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Kamphuis receives VCSU Foundation ‘Difference Maker Award’

The VCSU Foundation Office has named Kevin “Sparky” Kamphuis of Valley City as a recipient of its “Difference Maker Award” for his stalwart volunteer efforts in support of Valley City State University and Viking Athletics. Kamphuis was recognized at the VCSU Vikings Fall Athletic Kickoff event held Tuesday evening, Aug. 21, at the Valley City …

VCSU presidential search: 5 candidates invited to campus Sept. 10–12

The Valley City State University Presidential Search Committee, charged by the North Dakota University System to evaluate candidates for the VCSU presidency, has narrowed the pool of applicants to five candidates who have been invited to campus for interviews to be scheduled Sept. 10–12, 2018. Fifty candidates applied for the VCSU position, which the search …

A busy start, and more to come

We have completed our first week of classes at VCSU. It’s great to have students and faculty back on campus. They bring new energy and excitement as they start the new semester. We’re not sure yet where our enrollment stands—enrollment numbers aren’t official until the fourth week of classes—but it certainly feels like we have …

Ross named NDACTE Teacher Educator of Year

Rick Ross, VCSU associate professor of career and technical education, was named the North Dakota Association of Career and Technical Educators (NDACTE) Teacher Educator of the Year at the NDACTE annual conference held Aug. 6–8 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Bismarck. The Teacher Educator of the Year award recognizes teacher educators who …

Standing on the shoulders of giants

In my last column, I described two buildings (Graichen Gymnasium—1923, and McCarthy—1930), which were constructed while Dr. Carlos E. Allen was president, from 1918–1936. President Allen received his B.A. from Carleton College (Northfield, Minn.) in 1894, and his master’s and doctorate in ancient languages from University of Chicago. He was the head of foreign languages …

Graichen Gym, McCarthy Hall named for key women on campus

As we continue our tour of named VCSU campus buildings, exploring both the building’s history and the person behind the name, we come next to Graichen Gymnasium. I was surprised to learn, in reading Dr. Welsh’s book “Cornerstones,” that Valley City Normal was the “first school in the state to establish a Department of Health …

The Auditorium and the Vangstad Twins

In my last column I described VCSU’s first named building, McFarland Hall, and the man behind the name. To continue our look across campus, the next building, built in 1907, is the auditorium, now known as Vangstad Auditorium. The auditorium had a rocky beginning, as the Legislature appropriated only $40,000 instead of the $60,000 requested. …

Construction begins on VCSU track renovation

Construction work is underway on a major renovation of Valley City State University’s outdoor track and field facilities at Lokken Stadium. Construction crews began removing the old track surface on Thursday, the first step in rebuilding and resurfacing the 400-meter track over the next few months. The project also includes new throwing cages for field …

38 area teachers participate in STEM professional development

The Great Plains STEM Education Center (GPSEC) at Valley City State University recently provided five days of professional development for area K-12 teachers June 4-8 as part of its Implementing Integrative STEM Education in the Classroom grant project. Thirty-eight teachers from 12 area school districts participated in the project, which was primarily funded through the …