Hotline 2.1.21
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- President’s Column: Presenting to the Senate
- “Land/People” exhibition in McCarthy Gallery
- Make your donation for Giving Hearts Day
- Russi performs at Nursing Students’ Association conference
- COVID-19 testing to be held this week at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
- 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 jerilyn.beckman@vcsu.edu.
President’s Column: Presenting to the Senate
It was my privilege to represent VCSU during our Senate Appropriations Committee presentation in Bismarck on January 19. This was a tremendous opportunity for us to share some of the successes of the past biennium and our planning efforts for the future. Here are a few highlights from that presentation:
- Continued national recognition from U.S. News and World Report; VCSU has been ranked among the Top 4 “Public Regional Colleges in the Midwest” continuously since 2010 and has been a U.S. News “Best College” for 23 consecutive years!
- Ranked “Most Beautiful Campus in North Dakota” by Buzzfeed.
- Continued enrollment growth to 1,676 for Fall 2020, with almost seventy percent of our student body coming from North Dakota.
- $1.4M raised for VCSU student scholarships through the Higher Education Challenge Grant Fund.
- A record 2020 scholarship allocation of $1,860,000 through the VCSU Foundation!
- Several examples of high-impact educational practices, including faculty-mentored student research, fisheries and wildlife students relocation of mussel bed, hands-on work in our music production and graphic design labs, the substitute teacher program, internships and career readiness initiatives, and responsiveness and adaptability to Covid-19.
- Preparing teachers for North Dakota, with more than 1,438 alumni teachers and administrators serving 336 schools and education units in 157 communities throughout the state.
- VCSU’s tremendous economic impact in the community and region, estimated at $83 million in FY2019.
- Investments in infrastructure, including our new Center for the Arts slated for completion in December 2021, and continued progress toward adding an activated carbon plant.
- The continued need for investment in deferred maintenance to address life safety issues and facility needs.
- Testimony from Angeline Gannon, Student Senate president; and Wesley Wintch, vice president for business affairs.
This year’s presentation format was a bit different than those in the past. The outstanding community support we typically enjoy at these hearings through in-person attendance wasn’t possible this year, but the support from our community was displayed prominently in our presentation. We enjoy many wonderful collaborations with organizations and individuals in our community and are grateful for the continued support.
Finally, our spring semester enrollment numbers will be released in early February. Based upon current registrations I’m pleased to report that we are “on track” to meet or exceed previous record-breaking levels of enrollment! There will be more to report on this, once the spring 2021 enrollments are finalized.
Go Vikings!
“Land/People” exhibition in McCarthy Gallery
“Land/People” an exhibition by visiting artist, Amanda Breitbach, will be on display Feb. 1 – March 26 in the VCSU McCarthy Gallery.
The artist talk will be live streamed on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. A link to the artist talk will be made available on the VCSU Art Gallery page.
Breitbach is a photographer and artist whose research typically focuses on the relationship between people and land. She earned bachelor’s degrees in photography and French from Montana State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Breitbach stated, “These photographs are from a body of work called ‘Land/People’ which uses my individual experience growing up on a third generation family farm to speak about the decline of family farming in an increasingly corporate agriculture industry and to describe the loss of a daily, physical/emotional/spiritual relationship to land. The project combines panoramic and aerial images of my family’s farmland in eastern Montana with intimate photographs of family members and domestic spaces.”
Make your donation for Giving Hearts Day
The VCSU Foundation is one of over 500 charities that will be participating in Giving Hearts Day on Feb. 11.
Gifts made on Giving Hearts Day to the VCSU Foundation’s Annual Fund help support scholarships and other Alumni Association initiatives, including The Bulletin, alumni socials, reunion events and alumni award programs. On Thursday, Feb. 11, donate $10 or more at giving heartsday.org by choosing the VCSU Foundation and your donation will be matched up to $5,000!
Donations can be dropped off anytime between now and 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the VCSU Foundation Office. If you drop off your check before Feb. 11, please make sure the check is dated and you have referenced Giving Hearts Day in the memo section in order for the donation to be counted for the match. Matching gift provided by Ludvigson, Braun & Co. — Matt Pedersen.
Schedule your donation:
1. Find us at https://app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/383
2. Choose your amount.
3. Make sure “Pay on Giving Hearts Day, February 11th, 2021” is checked in your cart.
Russi performs at Nursing Students’ Association conference
Jenni Lou Russi performed as the opening night entertainment for the Nursing Students’ Association of North Dakota 2021 Annual State Conference on Jan. 22. Rise to the Challenge was the theme for this year’s event which was virtual and in small groups at the University of Jamestown. Russi is a professional comedian and speaker on faculty in the VCSU Department of Communication Arts.
COVID-19 testing events this week at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, “The Bubble”
Free COVID-19 testing events for the VCSU and Valley City communities will be held this week from 1-2 p.m. at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, “The Bubble”. Rapid and PCR testing will be offered at each event on Feb. 1, Feb. 3 and Feb. 5.
These are WALK-IN testing events. Colder temperatures have moved operations indoors. If you wish to be tested, please park your vehicle and enter through the west entrance. Handicap parking spaces and access are available at the east entrance. Preregistration at testreg.nd.gov is encouraged; one only needs to register once.
Care19 Alert App
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.
Coronavirus Update
Stay informed about campus coronavirus information with the following resources. Click each link to learn more.
- VCSU Coronavirus information
- COVID-19 Dashboard
- COVID-19: Campus Health & Safety Information
- Campus face covering policy
- Required Quarantine/Isolation Procedures for Employees
Vikings sports update
Men’s Basketball
Jan. 26: VCSU 82, Yellowstone Christian College 62
Jan. 29: VCSU 93, Presentation College 66
Jan. 30: VCSU 94, Mayville State 68
The VCSU men’s basketball team posted a 3-0 record this week and moved into a 3-way tie for the conference lead. The Vikings are now 15-4 overall and 6-3 in conference play.
Women’s Basketball
Jan. 29: VCSU 62, Presentation College 45
Jan. 30: Mayville State 58, VCSU 53
The Viking women went 1-1 during a pair of conference home games this weekend. VCSU is now 6-9 overall and 4-5 in the North Star Athletic Association.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 5-6: Track & Field at Dickinson State Invite (Williston, N.D.)
Feb. 5: WBB/MBB at Viterbo University, 5:30/7:30 p.m. (La Crosse, Wis.)
Feb. 6: WBB/MBB at Waldorf University, 3/5 p.m. (Forest City, Iowa)
What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
Monday, February 1
noon Valley City Lions Club meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
Tuesday, February 2
Groundhog Day
Thursday, February 4
VCSU Blood Drive 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Skoal Room
Friday, February 5
Viking track & Field @ Dickinson State Invite, Williston, N.D.
5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Viking basketball @ Viterbo University, LaCrosse, Wis.
Saturday, February 6
For the Love of Local Chamber Buck purchase kickoff
3 and 5 p.m. Viking basketball @ Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa
Monday, February 8
noon Valley City Lions Club meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
Friday, February 12
Chinese New Year
Sunday, February 14
Valentine’s Day
Monday, February 15
President’s Day Observed
No VCSU Classes – Offices Closed