Dear Alumni and Friends of the College of Engineering,

The start of the fall semester is always one of the most exciting times on campus. This year, that excitement was mixed with anxiety, uncertainty and apprehension, as we launched classes and continued our important educational and research mission amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with most students, faculty and staff back on campus, we are not back to business as usual. We’re wearing masks, canceling events and large gatherings and using virtual communication tools, like Teams and Zoom, to limit face-to-face meetings.

The pandemic has also led to new challenges and opportunities in the classroom. This fall, NDSU launched the HyFlex Educational Model, where technology-enhanced hybrid learning allows students and faculty the flexibility to fully interact in person or remotely. Like anything new, there is room for improvement. But, overall, students have responded positively, with some now saying they prefer to attend class remotely. I believe this powerful tool, that allows students to choose how they participate, will benefit the college and university for years to come.

Another effort I believe will benefit the college and university for years to come is the implementation of our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. This document is the result of more than a year of hard work by staff, faculty, alumni and students and will be an important tool used to guide our decisions over the next five years. We’re in the process of developing digital scorecards to track progress on our strategic initiatives in real-time and realize our vision to be the engineering college of choice for students, faculty and employers seeking to enhance society through leadership and innovation.

One of the key parts of our strategic plan is a renewed focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Unfortunately, we, in the engineering and academic community, are not immune to biases towards, and suppression and silencing of minority students, colleagues and voices. Which is why, as a community, we must strive to treat each other better and empathize with each other, especially with those in our underrepresented communities.

“We are Inclusive” is one of the four core values identified in our strategic plan and our intent is to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. We must be proactive about diversity.

Earlier this academic year, we began working on a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan for the College of Engineering. Over the coming months, we will be sharing and refining that plan and following through on several initiatives, including increasing support for minority students.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge our faculty and staff for their extraordinary efforts and can-do attitude over these last several months. When I’m asked what makes me the most proud as the Dean of Engineering at NDSU, hands down, the answer is the outstanding people in this college who work hard every day to meet our mission of preparing innovative problem solvers and creating new knowledge to improve lives in North Dakota and beyond.

Thank you for your support for the College of Engineering. Go Bison!

Michael R. Kessler

Dean, NDSU College of Engineering