Minot State University is proud to announce the Management Information Systems (MIS) program of study has been designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2027.

The Cyber Defense designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, bachelor, and graduate level. The designation process is a combination of elements related to the institution, focused on outputs for determining academic achievement. This combination assures that the institution meets the desired characteristics of a CAE-CD institution, and that the academic delivery to students is producing the qualified workforce needed by the nation.

“Earning the designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the NSA and DHS is a significant honor for MSU, and specifically our College of Business. This designation is a strong seal of approval from the federal government regarding our cyber programming, and it will create wonderful new opportunities for current and future MSU students. Faculty have made major strides in both our business information technology (BIT) and computer science academic areas, and this academic excellence acknowledgment is yet another important affirmation of our expertise in these critical cyber areas,” said Minot State President Dr. Steven Shirley.

With this designation, Minot State is formally recognized by the U.S. government for its robust cybersecurity-related programs, having undergone in-depth assessment and met rigorous requirements.

The extensive process included MSU’s ability to meet the following criteria:

• Establishes standards for cybersecurity curriculum and academic excellence,
• Includes competency development among students and faculty,
• Values community outreach and leadership in professional development,
• Integrates cybersecurity practice within the institution across academic disciplines,
• Actively engages in solutions to challenges facing cybersecurity education.

Minot State University continues an illustrious heritage dating back to its first graduating class in 1914 by celebrating its 107th Commencement Exercise on May 13.

“Commencement Day at MSU is an incredibly special occasion as we gather together joining family, friends, and supporters in celebrating the achievements of our graduates,” said MSU President Dr. Steven Shirley. “This year’s MSU Class of 2022 recognition is an especially exciting opportunity as it will be our first ‘traditional’ ceremony in a few years since we celebrated two classes together in 2021 and had the ceremony canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. These graduates have certainly demonstrated a lot of resilience the past few years and we are excited to honor their achievements!”

The University will begin the day with a traditional Hooding Ceremony for completion of a master’s degree at 8 a.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. MSU will hold the Spring Commencement Ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Minot State Dome.

For individuals unable to make the two live events, both the Hooding Ceremony and the Commencement Exercises will be broadcast via the Minot State YouTube channel. Access the Hooding Ceremony HERE and the Commencement Exercises HERE.

Guest speakers at Commencement include John Schwan ’82, president and CEO of Schwan Financial Group (SFG); Abigail Graves ’17, current student in the MSU Master of Education program; and Philip Green, current undergraduate MSU student in professional communication.

Schwan, who will give the keynote speech, founded SFG in 1984. SFG is a multi-family private office with a focus on financial, estate, business succession, and tax planning based in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

“The Commencement speakers are always an important highlight of each ceremony. We are so grateful to John for traveling back to his alma mater and delivering remarks to our graduates — he has a great message, and MSU is proud to call him an alumnus. Likewise, we look forward to hearing from two outstanding graduates among this year’s class with Abigail and Philip,” Shirley said.

Minot State will host a special graduation homepage with additional information on the ceremony, events, gift ideas, social media posts, videos, senior spotlights, and a wall of graduates. Access all online content at MinotStateU.edu/grad. Please use hashtags #MSUclassof22 in all social media posts.

Minot State University’s Special Education Department was approved for a Bush Foundation grant to develop a new approach to recruiting, training, and retaining special education teachers to serve in rural communities.

The grant will fund Project PIPELINE: Planning Initiative to Prepare Educators for Licensure in ND (special) Education. Project PIPELINE will draw together project directors from Certification Central (CC), Minot State, and Dakota College at Bottineau.

“New problems call for new solutions,” said Holly Pedersen, Minot State special education chair. “We have always solved problems collaboratively in North Dakota and I’m excited to continue working with my colleagues at DCB and Certification Central to create accessible, quality pathways to become a special education teacher.”

The $206,408 grant will help develop a quality framework for a teacher pipeline through curriculum development, technology for distance delivery, travel for coordination and advisory board, student tuition support, mentor recruitment and training, and marketing. Along with the key goal of recruiting, training, and retaining special education teachers, the project will also look to reduce time spent in postsecondary training and transform the current state teacher preparation structure to encourage training programs to compete, inviting all teacher training programs to participate in the pipeline.

With a nationwide critical shortage of qualified special education teachers and the number of students with disabilities increasing, recruiting and retaining teachers, especially in rural states such as North Dakota, have faced increased challenges. Project PIPELINE will formalize streamlined coordination between MSU, DCB, and CC to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. Along with establishing an advisory board, the project will map curriculum paths amongst MSU, DCB, and CC and formulate memorandum of understanding/articulation agreements beneficial for all three entities.

Minot State University Director of Communications Michael Linnell was elected as staff advisor for the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) beginning on July 1.

Linnell is currently serving as past president of the North Dakota State Staff Senate (NDSSS), having previously served as president and vice president. He will succeed Retha Mattern, director of admissions at Bismarck State, whose SBHE term ends on June 30.

“I am honored to be elected as staff advisor to the State Board of Higher Education and grateful to the members of the State Staff Senate for the opportunity to represent the dedicated staff from across our 11 institutions,” Linnell said. “I will do my best to fill extremely large shoes left from the work Retha did on behalf of staff. I am excited for this opportunity.”

