This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President’s Column: Key Personnel Changes in New Year
• DeMasi to speak on New Zealand at museum Thursday
• Solo Song Symposium to be held Saturday
• N.D. math/science teachers to meet on campus March 16–17
• LeTellier named to DPI arts content standards committee
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday during the academic year. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: Key Personnel Changes in New Year

Margaret Dahlberg, Ph.D., Interim President

As you read this, VCSU will be in its second week of the Spring 2018 semester. It’s a time of new beginnings for students and faculty who return with (perhaps) a New Year’s resolution or two about success during spring semester. In addition, some of our faculty are experiencing significant changes to their roles at VCSU this spring.

Julee Russell, Ph.D., professor of English, has been named dean of faculty and assistant vice president for academic affairs. Russell will assist Margaret Dahlberg, vice president for academic affairs, while she serves as interim president.

Russell has served VCSU for 23 years. She is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, where she earned her Master of Arts degree in English and her Ph.D. in teaching and learning. Russell serves as a lead program reviewer for the National Council of Teachers of English, a member of the graduate faculty, and chair of the Department of Language and Literature.

Dr. Russell writes: “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, administrators, and students to continuously promote and improve the VCSU campus experience. I embrace the new challenges of this position and am honored to serve.”

Sheri Okland, Ph.D., associate professor of education and elementary education chair, will serve as dean of the School of Education and Graduate Studies (SEGS), a position previously held by Gary Thompson. Thompson will continue to serve VCSU as a SEGS faculty member.

Dr. Okland has worked at VCSU for nine years. She holds a Master’s of Education degree from Minnesota State University in educational leadership with a technology emphasis, and a Ph.D. in occupational and adult education from North Dakota State University. Previously she was an elementary teacher for 15 years, teaching several grade levels from kindergarten through sixth grade. She also served her school as an instructional technologist and designer.

Okland has found that “The faculty and students at Valley City State are the hardest working, professionally creative, and most supportive individuals that I have ever had the pleasure to teach and learn from.” Dr. Okland is excited to continue the traditional excellence in the VCSU teacher education department. She has already begun teaming with the Valley City Public Schools (VCPS) on a collaborative project that will benefit VCPS’s professional teachers and VCSU’s preservice teachers.

Jennifer Jenness, M.S.L.S., associate professor of communication arts, will now serve as interim director of library services. Jenness replaces Donna James, who retired as library director. James will continue to serve VCSU as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate education program.

Jenness has worked at VCSU for 11 years. She is a graduate of the University of North Texas, where she earned her Master of Science in Library Science. Prior to her work at VCSU, Jenness served as the technical services coordinator at Northern State University in Aberdeen. She says she’s excited for the opportunity to lead our library and make it a place for students to study, experiment, and have a good time. She looks forward to collaborating with our local public and school libraries, and working with librarians across the state.

Jackie Owen, M.S, M.Ed., assistant professor of education, will serve as interim coordinator of the Learning Center and disabilities services. She takes the position vacated by Monica Moore, who resigned recently for a new position in Jamestown.

This is Owen’s ninth year at VCSU. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in education from Utah State University and a second in educational leadership from North Dakota State University. Prior to coming to Valley City State University, Owen spent 29 years teaching grades K-7 in Utah and California, where she also held adjunct teaching positions in higher education.

Last fall, Owen and Sarah Larsen, Staff Senate president, initiated the pop-up projects “Welcome Windows” and “Back to the City Night” to connect new students with downtown businesses. “As Learning Center coordinator, I won’t teach an actual course, but I do hope to help students realize that as Valley City State University students, they have unique opportunities for continued growth,” explains Owen.

Her goal is to make the Learning Center the kind of environment where students can safely land, receive assistance, and progress “from being students to successful students, to learners, and eventually to autonomous, lifelong learners.” She notes that “VCSU is the perfect environment for this to happen, because we are a smaller school with smaller classes, excellent professors, committed staff, a strong base in technology, and a relationship-oriented environment.”

VCSU is fortunate to have these talented faculty who are able to move into new positions and help maintain our traditions of excellence and innovation. I am honored to be able to work with each of them in their new roles.

