Hotline // May 4, 2022

President's Column: Finals week, commencement preparations and spring athletics

Greetings from Valley City State University!

We are fully engaged in the final stretch of the 2021-2022 academic year. A plethora of activities fill the calendar for the next two weeks including finals week, commencement preparations and end of spring athletic seasons.

I’d like to begin my comments today with profound thanks to our faculty, staff, students, and community members for their resilience, flexibility, patience and support during the past week as preparations for the recent flood event impacted all. With the recent crest of the Sheyenne River at 18.09 feet, we are immensely grateful for the permanent flood protection which allowed campus operations to proceed largely uninterrupted. Our facilities services staff, along with several other campus volunteers, have been serving as drivers for our shuttles from the Bubble to the Student Center from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. for the past week in response to limited parking availability on campus. City and county leadership, employees and first responders have displayed outstanding commitment to keeping the community safe, and the cooperation of all entities has been well-coordinated and mutually supportive.

This past Friday, April 29, 2022, we were fortunate to be able to hold our annual VCSU Scholarship Auction at the Valley City Eagle’s Club. This sold-out event is a social highlight for many – including VCSU faculty and staff, alumni, friends and community members. The proceeds from the event provide support for student scholarships, and this year’s 80s themed gala did not disappoint! Thank you to all who participated in the silent auction, live auction and meal. In total, more than $114,000 was raised for scholarships. Many students assisted in the set-up and auction, and as greeters and helpers throughout the evening. It was a wonderful and enjoyable evening to bring folks together to support a worthy cause — student success! Special thanks to our event sponsor, Dacotah Bank, and our entire foundation office staff for their excellent work in organizing another successful auction!

The past two weeks have also included some important “road” time for several of us. Sheldon Greywater, from our enrollment services office, and I made a trip to Kulm and Fairmount to recognize two of our five McCready Scholarship Winners. Additionally, Dr. Jim Boe, Dean of Graduate Studies, Bridget Blunck, enrollment services, and I made personal visits to local high schools to visit with students, teachers and administrators participating in our high school dual credit program. Schools visited included Barnes County North HS, Valley City HS, Central Cass HS, and Northern Cass HS. Upcoming visits are scheduled with Kindred, Oak Grove and Lisbon High Schools. We appreciate the partnerships we have with all our high school dual credit schools and look forward to providing students with this outstanding opportunity of gaining a jump start on their university experience.

We encourage you to visit our website and join us for some of the exciting end of semester activities happening at VCSU.

Go Vikings!

Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome concert next week

The Viking Campus Activities Board and the VCSU President’s Office are sponsoring a concert by Post-Traumatic Funk Syndrome to celebrate the VCSU Class of 2022. The concert will take place May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the VCSU Center for the Arts.

Tickets will be available for specific groups on the following dates:

Monday, May 2
VCSU Graduating Seniors

Thursday, May 5
All VCSU Students

Friday, May 6
VCSU Employees

Monday, May 9
VCSU Alumni & Community Members

Tickets can be purchased by calling (701-845-7122) or emailing Brooke Yanish (brooke.yanish@vcsu.edu) at the Student Center.

Employee Recognition Banquet set for May 12

The President’s Office is pleased to announce that the VCSU Employee Recognition Dinner will be held Thursday, May 12, at the VCSU Cafeteria in the Student Center.

Recognitions for the 2021-2022 academic year will include retirements, years of service, Difference Maker, Staff Employee of the Quarter, degree and professional certification completion, tenure and promotion, Student Advocate, Teacher of the Year and faculty excellence.

Those who will be recognized will be contacted by the President’s Office and offered two free tickets to the dinner. All other employees will be offered one free ticket with additional tickets available for purchase. A complete list of those to be recognized will be shared in next week’s Hotline publication.

VCSU to host spring commencement on May 14

Valley City State University will hold a spring commencement ceremony on Saturday May 14, to honor its graduating class during the 2022 spring semester. VCSU will recognize 186 graduates – 2 will receive associate’s degrees, 167 will receive bachelor’s degrees and 17 will receive master’s degrees.

The in-person ceremony will also be livestreamed on VCSU’s Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/vcsuvikings

Find or share commencement related content on social media by using #2022Vikings.

Prairie Waters to host summer camps in June

Prairie Waters Education and Research Center will host two day camps this summer for students entering 5th through 8th grade next school year.

Splashin’ Around at Prairie Waters — for those entering 5th and 6th grades — will be held June 13–15, 2022. Among other activities, participants will wear waders as they walk in streams to discover what lives in the water.

Fishin’ Around the Prairie Waters — for those entering 7th and 8th grades — will be held June 20–22, 2022. Participants will explore fish habitats, including lake exploration via pontoon boat and catch fish with and without rods.

Camp fees for each camp are $95, which includes a T-shirt, lunch, and transportation from VCSU to the Prairie Waters facility in Kathryn, N.D., daily. Fishing tackle will also be provided for the Fishin’ Around camp.

Registration deadline is May 27 for both camps. Registration forms can be found online at https://www.vcsu.edu/academics/academic-centers/prairie-waters-education-research-center/summer-camps/.

