Appendix

Facilities

Administration Building

Constructed between 1907 and 1910, this Tudor Gothic structure with four towers is a landmark of the campus and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. In 1979, a fire destroyed the north wing, which contained the Deerwester Theater, and the west wing, which was largely restored; subsequently, the second and third floors underwent an extensive renovation in 1996. The historic building houses the offices of Admissions, Career Services, the Registrar, Scholarships and Financial Assistance, Human Resources, and University Marketing and Communication as well as the Graduate School office and various administrative offices, including the offices of the president and provost. The third floor also houses nutrition and dietetics courses in addition the offices of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and Information Technology.

Everett Brown Education Hall

Dedicated in 1939 and located west of the J.W. Jones Student Union, this Neo-Gothic structure was renovated and rededicated in 1987 in honor of Everett W. Brown, an alumnus, long-time staff member and eight-term member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Brown Hall houses the School of Education in addition to the Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families.

Colden Hall

Completed in 1959, this V-shaped structure is named for Charles J. Colden, the first president of the Board of Regents. This major academic structure was renovated in 1996-97, providing environments for technology to supplement and facilitate learning, and with flexibility for advancements in the future. It contains classrooms and offices for the School of Health Science and Wellness; Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business; Department of Language, Literature and Writing; and School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Mabel Cook Recruitment and Visitors Center

Located at the southeast entrance to campus, the building serves as a visitor center and contains offices for admissions staff. The center, which began as a living space for home economics majors to learn home management, is named for a graduate of the former Department of Family and Consumer Sciences who later served on the faculty and chaired the department between 1947 and 1971. As a student, Mabel Cook initiated the idea for Kappa Omicron Phi, now a national family and consumer sciences honor society called Kappa Omicron Nu.

Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion

The Courter Pavilion is located in College Park, west of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts, and was completed in 2005. It includes an outdoor performance and presentation space that hosts a variety of University and community gatherings throughout the year.  It is named for Northwest’s longtime vice president for finance whose influence during 37 years of service in the University’s finance area, until his retirement in 2009, guided master planning for capital construction projects resulting in additions or improvements to nearly 30 campus buildings and structures.

Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building

Located on College Avenue on the south side of campus, this circular structure was dedicated in 1965 and honors the long-time faculty member and nationally recognized leader in art education, Olive DeLuce. The building contains studios, the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery, classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and faculty and staff offices for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

The 549-seat Charles Johnson Theater inside the building is named for the first chairman of the Spring Festival of the Arts and houses a two-manual, 21-rank McManis pipe organ.

Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends

Located on College Avenue, the Federal-style structure is owned by the non-profit Northwest Foundation. Its offices are leased to the Office of University Advancement, which includes alumni relations and development operations.

Previously known as the Alumni House, the building was renamed in 2017 in honor of Faust, a 1974 alumnus, after the completion of a 2,994 square-foot addition that includes staff offices and the Lawhead Conference Room, named for 1942 Northwest graduate Florence Abarr Lawhead, who served on the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors and was active in the Alumni Association.

The original structure stands on land purchased in 1926 by local businessman F.M. Townsend to build a residence for his family. The residence, located directly across from the Thomas Gaunt House, was purchased by the Foundation in 1980 after a loyal group of alumni brought together their combined vision and resources to challenge all Bearcat alumni and friends to secure a permanent home for alumni activities and services.

Fire Arts Building

This triangular structure was constructed in 2004-2005 and is located southeast of the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. It houses ceramics, sculpting and welding art classes.

Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center

Opened in 1981 as the Robert P. Foster Aquatic Center, the facility reopened after extensive remodeling in 2015 as the Foster Fitness Center, consisting of open floor space to accommodate cardio and weightlifting machines, a human performance lab and classroom space. The facility includes a group exercise room and a 2,300-square-foot mezzanine with cardio equipment and windows that provide natural lighting. It includes locker rooms and an enclosed walkway connecting the Student Recreation Center for added convenience. It is named for Foster, the seventh University president, and his wife.

The Anita Aldrich Human Performance Lab inside the facility is named for Dr. Anita Aldrich, a 1936 Northwest graduate who dedicated herself to health, physical education and recreation education. During a career spanning 47 years, she served as a teacher and administrator of physical education programs in King City, St. Joseph and Kansas City in Missouri, and at Indiana University. She was appointed in 1961 as an advisor to President John F. Kennedy’s Fitness Council and served as president during 1962-1963 of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation to which she was later named an honor fellow.

