Hotline // January 22, 2025
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- VCSU seeking employers for Career & Internship Expo
- Digital Accessibility Plan presentation on Jan. 30
- Trzpuc named ‘Difference Maker’
- A Creative Life exhibit opens at VCSU Art Gallery on Jan. 13
- Meet Abby Hill
- Viking sports update
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
VCSU seeking employers for Career & Internship Expo
Valley City State University is seeking employers for its annual Career & Internship Expo on Tuesday, February 25.
Students attending the expo will be looking for internships, summer jobs, part-time positions, and full-time opportunities. This is an excellent way for employers to meet soon-to-be graduates and make connections with underclassmen.
“This event is one of the best ways we can connect our student population with the business community in Valley City and North Dakota,” said Janna Kohler, Director for Career Services. “We love to bring opportunities like this to campus for our students to see what great career offerings are in our region.”
Employers interested in attending the fair can contact Kohler at janna.kohler@vcsu.edu or 701-845-7534.
The expo will be held February 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the VCSU Memorial Student Union. Registration is open for employers until January 31 or until maximum capacity is reached.
VCSU students have been proven to be career ready. Over the last two years, 99 percent of VCSU graduates responding to a career survey said they were already employed or choosing to continue their education after graduation.
Valley City State University students can major in more than 65 programs. Some of the larger programs on campus include elementary and secondary education, health science, business administration, fisheries and wildlife, and exercise science.
Digital Accessibility Plan presentation on Jan. 30
VCSU staff and faculty are encouraged to attend a presentation of the Digital Accessibility Plan on Jan. 30 at 3:30 p.m. in Rhoades 102. This plan, approved by the VCSU Cabinet, will include a discussion and tentative timelines for implementation.
Several groups on campus have made significant improvements in the accessibility of a few of the campus websites, as reflected in updated Silktide Ally scores. These changes highlight the commitment to creating a more inclusive and user-friendly online environment.
The following websites made remarkable progress between August 2024 and January 2025. Several now meet or exceed Silktide’s higher education industry standard score of 88:
- Library: Improved from 51 → 94
- Athletics: Increased from 66 → 77
- Catalog: Enhanced from 92 → 97
Blackboard Ally Scores have also shown steady improvement:
Fall 2024: Average 89% (Lowest: 16%)
Spring 2025: Average 93% (Lowest: 49%), nearing our goal of 95%.
The Accessibility Champion Group continues to grow, thanks to employees who have embraced the Viking Accessibility Quest and earned their Word Accessibility Champion Badge!
Congratulations to:
- Joe Tykwinski
- Jodi Yu
- Stephen Langved
- Hannah Beebe
- Tuya Dutton
What’s Next
VCSU is committed to continued progress and are taking the following steps:
- Updating outdated websites
- Removing old content that no longer serves users
- Distribution and presentations on a new Digital Accessibility Improvement Plan recently approved by VCSU Cabinet
- Distribution of a website accessibility dashboard
- Introduce manual testing to identify complex barriers
- Offering ongoing training to help staff and faculty enhance their accessibility knowledge and skills.
Trzpuc named ‘Difference Maker’
Linda Trzpuc, building services, was selected as the Difference Maker award recipient for January.
Linda’s colleagues from the Student Center shared, “Linda is one of the most dedicated employees you will ever find. She puts her entire heart and soul into making the Student Center look sparkling clean every single day. She cares about her job and making sure that her building is up to the highest of standards. She truly makes a difference at VCSU!”
Thank you for all you do for VCSU’s campus, Linda!
A Creative Life exhibit opens at VCSU Art Gallery on Jan. 13

The VCSU Art Department announces “A Creative Life”, a retrospective exhibit showcasing the unique vision of photographer Rosanne Olson through three distinct photographic series. The exhibit will be open to the public in the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Gallery from Jan. 13 through Feb. 14 during regular gallery hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. A virtual exhibit will also be available on the VCSU Art Department’s YouTube channel.
