Andrea Johnson/MDN Classes begin Monday at Minot State University. President Steve Shirley said Wednesday during a convocation speech that the future looks bright.

Things are looking up at Minot State University after it had to tighten its belt in previous years, President Steve Shirley said during a convocation address on Wednesday.

“As challenging as the 2017-2019 biennial budget was, we have emerged and are now on the other side of it looking forward with renewed hope and optimism,” said Shirley.

Thanks to legislative funding and the university’s “generally conservative philosophy of campus budgeting” in prior years, the university is now able to put money into other areas.

Shirley highlighted some of the long delayed expenditures, such as $840,000 in new operational commitments including the addition of several new faculty positions in growing and emerging areas, salary equity adjustments for faculty, a new mental health counselor position in student health, an increased budget for campus facilities, restructuring within academic affairs and investment into a new sponsored programs position.

Shirley added that the university is also spending an additional $820,000 in one-time investments during the current fiscal year. That includes funding spent on general deferred maintenance, one-time academic needs, security cameras and replacement computer servers, updated science equipment, and moving the academic support center to the college library. The university will also be spending money on repairs to its steam line and planning for future remodeling at the university’s Hartnett Hall and the MSU Student Center.

Shirley also emphasized the importance of continued fundraising and noted that the university raised more than $200,000 from more than 500 donors during the second annual online MSU Giving Day earlier this year.

Fall semester classes are set to begin next week at MSU. As in previous years, faculty and staff will be helping students move into the dorms on Friday.