Hotline // October 8, 2025

President's Column: A Week of Milestones and Memories

By Alan LaFave, President of VCSU

Greetings from Valley City State University!

It was a banner week for Valley City State University from September 22-27 as we celebrated record-breaking enrollment, major announcements and Homecoming all in the same week. While the week kept us busy, it was also a perfect reflection of the current momentum and energy pulsing through the VCSU campus. It’s a great time to be a Viking!

• Record-Breaking Enrollment
  VCSU set a new fall enrollment record for the third year in a row, with 1,827 students enrolled this semester. This continued growth shows that more students are choosing VCSU for its strong academic programs, supportive community, and affordable education. It’s a clear sign that the university’s efforts to recruit and retain students are paying off. In fact, our retention levels reached all-time highs this fall.
• New AI Institute Launches
  VCSU has officially launched the AI Institute for Teaching and Learning, a forward-thinking initiative designed to help faculty and students explore the use of artificial intelligence in education. A core priority of the AI Institute is equipping K-12 teachers with the knowledge and skills to use artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically in the classroom. The institute is a statewide collaboration of several North Dakota institutions led by VCSU.
• U.S. News Top Ranking in North Dakota
  In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, VCSU was named the #1 public regional college in North Dakota and the #2 public regional college in the Midwest. This recognition reflects the university’s strong academic reputation, student success, and overall value. It’s a proud moment for the entire VCSU community and a testament to the hard work of faculty, staff, and students.
• McCarthy Hall Ribbon Cutting
  VCSU celebrated the grand reopening of McCarthy Hall, a key academic building that has undergone a major renovation to house the School of Education and the Department of Technology and STEM Education. The updated space now features modern classrooms, labs, and collaborative areas that will enhance the learning experience for students in education and other programs. The reopening marks a significant investment in the future of teaching and learning at VCSU.
• Homecoming Week
  While all those big news items were happening, we also celebrated Homecoming Week on campus. The energy and excitement of Homecoming Week is always contagious as the students engage in fun campus events and alumni come back to their alma mater. We recognized several standout alumni during ceremonies, inducting athletic alumni into the Viking Hall of Fame on Friday and bestowing Alumni awards on Saturday. Viking Volleyball and Football combined to go 3-0 in their Homecoming games, and our athletic band set the vibe with their performances during the football game and the annual Homecoming Parade.

A huge thank you to everyone—students, staff, alumni, faculty, community members, and volunteers—who helped make Homecoming Week such a success. Your involvement made it special.

Let’s keep the momentum going as we head into the rest of the year.

Go Vikings!

VCSU Music welcomes Daryn Imani Nowlin for guest recital

The Valley City State University music department presents an evening recital by Daryn Imani Nowlin, mezzo-soprano, October 15 at the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts.

Nowlin is a rising professional in the music world and will be at VCSU for an afternoon masterclass followed by a free public recital at 7 p.m. Attendees can expect a night of musical theater, art song, and operatic selections during Nowlin’s recital.

Raised in Lamoni, Iowa, she received her bachelor’s in arts from Graceland University with degrees in both vocal performance and English, with a minor in creative writing. She pursued a master’s in music degree from the University of Western Ontario. Her performance experience includes Cinderella from La Cenerentola, the Witch from Hansel and Gretel, La Ciesca and the Notaio from Gianni Schicchi, and Zulma from L’italiana in Algeri.

Nowlin was a resident artist for Opérafest Toronto and a Young Smith Resident Artist for Cedar Rapids Opera. She was a winner of the Marista Brookes Concerto Competition that culminated in a performance of Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with the Western Symphony Orchestra. She was a London Opera Guild scholarship recipient, and was granted the Ralph Appelmann, Irma Cooper Award as the winner of the 2024 NATS Regionals Competition. She also received the honor of being nominated for the Forest City London Music Awards in the category for Classical Music.

In addition to opera, Daryn also has a performance background in the theater. While attending Graceland University, she portrayed Velma Kelly in Chicago, Molly Jensen in Ghost, Heather Duke in The Heathers, Haimon in Antigone, and John Powell in Men on Boats. For her English Senior Thesis, she wrote, directed, and acted in an original one act mini-musical, All Eyes on the Bar. Daryn is actively auditioning for opera companies all over the country and is looking forward to competing in the Metropolitan Laffont Competition this coming January.

VCSU.AI – Innovation and imagination in the age of AI

Say hello to VCSU.AI, a new corner of The Hotline dedicated to all things artificial intelligence.

From cool classroom experiments to helpful tools and campus perspectives, we’ll highlight how VCSU is learning, teaching, and creating with AI. Whether you’re already experimenting or just curious, this is your space to explore what AI means for all of us.

