NHSC Responds to Impact of the Pandemic by Forgiving Student Debt

 

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 19, 2021

CONTACT: Dr. Twyla Baker, president
tbaker@nhsc.edu
701.627.8095

NHSC Responds to Impact of the Pandemic by Forgiving Student Debt

New Town, ND – To assist students still recovering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) has forgiven outstanding student debt, allowing students to begin the 2021-22 academic year free from previous tuition-related obligations.

“Our students have faced considerable personal losses as a result of the pandemic,” said Dr. Twyla Baker, NHSC president. “They’ve had the added pressures of illness, homeschooling their children and many other hurdles. They have been challenged in so many ways, and we are thankful we can use Covid relief funding to help them begin anew.”

NHSC does not provide student loans. College costs are financed through Federal Pell Grants and other grants and scholarships. The college offers payment plans for student debt but has opted to forgive more than $200,000 in outstanding debt in advance of the upcoming school year.

NHSC enhances the quality of life and builds a strong, positive identity for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations or Three Affiliated Tribes. NHSC offers in-demand certificate programs and associate degrees as well as three bachelor’s degrees. The college offers high-quality cultural, academic and vocational education. NHSC provides encouragement and support to facilitate successful college careers.

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NHSC Spring 2021 Graduates Earn Record-Setting GPA

 

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2021
CONTACT: Stephanie Packineau, Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness – spackineau@nhsc.edu 701-627-8021

NHSC Spring 2021 Graduates Earn Record-Setting GPA

New Town, N.D. – Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC) Spring 2021 graduates achieved an average grade point average of 3.0, the highest combined GPA in the college’s history, while earning certificates and associate and bachelor’s degrees.

The record-high combined GPA occurred in spite of hardships related to COVID-19, including learning in a non-traditional environment and the impact of the pandemic on families and the local community. Several graduates earned more than one degree or certificate.

“As a tribal college, our goal is to help students succeed while holding them accountable for deadlines and objectives. I give a lot of credit to our faculty for their perseverance and for adapting to an extraordinary situation,” said Robert Rainbow, NHSC vice presidents of academics. “Together, our students and staff have reached a new level of accomplishment, both individually and as a higher education community.”

Spring 2021 graduates included:

  • Bheri Hallam: BA in Native American Studies

  • Bryann Rainbow: AS in Science

  • Ethan Wells: AS in Computer Science

  • Francis Short Bull: AA in General Studies,

  • Janna Church: AS in Environmental Science, AS in Sustainable Energy Technologies and AS in Science

  • Joni Foote: BA in Native American Studies and AA in Addiction Studies

  • Lexus Stevens: AA in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship Certificate

  • Lizette Alvarez: BS in Environmental Science

  • Mallory Wilson: AA in Business Administration

  • Michael Medeiros: AS in Computer Science and AS in Sustainable Energy Technologies

  • Riannon Charging: AA in Human Services

  • Tammy Hammer: BA in Native American Studies

  • Tayloure Baker: AA in Business Administration and

  • Teliea Baker: AA in Addiction Studies

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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MHA Nation is the First Tribal Nation in North Dakota to Utilize FEMA’S Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS)

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 01, 2021
Contact:
MHA Emergency Operations Center
Phone: 701-627-7300 ext. 5904
Email: mha.nation.eoc@gmail.com  

MHA Nation is the First Tribal Nation in North Dakota to Utilize FEMA’S Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS)

The MHA Emergency Operations Center is Officially Authorized to use the FEMA’s IPAWS System throughout the Ft. Berthold Reservation

[NEW TOWN, ND June 01, 2021] — The MHA Emergency Operations Center (EOC) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with FEMA to officially authorize the utilization of FEMA'S Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) on the Ft. Berthold Reservation which includes six Counties. IPAWS is FEMA's national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, radio, and television via the Emergency Alert System, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio. The MHA EOC will be the administrator of this system and will work closely and coordinate with other Emergency Services and local Infrastructure (including Non-tribal Stakeholders) on the Ft. Berthold Reservation, such as Fire/Rescue, Law Enforcement, and EMS. The MHA EOC has chosen a compatible software provider to get this messaging system accessible to the public. This service is offered to the public free of cost and does not require individuals' personal information. Specific urgent alerts are to be sent out to the public on the reservation using mobile phones, landlines, local radio, TV, and the MHA Nation website, including Segments' webpages if they would like to develop a partnership with the MHA EOC.

FEMA IPAWS is a tool to increase our chance to disseminate information immediately during incidences of a tornado, severe winter storms, flooding, wildfire, terrorism, missing person searches, etc., and any other emergencies requiring lockdown, shelter in place, and evacuation procedures to be implemented.

The MHA EOC Director Emily Sitting Bear and Emergency Planning Specialist Thomas Nash completed IPAWS Training to provide this service to the FBIR during natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

Mark Fox, Chairman of the MHA Nation, acknowledged, “The use of emergency alerts is invaluable when there is a need to get important information out to the public quickly. As Chairman of the MHA Nation, I am very proud of our MHA Emergency Operations Center and the CEO’s hard work in getting this new system in place to help ensure reliable, efficient public communication in the event of various types of emergencies on local, state, and federal levels.”

MHA Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

The mission of the MHA Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is to create and maintain the comprehensive framework that will reduce the overall vulnerability of communities and government infrastructure on the Fort Berthold Reservation by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters. For more information, please visit our webpage: https://www.mhanation.com/emergency-operations-center and our Facebook Page: @mhanationeoc: https://www.facebook.com/mhanationeoc.

For media inquiries, please contact MHA EOC Public Affairs Specialist, Nyamka Reese at 701-627-7300, or nreese@mhanation.com.


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NHSC Approved to Offer Distance Education Courses

NHSC logo.jpg
 

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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