Garrett-Strong Science Building

This building, located north of the Administration Building, honors two former department chairs, William T. Garrett, a faculty member from 1927 to 1965 in the former Department of Biological Sciences, and J. Gordon Strong, a faculty member from 1942 to 1964 who led the units housing physical science and mathematics. Completed in 1968 and renovated in 2000-2001, Garrett-Strong contains laboratories, lecture halls and classrooms, while serving as the home of the Department of Natural Sciences and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The building also houses the University’s Geoscience Museum and the Walter M. and Velma C. Troutman Collection.

Thomas Gaunt House

Located on College Avenue, across from the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends on the south edge of campus, the Gaunt House was constructed during the early 1870s. The Classical Revival structure has been the residence of University presidents since the founding of the institution in 1905. The house was constructed by Gaunt, a retired sea captain who purchased the land now occupied by the Northwest campus and operated a tree nursery on the property. The home, which has undergone multiple renovations and additions, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts

Completed in 1984, the Houston Center contains the Mary Linn Auditorium, Studio Theater and other facilities related to the dramatic arts, including a black box performance space, scene shop, costume shop, green room and faculty offices.

The Mary Linn Auditorium, the main performance space in the building, is a 1,027-seat theater that can accommodate a full symphony orchestra and Broadway-style stage productions. Its namesake, Mary Casteel Linn, was a member of the Board of Regents from 1975 to 1981 and a dedicated patron of the arts.

The Studio Theater, a 5,500-square-foot facility addition, was completed in 2008 in conjunction with the renaming of the facility in honor of Houston, a member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors from 2002 to 2007 and friend of Northwest who has generously supported numerous building projects and academic initiatives.

Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation

The Hubbard Center was completed in 2009 and named in 2014 to honor Northwest’s ninth president. In 2017, the Hubbard Center’s west wing, which had been a business incubation center, was remodeled and became the home of the School of Agricultural Sciences. The building also houses classrooms, labs and offices for faculty teaching biology, chemistry and physics.

Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse

The Hughes Fieldhouse, which opened in 2018, stands as the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest’s history and one of the largest such projects in the region ever. The $21 million facility features a 90-yard practice turf field and 300-meter indoor competition track while serving a multitude of social, recreational and economic needs for the University and region.

While it contains numerous named spaces honoring University donors, the facility is named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Family Foundation, which provided leading support for its construction. Carl Hughes is a 1976 alumnus, and his wife, Cheryl, attended the University.

J.W. Jones Student Union

The opening of this structure in 1952 fulfilled a long-time dream of J.W. Jones, the sixth president of the University and was named in his honor in 1956. In 1966, an addition to the north more than doubled the size of the building, and the building underwent a complete renovation and reconfiguration of space between 1998 and 2000; the building’s dining facilities underwent a complete remodel again during the summer of 2013 to add national brands and conveniences for students. The Student Union is a split-level structure with three floors. The basement is commonly referred to as the first floor, and the “ground floor” accessed from the east plaza is commonly called the second floor.

The building’s second floor houses the offices of Student Involvement, Student Affairs and Campus Dining as well as the Student Engagement Center and the Bearcat Shop, which is managed by local retailer The Student Body and sells a variety of supplies and Northwest apparel. The Student Union Living Room on the second floor is a social space for students and varied campus activities.

A second-floor dining area, named The Jones, features McAlister’s Deli, Chick-fil-A and QDOBA Mexican Eats. Bearcat Commons on the first floor features a “ghost kitchen” among a variety of other dining concepts.

Meeting rooms on the building’s third floor include The Carnahan Student Senate Chamber named for former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan; First Family Dining Room, Boardroom, Ballroom, Tower View Dining Room, Alumni Dining Room, and the Esports Lab; another set of meeting rooms are designated by letters A-E and written, for example, as Meeting Room A.

McKemy Center for Lifelong Learning

Located on Centennial Drive, north of the Garrett-Strong Science Building, and previously known as the Agriculture Mechanics Building, the McKemy Center was named in 1985 in honor of Alfred McKemy, who served on the Board of Regents from 1975 to 1985, including three consecutive two-year terms as chair. Renovated in 1999 and again in 2023, the facility has served a variety of purposes and now features classrooms and shops for systems management and agricultural mechanics programs.

Memorial Bell Tower

Centrally located on the Northwest campus, the open-air Memorial Bell Tower is an iconic structure that was constructed to memorialize students, faculty and alumni, including those killed while serving in the military. University President Robert Foster announced plans to build the Bell Tower in 1965, and it was completed in 1971 entirely with funds donated by University alumni and friends.

