Presenting to the Senate

It was my privilege to represent VCSU during our Senate Appropriations Committee presentation in Bismarck on January 19. This was a tremendous opportunity for us to share some of the successes of the past biennium and our planning efforts for the future. Here are a few highlights from that presentation: Continued national recognition from U.S. News and World Report; VCSU ...

Capital campaign update – inclusions

We are excited to embark on the first ever capital campaign for Valley City State University! Our plan is to raise $25 million for the benefit of the students and institution. Our mission to provide our students the best possible experience in the classroom and in athletic competition continues, but as I’ve mentioned before, we’ve outgrown our athletic and student ...

2020 Year End Column

2020 has certainly been a year the world will remember – with great moments and difficulties alike. At VCSU, 2020 was no different. We faced the challenge of dealing with COVID-19 and delivering quality education during a pandemic, but also experienced milestones and achievements that all contribute to a year we won’t forget. Beginning in March, our campus shifted to ...

Accomplishment recognized…

Commencement is a time of reflection on the past, celebration of the present, and anticipation of the future. This past week we had the privilege of recognizing 95 graduates at our 6th Annual Winter Commencement Exercises. The experiences of our graduates have been shaped by numerous people, programs and opportunities throughout their time at VCSU. Faculty, staff, coaches, peers and ...

Campus Evolution and Success Celebration

Greetings from Valley City State University! I just returned to my office following an exciting “walk-through” of the new Center for the Arts. Several members of the new building’s steering committee were guided on a tour by Nate Lange from J.E. Dunn Construction. It was informative, impressive, and exciting, to say the least! Construction projects are, by their nature, exciting ...

All for which we are thankful…

Greetings from Valley City State University! Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and express appreciation. It is one of my favorite times and holidays of the year. While we know that many of the traditional celebration gatherings with family and friends may be impacted by the pandemic, we can still reflect on all for which we are thankful. With ...

Exciting developments on the horizon

Coming to work each day at this extraordinary institution that emphasizes student success and learner-centered innovation is a privilege. There are so many positive developments happening here, in and out of the classroom. Our students are the reason we are here, and it’s the hard work of those students and our faculty, staff and alumni that continues to propel us ...

Walls rising up…

One of the most significant events on a college campus is commencement and the celebratory recognition of a young person’s accomplishment of the completion of their degree. Another of the more exciting aspects of campus life is seeing the landscape improve and change. Whether this takes place in the form of renovation or new construction, facility improvements are vital to ...

Moving forward through COVID

We’ve been extraordinarily fortunate at VCSU to have seen minimal cases of COVID-19 on our campus. Weekly testing events continue, and the number of active cases, as of this writing, is three — one off-campus and two on-campus. While the trends and numbers of active cases have been kept to a minimum, we stress to our students, faculty and staff ...

Celebrating fall semester successes

As we complete our sixth week of classes, I’d like to take some time to share three meaningful successes we’ve experienced this semester. We all have seen the impact of COVID-19 on our society — whether in the health care sector, business operations, long-term care facilities, or education, all areas have adjusted to continue operations in as effective, safe, and normal ...