Inside - MSU University Communications
A NEWSLETTER FOR EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS OF MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

April 9, 2018

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Northwest Arts Center Grand Opening set for April 19

northwest-arts-center.jpgMinot State University will commemorate completion of the new Northwest Arts Center, the Walter Piehl Gallery, and the Native American Artifact Collection with a grand opening celebration from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 19, in the lower level of Gordon B. Olson Library. The dedication program will start at 6:15 p.m.

Mandan-Hidatsa storyteller/musician Keith Bear, New Town, N.D., and cowboy poet/singer-songwriter D.W. Groethe, Bainville, Mont., will participate in the dedication of the center’s Walter Piehl Gallery and the new exhibit space for MSU’s Native American collection.

Piehl, who recently retired from a 50-year career teaching art at MSU, is donating a major body of his work to the center’s permanent collection. The grand opening exhibit, “Retrospective: Covering 1962-2018,” is an overview of his work.


SNDU and SCEC Clubs organize Locally Exceptional Readers event

locally-exceptional-readers.jpgMinot State University’s Student North Dakota United (SNDU) and Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) have organized an initiative to distribute as many books as possible to area PK-6 students. The Locally Exceptional Readers event has special emphasis on meeting the educational needs of the students.

To begin, SNDU and SCEC sold baked goods in March. After the bake sale, the clubs continued to accept new or gently used books. Now that the books have been collected, the clubs will work with local schools and classrooms to distribute the books to students, and this will include matching books with individual student’s educational needs and interests.

The books will be distributed to classrooms across Minot and surrounding schools April 16-20.


First-ever MSU Giving Day slated for April 11

giving-day2018.jpgThe Minot State University Development Foundation announces its first MSU Giving Day April 11.

MSU Giving Day is a 24-hour, online day of giving back to the university. The goal is simple: to inspire people everywhere to come together, demonstrate pride for Minot State by making a gift of any size while providing essential resources for generations of MSU students.

$50,000 in matching funds will be available to increase the impact of each donation. Matching funds are earmarked into two categories; $25,000 designated for department projects and $25,000 for gifts made to endowments. Gifts under $1,000 will be matched.

MSU Giving Day will start at midnight, April 11, and run until 11:59 p.m. (CDT). Gifts can be made to support the university’s greatest priorities and opportunities, including scholarships, or can be made in support of a specific college or program. Log on to https://give.minotstateu.edu/ to make a gift.


Spring Preview Day set for April 14

Minot State University’s Spring Preview Day is set for April 14, starting at 9 a.m., with check-in in front of Ann Nicole Nelson Hall in Old Main.

Preview Day is set up to give prospective students and their families a first-hand look into life as a Minot State student with mock classes, resource fair, a student panel and an optional tour.

The event starts with check-in at 9 a.m. The Student Panel is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. First Year Experience Mock Classes are from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Minot State’s Resource Fair and Lunch is slated for 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the Optional Tour will begin at 12:30 p.m.

There are two special classes students will join during Spring Preview Day including Photography and Yoga: The Art of Seeing and Being by Karina Stander and Making a Murder by Melissa Spelchen.

Along with the events planned, students can enter to win a $500 tuition waiver and can participate in the Build-a-Beaver Workshop while learning about MSU Life events and clubs.


Kibler, Conn represent MSU at National Writing Project

Minot State University professors Robert Kibler (humanities) and Dan Conn (education) traveled to the National Writing Project’s Spring Convention to represent the Red River Writing Project and the Northern Plains Writing Project March 15-17 in Washington, D.C.

Along with convention events, the duo met with U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).

The Northern Plains Writing Project is a multi-funded program housed at Minot State and is a partnership with state and federal entities. The Red River Writing Project is housed at NDSU. Both projects work to help students continue their education. The Projects primarily work with teachers across the state, organizing cohorts and Summer Institutes, along the model of Teachers Teaching Teachers.

The two are a part of 170 project sites working across the nation. The Northern Plains Writing Project was started at Minot State by long-time MSU English professor Harold Nelson in 1978. Kibler is currently the project’s interim director.


MSU offers new graduate certificate in cybersecurity management

Minot State University is now offering a graduate certificate in cybersecurity management for individuals looking to gain advanced knowledge and advance their careers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information assurance and cybersecurity management jobs are growing faster than average occupational growth and the typical median pay is $92,600 per year.

The cybersecurity management certificate consists of three graduate level classes: BIT 560 Management and Integration of IS Function; BIT 557 Foundations of Information Assurance and Security; and BIT 575 Business Network Systems Management. Courses are eight weeks in length.


Miles for Smiles benefit in April

Minot State National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (MSU-NSSLHA) will host Miles for Smiles on April 21 to benefit individuals with Cleft-Lip and Palate through Operation Smile. The fundraiser takes place at Minot’s Oak Park with check-in at 10 a.m. and the walk at 10:30 a.m. See the registration FORM to consider supporting this great cause. Contact Mary Huston in Communication Disorders (ext. 3593) with any questions.