Constructed using pre-cast concrete, the Bell Tower stands 100 feet tall and measures 25 feet in diameter. It also features brass memorial plaques and an electronic carillon. It underwent renovations in 1989 and again in 2004 to make structural repairs and improve handicapped accessibility.

Ryland Milner Complex

The complex comprises athletics facilities on the south side of campus along College Drive: Bearcat Stadium, Lamkin Activity Center, the Mark Rosewell Tennis Center and Martindale Hall. It is named for Ryland Milner, a long-time coach, athletic director and alumnus.

Lamkin Activity Center, named for the University’s fifth president and opened in 1959, underwent a renovation and expansion in 1993-1994. It includes Bearcat Arena, the Student Recreation Center and the adjoining Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center as well as offices, classrooms and other spaces supporting the Department of Athletics and the School of Health Science and Wellness.

Bearcat Arena is home to the men’s and women’s basketball programs and Bearcat volleyball program, and it has a seating capacity of 2,500 spectators. The facility stages University commencement ceremonies and professional concerts, among other activities, in addition to providing practice facilities for Bearcat athletics teams.

The facility’s lower level includes the Harr Athletic Success Center and the David and Susan Colt Athletic Training Room, locker rooms and weight training facilities.

The Student Recreation Center was added in 1993-1994; it includes three basketball courts, five racquetball/handball courts and a suspended track.

Martindale Hall opened in 1925 and is home to the School of Health Science and Wellness. The building contains classrooms, lab spaces, offices and Martindale Gymnasium, which formerly was the home of Bearcat basketball. The building was remodeled between 1973 and 1975, and an extensive renovation is now underway to modernize and expand the building. It is named after Nell Martindale Kuchs, who, beginning in the 1920s, was instrumental in developing the women’s physical education program at Northwest.

Bearcat Stadium is the home of Bearcat football and offers permanent seating for 6,200 fans with a total capacity of 7,500. The playing surface is known as Mel Tjeerdsma Field, renamed in 2007 in honor of Northwest’s head football coach from 1994 to 2010, and the track that encircles the field is called Herschel Neil Track, in honor of a Bearcat track and field standout of the 1930s. The stadium also houses the Loch-O’Rourke Family Center, a gathering space housing championship trophies on the mezzanine level, and the Navy V-5/V-12 Combat Information Center, a classroom facility under the west grandstand that serves as a tribute to individuals who prepared for Navy combat duty at Northwest, as well as 10 luxury suites. Although the current facility was completed in 2003, the field location opened in 1917 and is believed to be the longest-running continuous site for football in NCAA Division II. The athletic field was named Memorial Stadium in 1949 and then was Rickenbrode Stadium, in honor of longtime registrar and secretary to the Board of Regents William A. Rickenbrode, from 1961 until 2004, when it took its current name in honor of all Bearcat fans.

Athletic Grounds Support Building, constructed in 2006-2007, is located west of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. It houses athletic field equipment, paint supplies, lawn equipment, and employee support functions.

The Mark Rosewell Tennis Center completed in 1981, is home to the Bearcat men’s and women’s tennis programs. Previously known only as the Frank W. Grube Tennis Courts, the facility was rededicated in honor of Northwest tennis coach Mark Rosewell in 2019 as part of an expansion of the facility that included the addition of lighting and increased the number of courts from four to six. The tennis courts are named after Grube, a long-time Department of English chair and first varsity tennis coach at the University.

Bearcat Baseball Field is the home of the Bearcat baseball team and is located on the west campus. It has a grass infield, scoreboard and press box facility.

Bearcat Softball Field was constructed in 1996 on the west side of campus and is home to the Bearcat softball program. It has a dirt infield, scoreboard and press box facility.

Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area (MOERA)

A 315-acre rural lakefront tract of land located at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, MOERA offers student and community education and recreation activities. In addition to walking trails and gravel roads throughout the acreage, facilities include a ropes challenge course, courtesy dock, trap skeet range that may be used for target archery, a biology research area, and the Jim Smeltzer Astronomy Observation Area with a small building and outdoor telescope viewing area.

B.D. Owens Library

Named for the eighth president of the University and opened in 1983, the limestone and glass building is designed to meet the evolving needs of the University and accommodate technological advances in information retrieval systems. The Owens Library is a hub for student activity that houses the Writing Center, Student Success Center, Learning and Teaching Center, International Involvement Center and a Starbucks. As a valuable resource center for learning and research, users have access to online databases; books and a variety of equipment may be checked out, and group and private study areas are available. The library also houses University Archives and special collections.

