Minot State University announced a total of 510 students were named to the Fall 2024 President’s List, 252 students were named to the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ Honor Roll, and six students earned a spot on the Engagement Honor Roll.

Students who earned a term grade point average of 3.8 or higher while enrolled for 12 or more credits during the Fall 2024 semester were named to the list. Students who earned a term grade point average of 3.5-3.79 while enrolled for 12 or more credits during the Fall 2024 semester were named to the VPAA list. The honor will show on the student’s transcript for the semester it was earned.

The Engagement Honor Roll is an opportunity for Minot State University undergraduate students to receive recognition for the engagement activities they participate in while a student at MSU through the inclusion of this distinction on their transcripts. Students must complete a minimum of 50 hours, verified by supervisors, in any combination of engagement activities in order to be recognized during any given term.

Students named to the Minot State Fall 2024 President’s List are ordered according to their hometowns. North Dakota students are listed first, followed by students with out-of-state hometowns listed alphabetically by state, then hometown. Canadian students are listed alphabetically by province, then hometown. Finally, international students are listed by home country and hometown. The Engagement Honor Roll is ordered by the students’ last name. Students named to the VPAA Honor Roll are ordered according to their hometowns. North Dakota students are listed first, followed by students with out-of-state hometowns listed alphabetically by state, then hometown; and then Canadian students alphabetically by province, then hometown. Finally, international students are listed by home country and hometown.

Minot State Department of Nursing excels in nursing excellence.

One key component reaffirming this is a current National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) passing rate of 100% in 2023.

Part of the MSU Department of Nursing’s commitment to excellence is having a complex, accredited program designed for nursing success, and the department is busy working through renewing its accreditation this year.

MSU nursing is accredited not only regionally in North Dakota but also nationally.

According to Amy Lee, chair of the department of nursing, regional and national accreditation is essential for students, not only to show the program is teaching at the highest standards but to help students move on in their academic careers.

Ensuring that the program meets every requirement can be a daunting task and challenging to prove despite knowing that it is embedded into the program, it is all a collaborative effort between faculty, staff, and students to prove.

With brand new standards introduced this year, the nursing program must now prove again how MSU nursing educates on the required core curriculum.

However, more than simply showing on paper how the curriculum of MSU nursing meets the standard, the students must exhibit it, as well.

Lee referenced multiple areas on Minot State’s website and national websites to help individuals further understand what accreditation looks like and how it is measured.

To review MSU’s Essentials and for MSU and national websites, see related links:

• Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• Minot State Department of Nursing Handbook
• Minot State Department of Nursing Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
• Minot State Department of Nursing Student Achievement Outcome Data

Minot State University’s Lifelong Learning Institute will offer multiple ceramics classes as part of its Spring 2025 class schedule, including open studio, beginner, and advanced methods. The events kick off with Open Studio running from Feb. 4 to April 15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. Open Studio is considered at the advanced level and has two cost structures with four sessions/month at $85 and 12 sessions for $250 and includes clay and firing fees. Registered attendees will receive a small private locker and a designated studio shelf. All classes are scheduled for the Minot State’s Ceramics Studio in the lower level of historic Pioneer Hall. For more information on all of MSU’s Lifelong Learning Institute classes, see the University’s Center for Extended Learning WEBSITE and view the full press release HERE.

Minot State University opened its new MSU Greenhouse in the Fall 2024 semester after a total reconstruction project and now invites the public to see the new space during an open house on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the MSU Greenhouse, located on the west side of the Cyril Moore Science Center. Parking is available on the south side of the Gorden B. Olson Library. The MSU Greenhouse was a featured project in the University Facilities pillar during the University’s historic EMPOWER Capital Campaign. The 300-square-foot structure was replaced with a state-of-the-art building featuring double-layered panels, an advanced irrigation system, and a climate-controlled interior.

