A Little Bit of Everything

As incoming college students consider how much money they’ll need to borrow for tuition, they aren’t always thinking about interest accrual or how long they’ll be repaying. Or they don’t care. That was certainly true for me, and now, almost 10 years out of college, I’m still paying back student loans. Was the extra cash I borrowed to cover textbook costs, rent and ramen noodles worth it? No.

But it seems colleges and universities are making a shift that will save students hundreds or thousands of dollars on their textbooks — money many don’t realize will pile up so quickly. Free online educational resources allow professors and instructors to compile vetted material from multiple sources, tailoring their curriculums for each class. It’s more work than choosing and ordering a textbook, but with the proper administrative support, switching to OERs doesn’t have to be difficult. And it’s worth it, says an English professor at Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D. Her students so far have appreciated the savings and she enjoys custom-building her own course. Find out more about her class and others that use OERs, why they aren’t catching on faster across the country, and what types of funding are available for colleges looking into the transition, starting on page 28.

This issue features our third Community Profile of the year, this time highlighting the business environment in sister cities Grand Forks, N.D., and East Grand Forks, Minn. This roundtable was different from the others, as Grand Forks boasts two unique elements: the country’s first unmanned aerial systems (UAS) business park and an Air Force Base. Grand Sky is still under construction but is well-known in the UAS industry around the world and is expected to lead the country’s UAS evolution. Meanwhile, the Grand Forks Air Force Base had a $220 million economic impact on the region last year. These two attributes certainly top the list of focal points for a meeting with city and business leaders, but we also addressed the workforce shortage, downtown vibrancy, ongoing construction, tourism and the ag industry. Read more about Grand Forks and East Grand Forks starting on page 32.

In this month’s architecture and engineering feature, we talked to four experts in the industries and laid out 10 major trends they’re seeing. Some are challenges and some are profound and meaningful advancements, but I think they’re all interesting and thought-provoking. How clients choose to spend their money, socially and environmentally responsible designs, and new technologies are some of the key aspects of architecture and engineering that we think you should know about. Turn to page 36.

Nick Killoran is the focus of the Business Insider, starting on page 26. It’s impressive how he built Great North Insurance Services in West Fargo, N.D., from scratch, with zero existing clients. He’s clearly doing something right, as his business is growing, and he walked away from The Chamber of Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo’s 2016 ChamberChoice Awards with Small Business of the Year. Check out Construction Corner, a profile of a brand new, $40 million bank coming to Bismarck, N.D., on page 38. And Prairie News is packed with even more coverage ranging from health care and cancer treatments to higher education and employee recruitment platforms.

You’ve cracked open an especially full issue of Prairie Business that covers a little bit of everything. Enjoy.

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

STACI LORD, Ad Director

LISA GIBSON, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Account Executive: NICHOLE ERTMAN

800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203.

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