Rumney earns North Dakota String Teachers Association Distinguished Service Award

rumney_john.jpgMinot State University professor Jon Rumney received the North Dakota String Teachers Association Distinguished Service Award at the All State Orchestra Concert in conjunction with the North Dakota Music Educators Association Conference March 24 in Bismarck.

The Distinguished Service Award is given for outstanding contributions to the cause of string education in the state of North Dakota.

Rumney has provided skilled instruction in violin, viola, and chamber music, as well as classroom lectures at Minot State since 1994.


Students travel to Harvey over Spring Break to assist taxpayers

Five students involved in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at Minot State traveled to Harvey on March 17 to help local residents file their taxes.

Students Kristi Chance, Sangmi Park, Edel Mae Alvarez, Chiti Nkhuwa, and Carlton Mhangami all took a break from their Spring Break to lend their tax knowledge and services.

VITA offers tax preparation services free of charge to individuals earning less than $52,000 a year, elderly individuals, military members, and small business owners that qualify.

MSU has been offering tax assistance through VITA since Feb. 5, but this is the first time the program has traveled out of town to help taxpayers.


Staff Senate Silent Auction

MSU Staff Senate is hosting the sixth annual Silent Auction. Bring new or gently used items for donation. Please no clothing items. The silent auction will be held May 1-3. Items can be dropped off in the VPAA’s office by Friday April 27. Contact Jana Schultz at 858-3050 or Jana.L.Schultz@minotstateu.edu or Celeste Simmons at 858-3310 or Celeste.Simmons@minotstateu.edu with questions.


In the Galleries

  • Colored pencil drawings from highly-esteemed, long-time North Dakota artist, Brian Paulsen, Flat Tail Press Gallery, on display through May 15.
  • MSU Juried Student Art Show, Hartnett Hall Gallery, on display through April 20.
  • “Retrospective: Covering 1962-2018,” by Walter Piehl, Walter Piehl Gallery, on display April 19 through June 8.
  • “Art Instruction at MSU: Faculty Past and Present,” Walter Piehl Gallery, on display April 19 through June 8.

Achievements

CELT selected Michaela Brost as the CETL Student of the Month for March She has contributed to the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning’s programs as a peer mentor.

CETL selected Carlton Mhangami as the CETL Student of the Month for February He has contributed to the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning’s programs as a peer tutor and new student orientation leader.

Gretchen Ingledue, facilities management, was named Minot State University’s February High Five Award winner.

Teresa Loftesnes, director of marketing, recently completed the Nonprofit Certificate Program offered by Strengthen ND.

Christina Paxman, assistant professor of broadcasting, teamed with Kim Weisman of Williston State College and Shannon VanHorn of Valley City State University to co-author a paper titled “Best practices for retaining public speaking students” for upcoming publication in the Journal of Communication Pedagogy.

Amy Phillips, professor of social work, is lead author of a book through NDSU Press, “The Prairie Post Office: Enlarging the Common Life in Rural North Dakota.” The book was publicly released at the third annual NDSU Press Party on March 1, 2018. The book is available through the NDSU Press and Amazon. She is also the co-author of an article, “Leveraging faith to help end domestic violence: Perspectives from five traditions,” published in the journal Social Work & Christianity.

Adrianna Varbero (English) narrated and Andrea Orta-Diaz (English/foreign language) wrote the script for Ron Rouse's short film highlighting the Minot State University Art Program.

Miles Way, an English major, had his short story, “Final Approach,” accepted for publication in the Oakwood Literary Magazine

Several English faculty and students have had their essays accepted for presentation at the Northern Plains Early British Literature Conference, to be held this April at Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba. 

  • Christopher Brewer, student — “Shakespeare's ‘Othello’Viewed Through Military Eyes.”
  • Eric Furuseth, faculty — “Into Something Rich and Strange: Nature's Transformative Powers in ‘The Tempest’ verses those in ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’”
  • Robert Kibler, faculty — “Hang It All, Averroes, Whose Soul Is it Anyway? An Examination of Ibn Rushd’s ‘Middle Commentary on Aristotle’s De Anima,’ and its Value both in the European Middle Ages and Today.”
  • DeAndra Miller, student — “Antonio, Antonio: The Battle Between Homoeroticism and Heteronormative Expectation in the ‘Merchant of Venice’ and ‘Twelfth Night.’”
  • Amanda Watts, adjunct faculty — “A Muse of Fire: Translating the Role of Chorus from State to Film in Shakespeare's ‘Henry V.’”

Newsletter submissions

Submissions Due: April 26, 2018
University Communications, Administration, second floor
Email: michael.linnell@minotstateu.edu
Voice: 858-3298 - Fax: 858-4481


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Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

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