Residence Halls, Suites and Apartments

Located in four areas on campus, these structures provide variety in living arrangements and common spaces for students. Residence halls offer integrated living and learning communities well-suited for first-year students acclimating to college life. Suites provide a small group living environment desired by upper-level students. Apartments offer a transition to independent living for junior, senior and graduate students.

The high-rise residence halls comprise three seven-story buildings located on the west side of campus.  All are coed residence halls.

Dieterich Hall was completed in 1971 and is named for Herbert Dieterich, who served the University’s education department from 1928 through 1969.

Franken Hall was completed in 1966 and is named for Katherine Franken, a member of the education department from 1921 until her retirement in 1952.

Millikan Hall was completed in 1971 and is named for Chloe Millikan, an elementary education faculty member from 1928 to 1961.

Tower Suites is located on the west side of campus adjacent to the high-rise residence halls and The Station. The residential complex was completed in 2004 and consists of two three-story buildings and provides upper-class students with enhanced housing options.

South Complex contains Wilson Hall, the west wing named for Lon Wilson, former dean of men; Richardson Hall, the south wing named for fourth University President Ira Richardson; and Cook Hall, the east wing named for T.H. Cook, a longtime history faculty member. During 1999-2000, these connected structures were completely renovated and transformed to provide students with more modern dormitory living.

Hudson and Perrin Halls were opened in 2007 and house nearly 500 first-year students. The connected structure retains the names of residential facilities that previously stood on the same footprint and were demolished to construct the current building. The building’s south residential wing is named for the first woman registrar, Nell Hudson, and the north wing is named for Alice R. Perrin, who joined the Fifth District Normal School staff in 1911, served as its first dean of women and remained on staff until her death in 1927.

Roberta Hall opened to house female students in January 1923. Today, it provides housing for members of Northwest’s social sororities and is named for Roberta Steel, a student who lost her life as a result of injuries suffered during a 1951 explosion and fire that heavily damaged the building. The building underwent an extensive renovation in 1993-94.

Forest Village Apartments were completed in 2004 and is a complex comprised of apartment buildings - Hawthorn, Sycamore and Willow - located on the north portion of the campus. The complex contains a community building providing lounges and meeting facilities for residents, a convenience store, mailboxes and staff offices. The fully furnished apartments consist of two‐ and four-bedroom styles; they include a living, storage, kitchen and dining spaces. The units contain a washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave and stove.

Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center

The Rickman Center, which is located across from Bearcat Baseball Field and the B.D. Owens Library, provides free-of-charge, in-person service to students and employees who have been issued University-owned notebook computers or tablets. The building was dedicated in 1955 by former President Harry S. Truman as a Missouri National Guard Armory, which it housed until 2003. After being repurposed, it was renamed in 2008 for Rickman, who spent 35 years at Northwest, helped implement the University’s “Electronic Campus” in 1987 and retired in 2011 as vice president of information systems.

The Station

Opened in 1968 as a cafeteria for high-rise residents, and known for periods as Taylor Commons, in honor of the University’s third president, Henry Kirby Taylor, and then as the Conference Center, this facility on the northwest side of campus contains lounges, meeting rooms and study areas. In addition, it houses Textbook Services and a dining space anchored by Buffalo Wild Wings Go.

Support Services Complex

Located north of the high-rises, these structures provide operational space for the majority of the campus’s physical plant services.

The Facilities Services Buildings were erected between 2005 and 2009 and house Facility Services administrative staff as well as the maintenance, key, sign and carpentry shops.

The Support Services Building is located on College Park Drive on the north side of campus. The Central Receiving section of the structure is a warehouse facility that houses Central Stores, Mail and Printing Services, and University surplus. In 2014, the building was expanded to the east, and the 7,300-square-foot addition houses the University Police Department and the Office of Purchasing.

Valk Center

Completed in 1970, the building includes faculty offices, lecture rooms and laboratories. In 1993, it became the home of the agricultural sciences program after the closure of the Department of Technology, and in 2020, after the School of Agricultural Sciences moved to the Hubbard Center, the ground floor was remodeled to house Veterans Commons and offices of the Missouri Army National Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program. After its use as a warehouse, the lower level of Valk was remodeled between 2007 and 2009 and now serves as home to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The building is named for Donald N. Valk, a faculty member and chair of the former industrial arts department from 1932 to 1970. He also was an architect and designed several campus buildings, including the former Mabel Cook Home Management House, Wells Hall, the Wesley Student Center and the building bearing his name.

