The Minot State University Development Foundation proudly presents the University’s third Giving Day April 14.

Minot State Giving Day is a 24-hour, online event where alumni, friends, students, faculty, and staff can support what they love most about Minot State, from academic and athletic programs to scholarships and student support funds.

“We are excited to reinstate our annual Giving Day after a pause due to COVID-19 last spring,” said Minot State Development Foundation Executive Director Rick Hedberg. “This is an excellent opportunity for individuals to give to Minot State, specifically to the program or department of their choice, in any dollar amount, making an impact on student lives. Together we can make a big difference in a short amount of time.”

Giving Day will start at midnight 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.

The MSU Development Foundation will match 50% on all gifts up to $1,000 and, in addition, exclusive 1:1 matches are available for the Minot State general scholarship fund, Staff Senate scholarship fund, student emergency fund, and football.

The MSU Development Foundation is encouraging both participation and engagement from alumni, friends, and donors leading up to and during MSU Giving Day. Special MSU Giving Day profile photos and social media banners have been made for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and are available for DOWNLOAD.  The hashtag #MSUGivingDay is also encouraged for social media posts.

Log on to the MSU Giving Day website Give.MinotStateU.edu for more information on the event and information on the 52 projects listed. For more information, contact MSU Donor Relations Coordinator Kate Marshall by EMAIL or by phone at (701) 858-4158.

Minot State University and Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) recently signed an articulation agreement that formally recognizes their commitment to working together to provide educational opportunities for the students of their institutions.

“The Minot State Department of Nursing is extremely grateful for the ongoing collaboration with the DCB nursing program,” said Melissa Fettig, Minot State nursing assistant professor and RN to BSN Completion Program director. “The mutual goal is to support nursing students in advancing their career and the nursing profession.”

The purpose of this agreement is to enable students who have earned their Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) in Nursing from DCB to transfer to Minot State University and enter the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Completion Program. This agreement applies an understanding that courses taken at Dakota College are considered equally transferable to Minot State’s BSN Completion Program and the North Dakota University System general education requirements.

Fettig and Nicole Burke, DCB in Minot nursing site manager, collaborated on the general education requirements applying all of the logistics to the BSN classes. Working with the same goal in mind, they agree the articulation agreement between Minot State and DCB has several advantages for the students.

The agreement matches coursework between the schools allowing a smooth transition from one campus to the other, minimizing the duplication of coursework. Fettig and Burke speak from experience when they indicate the articulation agreement will provide piece of mind for students knowing those courses will transfer for credit at Minot State.

Students may apply to Minot State and the BSN Completion Program as early as spring of the final semester while enrolled in the DCB AAS nursing program. Conditional acceptance into the Minot State BSN Completion Program will be granted until the nursing degree has been posted.

Minot State University’s Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 semester registrations open with priority registration for each on Tuesday, March 30 for all currently enrolled MSU students.

Current Minot State degree seeking undergraduate or graduate students who enroll by April 11 are automatically entered in a drawing for free coffee for a year.

Students can register for classes after the April 11 date, but classes are subject to availability and students can only be entered into the drawing for the free coffee if registration is completed before the end date.

MSU students should also consult their academic advisor by appointment and check with the MSU registrar’s office any holds on their account prior to beginning their Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 schedule. The MSU registrar can be contacted by text (701-809-9282) or by phone (701-858-3345). See the Registration and Forms SECTION on the registrar’s website for specific forms processing.

New and transfer students must complete new student orientation before enrolling and should check their email for information on how to sign up. Contact the Minot State admissions office for any questions.

Minot State University will host a Spirituality & Disability virtual conference on Friday, April 16 and a post-conference session on Saturday, April 17. The events are sponsored by a grant from the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

“This conference brings together families and individuals with disabilities, church and faith community partners, and community agencies that support individuals with disabilities,” said Holly Pedersen, Minot State special education chair. “The purpose is to start the conversation in our state about how to ensure people with disabilities have access to participate in faith communities if they wish.”

Scheduled keynote speakers include Erik Carter, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; Bill Gaventa, M.Div., Collaborative on Faith and Disability; and Victoria White, B.A., All Belong.

The post-conference session is titled Dementia: Faith-based Strategies for Connecting with One Another.

“We are excited to host three national expert speakers in the field for this topic. There will be a post-conference session offered to specifically address the topic of dementia and supporting individuals with this challenge to continue to participate in their faith community,” added Pedersen.

Individuals with disabilities and their families, church personnel, and disability support agencies are all welcome for both events.

A full schedule of events will be released at a later date. For more information or for questions, contact Minot State’s Pedersen by EMAIL or Jolynn Webster by EMAIL.

