New programs allow University of Jamestown to serve more students
Mar. 29—Editor's note: This story and accompanying photo are advertorial content in the 2025 "Moving the Community Forward" special section of The Jamestown Sun.
JAMESTOWN — New academic programs are allowing the University of Jamestown to serve more students, according to Polly Peterson, UJ president.
The University of Jamestown's enrollment was 1,372 students during the fall semester, said Paul Olson, executive vice president at UJ.
"By the time you get the summer starts in there, we'll serve about 1600 total students this year," he said.
Last year, the university served more than 500 students during the summer.
Peterson said UJ has added new programs where students can take courses during the summer. She said students can now take courses online, meaning they don't have to reside in the Jamestown area or take them during traditional daytime hours.
The university has added the Master of Arts in Leadership that includes four learning tracks, Master of Business Administration with eight micro credentials available, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Master of Science in Clinical Counseling that requires a one-week residency, Master of Science in Engineering Leadership, Master of Science in IT Leadership and Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing.
UJ's Fargo campus is home to all of its graduate and online programs, according to the university's website. The only in-person classes offered at its Fargo campus are for students enrolled in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Olson said those graduate and online programs allow individuals to be enrolled while they stay in the workforce.
"When you talk about some of the growth that we've had especially in the nursing arena, it's because those programs, the ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing) program is really creative in the hybrid format of the program, and the DEMSN (Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing) is hybrid, but it's also the only one in our region," Olson said.
Olson said UJ launched a first-in-the-nation apprenticeship program for behavioral health. At the end of the apprenticeship, students earn a behavioral health technician apprentice certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.
"We did a test run with the program in Arizona, and have since brought it to North Dakota," he said.
Olson said credits from the apprenticeship program for behavioral health count toward a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Health.
"It allows somebody that wants to work in a behavioral health setting to go from zero college credit hours to a bachelor's degree in two and a half years," he said, adding that the behavioral health technician would be promoted again.
He said individuals could then obtain a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling in another two years, which allows for a promotion to a counselor.
"They can go from no college education to being a master's trained counselor in four and a half years instead of having to leave the workforce for six years like they typically would have had to 20 years ago in order to get that credential," Olson said.
UJ's physical therapy program will graduate its 10th class in May.
"We have graduates doing incredible work, working in hospital settings, working as entrepreneurs, working have gone on to additional education, teaching back in the profession," Peterson said.
She said the success of the physical therapy program has allowed UJ to explore new opportunities and programs outside of its Jamestown campus.
Peterson said construction on the Reuben and Clarice Liechty Center for Faith and Life is coming long in a timely manner. The Reuben and Clarice Center for Faith and Life will house the Unruh School of Character in Leadership.
"We're looking forward to an August opening when the students return," she said.
The Voorhees Chapel is also being renovated.
UJ also added a Doctorate of Leadership, which complements its minor in character in leadership and Master of Arts in Leadership, said Lisa Jackson, vice president of marketing and external relations at UJ. She said the first class for the Doctorate of Leadership started this past fall.
"We don't expect them to be large cohorts, probably 10 (students) a year so it'll be a smaller program," Peterson said.
She said the university is talking with businesses to find out what kind of leadership opportunities UJ can provide to their employees.
"What kind of leadership opportunities can we help support," she said. "That can sometimes be ... noncredit bearing because that's us being out on their site for a day, them coming up here for a day in the summer, some of those kinds of things. So there's a lot outside of just building a PhD program that is going on in the development of this school."
Jackson said Sept. 25 will be the official launch date of the Center for Faith and Life. That day will also include a one-day conference where the community is invited for additional learning opportunities.
"There'll be some pretty exciting speakers throughout the day," Peterson said. "We'll reveal the names strategically, but there are some pretty significant opportunities for learning."
A dedication ceremony for the Center for Faith and Life is set for Sept. 26.
UJ Athletic Director Austin Hieb said the university is excited for its student-athletes and fans to be playing in NCAA Division II as part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
"Going back to the North Star (Athletic Association) for this season, our fans were able to be more engaged," he said.
Hieb said the Jimmies will play more regional teams from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota who fans are familiar with.
He said UJ had an NCAA application visit and a site visit recently.
"From everything we've been told, the feedback has been positive, which is good," he said.
Hieb said another NCAA visit is scheduled for this fall.
"As long as we stay on track, we'll be in the NSIC next year competing, but if we check the boxes we're supposed to check, we'll be full members in the fall of '26," he said.
The university recently added women's tennis and an American College Hockey Association Division 2 women's hockey team for the 2025-26 season.
Hieb said women's tennis was added because it was one of the only NSIC sports that UJ didn't sponsor. Cameron Jackson was hired recently as the women's tennis head coach and players have already committed to UJ's program.
The Division 2 women's hockey was added because the university thought there was a market for another club-like team for women who want to continue playing the sport. He said it gives student-athletes a chance to play at a slightly less competitive level, meaning less practices per week and less games on the schedule.
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