arrangement continued until July 1, 1984 when the North Dakota SBHE assumed responsibility for the College. What was once the UND-Williston Center became UND-Williston.

In 1999, legislative action expanded the College’s mission to include workforce training and resulted in UND-Williston’s transition to an autonomous campus renamed Williston State College.

WSC has grown from an extension center, established in 1961, to an institution with a student body of more than 1,000 students and over 125 faculty and staff providing educational opportunities to the greater Williston area.

Campus

Stevens Hall - Stevens Hall has been the main building on campus since 1967. Renovated December 2014, Stevens Hall houses classrooms, the Learning Commons (library), Student Services, the Teton Grill, Andrea’s (campus bookstore), the Skadeland gym, the Teton Lounge, Student Life, and administrative, staff, and faculty offices.

Science Center - Constructed in 2011, the Science Center houses four stateof- the-art labs for biology, anatomy, physics, and chemistry; along with offices for instructors.

Leonard P. Nelson Health and Wellness Wing - Constructed in 1975, the Leonard P. Nelson Health and Wellness Wing houses classrooms, lab spaces, and offices for the Health, Physical Education, and Nursing programs. It was extensively remodeled in 2004 and again in 2022.

Thomas Witt Leach Complex (The Well) - Completed in 2004, the Well boasts a 2,200 seat sports arena, a walking track open to the community, a fitness facility, and additional faculty and athletic offices. This complex provides the College and surrounding communities a premier activity, cultural, and sports venue.

Crighton Building - Constructed in 1977, the Crighton Building was expanded in 1993. Until fall 2015, the Crighton Building housed TrainND, faculty offices, classrooms, and labs. Since TrainND’s relocation, the Crighton Building now houses the Diesel Technology program, which includes a faculty office, classroom, and shop; Student Success Center with its offices, classrooms, and learning labs; and the Continuing Education department. The Continuing Education department provides enrichment classes, workshops, and kids’ programs to the community.

Art Wood Building - Constructed in 1972, the Art Wood Building previously housed faculty offices, classrooms, and shops for the Automotive Technology and Welding programs. Since the Welding program’s move to the Western Star Career and Technology Center, or CTE, and the Automotive program’s termination, the Art Wood Building now houses Campus Services.

Western Star Career and Technology Center (CTE) - Completed in 2010, the CTE Building houses business, technology, art, welding, petroleum, and massage therapy classrooms, labs, and faculty offices. Marketing also occupies this building.

On Campus Housing - Built in 2011 and the largest residence hall at 60,800 square feet, Frontier Hall houses a maximum of 171 students. Nelson Hall, the second largest, houses 17 students. Manger and Abramson Hall both have four units each.

Phil Rabon Baseball Field and Softball Field - The Phil Rabon baseball field was constructed in 2003 and is home to Teton baseball. A softball field was added in 2015 and is home to Teton softball. Both regulation size fields are located on the north side of campus.

Williston Area Recreation Center (WARC) - A world-class 250,000+ square foot community recreation center, the WARC, or ARC, opened in Spring 2014 and is open to WSC student, faculty, and staff use. The ARC has indoor walking/ running tracks, turf fields, a golf simulator, tennis courts, batting cages, cardio/weightlifting areas, multi-sport courts, a 50m Olympic-size pool, teaching pool, water park, lazy river, and kid areas.