Hotline 11.9.20
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- President’s Column: Exciting developments on the horizon
- COVID-19 testing to be held today at Winter Show
- Viking Day of Giving – Better Together
- Dr. Anthony Dutton provides election night commentary
- Put Care19 Alert app to work for you
- Coronavirus update
- Viking sports update
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
The VCSU Hotline online newsletter is published weekly during the academic year. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. Friday. Please submit articles to carolyn.holen@vcsu.edu
President’s Column: 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 forward.
We have all seen the impact of the coronavirus on our society – all areas have needed to adjust their operations to continue in an effective, safe, and as normal a manner as possible. As we all deal with the challenges of the elevated risk level in our county, we continue to focus on keeping our VCSU active case numbers as low as possible to minimize the disruption to learning and activities on campus and in our community – and as I’ve mentioned previously, COVID-19 has not prevented us from planning for the future.
On that note, I’d like to make you aware of a very exciting initiative in the final planning stages at VCSU.
VCSU’s mission to provide our students the best possible experiences in the classroom and in competition continues, but we have outgrown our student activity and athletic facilities. The developments we strive to make include providing additional valuable student scholarship support and repurposing one of our storied buildings for our flagship teacher education program.
In an effort to further develop our campus, VCSU has exciting news to share. The Valley City State University Foundation is finalizing its plans for a $25 million capital campaign, the first in its history. Titled “Forward Together: The Campaign for Valley City State University,” this initiative will address each of these needs and position the entire university for long-term success.
There has never been a better time to be a Viking! In addition to our campaign, we have continued to see record-breaking enrollments semester after semester. VCSU is one of the fastest growing regional four-year institutions in the Midwest and has been named a U.S. News “Best College” for 23 consecutive years.
We will unveil more details of this campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 17, during a special event for the campus and community. This live-streamed event will be held in the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. We hope you can join in to hear more specific details of our plans for the future as we move Forward Together. We are very grateful for the support of the Valley City community, Barnes County, and the entire region and we look forward to working with all constituents as we transform VCSU’s direction and opportunities for the next 50 years!
Go Vikings!!
COVID-19 testing to be held today at Winter Show
A free COVID-19 testing event for the VCSU and Valley City communities will be held today, Monday, Nov. 9, from 1-2 p.m. at the North Dakota Winter Show.
DRIVE THRU TESTING WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.
This event is a WALK-IN testing event. Colder temperatures have moved operations indoors. If you wish to be tested, please park your vehicle and enter through the main entrance.
Preregistration at testreg.nd.gov is encouraged; one only needs to register once.
Viking Day of Giving – Better Together
The VCSU Foundation office is hosting its first annual Viking Giving Day on November 12, 2020. The Viking Giving Day is your opportunity to make a gift to VCSU to support the scholarship needs of our university.
Over the last six months we haven’t been able to hold our annual fundraisers, but our commitment to our students continues. As enrollment continues to grow, so does our commitment as we will be awarding over $1.86M in scholarships this fall.
Please consider making a gift on or before Nov. 12. There are several options in making your donation: online, credit card, payroll deduction or by pledging. Stop by the VCSU Foundation office and the staff can assist you.
Thanks for all you do as a member of the VCSU family. We are – Better Together!
Dr. Anthony Dutton provides election night commentary
The Social Science department’s Dr. Anthony Dutton joined former VCSU faculty member Dr. Luis da Vinha, now Lecturer in International Relations at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. Dr. da Vinha hosted live U.S. election coverage and invited Dr. Dutton to provide the international audience with a perspective on the election and campaigns from the American heartland. Drs. Da Vinha and Dutton continue to collaborate and have a book awaiting publication entitled Three Approaches to Presidential Foreign Policy-Making in the Twenty First Century: The Executive, the Magistrate and the Maverick.
Put Care19 Alert app to work for you
VCSU students and employees are strongly encouraged to download a free smartphone app, Care19 Alert, to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by notifying users of possible COVID-19 exposure while protecting their privacy with technology developed by Apple and Google.
Care19 Alert uses Bluetooth proximity technology provided by both Apple and Google notification systems. The app provides proactive alerts and notifications to users based on anonymous keys exchanged between smartphones as users go about their daily activities.
Care19 Alert users will be notified if their device was in proximity of another device whose user tests positive for COVID-19. The app updates daily with positive COVID-19 results submitted by other users, which are then checked against the list of random keys that each device has encountered for more than 15 minutes in the last 14 days.
People who use Care19 Alert must explicitly choose to turn on exposure notifications, and they can turn off the app at any time. The Apple-Google Notification System utilized by the app does not collect, use or store any device location, including for users who report positive results.
Users have the option to decide whether to report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, and identities are not known to Apple, Google or other app users. The system is only used for exposure notifications by official public health authorities and is not monetized.
The free app is available to download through the App Store and the Google Play Store. For more information, visit ndresponse.gov/covid-19-resources/care19
Coronavirus update
Campus coronavirus updates can be found at www.vcsu.edu/coronavirus-information. Here you can find updates with news of positives cases within the campus community, along with information regarding impact to campus activities and facilities.
A dashboard detailing COVID-19 isolations and close contacts can be found at www.vcsu.edu/coronavirus-information/covid-19-dashboard/. This information will be updated regularly as needed.
There is also a host of resources with detailed information for employees and students on OneStop at onestop.vcsu.edu/support/solutions/folders/10000082374.
A reminder that all students, staff, faculty, affiliates and campus visitors are required to wear face coverings when interacting with others on the VCSU campus. The VCSU Safe Operating Procedures regarding face coverings can be found at onestop.vcsu.edu/support/solutions/articles/10000052288.
Viking sports update
Men’s Basketball
Nov. 7: VCSU 66, Dakota Wesleyan 63
Nov. 8: VCSU 84, Mount Marty 51
The VCSU men’s basketball team went 2-0 this weekend at the NAIA Basketball Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Vikings are now 2-1 overall this season.
Cross Country
VCSU junior Angeline Gannon earned All-Conference honors for Valley City State University on Friday as the Viking cross country teams wrapped up their season at the NSAA Championships. Gannon placed 7th in the women’s 5K race. Both of VCSU’s teams finished in 5th place.
Read more about Gannon’s honors here.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 14: Football @ Dakota State, 2 p.m. (Madison, S.D.)
Nov. 14: Men’s Basketball vs. University of Jamestown, 6 p.m.
Nov. 17: Men’s Basketball @ Trinity Bible College, 7 p.m. (Ellendale, N.D.)
What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
Monday, November 9
Toys for Tots program underway. Drop items at Barnes County Courthouse now until December 4.
VCHS Hi-Liner pantry food drive collection program underway not through December 11 at VCHS.
12 noon VC Lions Club meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
Tuesday, November 10
6:30 p.m. VFW meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
7:10 p.m. Bingo, Valley City Eagles
VCBC Public Library beginner drawing class held via YouTube
Wednesday, November 11
Veteran’s Day
VCSU offices closed – no VCSU classes
6 p.m. Barnes County Wildlife Club meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
Saturday, November 14
2 p.m. Viking football @ Dakota State, Madison, S.D.
6 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. University of Jamestown, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
Tuesday, November 17
7 p.m. Viking men’s basketball @ Trinity Bible College, Ellendale, N.D.
7:10 p.m. Bingo, Valley City Eagles