Linnell has worked at Minot State for the past 12 years, starting as the sports information director and as an assistant athletic director in the athletic department before being named director of University Communications in 2017. He also serves as the managing editor for the Alumni Association / MSU Development Foundation magazine Connections.

He was elected as the NDSSS vice president in 2019 and served as president during the 2020-21 academic year. Linnell has been a member of MSU Staff Senate since 2015. He was twice elected as MSU Staff Senate’s president (2017-18 and 2019-20) and once as vice president (2018-19).

Minot State's Jim Sturm, director of the Looyenga Leadership Center, will be the guest speaker at the Minot Area Chamber EDC Lunch & Learn held at the MSU Conference Center Wednesday, May 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Why do some organizations thrive while others struggle? Why do some businesses build loyal employees and customers while others have difficulty attracting either? Much of the answer lies in the culture you establish. Culture impacts all aspects of your organization from hiring and retaining employees, to customer service, to how well you weather a crisis. This session will address intentional and unintentional culture, and the steps you can take to ensure that your organization's culture is something of which you can be proud.

• Wednesday, May 25 – 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Minot State University Conference Center
• Cost: $15 for lunch
• RSVP www.minotchamberedc and click on the date.
• Presenter: Jim Sturm has been teaching leadership for more than 30 years, before it was fashionable. He served as a vice president for student life, vice provost for leadership development, and dean of students for 17 years. He has worked with college students, businesses, and all types of organizations to help them develop their leadership potential. He holds a Master of Education degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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.

• Amalgam Reception: Head to the Northwest Arts Center for the opening reception of the 2022 Senior Capstone Exhibition, "Amalgam," on Friday, May 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The exhibition showcases the following artists: Jocelyn Bexell, Jay Gaare, Chesnea Griffin, Alex Jimenez, Agata Mrozik, Hannah Nantt, and Alexa Orozco.
• Amalgam: The Northwest Arts Center presents the 2022 Senior Capstone Exhibition, ‘Amalgam,’ for graduating Minot State University Art Majors. The exhibition showcases the following artists: Jocelyn Bexell, Jay Gaare, Chesnea Griffin, Alex Jimenez, Agata Mrozik, Hannah Nantt, and Alexa Orozco. The show will be on display through  June 10.
• From Here to Here: "From Here to Here" explores the landscape and concept of place. Conlan works in a reductive manner which strips the idea of the landscape down to its basic formal elements, almost to the point of the non-objective yet still conceptually rooted in the landscape. Anderson uses an additive approach to investigate his local landscape, he utilizes an intuitive process of mark-making and responds to both the land and the work in from of him. The exhibition is a conversation proposed by both artists that revolves around the idea of place, art making and what art is. The exhibit is on display April 28-May 26.

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 a.m.

• Nest: mixed media montages by Emily Verdoorn. Nest will be featured in the gallery from March 9-May 15. Flat Tail Press is an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University.  
  • Artist Bio: For as long as she can remember Emily has loved drawing and making things. As a child, it was simply unselfconscious enjoyment that encouraged her to make, but gradually making grew into a posture of paying attention and pressing more deeply into the life of the world around her. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Emily received her BFA in Visual Art at Belhaven University, in Jackson Mississippi, and is now continuing in her artmaking process in Wheaton, Illinois. 
  • Artist Statement: “For me, working in mixed media is like participating in a quiet conversation with the places, spaces, and the natural world around me. As I respond to my context in a variety of different materials, I slowly build layers of textures, and imagery exploring themes of place, belonging, and the particular kind of sharp, bitter-sweet homesickness which comes to us in times of generative solitude, in the loneliness of isolation, as well as in deep community." 

Daniel Conn, associate professor of teacher education, presented on a panel, “Realizing Common Ground: Building Coalitions to Disrupt the Assessment Industrial Complex," at the 2022 Network for Public Education Action National Conference Sunday, May 1, in Philadelphia. In addition to Conn, the panel includes:  

Emerson Eads, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities, released a recording of his composition for piano, "Songs My Father Taught Me," as a single May 1, available on all streaming platforms. Pianist Mallory Bernstein commissioned and recorded the work, and it was released on Eads’ father’s birthday in his honor.

David Rolandson, associate professor of music, and Daniel Conn, associate professor of teacher education, recently had their article, "Large Ensemble Teachers’ Support for Popular Music Courses in High Schools," published in the "Journal of Music Teacher Education." The article can be accessed HERE.

Welcome to our new human resources director, Sara Abrahamson. Abrahamson brings a wealth of experience to the position and is excited to join the Minot State team.

Alayzia McLeod was selected as the ASC Student of the Month for March. She has contributed to the Academic Support Center’s programs as a POWER peer mentor.

Congratulations to the nominees of this year's Honors Program awards! Award recipients will be revealed at the Honors Program Commencement and Awards Ceremony in May.

• Excellence in Leadership nominees: Favour Ozordi, Jake Heggie, and Alayzia McLeod
• Excellence in Community Service nominees: Lordina Yeboah and Alayzia McLeod
• Outstanding Honors Program Thesis: Achille Tenekeu Djauken and Salina Carter

Eighteen Minot State students have been selected as recipients of the 2022 Student Leadership and Engagement Award.  Recipients are chosen based on their academic achievement, service to Minot State University and to the greater Minot community, participation and leadership in academic and extracurricular activities as well as potential for continued success. A list of the recipients is HERE.

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