Wellness Center

Built in 1997, this structure with its pitched roofs in interlocking planes is a distinctive facility on the northwest corner of the campus. It provides a friendly environment to meet the healthcare needs of Northwest students living on and off campus. In 2008, an addition was completed to house Personal Development and Counseling Services and Wellness Services in the same facility.

Wells Hall

Previously dedicated in 1938 as the University’s library, Wells Hall is named for Edwin C. Wells, a librarian at the institution from 1911 until the 1940s. After the 1983 opening of B.D. Owens Library, the building was converted into a classroom building and houses the School of Communication and Mass Media. It is home to Student Media programs, which include KZLX radio, KNWT TV, the Northwest Missourian newspaper and Tower yearbook. Northwest’s National Public Radio affiliate, KXCV-KRNW, broadcasts from the second floor of the building. A 2015 remodel of classroom space resulted in the opening of the Michael L. Faust Media Lab. The building also houses the Warren Stucki Museum of Broadcasting.

R.T. Wright Farm

The University’s 448-acre crop and livestock operation is located about two miles north of the main campus, at Highway 71 and Icon Road. Acquired in 1971, the farm is named for Wright, who was a faculty member and chair of the agriculture department between 1935 and 1964. The Wright Farm - which is home to beef, swine, dairy and sheep enterprises as well as row and forage crops - provides students with profession-based experience in farm management. The centerpiece of the farm is the 29,000-square-foot Agricultural Learning Center, which opened in 2021 and houses classrooms, laboratories, exposition and office spaces, and a kitchen.

Governance

The Board of Regents

Under the powers prescribed by law, the Board of Regents functions as the policy-making body of Northwest Missouri State University. The eight-member Board of Regents is entrusted with the formulation of the general, educational and financial policies of the University. In addition, the Board has the power to carry out any further functions which are permitted by its bylaws or by the articles of incorporation.

Northwest Leadership Team (NLT)

The NLT leads Northwest’s strategic course and charts daily operations by providing executive leadership for all organizational operational portfolios. Additionally, the NLT is the interface between the university faculty, staff, and students and the Board of Regents.

Extended Leadership Team (ELT)

The ELT not only helps to chart Northwest’s strategic course, but it also contributes to the shaping of daily operations. The ELT ensures cross-departmental cooperation, transparency, and widespread input and sharing of information.

Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is the representative body of the faculty. According to the Faculty Constitution, “The Faculty Senate develops, formulates, and recommends curricula, policies, and procedures to the appropriate authorities, including but not limited to the Chief Academic Officer, the President of the University, and/or the Board of Regents.”

Staff Council

Staff Council contributes to the success of Northwest Missouri State University by supporting the University mission and strategy. The Council serves to facilitate effective communication and engagement between University staff and the University President, Board of Regents, Northwest Leadership Team, and Office of Human Resources.

Deans Council

The mission of the Deans Council is to facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision with our faculty colleagues so that the academic core at Northwest Missouri State University meets the needs of the constituencies it serves.

Council on Teacher Education

The Council is composed of one member from each School’s designated teacher education faculty with two teacher education faculty members from the School of Education, one graduate education student and two undergraduate education students. The Council is responsible for establishing standards, curriculum, and degrees in teacher education and in teacher education admission and retention policies.

Graduate Council

The Graduate Council, made up of elected graduate faculty members, graduate students and the dean of the Graduate School, recommends all policies and programs involved with graduate study. It coordinates, with the Faculty Senate, all recommendations for approval of upper-division undergraduate courses which may also be approved for graduate credit if taken by eligible graduate students. The Graduate Council also reviews recommendations from the Council on Teacher Education as these relate to advanced programs in teacher education.

Student Senate

Student Senate is the representative governing body of the Student Government Association, which includes all students. The Senate serves students in many capacities: proposing beneficial changes in University policies, acting as a liaison between students and administration, screening the formation of new organizations, supervising campus-wide elections and approving fund-raising activities on campus.

University Committees

The committees organization provides faculty, students, and support and administrative staffs an opportunity to participate in the affairs of the University. The Northwest Leadership Team, in cooperation with the Faculty Senate, coordinates the University committee assignments.

Board of Regents

Northwest Missouri State University Presidents

University Personnel

Northwest Leadership Team

Academic Administrative Officers

Student Services