Register for the Dakota Wellness Program webinar to preview our enhanced wellness portal and new ways you can earn your $250 wellness benefit online. Employees and spouses with health care coverage through Sanford Health Plan can earn $250 ($500 per household) in rewards in 2025. Discover your path towards improved health and wellness all while getting rewarded. Register for a webinar HERE.
Webinar date and time (all in CST):

• Thursday, Feb. 6 from 10:30–11 a.m.

Don't miss your chance to learn about all of the ways you can earn your wellness benefit in 2025!

The Academic Recognition Committee is seeking nominations for MSU alumni to be inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame. Nominees must have completed a significant portion of their education at MSU, gone on to complete additional study in graduate of professional school, and subsequently contributed to the advancement of their field. Nominations must include a letter of support from the appropriate academic division or department at MSU. Please see the Academic Recognition Committee website for more information about the nomination form and instructions. The deadline for nominee submissions is March 5. If you have any questions, please contact the Academic Recognition Committee Chair, Krystal St. Peter, by EMAIL.

Nominations for the Minot State University Board of Regents faculty and staff achievement awards are due in the Office of the President by April 1. There are separate forms and criteria for each award. In brief:

• Faculty: nominations may be made by anyone knowledgeable about the achievements and contributions of the faculty member. Self-nominations are allowed. Self-nominations must include an endorsement by a faculty member or supervisor. Nominations must be specific to the area of teaching, scholarship, or service and must include a one-page supporting narrative.
• Staff: nominations may be made by anyone knowledgeable about the staff member. A description of the personal characteristics and accomplishments of the nominee must be provided.

The Minot State Alumni Association is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Golden Awards and Young Alumni Achievement Award. The Golden Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association, selected based on outstanding service to the University, to the Alumni Association, and distinguished leadership in the recipient’s career or community. The Young Alumni Achievement Award has the same criteria, except the nominee must be between the ages of 21 and 39. The deadline for nominations is March 31. The nomination form can be found HERE. 

The TRIO/POWER Center and the Writing Center are excited to announce their second workshop in the Spring 2025 Writing Workshop Series: "Improving Your College-Level Writing." Join them on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 6-7 p.m. in the POWER Center (lower level of Gordon B. Olson Library) as Amanda Watts shares the hacks you need to level up your college writing game! Attend synchronously online via Blackboard HERE. While primarily tailored to a student audience, the Writing Workshop Series is open to all staff and faculty as well. Questions may be directed to Chris Lozensky by EMAIL.

CIRCLES Alliance will be hosting a professional development workshop designed for K-12 educators, focusing on effective and equitable teaching practices with connections to Indigenous STEM.
Dates & Times:

• Feb. 17: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Feb. 19: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. (in conjunction with the Native Science and Engineering Fair)
• Feb. 22: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Collaboration Room, 2nd floor, Harnett Hall, Minot State University
For more information, contact Dan Conn, associate professor and chair of the Department of Education and Inclusive Services, at 701-858-3267 or by EMAIL.

Each year, Minot State University selects 10-20 undergraduate students to receive the Student Leadership & Engagement Award 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 recognition event will be held in honor of the recipients on May 7.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:  

1. Student must have attended Minot State University full-time for four consecutive terms, through fall term 2024, excluding summer sessions.
2. Student must be a university junior or senior (must have achieved 60 or more credits).
3. Student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
4. Student must not have received the Student Leadership & Engagement Award recognition previously.

SELECTION CRITERIA: 

1. Scholarship
2. Participation and leadership in academic and/or extra-curricular activities
3. Community involvement
4. Service to Minot State University
5. Potential for future achievement

Nomination Process: Minot State University faculty and staff members are invited to nominate outstanding students for this award, and students may also self-nominate. Nominees who meet the criteria will be invited to apply for the award. Final selection will be made by the Student Leadership & Engagement Award Committee and will be announced through University Communications. Nominations are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. Follow this LINK for the online nomination form. Contact Jim Sturm, Looyenga Leadership Center director, by EMAIL with any questions regarding the nomination process.

