Sept. 4, 2018

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Minot State University’s first-day enrollment showed positive trends with an overall increase of 1.1 percent, the university announced Tuesday, Aug. 21. The total first-day enrollment at Minot State was 3,189 in 2018 compared to 3,154 in 2017.

Minot State also reported 407 freshmen enrolled – an increase of 6.8 percent over last year’s first-day figures. This marks the fourth consecutive year of growth in freshman numbers and the largest freshman class in five years. The university has grown its freshman class by nearly 20 percent since Fall 2014.

“These encouraging first-day numbers demonstrate growth and indicate more students are choosing Minot State this fall to continue their education. We are especially pleased with our freshman class enrollment as we continue rebuilding that class size back to a level near where it was at the start of this decade,” said Minot State President Steven Shirley. “We have more work ahead, but are certainly trending in the right direction.”

 The official enrollment numbers may change as Minot State’s fall enrollment is not reported to the North Dakota University System until after the fourth week of classes.

Minot State University, along with the Minot State University Development Foundation, is pleased to announce a $4.6 million gift bequeathed by the late Janis Dislevy. This endowed gift is the largest single donation in Minot State’s history and is designated toward the Janis Ann Dislevy Endowed Chair, which will support faculty positions in the Minot State College of Business.

Dislevy, who completed a bachelor’s degree at Minot State in education in 1960, passed away in June of 2016. She served on the Minot State College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and is a member of the MSU Old Main Society.

This latest gift brings the total donated by Dislevy over the past 15 years to approximately $5.3 million. She established the Janis Ann Dislevy Trust Endowed Scholarship in 2003 and the Janis Ann Dislevy Endowed Chair in 2007.

Minot State University students will have a unique opportunity to study the human body as the university officially opened a cadaver lab to enhance its Biology 220 and 221 Anatomy and Physiology I and II classes. 

The cadaver lab – one of only two such labs at public institutions in North Dakota – has two stations for dissection and an observation room. The lab was built in response to a request from Minot State students for hands-on learning experiences. 

Minot State partnered with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences to receive the cadavers. The lab will consist of one male and one female cadaver each academic year.

Minot State University announced a new branding strategy during its 2018 Convocation event held at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall Wednesday morning. The plan includes an updated university logo, enhanced taglines, and graphic standards.

The branding strategy features a new academic logo, using the historic Old Main outline along with “Minot State University” prominently displayed below the stylized roofline. Minot State’s tagline, “Be seen. Be heard.” will not be retired, but is enhanced with additional text including “Be inspired.,” “Be empowered.,” “Be you.,” and “Belong.”

Minot State University was named as a recipient of the National SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd® Grant Program honoring Daniel R. Boone, PhD, CCC-SLP, by the National Parkinson Voice Project – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The grant recipients represent hospital rehabilitation clinics, nonprofit Parkinson’s organizations, and university speech therapy clinics like Minot State’s which are being awarded $650,000 in training, therapy supplies, and funding from Parkinson Voice Project. Minot State is committed to replicating Parkinson Voice Project’s unique two-part speech therapy program that combines individual and group speech therapy to help people living with Parkinson’s across America restore their speaking abilities.

Minot State University will host its annual Futurepalooza for area high school students on Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Ann Nicole Nelson Hall and the Minot State Dome.

The keynote presentation will begin at 9 a.m. at the Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. Eckmann is chair and professor for the Department of Teacher Education and Kinesiology at Minot State. Following the presentation, a college and career fair will take place in the Minot State Dome from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The presentation and college and career fair is free and open to students, parents, and community members.

For questions about Futurepalooza, Cole Krueger, assistant director of enrollment services, can be reached at Cole.Krueger@MinotStateU.edu or 858-4361.

Please make plans to attend Western Plains Opera’s upcoming popular comic opera, The Barber of Seville. Its familiar Figaro tunes are currently in SUBWAY television commercials! If you’ve watched Bugs Bunny, you’ll be humming along. Performances, with supertitles (so no one misses even one word), are in Minot State’s Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on Friday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee on Sept. 16 at 3 p.m.

Our leading lady, Rosina, is Minot State graduate mezzo-soprano Gabrielle Damschen Razafinjatovo. She was Anna in 2018’s The King and I.  Students playing roles are Nathan Bowles, Maddy Sem, and J’Kobe Wallace. The chorus has a mix of students, faculty, and community. They are all examples of how WPO, in collaboration with Minot State University, enables developing young artists while providing performance opportunities for that are educational, beautiful, and FUN!  A cameo role played by geography professor Zeb Wallace brings the house down every time.

WPO offers fully-staged shows, drawing on community, student, and faculty talent to stand alongside the professional singers, stage directors, conductors, and lighting designers we invite as guest artists. We invite you to support the opera and come away refreshed from an evening of beautiful singing and a good deal of humor.

Tickets may be purchased at the door, but we encourage advance sales by leaving a message at 701-858-3191, or by purchasing online at www.wpopera.org. Hope to see you there!

Minot State University is hosting the annual NDWHEN 2018 leadership conference on Friday, Nov. 2 at the Grand Hotel from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s theme is “Transition and Transformation." Registration for this one-day, regional conference is $40 per person and includes breakfast and lunch. Registration is currently open for the conference by clicking HERE. For more information, find the conference on FACEBOOK or contact Laurie Geller, NDWHEN Board member, at Laurie.Geller@ndus.edu. 

Custom Guitars featured at Northwest Arts Center
Williston artist Beau Theige will be featured Aug. 15 through Sept. 27 in the center’s Walter Piehl Gallery.

Americas 2018: All Media featured at Northwest Arts Center
“Americas 2018: All Media” represents contemporary artists from across the United States as well as entrants this year from Canada, Greece, and Russia. The juror was Scott Parsons, Sioux Falls, SD. Parsons selected works for the exhibit and designated awards from a field of 195 submitted images.

Renee Duncan, nursing professor, has been accepted into the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty program at the Parkinson’s Foundation in Golden Valley, Minn. Duncan was one of 35 applicants selected into the 40-hour accredited “train the trainer” program designed to provide nursing faculty with the knowledge to educate students about Parkinson’s disease.

Minot State Staff Senate named Jennifer Malachowski, College of Business, May’s High Five Award winner. Rick Heit, internet content assistant marketing, was June’s High Five Award winner. Gary Huwe, from Minot State's Security Office, was July’s MSU High Five Award winner. Melissa Cantone, assistant registrar, was named August’s High Five Award winner. Staff Senate prompted the creation of the MSU High Five Award to recognize staff members who serve Minot State University by exemplifying outstanding service through their work and exhibiting positive and supportive attitudes.

Anthonese (Llama) Mitchell was selected as the CETL Student of the Month for August. She has contributed to the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning’s programs as a new student orientation leader. The CETL Student of the Month recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many student leaders working with CETL's programs.

Submissions Due: Sept. 24, 2018
University Communications, Administration, second floor
Email: michael.linnell@minotstateu.edu
Voice: 858-3298 - Fax: 858-4481

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.