Rosanne Olson grew up in Minot, N.D. and has worked as a fine artist, a commercial artist in the periodical and advertising world and an educator for over 40 years. Describing her work, Olson said, “With the right light and sensitive timing, a photograph can convey so much more than words ever could. It can move us to action, move us to tears, inspire us, and preserve our memories.” Olson’s images have garnered numerous awards and have been featured in the professional journals “Communication Arts”, “Photo District News”, “More Magazine”, “View Camera Magazine”, and more. Her work was recently featured in “Graphis Issue 362”, an international arts magazine. She is represented by the Robin Rice Gallery in New York City and the Iris Gallery in Boston. Olson has taught lighting and portraiture at organizations such as the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle and the Santa Fe Workshops in N.M. as well as higher education institutions, secondary schools and professional conferences. She is also the author of three books, most recently the instructional books “The Art of the Portrait” and “The ABC’s of Beautiful Light”, as well as “This is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes”, a book about women and body image featured on Good Morning America.
This exhibition is sponsored by the North Dakota Art Gallery Association (NDAGA), a statewide service organization for non-profit museums & galleries and supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Meet Abby Hill
Like most college students, Abby Hill grew up with computers and technology being a big part of her life. However with both a grandma and father who taught computer classes, Hill was exposed to the inner workings of a computer and it slowly became something she grew interest in.
Hometown: Gwinner, N.D.
Year: Junior
Major: Computer Information Systems
Activities on campus: VCAB, ACM, Viking Voyage Mentor, NSO mentor, Tutor, Intramural sports (Volleyball and Flag football).
What made you choose Computer Information Systems as your major?
I grew up around computers with my grandma and father both teaching classes, computers became something I really enjoyed working with and figuring out!
Any favorite memories so far?
The paint bucket game vs. University of Jamestown my sophomore year was amazing!
Favorite spot on campus?
My favorite spot to be on campus is the learning commons because it is a great atmosphere to get work done or just relax in!
Why VCSU?
I chose VCSU because I was offered a great scholarship and I was drawn in by the smaller campus and friendly staff/students!
Any advice for those considering VCSU?
If you are thinking about coming to VCSU for school, you should take a tour and talk to our amazing departments to get a feel for the knowledge you can gain here. Also get to know the town and some of the students here to really get a good picture of what awaits you at VCSU!
Viking sports update
Women’s Basketball
Valley City State finished its weekend with a 1-1 record including a 91-75 victory over No. 24 University of Jamestown behind a record-setting performance from senior Ashlyn Diemert. Diemert and Ellie Braaten were named NSAA Players of the Week after solid conference performances. Diemert also earned national recognition as NAIA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring a school-record 39 points and sinking a school-record 11 3-pointers against Jamestown. The Vikings also fell to Dickinson State on Friday night on a Blue Hawk buzzer-beater. VCSU is now 10-9 on the season and 2-5 in conference play.
Men’s Basketball
VCSU went 0-2 over the weekend after falling to Dickinson State University and the University of Jamestown in conference action. VCSU is now 10-9 on the season and 1-6 in NSAA play.
Track and field
Valley City State University Track and Field recorded 14 top eight finishes, six personal bests, and one medalist at the Bison Team Cup hosted by NDSU on Saturday.
Softball
Valley City State has been picked to finish second in the 2025 NSAA Coaches’ Preseason Poll. VCSU earned 28 points and two first-place votes in the poll. The Vikings open the season Feb. 7-8 at the University of Jamestown Dome.
Baseball
The Viking baseball team was selected to finish fourth in the 2025 NSAA Coaches’ Preseason Poll, the conference office has announced. VCSU opens its season Feb. 8 at Graceland University in Kansas City, Kan.
Upcoming Events
Jan. 24: Basketball at Mayville State University, 5:30/7:30 p.m. (Mayville, N.D.)
Jan. 25: Track and Field at Cobber Open Indoor, 11:30 a.m. (Moorhead, Minn.)
What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...
January 24
7:30 p.m. Faculty Recital, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts
January 29
Emerging Leaders Conference, VCSU Campus
January 30
3:30 p.m. Digital Accessibility Plan presentation, Rhoades 102
Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/
Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/