Minot State will host award-winning author of “White Fatigue” and Northern Illinois University professor, Dr. Joseph Flynn Jr., to lead a discussion on systemic and institutionalized racism, titled “Protests aren’t Parades: Moving from Resistance, to Ally, to Accomplice.” There will be a presentation to students on April 14 at 7 p.m. and a second presentation to faculty and staff on April 15 at 3:15 p.m. Both sessions will be hosted at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall, where masking and social distancing will be followed. For Zoom meeting information, see the attached FLIER. A big thank you shout out goes to the following sponsors: VPAA office, Diversity Council and Lutheran Campus Ministries.

The Red and Green School is organizing three community gardens — one that honors Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, one that honors Ojibwe from Turtle Mountain , and a simple pollinator garden—across from Model Hall on University Avenue. To prepare, we are going to host an event we call "Aki Onizhishin (Earth is Beautiful): Garden Gathering" on Friday, April 30 at 12 p.m., just prior to the MSU Powwow. We will have food, music, and Dan Henry — a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indians — will be sharing creation story told in the Ojibwe tradition. MSU students, faculty, staff, and their families are all very welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chair. For questions and ideas, please contact Dan Conn at 701-858-3267 or daniel.conn@minotstateu.edu.

The third annual Minot State Staff Senate Scholarship 50/50 Raffle is underway and tickets are currently on sale. The 50/50 Raffle will run until May 7 with a total of 21 winners announced during finals week. Tickets are $10 each and the grand prize is $500. All tickets sold will be eligible for the grand prize, which is selected first, but announced last. Tickets will be available from Minot State Staff Senators, see LINK for 2020-21 Senators, or by stopping at Public Relations & Fundraising chair President Michael Linnell’s office on second floor of the Administration Building. All proceeds from the 50/50 Raffle will help fund the Minot State Staff Senate Scholarship Endowment. For more information, contact MICHAEL LINNELL or by phone at 858-3065.

The Red and Green School will be planting three community gardens this year — one that honors Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, one that honors Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and a simple pollinator garden — across from Model Hall. You can help by sponsoring a seed for a minimum donation of $1, and we have a variety of heirloom seeds to choose from, including:

Arikara Watermelon, Mandan Squash. Arikara Sunflower, Arikara Yellow Bean, Mandan Bride Corn, Sunflower, Ojibwe Goose Berries, Ojibwe Raspberries, Ojibwe Wild Strawberries, Tobacco (for ceremonial use), and Pollinator seeds.

For those that sponsor a seed, you are welcome to plant, care for, and harvest your seed, but we can also do that on your behalf. Please email, call, or message Dan Conn if you would like to adopt a seed and/or if you have any questions at 701-858-3267 or daniel.conn@MinotStateU.edu. 

Northwest Arts Center
The gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The arts center is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 1-5 p.m., and by special arrangement. It is closed holidays. Masks and physical distancing are required.

• The Body & Story Reception and Online Viewing - Join us at the public reception and online viewing for ‘The Body & Story’. Meet the artist, Marianne R. Petit, Americas 2020: Paperworks Best of Show award winner, on April 15 from 6:30-8 p.m. Scheduled is a live-streamed artist’s talk at 7 p.m. Masks and physical distancing will be required, and gallery capacity will be monitored to ensure safety. The limited reception is free and open to the public.
• Art Seminar: Marianne R. Petit - Artist Marianne R. Petit, Americas 2020: Paperworks Best of Show, will be presenting in the Art Seminar series at Minot State University's Aleshire Theater at 12 p.m. on April 16. Art seminar presentations offer students and the public the opportunity to learn about the work, lives and experiences of guest artists visiting Minot State University. Co-hosted by the Minot State University Art Department, this event is free and open to the public. We invite you to attend!
• Minot State Juried Student Art Show - Open to all Minot State University students, the Juried Student Show has been a campus tradition since the early 1980s. The exhibition is on display March 25 through April 24. The competition invites area and regional artists, educators, and other art professionals to serve as jurors each year. Visiting MSU as juror for 2021 is artist and painter Allen TenBusschen, instructor at Williston State College. TenBusschen received his BFA from Brigham Young University (Idaho) and earned his MFA with a focus on painting from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He has cultivated a robust exhibition record, with shows in New York, Boston, and Detroit, winning numerous awards and accolades.
• The Body & Story - The Northwest Arts Center presents The Body & Story, by artist Marianne Petit, Americas 2020: Paperworks Best of Show artist, on view from April 1-29. Marianne R. Petit is an artist and educator whose work explores fairy tales, anatomical studies, graphic medicine, and collective storytelling practices through mechanical books that combine animation and paper craft. Her interests are in combining technology, traditional book arts, and sequential storytelling to create new forms of narrative for the 21st century.

Flat Tail Press
Flat Tail Press is an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. The gallery is located in the landing space on second and third floor of the Minot State Student Center, west entrance. It is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-12 p.m.

