Hotline // December 7, 2023

President's Column: Competitions, concerts, contributions, construction, and cross-country

Greetings from Valley City State University!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with friends and family. It’s truly one of the most enjoyable holidays of the year and this year’s weather was especially cooperative. The past week has included many noteworthy events, achievements and activities! There is never a dull moment on our campus.

The VCSU volleyball team concluded their historic season by competing in the pool play division of the NAIA National Volleyball Championships on Nov. 29-30 in Sioux City, Iowa. The Tyson Events Center hosted the event and was an outstanding tournament atmosphere. The team earned a berth in the tournament on the road by handing Central Methodist, Mo. a 3-1 loss in the first round of playoffs. A large contingent of fans and supporters were present – with some watching a simulcast in the student cafeteria – to cheer on the Vikings. The Vikings competed hard and gave it their all. Congratulations to the team, coaches and training staff for a tremendous season! We are already looking forward to next year!

Several concerts have taken place recently, including the Winter Choral Holiday Concert in the Center for the Arts on Saturday, Dec. 2. The group continues to grow and excel in choral performance. It’s always a pleasure to see students in a presentation of a final product reflecting hours, days, and weeks of hard work and preparation.

Additionally, the V-500 scholarship board presented “Yesterday, a Tribute to the Beatles” tribute band on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Valley City Eagles Club. This well-known and outstanding group provided a fun-filled evening of some of the most popular Beatles selections and funds raised from the event went to support V-500 scholarships. Speaking of scholarships, we are so grateful to our community and supporters for helping us exceed our goal on the VCSU Day of Giving held on Tuesday, Nov. 28. We are very pleased to report that we exceeded the $40,000 one-day goal, with the direct beneficiary of these dollars being student scholarships.

The pre-construction and design for the renovation of McCarthy Hall is also in full swing. Soil boring samples were recently collected and interior finishes are being selected this week. The renovation of this building will provide a long-lasting and outstanding new home for our School of Education and Technology Education departments. I will provide more detail on this project in the new year.

Finally, we congratulate Jasmine Barnes and Karly Just for participating in the NAIA Marathon Classic in Sacramento, Calif. on December 3. While results were not available at the time of this writing, the qualification process for this event is no easy task! Athletes qualified for this year’s marathon competition by logging at least 480 miles of training runs from Aug. 9 to Nov. 5. During that time, athletes also completed two 2-hour runs. The average pace during those two-hour runs was used to determine rankings heading into the marathon. Barnes enters the national marathon competition ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, while Just is ranked No. 12. Rankings were established based on average pace during a pair of two-hour runs conducted this fall. Barnes and Just recently wrapped up the cross country season where they both earned All-Conference after finishing Top 10 in the North Star Athletic Association. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to them and all of our winter sports athletes as they embark on the season ahead.

Go Vikings!

VCSU Receives Frank Murray Leadership Recognition from the CAEP

Valley City State University (VCSU) today announced the school was recognized for Leadership in Continuous Improvement by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

CAEP awarded the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement to 21 educator preparation programs in 15 states and the United Arab Emirates. Winning schools provided evidence and data trends to achieve accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement.

“Once again our School of Education continues to stand out as one of the top teacher-educator programs in the nation,” President Alan LaFave said. “Last year, our faculty and program were recognized as having no areas of concern and given full reaccreditation by CAEP. This is a significant achievement and reflects the high quality of our program.”

CAEP has accredited 541 educator preparation providers in 43 states. The organization focuses on advancing equity and excellence through evidence-based accreditation.

“CAEP completed accreditation visits to 96 education preparation providers in 2023. VCSU appreciates being listed among the 21 institutions receiving the Frank Murray Recognition for Continuous Improvement. Our faculty prioritize helping every teacher candidate succeed in their content area, and this award reiterates the high-quality instruction and experience we offer,” Dean of the VCSU School of Education Allen Burgad said. “Our focus on instruction and authentic field experiences helps our students become successful educators.”

The Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement is named after the founding President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and TEAC.

To learn more about CAEP, visit caepnet.org. For more information, or to arrange an interview about VCSU, contact Tammy Jo Anderson Taft by emailing TammyJo.Taft@vcsu.edu, or calling 701-845-7227.

Holiday Buffet this Friday

All are welcome to attend Sodexo’s Holiday Buffet on Friday, Dec. 8 at the VCSU Student Center Cafeteria. The buffet runs from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

The menu includes Swedish meatballs, roast turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, roasted carrots, scalloped corn, rice pilaf, ceasar salad, banana pudding, assorted pies and more.

