Bismarck State College is proposing a new 80,000-square-foot facility and will repurpose the BSC Armory. The proposed BSC Human Performance Center will be home to collegiate sports, recreational activities and campus events including:

• Mystics volleyball and basketball games
• Mystics wrestling matches
• A designated MysticNation student fan section
• Athletic strength training
• An indoor walking track
• A virtual reality simulation lounge
• An Esports lab
• A rock-climbing wall
• A student social “hub”
• Entertainment performances
• On-campus graduation ceremonies
• And much more!

The BSC Armory was constructed in 1961 for the ND National Guard’s operational needs and repurposed by BSC for athletics and academics.
 
Flash forward to 2023 – the BSC Armory is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because it does not properly accommodate individuals with accessibility needs – students or guests.
 
In addition, the Armory is not compliant with Title IX requirements and regulations. The female locker room is not equipped with showers or restrooms and female student-athletes must use public restrooms during games and practices, whereas male athletes have access to private facilities.
 
And finally, the Armory doesn’t have a fire suppression system, there’s no external air exchange to the building interior, 2 of 4 air handling systems are not operational, there’s no air conditioning or central air, and the doors and walls are too close to the gymnasium competition floor... just to name a few.
 

Many possible updates are being discussed for the BSC Armory including:

• A Mystics baseball and softball training center
• Mystics track training rooms for throwing events
• A Mystics trap shooting simulator range
• A venue for student intramurals
• Mystic Media studios and offices
• Mass Communication classrooms and labs
• And more!

No. A BSC Human Performance Center would be home to collegiate sports, recreational activities and campus events including but not limited to: a student social “hub”, rock climbing wall, athletic competition, student fan section, virtual reality simulation lounge and on-campus graduation ceremonies.
 

The new building’s proposed location is the empty lot between Werner Hall and the BSC Aquatic Center.

Right now, the anticipated completion date is Spring 2027.

The BSC Human Performance Center comes with a price tag of 40 million dollars. The BSC Foundation is already actively raising funding and donations. In addition, the overall mandatory student fee at BSC would increase $22.50 per credit and the 12-credit hour cap would be removed beginning in Fall 2025 to fund this historic project. It is important to note that even with the change in mandatory fees, BSC will still have the 2^nd lowest tuition plus mandatory and online fees in the North Dakota University System.
 

The new fee structure will affect students enrolled at BSC from Fall 2025 to Fall 2055.

That depends on your individual student aid package, but yes, it is possible for Financial Aid and scholarships to be applied to student fees.

Voting will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 27. A voting link will be emailed to BSC students on the morning of Sept. 27 so be watching for that! There will also be holding an event in the Student Union that day to promote and assist students in casting their vote.
 

Students are all encouraged to vote. BSC wants to hear its students' voices regarding the proposed BSC Human Performance Center. 

As this project only affects BSC, only BSC students are voting.

As a BSC student during the 2023-2024 academic year, you are an important member of a pivotal class who has the opportunity to change the look of the BSC campus and the experiences of future Mystics. It is our current BSC students who will cast their vote on the construction of a BSC Human Performance Center that is equitable and accessible for all BSC students – past, present, and future. A facility that provides opportunities to engage and connect in ways that MysticNation has never been able to before!  The BSC Student Union expansion is a great example of a BSC student-supported legacy project from 10 years ago. It’s because of those students’ YES vote that our current students are enjoying that facility today.
 

A NO vote means the BSC Armory will continue to face the Americans with Disabilities Act violations, Title IX non-compliance and safety issues I mentioned earlier, and we will need to seek out alternative solutions to address them.