June 7, 2025
For years, navigating student services at Mayville State University has felt like a maze. Prospective and current students have bounced from one office to another across campus, tackling everything from recruitment, admissions, enrollment, advising, and financial aid. The process wasn’t always efficient, and students sometimes got lost or became frustrated along the way.
Now, thanks to the renovation of MSU’s Old Main, that’s about to change. When the newly redesigned space opens in July 2026, all student services will be centralized in one area, creating a seamless, one-stop experience. Instead of crisscrossing campus, students and their families will be able to be in a single location and handle everything from applying for admission and financial aid, to enrolling in classes, reviewing transcripts, and signing up for a room and meal plan. The transformation not only enhances convenience for students but also streamlines operations for staff, making services more accessible, collaborative, and efficient.
“There’s a lot of excitement on campus about this project, for the both the students and employees,” said Amber Hill, who serves as MSU’s Vice President for Business Affairs.
The process began with broad community outreach that included several rounds of listening sessions. A design committee comprised of students, internal campus constituents, faculty, and staff reviewed surveys with data about what they wanted to see in the new space. This input allowed MSU to construct a comprehensive renovation plan that included different types of spaces, based on the needs of the people who would be using them.
Even though the new Old Main will include modern improvements such as state-of-the-art technology, safety, functionality, and accessibility, the feedback that was received from staff, alumni, and students alike noted that everyone valued Old Main’s traditional aesthetics as well. MSU’s partner, Foss Architecture + Interiors, helped ensure the new design would preserve the building’s historic character, while providing a contemporary learning environment.
After the initial listening and planning sessions, MSU has continued to involve members of the community with major decisions. Students have been shown renderings of the project, so they can imagine what it will look like. There are also tours being conducted through different phases of construction - including one that gave graduating students an opportunity to explore the building this spring before leaving the college as alumni.
The ongoing involvement has inspired excitement among students.
“One location I want to check out when Old Main reopens is the student services desk,” noted current early childhood education student Rylee Heinen. “I’m so excited for these new spaces where I can continue to learn and grow while fostering relationships with my peers and the community.”
While the listening sessions and construction will be completed by the fall of 2026, the process began quite a bit earlier. In North Dakota, funding for capital projects at public colleges and universities - such as significant renovations or new buildings - must be approved by the state legislature, which meets every other year from January through early May. MSU’s Old Main was approved for funding by the state legislature in the 2023 session.
Support for the Old Main renovation grew in 2021 with ongoing conversations led by MSU President Dr. Brian Van Horn, and the project was funded in 2023.
“The data and support were there, and the state legislators felt this was important enough to our students, faculty, and the workforce of the state to continue investing in this school,” Hill said. “It means a lot to the community and to the workforce of North Dakota.”
In the Fall Semester of 2025, 68% of all Mayville State students were from North Dakota. In addition, more than 800 Mayville State graduates are teachers or school administrators in the state, 85% of recent teacher education graduates hold a teaching license in North Dakota, and 71% of Master of Education graduates teach in North Dakota. Of Mayville State’s RN-to-BSN nursing graduates, 80% reside in North Dakota, and 15% reside in Minnesota.
While Old Main is under construction, employees have been relocated to temporary spaces with colleagues who they’ll be working with in the newly renovated building. Strengthening these relationships now will enhance efficiency, so that each function - whether it’s managing campus visits, the budget, or student experience - will be more fluid and efficient.
With student services staff sharing one central area in Old Main, the Mayville State will be able to increase administrative support. Currently, some departments don’t have a full-time administrative staff entirely designated for their area. The new design will allow them to share personnel and support services, something that was purposefully included in the design process.
Staff are also looking forward to a new conference room on the building’s fourth floor. Standing out where a conical roof used to be, the room will overlook the entire campus. A big conference room has been lacking, and the renovation will create a stately place to hold larger meetings and functions.
MSU’s campus community views the renovation project as a sign that supporters across the state value the quality education that the school delivers to students. MSU’s motto - “The School of Personal Service” - isn’t just written on a class syllabus or on the Mayville State seal. It is lived daily by its people.
By providing opportunities to better serve students, faculty, and staff, MSU is building connection for all those who call Mayville State home. With such levels of familiarity and comfort, it’s not unusual to find many second and third generations of students, as well as faculty and staff who have served for 10 years or more.
“While we endured the inconveniences and flaws of Old Main for years, the new and shiny Old Main will make life better and safer,” explained Rhonda Nelson, long-time professor and chair of the Division of Business, and current Interim Dean of Students. “It will appeal to the students of today who are accustomed to better accommodations.”
With the renovation of this historic building, Mayville State is both improving its facilities and transforming the student experience. By bringing essential student services under one roof, Old Main’s new design will eliminate barriers, which will make enrollment, financial aid, advising, and other processes seamless and accessible.
This strategic change reflects MSU’s commitment to student success, ensuring that from the moment they step on campus, students can focus less on logistics and more on their education and future.
Follow the progress of the Old Main renovation project at www.mayvillestate.edu/oldmain.