A Magical Medora Christmas comes to town Dec. 9

A Magical Medora Christmas will be coming to Valley City once again this Saturday, December 9. The event will take place in the Center for the Arts at 3 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://medorachristmas.com/ for $35.

This award-winning show has proven to be a popular Christmas tradition for thousands of people across the region. The tour, running from Nov. 25 – Dec. 23, visits 26 communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota.

Returning to the stage this year are Emily Walter, Travis Smith, Misti Koop, Taylor Leet-Vogel, Adam Vogel, Colin Zasadny. New this year are Tom Brosseau, Michael Cartwright and Damon Fichter.

Holiday Open House scheduled for Dec. 12

All VCSU employees and retirees are cordially invited to the VCSU Holiday Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 12. The event will take place in the VCSU Student Center Skoal Room from 3-5 p.m.

Winter Commencement Ceremony set for Thursday, Dec. 14

Ceremony for Undergraduate and Master’s candidates
3:30 p.m., Thursday, December 14, 2023
Vangstad Auditorium

Commencement attire (Cap, Gown, Tassel, and Hood) can be purchased at the VCSU Bookstore by calling (701) 845-7141.
The in-person ceremonies will be live-streamed and recorded for later viewing.
Graduates should monitor their email for messages from Kim Hesch, Commencement Coordinator, regarding instructions for graduation day.

Heide conducts honor band at Northern Plains Music Festival

Jerrold Heide, assistant professor of music, conducted the honor band at the 66th annual Northern Plains Music Festival at Dickinson State University in Dickinson, N.D. on Nov. 10-11, 2023. Members included 44 students from communities across western North Dakota and eastern Montana.

Heide also conducted the District 11 Honor Band at Dawson County High School in Glendive, Mont. on Nov. 20-21. 67 students from 15 schools across eastern Montana were selected to participate in the ensemble.

Deadline extended for faculty/staff art entries

The VCSU Art Department has extended the call for art entries for the Faculty/Staff Biennial Show set for this Fall 2023 in the Center for the Arts Gallery. The new deadline is Dec. 8.

To participate in the show, contact Angela Mircsov at angela.mircsov@vcsu.edu.

Viking Sports Update

Viking Volleyball season ends at National Tournament
The VCSU Volleyball team advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in program history this season. The Vikings defeated No. 21-ranked Central Methodist 3-1 in the opening round back on Nov. 18. That advanced VCSU to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa, last week. VCSU’s season ended in the pool play portion as they dropped matches to No. 3 Eastern Oregon and No. 11 Montana Tech. The Vikings end the season with a 23-11 overall record – the program’s most wins since 1998.

Barnes sets new marathon school record
VCSU senior Jasmine Barnes set a new school record Sunday morning as she and Karly Just represented VCSU at the inaugural NAIA Marathon Classic. Barnes broke the previous school record by more than 10 minutes as she finished Sunday’s marathon in a time of 3:15:42. Just completed the marathon in a time of 3:27:43 and both she and Barnes placed in the top half of the event.

Peraza qualifies for Indoor Track & Field Nationals
Jaiden Peraza qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships in two events on Saturday as VCSU Track & Field opened the season in Bismarck. Peraza, a sophomore from Kindred, N.D., set personal records and qualified for nationals in both the high jump and the long jump at the Marauders Indoor Open. He cleared 2.06 meters (6’9″) in the high jump to win the meet and hit the NAIA ‘A’ standard for national qualifiers. In the long jump, Peraza leaped 7.06 meters (23’2″) to place third and hit the NAIA ‘B’ standard.

Women’s Basketball wins at the buzzer again
For the second time this season, the Valley City State women’s basketball team won a game at the buzzer. On Sunday, Rosie Anderson’s putback at the horn gave VCSU a 68-67 win at Montana State University-Northern. VCSU’s women are now 6-6 overall. They are back in action Dec. 18 with an exhibition game at the University of Mary.

Men’s Basketball off to 7-4 start
The Viking men’s basketball team has a 7-4 overall record this season. After a week off, the Vikings are back in action Dec. 6 with an exhibition game at Minot State. VCSU then plays at rival Jamestown on Dec. 15.

Upcoming Events
Dec. 6: Men’s Basketball at Minot State, 6 p.m. (Minot, N.D.)
Dec. 8: Track & Field at Bison Alumni Classic, 11:30 a.m. (Fargo, N.D.)
Dec. 15: Men’s Basketball at University of Jamestown, 7 p.m. (Jamestown, N.D.)

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

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/