FARGO — The North Dakota State University College of Business launched the Center for Banking and Finance, at the same time introducing its newly hired director and key partners that will help make the endeavor happen.
The announcement came during an event at Barry Hall in downtown Fargo on Wednesday, Feb. 18, attended by representatives of those partners that include Dacotah Bank, Gate City Bank, Bell Bank and Western State Bank.
Rick Berg, interim president of NDSU, said the partnership will help fill workforce and economic needs in the state and region.
“I think for the local banks that have stepped up and are helping this, you couldn’t make a better investment,” he said.
The center is led by Mark Jensen, a career banker and longtime adjunct instructor at NDSU who’s been on the job as director for about a week.
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When Barry Hall opened as home to the College of Business in 2009, around 30 to 40 students were enrolled per semester in an introduction to banking class, he said.
Now, approximately 300 students a year take one of the college’s five banking classes.
“I think the timing is good, the demand is good. The industry continues to change, and so to try to meet the needs of what’s going on, I think we’re really hitting a great time,” Jensen said.
NDSU’s pursuit of the new center
Kathryn Birkeland, the Ronald G. and Kaye S. Olson dean of the NDSU College of Business, said the initiative is driven by student demand and input from the banking industry.
“We’re seeing changes driven by technology, data, regulation and innovation, and the careers today for students differ dramatically from traditional banking roles,” Birkeland said.
Students in the program will have access to scholarships, internships, job shadowing and specialized courses in areas determined by banking and finance partners.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
They will have networking opportunities with employers and mentors.
“Many of our students come to us without that professional network, and we know keeping them in the region depends on who they meet when they’re here, and the opportunities that are available to them,” Birkeland said.
One of the new center partners is Dacotah Bank, with locations in 34 markets across North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
Regional President Paige Bjornson said they mostly operate smaller community banks, where future retirements will make finding new talent a priority.
Investing in the new center, she said, could help them fill some of those roles.
“Certainly there’s the branding element of it, but more important and more valuable to us is the connectivity that it brings for us with students, with faculty,” Bjornson said.
The NDSU Center for Banking and Finance is expected to be ready for students in the fall of 2026.