Faith Hensrud Named President of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 20, 2016 – The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees today named Faith Hensrud as president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College (NTC). The appointment becomes effective July 1, 2016.

“Faith Hensrud is a tested leader with a unique range of experiences, having served at both a technical college and a comprehensive university,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. “She has the support of students, faculty, and staff at Bemidji State and NTC. She has the support of stakeholders in the community. I am delighted that Dr. Hensrud will be the next president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.”

Hensrud has served the University of Wisconsin-Superior since 1995 in several capacities including provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2010; associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and outreach from 2006 to 2010; leader of distance education and continuing education programs and activities from 2002 to 2006; and associate professor since 2006. She served the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1989 and the U.S. Army Reserve from 1989 to 2000. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, a master’s from the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth), and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College have been formally aligned since 2003 and operate under the leadership of a single president.

Hensrud will succeed Richard Hanson, who has been serving as president since 2010 and has announced his intention to retire.

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Bemidji State is a comprehensive residential university with total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of about 5,000 students. BSU offers 61 undergraduate degrees and nine graduate degrees in the professions and liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1919 on the shore of Lake Bemidji, it remains known as "the University in the Pines" for its unique north woods setting.

Now in its 50th anniversary year, Northwest Technical College is a two-year institution serving about 1,200 students. NTC awards associate of applied science and associate of science degrees, as well as certificates and diplomas. The college has 35 technical and professional programs grouped within seven career paths: Automotive Motorsports, Building Trades, Business, Child Care, Health Care, Individualized Studies, and Manufacturing and Engineering Technology. A partnership with Bemidji State allows students to live in BSU campus housing while attending NTC.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities include 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 400,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system in the United States.