An extension of Valley City State University, Prairie Waters is an environmental education center specializing in water education and water-related research. Prairie Waters connects K–12 students with water resources in a number of classroom and field experiences, provides water-sampling certification workshops for state employees, and does contract research for state agencies such as the Department of Health and North Dakota Game and Fish.

For more information, call Prairie Waters at 701-845-7570 or email bonita.roswick@vcsu.edu.

Scholarship Auction results

The VCSU Scholarship Auction Committee is pleased to announce that with the support of many friends and the community the goal for the auction was exceeded and over $114,000 was raised thanks to 168 bidders! As a result of another successful spring scholarship auction, the university will be positioned to continue to support the V-500 and Century Club scholarship programs.

For more information regarding the VCSU Scholarship Auction, call the VCSU Foundation Office at 701-845-7203.

Student Senate awards Teacher of the Year and Student Advocate

The Student Senate of Valley City State University has announced its 2022 award recipients. David Hanson, M.A., assistant professor for education, was named the Teacher of the Year. Margaret Dahlberg, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, received the Student Advocate of the Year award.

In Hanson’s nomination, students described him as a faculty member who stays updated on students both inside and outside of the classroom. His openness to feedback and genuine willingness to adapt his educational approach has been noticed and appreciated greatly.

In Dahlberg’s nomination, students described her as an administrator who can consistently be counted on to bring a student-oriented focus to the forefront of every discussion. Her careful and meticulous cultivation of ideal academic experiences for students is unmatched.

Faculty, staff and students complete Safe Zone Ally training

41 VCSU faculty and staff members and three student leaders completed the all new Safe Zone Ally training and signed a pledge promising to stand up against homophobia and transphobia and to be a proud advocate for LGBTQIA+ people on our campus and in our community.

Kelly LaFramboise, Ph.D., director for diversity and inclusion, would like to thank all 44 newly trained Safe Zone Allies for helping move the university forward with equity and empathy.

Alpha Lambda Delta sponsors ‘Handling your money when it's time to adult’

Alpha Lambda Delta sponsored speaker John O’Day to help VCSU students learn how to manage their money. It was marketed as “Handling your money when it’s time to adult.”

O’Day talked about starting good money saving habits and how important having an emergency fund is especially as you get older and have more responsibilities. He shared tips and tricks to help your money work for you.

John O’Day is a former VCSU assistant football coach who now works for Thrivent Financial. His experience appealing to college students where they’re at combined with his expertise with money sense made for a nice presentation.

Alpha Lambda Delta hopes to continue presentations similar to this, particularly to VCSU’s graduating seniors. They are looking for any professor/class partnerships or office needs that could be supported by sponsoring speakers like this.

Contact Emily Fenster or Kaleen Peterson if interested.

Viking Sports Update

Softball
April 28: VCSU 10, Presentation College 0; VCSU 9, Presentation 1
Viking Softball opens postseason play this week with the NSAA Tournament in Watertown, S.D. The Vikings are the No. 2 seed for the 8-team double-elimination tournament starting Thursday. The winner advances to the NAIA Opening Round. Valley City State enters the postseason with a 29-15 record.

Baseball
April 28: Mayville State 7, VCSU 6; VCSU 2, Mayville State 1
May 2: VCSU 9, Mayville State 4
The Valley City State baseball team is the No. 5 seed for the NSAA Tournament running May 6-9 in Forest City, Iowa. The Vikings enter the tournament with a 21-20 overall record. 

Track & Field
Clay Kummer broke a 46-year-old school record and qualified for nationals in the 400 hurdles on Thursday as Viking Track & Field competed at the Blue Hawk Games. Valley City State athletes won 9 events and had 19 Top 3 finishes at the meet. Read more: https://www.vcsuvikings.com/article/4412

Upcoming Events
May 4: Track & Field at MSU-Moorhead, 2 p.m. (Moorhead, Minn.)
May 5: Track & Field at Dickinson State, 11 a.m. (Dickinson, N.D.)
May 5-7: Softball at NSAA Tournament, 12:30 p.m. (Watertown, S.D.)
May 6-9: Baseball at NSAA Tournament, 12 p.m. (Forest City, Iowa)

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

Ongoing

MWF: 1 – 2 p.m. COVID-19 Testing, City County Health District (by appointment only, call 701-845-8518)

This Week

May 5
7 p.m. Valley Troubadours Spring Concert Series, Nome Schoolhouse

May 6
7:30 p.m. Spring Choral Showcase, Center for the Arts

Save the date

May 9
6 p.m. 2022 Viking Awards, Valley City Eagles Club

May 11
7:30 p.m. Post-Traumatic Funk Syndrome, VCSU Center for the Arts

May 12
VCSU Employee Recognition Banquet, Valley City Eagles Club

May 14
VCSU Spring Commencement Ceremony, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

May 17
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Green Dot Training Session, Student Center Skoal Room

Community Club meetings

• Kiwanis – Wednesdays at noon, Valley City Town & Country Club
• Optimist Club – Thursdays at 7 a.m., Vicky’s Viking Room
• Rotary Club – Tuesdays at noon, VCSU
• Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals – 2nd Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Our Saviors Lutheran Church
• Barnes County Wildlife Federation – 2nd Wednesday of the month
• Grief Journeys for Adults Support Group – meet virtually, call Hospice at 701-845-1781 to take part

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