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Hotline

Hotline // June 26, 2024

Jun 26, 2024

A newspaper backdrop with a white chevron and the words Hotline, The weekly newsletter of Valley City State University

This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:


President's Column: From humble beginnings

President Alan LaFave

We had the opportunity to celebrate the retirement of Larry Robinson with the official dedication and naming of the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts on June 10, 2024. It was a wonderful and celebratory event bringing a wide array of people back to VCSU. It was also a time for us to recognize the efforts of the building committee and all who contributed to the important details of the facility design.

This event was the culmination of a day full of VCSU Foundation related activities beginning with our annual donor recognition luncheon. This well attended luncheon recognized the contributions of many friends and patrons of our university. It is always an honor and privilege to publicly thank those individuals, families, and businesses, who have helped make the pathway to a college degree more attainable through their generosity and support.

Following this luncheon, our Foundation Board of Directors met for our annual June meeting. Several reports, including financial, director, president, and campaign were presented. The conversation was robust and engaging. The involvement and contributions of our board members to the ongoing health of our university is greatly appreciated and important to our future.

As I listened to the various reports and began reflecting on the importance of the day, I couldn’t help but reflect on the visionary thinking of past leaders, employees, alumni, and friends of the university. Dr. Ellen Chaffee was responsible for the formal organization of the VCSU Foundation in 1996. She, along with key campus and community leaders, recognized the significant importance of scholarship funding and the possibilities involving the university, community, and foundation working together to move the institution forward. Larry Robinson served as the first executive director until 2021 when he assumed the role of directing our first ever capital campaign, at which time Cory Anderson became the executive director. In the history of the VCSU Foundation, there have only been two directors.

It’s quite humbling and amazing to reflect on how far this institution has come over the years. In 2006, just ten years after establishing this entity, the VCSU Foundation had grown to a strong financial position of $2.2 million in assets. Today, almost twenty years later, we are providing almost that much in annual scholarship assistance to our students. This past academic year, VCSU awarded over $2 million in scholarship assistance. What a tremendous and positive difference this makes in the ability of so many students to achieve their dream of attaining a university degree.

As we enter the activities of the summer, we reflect with great appreciation for the contributions of so many who continue to support the mission of VCSU. We are very excited to move VCSU into the future.

Go Vikings!

Students named to Spring 2024 honor rolls

Female student with laptop talking to other student

Valley City State University has released its President’s Honor Roll, Dean’s Honor Roll and Honor Roll for spring 2024 semester.

The President’s Honor Roll recognizes students who completed 12 semester hours or more of VCSU classes for which grade points are earned with a 4.0 grade point average.

View President’s Honor Roll

The Dean’s Honor Roll recognizes students who completed 12 semester hours or more of VCSU classes for which grade points are earned with a grade point average of at least 3.50.

View Dean’s Honor Roll

The Honor Roll recognizes students who completed 6 to 11 semester hours of Valley City State University classes for which grade points are earned with a grade point average of at least 3.50.

View Honor Roll


Valley City State University is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, VCSU is one of 11 institutions in the North Dakota University System (NDUS).

VCSU announces Mark Nelson as new Vice President for Student Affairs

Valley City, ND – Valley City State University (VCSU) has announced Mark Nelson will serve as the new Vice President for Student Affairs starting July 1. Mr. Nelson will be taking over for Dr. Erin Klingenberg, who is retiring this summer.A photo of Mark Nelson, the new Vice President for Student Affairs at VCSU

Nelson, originally from North Dakota, has more than 30 years of experience in higher education and an extensive background working at four-year residential universities, including Research I institutions. He comes to VCSU from Arapahoe Community College (ACC), part of the Colorado Community College System. Currently, he is the Executive Director of Advising & Retention. Nelson earned an Associate of Arts degree from Normandale Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Bowling Green State University.

“We are delighted to welcome Mark to the VCSU community. His vast experience in program development, campus collaboration, and dedication to student affairs will be invaluable as we continue to enhance the student experience at VCSU,” President Alan LaFave said. “I am grateful for Dr. Klingenberg and her leadership in Student Affairs, and I am confident Mark will bring the same dedicated leadership and principles to his work.”

Throughout his career, Nelson has demonstrated a strong ability to collaborate effectively with campus administration, faculty, admissions, financial aid, residence life, counseling, records and registration, and veteran’s affairs, among other departments. He currently serves on the College Care Team for behavioral intervention and threat assessment, focusing on the well-being of both students and staff.

“I am very excited to be joining Valley City State University as the Vice President for Student Affairs at a time when there have been record enrollment numbers and the university has launched a capital campaign for the improvement of classroom space and technology, the increase in scholarship opportunities for students, as well as improvements to the athletics facilities,” Nelson said. “I look forward to continuing to offer a friendly and welcoming campus in my role as the Vice President for Student Affairs and working with the campus community to provide students with an exceptional educational and co-curricular experience as they pursue their academic and career goals.”

Nelson said he is excited to welcome and meet new and continuing students this fall as they return to campus and is looking forward to relocating to Valley City and being a part of the local community. His appointment marks a new chapter for VCSU’s Student Affairs division, which includes eight departments focused on student life. This includes residence life, student health services, mental health counseling, financial aid, student activities, career services, and diversity and inclusion.

For more information about VCSU or to arrange for an interview, contact Tammy Jo A. Taft, Director of Marketing and Communication via email at tammyjo.taft@vcsu.edu or by calling 701-845-7227.

Erin Klingenberg retirement social

Erin Klingenberg retirement party inviteThe Student Affairs & President’s offices will host a retirement social for Erin Klingenberg, Vice President for Student Affairs, on July 15.

The social will take place in the VCSU Student Center from 10 a.m. – noon.

 

Henjum receives Staff Member of the Quarter award

Jody Henjum receiving awardJody Henjum, executive assistant for the President’s Office, recently received the Staff Member of the Quarter Award.

Her nomination read, in part, “As Jody Henjum is retiring after almost 25 years of dedicated, stupendous service at VCSU, I feel it is time to truly honor her by recognizing her contributions to our university. Jody has worked in many offices, keeping things flowing and organized. Her supervisors have been able to depend on her, knowing that she will not let things fall through the cracks and that anything she works on will be accurate and on time. She has a talent of anticipating what will be needed or to be said depending on a situation, or knowing when her boss could or should not be disturbed. I could go on and on about her great work results, but I know her greatest involvement has been her genuine dedication to VCSU and her initiative to take care of anything that is needed to present VCSU in the most positive light possible, including vacuuming hallways and classrooms before important days, grabbing a shovel on her way into or out of a building to clean up the walkway for safety and appearances, or even picking weeds out of flower beds on her way between buildings…When she retires, she takes with her an absolute wealth of university knowledge, in addition to a work ethic and loyalty rivaled by no one. VCSU has become an even better place to work because of Jody, and we will be surely feel a void here without her. Please take this opportunity to genuinely recognize Jody Henjum for her tireless dedication and loyalty to VCSU for nearly 25 years.

Congratulations, Jody!

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

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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/