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BEMIDJI 鈥� Kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and canoeing are just some of the exciting things the Outdoor Program Center at Bemidji State University offers students.

But after the coronavirus pandemic, the university is experiencing a dramatic decrease in enrollment leading to financial headwinds, a $9 million dollar deficit to be exact. The looming question is: Will the OPC make the cut?

鈥淚 know that there has been a rumor that the Outdoor Program Center is going away, but that's not correct. We will continue with our Outdoor Program Center here at Bemidji State,鈥� said John Hoffman, president of the university.

According to Hoffman, just a portion of the program has to do with the boathouse located at Diamond Point Park.

鈥淲e're working with the city with the hope to be able to develop short-term and long-term plans to be able to continue with that,鈥� he added, 鈥渁s well as the rest of our Outdoor Program Center which is a much larger program.鈥�

The OPC is a program at Bemidji State with a long history that is well connected to the college鈥檚 identity. From taking students on trips to exposing them to the beauty of northern Minnesota, this program has helped students experience a whole host of activities to connect with the outdoors.

The campus boathouse at Diamond Point Park offers students and community members an opportunity to rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and other recreational items to explore Lake Bemidji. Working in collaboration with the city, the university has been able to lease the boathouse property since the 80s.

Last summer, as the financial loss advanced and the lease for the boathouse deadline drew closer, questions arose about whether or not the university was going to renew that lease.

鈥淲e have made some layoffs and we are committed to retaining all of our academic and co-curricular programs, but some of them will have to function on a smaller scale with a smaller staff,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淲hile that is the case, we are not getting rid of our Outdoor Program Center and we're working with the city with the goal of continuing the boathouse out on Diamond Point as well. It's time to renew that contract so we're naturally engaging in those conversations.鈥�

As BSU went through a wave of layoffs in March, Director of the Campus Outdoor Program Center Mark Morrissey鈥檚 position was not spared and his last day as director will be effective Jan. 2, 2024.

鈥淚t came as kind of a surprise to me, but I felt with the lease question floating out there, I thought 鈥業 wonder what that means,鈥欌�� Morrissey said. 鈥淭his spring especially because the enrollment dip was a serious one and we all know that we have to have cost savings and cutbacks to sustain what the university is doing. Layoffs are painful everywhere. It's just a very tough time right now.鈥�

Although questions remain unanswered and more tough decisions are on the horizon, Morrissey worries most about the students and reminisces on the last 20 years working with the university.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a loss for students, I was an undergrad here, too. One of the things that brought me to BSU was the beautiful campus and opportunities to explore the outdoors,鈥� Morrissey said. 鈥淚 don't want students to miss out on these opportunities that we've made really affordable and accessible over the years.

Pioneer file photo

He added that he has a lot of great memories from trips and adventures over the years.

鈥淲hether it's sailing boats, rock climbing, winter skiing and stuff like that. It鈥檚 been a very rewarding ride for me, but the most important thing is the student relationships we鈥檝e built,鈥� he said.

According to Hoffman, he hopes to have more definitive answers about the future of the boathouse in the next couple of weeks. As the current lease runs through the middle of summer, the university will continue to work with the city to ensure the best possible solution.

鈥淚 hope we will have more answers in the next couple of weeks, but I can鈥檛 really speak to the timing of that,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淲e're moving forward with the city, and I have found them to be very helpful in the conversations thus far. So although I don't know the exact timeline, I know that we're working aggressively on this to make sure that we get it all taken care of.鈥