To get things started, a student survey and a faculty survey have been created and will soon be distributed across the campus. The survey responses will help Valley City State University understand how students and faculty think about and use Generative AI (GAI).

For the purposes of this survey, GAI tools or features are defined as those that use AI to create or improve content such as text, images, or code. This includes tools like ChatGPT and Claude, as well as GAI features in existing apps, like the Gemini writing assistant in Google Docs or Microsoft’s Co-Pilot. This does not include general tools such as search engines or basic autocomplete, which help you find or finish existing content but don’t generate new content.

Responses to the survey are completely confidential. Resulting data will mostly be analyzed in aggregate formats.

Park management class takes field trip to Itasca State Park

VCSU’s Park Management class took a field trip to Itasca State Park where the students walked across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. They also got to experience a small piece of the 6 million acres of bog found in northern Minnesota while visiting the Big Bog State Rec Area.

Social science faculty and student present at the Northern Great Plains History Conference

In September, faculty members, Tony Dutton, Ph.D., professor for history, Alex Jorgensen, Ph.D., professor for social science,  Jacob Clauson, assistant professor for social science, and undergraduate Preston Halvorsen presented a panel on “Identity, Community and Change in the Northern Prairie and Plains” at the 66th annual Northern Great Plains History Conference in Mankato, Minn. Each presented a paper written for the conference on a wide range of topics. The papers included, “Whose History?: Continuity and Change in North Dakota Museums,” Anthony Dutton, “Norwegian Identity in the 99th (Separate) Battalion,” Preston Halvorson, “Relics of the Great Socialist Experiment: North Dakota in the 21st Century,” Alexander Jorgensen, and “Sentinels of the Prairie: Rural Grain Elevators and a Sense of Place,” Jacob Clauson. Halvorson is the first undergraduate since the COVID pandemic to present at the NGPHC from the social science department.

Clauson wins the William E. Lass Paper Award at the NGPHC

Jacob Clauson, assistant professor for social science, received the William E. Lass Paper Award at the 66th Annual Northern Great Plains History Conference, held in September in Mankato, Minn.. The award recognizes the best student paper focusing on any topic related to the regions where historian William E. Lass conducted his research—encompassing Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Clauson’s winning paper, titled “Sentinels of the Prairie: Grain Elevators on the Northern Great Plains, 1950–2025,” is part of his ongoing dissertation research for his Ph.D. in History at North Dakota State University.

Fenster attends ND LGBTQ+ Summit

Emily Fenster, professor of sociology, attended the professional development day of the 2025 ND LGBTQ+ Summit held in Fargo during the weekend of October 3-5. The professional development day covered a wide range of topics tailored to address the wide range of professions/industries in attendance, including: navigating conflict and using the Internal Family Systems model for constructive and supportive communication; efforts to collect data and foster collaboration during complicated circumstances; and youth experiences with regional programs/supports.

Viking Sports Update

FOOTBALL
The Valley City State Viking football team had its three-game winning streak snapped Saturday by Rocky Mountain College. Vikings hang tough with RMC. The Vikings play host to Mayville State on Saturday afternoon at Lokken Stadium.

VOLLEYBALL
The Viking volleyball team looks to get back on the winning track this week after dropping a pair of matches on the road last week. Vikings fall in three sets to Dakota State. Bellevue down Vikings in three sets. VCSU plays at Montana Tech and at Montana Western on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.

CROSS COUNTRY
The Viking Cross-Country team heads back out on the road to take compete in the Marauder Open in Bismarck. Vikings harriers compete in Jimmie Invite. Friday’s meet will be held at the McDowell Dam Recreation Area just east of Bismarck.

GOLF
Valley City State University golf team was in Jamestown last week. Carlson places fourth at Jimmie Invite, men place two in Top 15. This week, the men and women compete in the Comet Invite host by Mayville State at the Hawley Golf Course. The golfers play Wednesday, Oct. 8 and Thursday, Oct. 9.

BASEBALL
The Baseball team go one game in last week and another postponed until spring. On Wednesday, Oct. 1 the Vikings defeated Mayville State 8-4. Shipman, Hoyt lead Vikings over Mayville State. Friday’s game with Mayville State was postponed and will be made up in the spring. The Vikings wrap up their fall schedule with a home game against Bismarck state College on Wednesday, Oct. 8. First pitch at Charlie Brown Field is set for 2 p.m.

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

August 18 – October 23
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Do You Feel What I Feel art exhibit, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Gallery

October 10-12
VCSU Family Weekend

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/