The Dakota Digital Academy (DDA) has partnered with Educause to invite 100 participants from the North Dakota University System to enroll in their Teaching with AI program. This offering is for faculty, instructional designers, and support staff. More information regarding their program is in the attached brochure. You can also find out more information by going to the Educause WEBSITE. The first Educause Teaching with AI program was on Feb. 3, and several additional offerings will be offered this spring/early summer. If you are interested in attending any one of the sessions, go to the DDA WEBSITE and complete the registration form. In turn, you will be provided with a code that you will use on the Educause website to register for one of the sessions. The DDA is sponsoring the registration fees for all 100 licenses. Only register if you plan to participate. The DDA will receive an audit report of completed participants. For questions, contact Jerry Rostad by phone at 701-969-9229 or by EMAIL.

The Academic Recognition Committee is seeking nominations for the Distinguished Lifetime Educator award. Nominees should be retired Minot State University faculty members who made significant contributions to the university while employed at MSU and who exhibit evidence of an ongoing commitment to MSU after retirement. To nominate a retired MSU faculty member, please send a letter of support to the Academic Recognition Committee Chair, Krystal St. Peter by EMAIL detailing the rationale for nomination. The deadline for nominee submissions is March 5. If you have any questions, please contact the Academic Recognition Committee Chair, Krystal St. Peter.

Come learn about the history and culture of Nueta (Mandan) and Hidatsa people from their perspective. Learn how and why they engage with the natural world from this positionality. Hear their oral histories and come to understand how they are embedded with their values and worldviews. For more information, visit the Humanities North Dakota WEBPAGE.

• This is a 16-meeting hybrid class being taught in-person to students at NHS College and online
• Those auditing the class with Humanities North Dakota will be doing so online through Zoom
• Wednesdays, Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
• 6-8 p.m. CT

The Minot Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is thrilled to announce the “Your Minot, Your Lyrics” Anthem Contest. Anyone with a deep connection to Minot is encouraged to submit text for consideration to become a new anthem for the City of Minot. In celebration of the Minot Symphony Orchestra’s 100th season in 2025-2026, and in partnership with the City of Minot, the MSO is aiming to create a theme song that captures the spirit, pride, and essence of the Minot community. This anthem will serve as a tribute to the people, stories, and shared experiences that make Minot the “Magic City.” Entries must be received by midnight on Monday, April 21. For more information, see the attached PRESS RELEASE and FLYER.

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 on holidays.

• INT'L Paperworks 2025: The Northwest Arts Center opens the spring semester at Minot State with the “INT’L Paperworks 2025” annual juried exhibition. The exhibition is on view from Jan. 9 to Feb. 20 in the Walter Piehl Gallery. From the first call for entries in 1969, the Paperworks competition has brought diverse artwork “on or of paper, traditional and experimental,” to the University campus and the greater Minot community. This year’s exhibition features 40 artworks by 32 artists from around the US. Juror for INT’L Paperworks 2025 is Michael Reedy, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Reedy received his MFA in Drawing from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, and is a professor at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Art and Design. A public reception and online viewing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Both exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Please see the reception event or NAC WEBSITE for more details.
• Extraordinarily Ordinary: The Northwest Arts Center is excited to present “Extraordinarily Ordinary” by artist Michael Reedy. In “Extraordinarily Ordinary,” Reedy explores anatomical illustration as reminders of death. His mixed media work features “antagonistic Clip-art Cherubs, apocalyptic hordes, skull babies, floating brains, and organ ghosts…” placed amidst “…an alien landscape full of hypno-spirals, cascading vortexes, and black holes.” The exhibition will be on display from Jan. 9 to Feb. 20.

Hartnett Hall Gallery
The Hartnett Hall Gallery is located on the second floor of Hartnett Hall in the walkway and Collaboration Space. It is open during Hartnett Hall hours.

• No Mans Land: Student exhibition: The student exhibition showcases 22 paintings from Micah Bloom's Painting 1 class of 2024.

Flat Tail Press
Flat Tail Press is an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. The gallery is located in the landing space on the second and third floor of the Minot State Student Center, west entrance. It is open during normal Student Center hours.

