Office of Human Resources

Annual Recognition Awards for 2007-2008

Faculty Achievement Awards
This program was established in 1985 by the Burlington Northern Foundation. In 1990 the Board of Regents established a second award and now solely supports the awards to recognize outstanding university teaching. The intent of the award is to recognize, reward, and motivate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Service-Bethany Andreasen, a faculty member in the Division of Social Science since 1991, is a respected teacher and scholar, who has served Minot State University and the community in an exemplary manner. She has twice been the MSU Faculty Senate president, was the faculty representative to the State Board of Higher Education at the time that the Roundtable on Higher Education was established, and has served on numerous committees where she advocates the faculty position with integrity. Andreasen was the coordinator of the history department for many years and continues to oversee history service learning projects. These public history projects have allowed students to conduct research that contributes significantly to the history and culture of Minot. Examples of projects include downtown Minot, Eastwood Park and the university’s upcoming centennial in 2013. Andreasen was instrumental in writing grant proposals for two successful and prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities summer institutes, of which she was the executive director. Her organizational skills, cooperation with colleagues, involvement of students, and her personal involvement with the community make her an outstanding choice for the excellence in service award.

Teaching-Bill Harbort, a faculty member in graphic arts since 1996, is an innovative and engaging teacher. Every project he assigns to students is designed to be instructive but also fun and possess a unique twist. It is hard for students not to be engaged when they are being intrigued. Harbort exemplifies Minot State University’s core value of "Students First." His advice and assistance entails more than just design and degree advising. Often a bit of advice or just a sympathetic ear goes a long way, and Harbort is always available. His accessibility has been a key factor in the considerable growth that the graphic arts program has experienced over the years. Harbort has brought several guest artists to the university to speak to students and community members. Initially these speakers were individuals that he knew from his employment as a professional in graphic design. In recent years, Harbort has asked former students to speak. In a sense the network he has nurtured grows with each graduating graphic design student and has additional value in helping students find internships and jobs after college.

Teaching-Jerry Stai, a faculty member in the Department of Accounting and Finance, joined Minot State University in 1999. He teaches finance, a discipline that many students find difficult; however, student course evaluations consistently rank his teaching very high. He has a passion for teaching, and his students respect his commitment to facilitating learning for all students. In addition to transferring knowledge, Stai is very focused on engaging students in the application of that knowledge. His previous professional activities and current business consulting give him perspective and experiences that supplement textbook information. Desiring to grow intellectually so he can give more to his students, Stai is pursuing certification as a chartered financial analyst. He has played an integral role in shaping the finance program. As the internship coordinator for the program, Stai works directly with students to create professional learning experiences.

Staff Achievement Awards
The Board of Regents Staff Achievement Award was established in 1991. The Board of Regents established the award to recognize university staff members for outstanding service to the University and the community.

Jennifer Sick began her employment at Minot State University in August 2003 as a part-time scheduling coordinator in the records office. At the time, she was a full-time student finishing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education; she graduated in December 2005. In February 2006 Sick’s full-time position of associate registrar was created. She is responsible for maintaining the undergraduate catalog and term and room schedules and assists in providing data to various individuals on campus. In the past year Sick has worked to streamline processes with online forms and has provided CampusConnection and policy training to students, faculty and staff. Further demonstrating her professionalism and customer-orientation, Sick has developed training materials and instructional quick guides to make utilization of CampusConnection easier for students, faculty and staff. In addition, she is a full-time student pursuing a master’s degree in special education.

As the president’s executive assistant, Deb Wentz keeps President David Fuller on track and in the process, does the same for the rest of the Minot State campus. She interacts every day with students, faculty, administrators, staff and community members and treats each in a respectful manner. Wentz started at MSU in November 2004 after working for over 20 years in the financial industry. She demonstrates MSU’s core values by her devotion to the qualities of academic excellence and engagement that the campus has defined for student success. Her role in the Office of the President and participation in campus activities reveals her personal commitment to Vision 2013 and the quality of the students’ experiences at Minot State. Wentz understands and practices Minot State’s beliefs about engagement and excellence in service. She consistently projects a professional personal image and represents a positive image of MSU. Within the community, Wentz serves on United Way’s board of directors and works tirelessly to support its activities.

Service Awards
Fifty-five Minot State University employees were recognized for five-year increments of service.