Skip to main content
Hotline

Hotline // September 25, 2024

Sep 25, 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:


VCSU sets enrollment record with 1806 students

VCSU students sit on the steps in front of McFarland Hall.

Valley City State University (VCSU) announced today it has enrolled more than 1800 students for the first time in school history.

A record 1806 total students are currently enrolled at VCSU for the 2024 fall semester. That includes 1651 undergraduate students and 155 graduate students.

Over the last 10 years, VCSU’s headcount has grown more than 31 percent and the university set fall enrollment records nine out of the 10 years. This year’s total headcount of 1806 surpasses last year’s record of 1754 students. VCSU’s full-time equivalent count (FTE) has also reached a new record of 1184.

“Our continued growth speaks volumes about the solid reputation and stability we have at VCSU,” said President Alan LaFave. “Students and their families trust and recognize the strength of a VCSU degree. We do not take their trust lightly, and our faculty and staff work hard to create an environment where students can excel in their chosen field.”

The university enrolled 314 new undergraduate students this semester, which includes freshmen and transfer students. The school had a noticeable uptick in both graduate students and transfer students this fall. The graduate program grew by 23 percent over last fall, and transfer student numbers increased by 21 percent.

A total of 141 transfer students chose to attend VCSU this fall after initially attending other colleges or universities. VCSU’s retention rate of its current students also increased by at least 3 percent across the board from last year.

“A VCSU degree continues to be recognized as a smart academic investment,” said LaFave. “Our trusted degrees and generous scholarship programs combine to provide our students with quality education and experiences at an affordable price.”

VCSU’s momentum is not only limited to enrollment growth. A $13.5 million renovation is underway in McCarthy Hall, which will be the new home of VCSU’s top-ranked School of Education. The university is also close to breaking ground on an expansion of its athletic facilities through fundraised dollars.

The university has strategically added new programs or articulation agreements to address growing workforce needs. VCSU’s School of Education is at the forefront of North Dakota teacher education, awarding more bachelor’s degrees in education than any other school in the state.

“Our unique mix of academic programs has positioned VCSU to meet the current and future needs of our state and region,” said Larry Brooks, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Our many partnerships and academic agreements with colleges across the state and region help ensure we’re doing our part to fill workforce demands. I’m pleased to see so many students taking the opportunity to pursue their education at VCSU.”

For more information or to arrange an interview about VCSU, contact Mark Potts, director for public relations, by emailing mark.m.potts@vcsu.edu or calling 701-845-7228.

VCSU Named the Top Public Regional College in North Dakota

Valley City State University sign welcoming visitors to campus

Valley City State University (VCSU) has been ranked the top public regional college in North Dakota for the fourth consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report.

Widely considered the premiere college rankings, the 2025 U.S. News Best College Report was released Tuesday morning. This report ranks colleges annually in areas such as retention, graduation rates, outcomes, peer reviews, measures of student excellence, and the educational expenditure per student. VCSU has now been ranked as one of the top Best Colleges by U.S. News for 27 consecutive years.

“Valley City State University strives to offer high-quality experiences for all students who choose to become a Viking,” said VCSU President Alan LaFave. “This respected ranking from U.S. News confirms what we see every day: students who choose to call VCSU home have a great experience and leave with a trusted degree at an affordable price.”

Along with being the top public regional college in North Dakota, U.S. News ranked VCSU the No. 2 public regional college in the Midwest, which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.

U.S. News has also named VCSU a Best Value School and a Top Performer on Social Mobility. The Best Value School ranking considers a school’s academic quality and the cost of attendance. Learn more about VCSU’s rankings at www.usnews.com/best-colleges.

“We are proud to be the top public regional college in North Dakota and a Best Value School,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Larry Brooks said. “We have excellent faculty and staff dedicated to helping students succeed, and our efforts to keep quality education affordable continues to be recognized with rankings such as these from U.S. News.”

Now in its 40th year, the rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities using up to 17 measures of academic quality and place an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students. To learn more about the U.S. News Best Colleges, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.

To arrange an interview about VCSU, contact Mark Potts, director for public relations, by emailing mark.m.potts@vcsu.edu or calling 701-845-7228.

National education expert coming to VCSU

Todd ZakrajsekDr. Todd Zakrajsek will be on campus to conduct several workshops and presentations on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Zakrajsek is the author of multiple classic books in the field of education, including the successful book “The New Science of Learning: How to Learn In Harmony with Your Brain”. A successful author, speaker, and faculty developer, Zakrajsek plans to advise VCSU employees on how to create a motivating, creative and engaging community, as well as share with students how best to learn in consideration of how the brain works. Todd describes his work in this way; “Mostly I give talks on how students learn and building communities for learning in the classroom. Much of my approach is that you can be supportive of students (including helping them understand how learning works) without lowering standards.”