• Thanks for Being My Friend - Minot State University is the host to a new exhibition of artworks by New York City artist, Andrew D. Moeller. In “Thanks for Being My Friend,” Moeller shares precise, minimal paintings on paper created during New York City’s coronavirus lockdown in Spring 2020. In normal times, Moeller paints austere building façades on large aluminum panels in his studio, so during the pandemic his work had to shift down in scale. Bridging his prior work to his new predicament, Moeller borrowed his signature brick motif from the façade paintings and began creating blueprint-inspired works on paper, executed in a monochrome blue. The exhibit runs from March 10–May 15.

Hartnett Hall Gallery
The gallery provides exhibition space for students, faculty, and community artists, and is located on the second floor on the west side of Hartnett Hall in Room 233. The Hartnett Hall Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Dan Conn, professor in teacher education and kinesiology, along with his colleagues from Tales from the Classroom, recently developed a curriculum measurement tool to help teachers make the best decisions when purchasing or adopting curriculum. The Golden Apples team developed an instrument to provide teachers and education consumers a comprehensive yet accessible report on the strengths and weaknesses of any particular curriculum product. The team just went live with the tool, see it HERE.

Rebecca Daigneault, assistant professor of social work, and Evan Borisinkoff, associate professor of special education, published an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals entitled, "From the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule: Strategies for Advancing Toward Cultural Proficiency for Special Educators." The abstract can be found HERE.

Emerson Eads, assistant professor and director of choral activities, was name a semifinalist in the Vocal Chamber Music division of The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts. As the contests unfold, finalists, runners-up, and winners will be selected from this list. To know the exact date when finalists will be announced, like the American Prize FACEBOOK page or follow on Twitter (#AmericanPrize), where that information will be published first. The Gleaners, a 22-minute song cycle for soprano and mezzo-soprano, piano and strings, with text by University of Washington professor of poetry, Patrick Milian, was commissioned by Northwester Art Song and performed by Arwen Myers, soprano, and Laura Beckel Thoreson. Watch the song cycle on YOUTUBE. Eads also had his song, "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" on a text by W.B. Yeats published in NewMusicShelf's Soprano Anthology Volume 1, curated by soprano Laura Strickling. View the Anthology ONLINE.

Joseph Jastrzembski , professor of history, facilitated two virtual meetings on March 9 and March 10 with a delegation of Indonesian journalists studying “Current Trends in Reporting: U. S.-Chinese Relations: A Project of Indonesia.” These visitors were invited to participate in this project under the auspices of the U. S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Their program was arranged by the Graduate School USA. Jastrzembski is the Executive Director of the Minot Area Council for International Visitors.

Robert Kibler, chair of world languages and cultural studies, was appointed by the Ward County Commissioners to a four-year term on the Ward County Planning Commission. The commission deals with zoning and platting matters and makes its recommendations to the Ward County Commission.

Ryan Stander, assistant professor, fine art/art studies, had his work published in a new volume by Routledge Press. Digital Negatives with QuadToneRIP: “Demystifying QTR for photographers and printmakers,” by Ron Reeder and Christina A. Anderson featured three Stander photos on pages 264-67. Figure 17.68, Figure 17.69, and Figure 17.70, all from the Seeking Beatrice series, were included in the book. The photos can be viewed HERE and HERE.

Joseph Gray, facilities management, was named Minot State University Staff Senate's January High Five Award winner.

Thank you to all those who participated in and finished MSUWell’s Annual Biggest Loser Challenge. Help us in congratulating our top six prize winners:

• First place: Michael Linnell
• Second place: Scott Muhle
• Third place: Karina Stander
• Fourth place: Kelsey Higginson
• Fifth place: Dan Conn
• Sixth place: Aili Smith

We’d like to give a shout out to our sponsors for donating the prizes: Sherie Saltveit (2- $50 gift cards to Barnes and Noble), MSU Alumni Office (Minot State jacket), MSU Marketing Office (stuffed beaver), MSULife (cap and travel mug), and the Wellness Center (yoga mat).

Zachary Schuller was selected as the ASC Student of the Month for February. He has contributed to the Academic Support Center’s programs as a Peer Tutor.

Minot State University DECA students competed this week at the state DECA competition in Fargo. All members that competed qualified for nationals. A group photo is available HERE.

• Gavin Mercer, Marketing Management/Event Planning, Event Planning: 3rd place team event
• Dorion Cipriani, Marketing Management/Starting your own business, Starting your own business: 1st place event
• Juliana Alarcon Diaz, Entrepreneurship operations/Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship operations: 3rd place test score; Business Ethics: 3rd place team event
• Amber Schmaltz, Business Ethics/Financial Accounting, 3rd place test score
• Brett Hlebechuk, Marketing Management/Event Planning Marketing Management: 2nd place individual event; Event Planning: 3rd place team event
• Jorge Talamantes, Accounting/Business Ethics, Accounting: 3rd place event; Business Ethics: 3rd place event
• Favour Ozordi, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising: 1st place individual event/ 1st place test score.