The Vice President for Academic Affairs
The Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Gary A. Rabe, serves as the chief academic officer of the University. The VPAA is responsible for setting and encouraging excellent academic, scholarly, and service activities of the faculty and the University. Dr. Rabe embraces the notion of shared governance and works with the faculty and their representatives on the Faculty Senate on program and curriculum development, faculty promotion and tenure, and academic assessment to ensure that faculty are delivering a quality academic experience to our students. Dr. Rabe also works with College Deans and Centers of Excellence Directors to develop long-term strategic goals to guide the operational and budgetary decisions and the daily operation of the University.
MSU Mission Statement
Minot State University advances knowledge, critical and creative thinking, and the vitality of community and cultures.
Core Values
- Students First: People who place students first think about the interests and needs of students and make every effort to respond to those needs.
- Pursuit of Excellence: In the pursuit of excellence, people take pride in doing quality work, reflecting on the results of their work, and applying new learning.
- Responsibility: Responsible people know, understand, consider, and accept the impact and consequences of personal actions and decisions.
- Respect: Respectful people have confidence in their own beliefs and values, and they acknowledge, understand, and support the rights of others to express their beliefs.
- Learning Community: In learning communities people discuss, explore, and learn together. All feel a special connection as a valued member of the community.
Teaching
Believing that authentic learning integrates knowledge with real life experiences, Minot State University has and continues to create applied learning experiences enabling students to integrate classroom learning with practical professional experiences in their chosen field of study. Applied learning is a planned, supervised work/learning experience that allows the student to perform activities with responsibilities that are significant and experiences that directly relate to the student’s chosen field of study. These experiences are another way that Minot State University insures that our curriculum is up-to-date and relevant.
Research
Minot State University is a comprehensive public university with a strong research vision. The University continually develops opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to get involved with campus research activities, with the belief that this involvement improves teaching and learning, develops critical thinking skills, and models lifelong scholarship. Research interests are broad, ranging from improving human health and disease prevention to conducting legislative impact analyses.
Research funding from outside sources is continually growing, more than doubling in just three years. In 2003, Minot State University received over $5 million in external funding. Benefits of research include: job creation, innovations in teaching and learning and career preparation for students.