Zakrajsek will lead a total of five sessions, including one specially customized for Education majors. The general sessions will take place in the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Performance Hall at 11 a.m. and Noon. These sessions will cover material from his book “The New Science of Learning” which can be accessed as an ebook through the VCSU Allen Memorial Library. A faculty presentation will take place at 2 p.m., followed by an interactive workshop at 3 p.m.

The library has also obtained unlimited electronic access to his book “Teaching at Its Best”, a resource of 27 chapters pertaining to nearly every concept related to teaching at your best. Several of these topics will be the focus for 3 discussions leading up to his visit.

VCSU faculty and staff are invited to the first discussion which will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. – noon in the Student Center Skoal Room. This session will be led by VCSU faculty members Emily Wicktor, Jodi Shorma, and Shannon VanHorn. To prepare, those interested are encouraged to read chapters 15 and 18 in the book “Teaching at Its Best”. The other discussions will take place on Oct. 8 & Oct. 15 and will be previewed in next week’s Hotline newsletter.


Zakrajsek currently directs five Lilly Conferences on College and University Teaching and sits on two educationally related boards and several editorial boards for journals in the area of teaching and learning. He is an international speaker who is requested regularly for keynote presentations and campus workshops, having published and presented widely on the topic of effective teaching and student learning. More information is available at https://www.toddzakrajsek.com/.

 

JAS Quintet performing tonight at VCSU

JAS QuintetValley City State University will host one of South Dakota’s premier jazz ensembles for a free concert Sept. 25 at the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts.

JAS Quintet will perform at the CFA Performance Hall on VCSU’s campus. The concert begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will feature a mix of old and new, including many original compositions and arrangements by members of the band. Admission is free.

“JAS Quintet has proven themselves one of the top jazz ensembles in the region,” said VCSU president Alan LaFave. “We’re excited to bring this talented group of performers and educators to our community and showcase their music in our first-class performance venue on campus.”

Formed in 2012 and based in Sioux Falls, S.D., JAS Quintet performs at concerts and festivals throughout the region. The group features the classic jazz quintet instrumentation of trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass and drums. Concert attendees can expect to hear familiar tunes along with a few new jazz classics.

More information about JAS Quintet can be found on their website: http://www.jasquintet.com/

Listen to JAS Quintet on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4pCi3aiC9uOfOVPnMyKZlF?si=C4qaoYX9So6axj-ofypEAg

Listen to JAS Quintet on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jasquintet

 

Russi attended CSTAND Annual Conference

Jenni Lou Russi portraitJenni Lou Russi, associate professor for communication arts, attended sessions for faculty in higher education at the Communication, Speech, and Theatre Association of North Dakota. She participated in discussions about the field of Communication and the use of AI in Communication professions as well as in the classroom.

Viking sports update

Volleyball
VCSU Volleyball continues to receive votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. The Vikings swept Dickinson State in its conference opener on Wednesday night and then fell to No. 3 Jamestown Thursday. The Vikings are back in action Wednesday night against Mayville State at the Bubble.

Golf
The Valley City State golf teams each carded season-low team scores and three Vikings sit in the Top 15 after competing at the NSAA Fall Championships. VCSU had seven golfers card career-low rounds at the tournament. Read more.

Cross Country
VCSU Karly Just set a women’s 6K school record at the Dickinson State Invite on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Medora, N.D. Her time of 23:21.6 earned third place at the meet, behind only NCAA Div. II runners. Read more.

Football
The Viking football team fell 19-8 to Dakota State University in its conference-opening Homecoming game. VCSU plays at Mayville State on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Events
Sept. 25: Volleyball vs. Mayville State, 5 p.m. Tailgate, 7 p.m. First serve (The Bubble)
Sept. 28: Football at Mayville State, 2 p.m. (Mayville)
Sept. 29: Baseball scrimmage at UM-Crookston (Crookston, Minn.)
Sept. 29: Softball scrimmage at NDSCS, 1 p.m. (Wahpeton)
Oct. 1-2: Men’s Golf at Mayville State Invite, 12 p.m./9 a.m. (Hawley, Minn.)
Oct. 2: Volleyball at Dakota State, 7 p.m. (Madison, S.D.)

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

A backdrop featuring the HiLine bridge and a white chevron with the text Valley City Community

Aug. 19-Oct. 3
Visiting artist exhibition: “Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid”, VCSU Art Gallery

September 25
7 p.m. JAS Quintet, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts

September 26
2024 North Dakota AI Conference, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts

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/