Hotline 1.5.22

President's Column: 2021 at VCSU

Greetings from Valley City State University! It’s been an exciting year at VCSU.

In this final column of 2021, I wish to reflect on some of the successes of the past 12 months. Our campus community has been recognized nationally, continues to grow, and thrives with the support of alumni, friends, community members and supporters from across the state and nation.

This year we were recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the best regional public college in North Dakota. The same organization also named VCSU as having one of the best online master’s in education and online bachelor’s programs. These are prestigious awards and show how our campus continues to provide the highest-quality education possible. Our elementary education program continues to be lauded as the best in the nation by Study.com. That doesn’t happen overnight. We are so proud of the students, faculty and staff who continue to work hard to make this program one of our shining stars.

Capitalizing on the momentum of the nearly complete $32 million Center for the Arts, another big milestone this year was the official public launch of our Forward Together capital campaign. The campaign seeks to raise $25 million in private funds to address important capital improvement needs on campus, including updating student athletic facilities, educational spaces and to provide continued scholarship support. This will include a major addition to the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, the renovation of McCarthy Hall into VCSU’s School of Education, scholarship enhancement and funds to update and improve the use of the Memorial Student Center.

This momentum continues to grow along with our enrollment. Our headcount has increased 24% in the past decade and graduate programs are seeing strong growth. This fall we enrolled 1,686 students, the most students in the school’s history in a fall semester. Fall enrollment has grown for nine consecutive years. The 1,686 count of students includes a record-breaking 163 students in graduate studies. Graduate program enrollment increased by 20% this year.

While our students continue to grow in the classrooms, they also excel on the field. The VCSU Softball team clinched its second straight NSAA Softball Conference Championship this spring, posting a 25-2 record in conference play for the 13^th conference title in program history. We announced plans to establish a coach’s hall of fame and welcomed friends and family during a well-attended homecoming weekend. This spring, Zachary Co set a new school record and earned All-American honors twice in shot put, placing 4^th in the nation in indoor shot put and 5^th indoor at the NAIA national meet. This winter, Co has already qualified for indoor nationals in two events. Kyle Odegard also earned All-American honors in the spring, placing third in the nation in javelin throw. The Viking football team went 8-2 this fall as the team tied nine different school records and the defense finished ranked Top 10 in the nation in several categories.

We know that all successful organizations owe much of their success to the support from many different groups, and VCSU has enjoyed incredible support over the years. We thank all who have contributed to the growth and continued success of our community and university.

Go Vikings, and Happy New Year!

VCSU hosting Barnes County Classic Jan. 11-14

Valley City State University will host the Barnes County Boys Basketball Classic next week at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. This year’s classic features 10 different schools playing 12 games across three days of competition. Three of the teams playing in the classic are ranked in the Top 10 of North Dakota Class B Boys Basketball.

Tuesday, Jan. 11
3:00 p.m.: Maple River vs. Barnes County North
4:30 p.m.: Enderlin vs. LaMoure/Litchville-Marion
6:00 p.m.: Wyndmere-Lidgerwood vs. Four Winds JV
7:30 p.m.: Dunseith vs. Sargent County

Thursday, Jan. 13
3:00 p.m.: Barnes County North vs. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood
4:30 p.m.: Maple River vs. Sargent County
6:00 p.m.: Dunseith vs. LaMoure/Litchville-Marion
7:30 p.m.: Enderlin vs. Hillsboro-Central Valley

Friday, Jan. 14
3:00 p.m.: Central Cass JV vs. Barnes County North
4:30 p.m.: Sargent County vs. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood
6:00 p.m.: Enderlin vs. Dunseith
7:30 p.m.: LaMoure/Litchville-Marion vs. Maple River

Abshire publishes paleoceanographic research

Michelle Abshire, assistant professor of science, recently published a scientific paper titled “Reconstructing the paleoceanographic and redox conditions responsible for variations in uranium content in North American Devonian black shales” in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

The study used trace metal and uranium isotope geochemistry to describe the oceanographic conditions present in the ancient ocean using shale rocks from several basins in North America including the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma, the Appalachian Basin in Kentucky, and the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana.

Read more here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018221005484?via%3Dihub

ServiceOne town hall sessions

The purpose of this Town Hall session is for CTS to provide NDUS institutions with an update on the ServiceOne program and new/ongoing initiatives and offer a forum within which each institution and CTS representatives can openly dialog to strengthen our partnerships.

The Valley City State University sessions will take place Jan. 21, April 22, July 15, and Oct. 21 at 9:00 a.m.

Call for VCSU faculty and staff art entries

VCSU faculty and staff are invited to submit artwork for the upcoming art show on Feb. 14 – March 25. Submissions are due by Jan. 21 at 11:59 p.m. Sign up here and contact Angela Mircsov, director of the VCSU Gallery, with any questions.

Artwork drop off will take place Feb. 4 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. or Feb. 8 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts Gallery. Artwork should be ready to hang.

Weather tips from VCSU Safety and Emergency Management

If you travel during the winter months, it is a good idea to have a Winter Survival Kit in your vehicle in the event you get stuck or are stranded during a winter storm.

Here are some basics you should include in your kit:

• jumper cables
• sand
• a flashlight
• warm clothes
• blankets
• bottled water
• non-perishable snacks
• …and always keep a full tank of gas

You can also find more winter travel safety information at: http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather.

Viking Sports Update

Women’s Basketball
Dec. 29: Jamestown 79, VCSU 59
Dec. 30: University of Mary 99, VCSU 47 (exhibition game)
The VCSU men’s and women’s basketball teams resume conference play this weekend, hosting a pair of doubleheaders against Dakota State (Friday) and Bellevue University (Saturday).

Upcoming Events
Jan. 7: WBB/MBB vs. Dakota State, 5:30/7:30 p.m. (Valley City)
Jan. 8: WBB/MBB vs. Bellevue University, 3/5 p.m. (Valley City)

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

Ongoing
MWF: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. COVID Community Testing event, Rec Center

Thursday, Jan. 13

• 12:30 – 2 p.m. Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry, Epworth United Methodist Church

Community Club meetings

• Kiwanis – Wednesdays at noon, Valley City Town & Country Club
• Optimist Club – Thursdays at 7 a.m., Vicky’s Viking Room
• Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals – 2nd Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Our Saviors Lutheran Church

Go to https://www.valleycitynd.org/calendar.php to see more events happening in and around Valley City.