Bismarck State College - Markota Yearbook (Bismarck, ND)

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PRESIDENT WERNER HELPS MAKE BJC THE COLLEGE WITH A FUTURE” A REALITY How was the college established? j'l1 m (. In 1939 Bismarck businessmen held a meeting that sparked the beginning of a community college. They felt that students couldn't afford to leave the Bismarck area to attend college and that secondary classes should be offered in the city. As a result, Bismarck Junior College was organized and classes were held on the third floor of the Bismarck High School, with an enrollment of 40 students. The school began to grow and in 1955, a junior college building was constructed near the State Capitol. Then, in 1959, Harold Schafer donated land overlooking the Missouri River west of Bismarck on which to build a larger and more modern campus. It was completed in 1962. In the following years, the dormitories and the library were added. The new Student Union and Vo-Tech buildings were opened in 1974. Having been accredited by UND until 1966, BJC is now fully accredited by the North Central Association of Junior Colleges. The only member in his high school graduating class, Mr. Ralph Werner is now the President of one of North Dakota’s most rapidly growing colleges .. BJC. Being the sole Senior, the then sixteen-year-old Werner delivered the Valedictory at the 1929 Commencement Exercises in Burlington, North Dakota. His graduation motto was “Climb Though the Rocks Be Rugged.” And “climb” he did. The small-town boy entered nearby Minot State College, which at thattime had an enrollment of approximately 500 students. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to the University of North Dakota where he majored in education and earned a Master of Science degree. But Mr. Werner did not stop there. He did post graduate work at the University of Washington, the University of Colorado, and the University of Minnesota. Velva High School provided the surroundings for Mr. Werner’s first classroom teaching experience, in which he instructed students in Office Education. After several years there, he accepted the position as Principal in the Harvey school system. He remained there until 1941, when he and his wife, Ina, moved to Bismarck. He began teaching part-time in the newly organized junior college, which then was located on the third floor of the Bismarck High School. In time, Mr. Werner began to ascend the BJC administrative ladder. He went from classroom instructor to Business Manager to Registrar to the Assistant to the President. When in 1963, College President Sidney J. Lee died, Mr. Werner assumed the duties of the chief administrative post. In my visit with him, I also asked him some questions about the college itself. President Werner presented the North Dakota College Athlete of the Year Award to Gary Hoffman at a ceremony during the BJC-Jamestown dual meet. 4

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I like the small classes. It offers about the same things as four-year colleges. I dislike the fact that a person can’t get into the dorm, and is then left on his own to find a place to live. I like BJC a whole lot. Most of the teachers are real cool dudes and the kids here are very friendly and open and I have found it extremely easy to adjust to college and have gotten to know a lot of new friends. I like the small size of the college and the personal, informal atmosphere that prevails on campus. The small size of the college doesn’t put as much pressure on student or faculty and we can spend more time learning. There is really nothing in thecollege that I don't like in one way or another, I guess I'm easy to please. I like the freedom a student has, but dislike gym, I don’t think gym should be a requirement. I like the way the school is planned. There is a new atmosphere up here. I hate the way the lunch program is set up. You should have a lunch ticket and everytime you want to eat, they punch it. BJC is making an awful lot of money on that program as a person doesn't always eat 3 meals a day. The main reason I came to BJC is because I was quite undecided about my future plans and I felt it was a much safer and inexpensive way of starting out. Besides that. I could continue working and living at home. I knew I wasn’t ready to leave home because of my indecisions. Not enough parking and not enough snow removal. It wasn’t that much of a change from high school—only 2 things have changed: 1. no excuse slips, 2. smoking in the buildings. The small class really bugs me. There are many classes I couldn’t take because they were full. I feel it offers me a background, to go to S.U. with. That’s it. To get an education with the least amount of expense: I'm married, my family lives here so this was the best choice to fit my budget and makes it possible to get an education. I dislike the poor parking facilities. I like the Drama department, the amount of plays they put on. I would like to see more class room courses in Drama and Acting. First, because I am married and must attend college in Bismarck, and secondly, because the cost of attending BJC is within our budget. I wish someone would take care of the clocks at the school. Announcements should be more spread around. You don't usually hear what is going on. I think they should have a better key system in the girls dorm. I think all the girls should have a key of their own to get in at night. Also, they should have a swimming pool, like all of the other colleges. I think it is a fine college but then I’m not that familiar with any other colleges. This is the only college I’ve gone to. The only thing I don't like is some parts of the administration. I have had some problems with them. Many of my records have gotten mixed up. Other than that. I like BJC and would recommend it to anyone. A concert by Frank Hall was one of the activities in which students could participate.

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What do you feel about the student body as a whole at BJC? I would rate them very highly. There is no better age bracket to work with. BJC has the best student body in North Dakota. It is not so large that a student becomes a number rather than an individual. It is considerably easier to get to know faculty members, and classes are smaller, enabling teachers to give more attention to each student. Reading over the day’s correspondence is only a minute part of the President’s busy schedule. How do junior colleges stand in comparison to four-year colleges? There are 1200 junior colleges in the United States. In 1974 there was a 12 percent increase in junior college enrollment, whereas the four-year colleges showed no increase. BJC now has 1200-1300 full-time students, 48.5 percent being from Bismarck, the other 51.5 percent from Mandan and other communities. The junior college is a transition between high school and the complex four-year college. It is more closely associated with the community and supported by it. There is an even flow of students between the academic and vocational programs, such that students can change programs without changing schools. There are other advantages to attendinga smaller junior college. What is your outlook for the future of Bismarck Junior College? The growth of BJC is directly proportioned to the growth of Bismarck, which is expanding at an unbelievable rate. We can look forward to a larger student body in the coming years. Concerning building expansion, I would like to extend the northeast end of the auditorium to make more room backstage and also to give the enlarging performing arts better facilities. Last year I had the rock hauled on campus to the south of the administration building with hopes of planting trees, shrubs, and flowers around it and setting benches among them to form a mall. The boy’s motto lives on: “Climb, Though the Rocks be Rugged.” I would also like to see the development of the bowl west of the men’s dormitory into a football and track field with a physical education complex nearby. This would be an excellent community project. BJC is indeed “the College with a Future” and President Ralph Werner has helped to make it so.