President’s Column: Helping in time of need

The higher education community was saddened to recently learn of the planned closing of Presentation College in Aberdeen, SD at the end of the summer 2023 semester. Many students, faculty, and staff have been impacted by this closure. Additionally, as a member of the NAIA Collegiate Athletic Conference and North Star Athletic Association, VCSU and other NSAA schools will have ...

President’s Column: Blizzards & Budgets

Greetings from Valley City State University! These past number of weeks have presented many challenges on the weather front. Road closures and a massive winter storm resulted in closing the campus and cancelling our winter commencement exercises on Dec. 15. While we were very disappointed with this, keeping our students, families, faculty and staff safe was our number one priority ...

President’s Column: Enrollment, Engagement, Innovation

Greetings from Valley City State University! I hope this column finds you enjoying preparations for time spent with family, friends and loved ones. We have recently completed our new strategic plan entitled, “Forward Together” with an overarching goal to be the region’s preferred institution for students seeking transformative, quality experiences, and meaningful connections. The campus-wide implementation team is working with ...

President’s Column: Valley City Visit with the Chancellor

Greetings from Valley City State University! As I write this message, the autumn sun is low in the sky creating a shadowy landscape on the campus front lawn. The leaves are mostly fallen, and I’m reminded of the beauty of the changing seasons and how fortunate we are to fully experience four vastly different seasons. We were fortunate to host ...

President’s Column: Accreditation and Collaboration

Greetings from Valley City State University! In my most recent column, I addressed some of the successes and innovations in our School of Education. Today, I’d like to share some thanks and recognition pertaining to our recent accreditation site visit and continued collaboration with the Valley City Public Schools and regional partners. [caption id="attachment_20095" align="alignright" width="360"] President Alan LaFave[/caption] The ...

President’s Column: VCSU leads in education and innovation in teacher preparation

Greetings from Valley City State University! Wherever I travel in ND and surrounding states, one of the most recognized and celebrated centers of excellence on the VCSU campus is the School of Education. With over 1,435 educators serving as teachers and administrators in 336 schools throughout North Dakota, we are proud to be positively known for this excellent program and ...

President’s Column: Welcome to new staff on campus

In addition to the new faculty, I introduced previously, we also have two dozen new staff members.  Although they’re not typically in the classroom, these individuals often have much direct contact with students and contribute greatly to making a VCSU education what it is for our students and their families. Joining the staff at VCSU are the following 24 individuals ...

President’s Column: Welcome new faculty

From the desk of President Alan LaFave Greetings from Valley City State University! The beginning of each new year is full of excitement and anticipation. Part of that excitement was in full display on the campus front lawn last week during our annual Marketplace event.  This was a tremendous time for our students to learn about the wealth of campus ...

President’s Column: Summer Vikes and the Power of Partnership

Greetings from VCSU! The Summer Nights on Central evenings have been a Valley City tradition since 2019. Attracting between 500-1,000 people, the events feature live music, late night shopping, food and beverage vendors, and opportunities to connect with friends and become acquainted with the local business community. We value the excellent town-gown relationship between Valley City State University and the ...

President’s Column: It’s about our people

Greetings from Valley City State University. It’s no secret that VCSU is one of the most beautiful and picturesque university campuses set in one of the most beautiful and scenic communities in the nation. Our admissions office is next door to the President’s office. I interact regularly with campus tours as they come by.  One of our recent prospective students ...