Article by Dr. Peterson, President of the University of Jamestown

Something old, something new…

Dr. Polly L. Peterson ’89

University of Jamestown President

The familiar wedding rhyme was a part of what made this year special for our family as our daughter, Paige, and her husband, Dylan, were married on a beautiful August day. “Something old, something new” was brought to mind again, this time in the week leading up to the University of Jamestown’s Homecoming, when two different events were both sources of reflection, pride, and celebration for our University.

Something new

Nearly 138 years ago, a group of courageous leaders opened the first college in a part of the Dakota Territory that would soon be known as North Dakota. This college was on a bluff overlooking the beautiful James River Valley. Since that time, the University of Jamestown has been innovating and growing the opportunities we offer to students. With each passing decade, the University has become stronger because of people like you—people who believe in education and in investing in the future of those who follow in their footsteps. During a time when many other educational institutions are in decline, I am proud to share that the University of Jamestown is thriving. This year, our enrollment increased by 13 percent, to a record 1295 students. We welcomed the second largest freshmen class in school history. But as we all know, success is short lived if we spend our time looking in the rearview mirror, where we know the future is not. It has never been more important for universities like ours to look forward and plan for an evolving economy. On Oct. 6, we announced the launch of a new division, UJ Accelerated, in a new location, Phoenix, AZ. By establishing UJ Accelerated, we recognize that learning does not begin and end the same way for every student. Through this new division, learners can access a growing number of courses, credentials, boot camps, and short-term certificate programs. For those learners desiring to go further, these opportunities will be stackable into the University’s many degree programs. Our first offerings are in Financial Fluency, Metalearning, and Cybersecurity, followed by Project Management, Digital Marketing and several certificates in Leadership beginning early in 2021. Through UJ Accelerated, we can reach the 73 percent of students who now access education in nontraditional ways, while still giving these students a sense of what makes the University of Jamestown The Best CareerOriented Liberal Arts University in the Midwest, as our vision states.

photo by Courtney Trapp Photography Andrew Peterson ’14, Courtney Peterson, Dylan and Paige (Peterson) Maas ’20, Dr. Polly ’89 and Darin Peterson ’90

Something old… made new

During the fall of 1926, Jamestown College hosted its first Homecoming. Just nine years later, following a period of reinvestment in America’s infrastructure, the College dedicated the new Taylor Stadium, which had been hand dug by over 200 young men. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was even present to celebrate their work. Fast forward 95 years, just two days after our exciting launch of UJ Accelerated, we celebrated Homecoming and the renewal of one of the oldest and most cherished parts of our University, dedicating the Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium at the site of historic Taylor Stadium. It was a beautiful day to celebrate the partnership between the University and Jamestown Public Schools and to recognize the many donors who made the dream a reality, especially lead donor Dr. Jo-Ida Hansen. Although much has changed since that first Homecoming celebration, some things never change. From the beginning, our University has been surrounded by a community of visionary leaders who believed in the value that a private university could bring to their community. For a bid of $20,000 and a private gift of land, Jamestown College became the first North Dakota university to be chartered. Since that fall day in 1883, our decisions have been guided by our commitment to providing a holistic education for our students, where liberal arts and Christian faith are intricately woven into the fabric of what has become a thriving Midwestern university. And over these many years, there are numerous examples of the community and the college collaborating to support the academic, athletic, and artistic needs of a growing population of people, young and old. The Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium represents a beautiful outcome of what is possible when we all work together. Twenty months ago, with the support of boards at both the University of Jamestown and Jamestown Public Schools, we began a project that brought hope to a community that needed it. From storm sewers to utility lines, parking lots to field events, fundraising support to bridge financing, each new challenge was met with solution-minded collaborators who ensured that just one year after breaking ground, the Jimmies and Blue Jays would have this stunningly beautiful facility. Besides the many athletic events that have already taken place this fall, a favorite event of mine was our back-to-school picnic for faculty and staff, held on the Jim Johnson Plaza at the Stadium. As the evening drew to a close, a few of us stayed late to watch the sun set over the hill. As we gazed upon the growing landscape of UJ, my mind wandered to the days of our first President. Arriving to boarded windows and abandoned hallways, Dr. Kroeze looked out over a twigless, windy campus on the hill with little else to ponder but the magnitude of his decision to leave a prominent presidency at Whitworth. Instead of looking pessimistically at his situation, he looked over the hill at the horizon only to set his eyes upon the most gorgeous display of indescribable beauty of color and sky he had ever seen. In that moment, his heart was full. When he returned to the Gladstone Hotel to join his wife and family, he exclaimed, “Oh, it is simply magnificent; it is superb; never have I seen anything like it!”

This past Homecoming was a reminder that although much has changed over the past 14 decades, the feeling of pride that we share for our beloved Hea Kan will never change! From the oldest and most-loved locations to the newest cutting-edge programs, I feel blessed to be a part of this incredible Jimmie story. For those of you who have not been back in a while, I invite you to come see us. I promise you, you will not be disappointed: it is simply magnificent; it is superb; never have I seen anything like it! Thank God from whom all blessings flow!