• Badlands: Ephemeral Horizons by Michael Baum: Screen prints of the Sage Creek Wilderness by South Dakota Artist, Michael Baum. The exhibition will be on display from Jan. 23-May. 29.

Terry Eckmann presented two sessions at the International Council on Active Aging Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Boosting Brain Power: Building Cognitive Reserve and Brain Boogie Boosters for Boomers and Beyond. She also recently published an article, "One thought at a time: Building resilience for a long, full life," in the International Council on Active Aging. Read the full article HERE.

Olivia Reed, Minot State Department of Fine and Performing Arts assistant professor published an article in Media Psychology, a Q1 journal that is interdisciplinary with psychology and mediated communication. Her article, “'I Usually Love Your Posts, but I didn’t Like This One … ' the Role of Masspersonal Factors and Valence of Follower Communication on Influencer Responses, Mood, and Job Satisfaction" can be read HERE.

Lynda Opp was named the December winner of the Staff Senate High Five Award. She is pictured HERE with Minot State President Steven Shirley, Staff Senate President Karla Bredahl, and the team in the MSU Department of Nursing. Opp, an administrative assistant in the department of nursing, started with Minot State in 2006 and left to work at the Ward County Courthouse before returning to the University to work in nursing in 2012. She has been married for 34 years and has two grown children, four grandchildren, two St. Bernards, two cats, and four horses. In her spare time, Opp loves to read.

Caleb Van De Griend, Minot State junior, was named by Small College Basketball to the Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award top 100 Watch List. The Bevo Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball – teams playing at the NCAA Division II, Division II, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA levels. Award criteria used to determine the award winner include season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character, and team achievements. Given to only one player each year, the award is, in essence, the MVP of all small college basketball. The Watch List will be narrowed to the Top 50 on Feb. 15 to the Top 25 on March 15, the Finalists will be announced on April 5, and the Bevo Francis Award will be presented on April 7. The Minot State junior forward was also named the best player for the weekend in the NSIC for the third time this season. The Beavers’ 6-foot-8 forward from Bridgetown, Australia, set a new single-season Minot State record for rebounds over the weekend, helping lead No. 22 Minot State to a sweep at home and earning him NSIC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors. Van De Griend was also named NSIC Player of the Week on Dec. 2 and Dec. 23. His three NSIC Player of the Week awards this season lead the league.

The Minot State athletic department is pleased to announce that 11 Beaver student-athletes have been named as NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award winners, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on student-athletes by the NSIC. The total of 11 Minot State student-athletes earning this honor is the second-most in the Beavers NCAA history. Earning this prestigious honor were baseball players Grant Gabbert, Brent Riddle, and Seungjun Song, softball players Hannah Murray and Sophie Sparrow, women’s soccer players Morgen Fried and Manuela Pacheco Martinez, men’s basketball player Jaxon Gunville, women’s basketball player Cassidy King, men’s track and field thrower Dallas Reese, and men’s golfer Joshua Tu.

• Gabbert is a Finance major from Thornton, Colorado.
• Riddle is a Corporate Fitness Wellness Management major from San Clemente, California.
• Song is a Corporate Fitness Wellness Management major from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• Murray is a Professional Chemistry major from Red Deer, Alberta.
• Sparrow is a Psychology major from Mercer, North Dakota.
• Fried is a Nursing major from Sherwood, Oregon
• Pacheco Martinez is a Multimedia Communications major from Bogota, Colombia.
• Gunville is a Finance and Accounting double major from Minot, North Dakota.
• King is a Nursing major from Chico, California.
• Reese is an Art major from Wolf Point, Montana.
• Tu is a Marketing and Management double major from Santa Clara, California.

The honor, named for the late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, is bestowed to senior or graduate-student NSIC student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher, are exhausting their athletic eligibility this academic year, and are on track to graduate or have graduated with their bachelor’s degree. To learn more, read the NSIC Myles Brand PRESS RELEASE.