DeMasi to speak on New Zealand at museum Thursday

Joseph DeMasi, professional musician and Valley City resident, will speak on “New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud” on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Barnes County Museum.

DeMasi first traveled to New Zealand in 1974. He ended up marrying a Kiwi, lived there for five years and still goes back a few times a years to visit his kids and now grandkids. He will talk about New Zealand through the eyes of an expat and what it is like to live, work and raise a family as a “stranger in a strange land.”

Part of season 19 of the Barnes County Historical Society Lecture Series, the event is open to the public free of charge.

Solo Song Symposium to be held Saturday

The VCSU Music Department will host its sixth annual Solo Song Symposium on Saturday, Jan. 19, culminating in a Showcase Recital at 3 p.m. in Vangstad Auditorium.

Led by Robin Allebach with the assistance of Christopher Redfearn and John LeTellier, the daylong symposium includes master classes, workshops and a mini-recital featuring VCSU vocal music majors Hannah Gress, Mikey Meester, Joseph Munowenyu, and Rochelle Van Bruggen, all previously symposium participants as high school students.

The Showcase Recital will feature selected high school vocal soloists, including Brooke Crabtree, Jefferson, S.D., Jefferson High School; William Egan, Enderlin, Enderlin High School; Jade Oksendahl, Valley City, Valley City High School; Ian Olson, West Fargo, Sheyenne High School; Angelana Quanbeck, Fargo, homeschooled; and Emily Sahl, Hunter, Northern Cass High School.

Symposium events, all held in Vangstad Auditorium, are open to the public free of charge.

N.D. math/science teachers to meet on campus March 16–17

The North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NDCTM) and the North Dakota Science Teachers Association (NDSTA) will join forces at the 2018 NDCTM/NCSTA Collaborative Spring Conference to be held Friday and Saturday, March 16–17, on the VCSU campus.

About 400 North Dakota K-16 math and science teachers will attend the event, held over VCSU’s spring break. Co-chairing the event are Jamie Wirth and Gary Ketterling of VCSU’s Great Plains STEM Education Center.

All classrooms in Rhoades, McFarland and Vangstad will be used for the event, as will space in the Student Center and Graichen Gym.

An outstanding slate of keynote and special presenters has already been secured. Potential attendees, presenters, exhibitors and volunteers are urged to visit the conference website at www.vcsu.edu/steamconference or the Facebook event page, www.facebook.com/events/402581583507750.

LeTellier named to DPI arts content standards committee

John LeTellier, assistant professor of music, has been selected by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (DPI), to be one of the higher education representatives on the State Academic Content Standards in the Arts Committee. The committee, comprised of 15 individuals representing PreK-12 and higher education, will revise and rewrite the current state standards over the course of the next eight months. The revised standards will then be submitted for approval to Kirsten Baesler, DPI state superintendent.
 
The committee will perform the following tasks:

• Review the content and structure of the North Dakota’s current academic content standards in the arts content area for appropriateness

  
• Review the arts content standards from other states or content associations for possible preferable content and structure

  
• Examine and set design for the proper articulation, breadth of inclusion, depth of knowledge, structural design, presentation of sequence, and support documentation of content standards

  
• Draft new or amending content standards language, delineating a clear degree of partial or substantial approach to standards revision

  
• Participate in discussions, analysis and drafting activities, and any votes required to resolve group decision making

  
• Prepare multiple drafts leading to a final draft, incorporating public comments, generated by draft documents to prepare final supported document

  
• Participate in any special preparation activities required, which may include reviewing materials outside of scheduled meeting dates if needed

  
• Document edits to current content standards.

Viking sports update

Women’s Basketball
Saturday: VCSU 77, Viterbo University 51
The Viking women’s basketball team went on the road to Viterbo University and earned its 14th win of the season. The No. 19-ranked Vikings are now 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the NSAA. VCSU is 2nd in the NSAA standings.

Men’s Basketball
Saturday: Viterbo University 64, VCSU 45
Valley City State’s men dropped their road game at Viterbo University, falling to 7-13 overall and 1-7 in conference play.

Track & Field
The Viking track and field teams continued the indoor season Saturday at the Thundering Herd Classic in Fargo. The Vikings had six Top 10 finishes at the large meet, including two school records. Damion Scandrick II set a school record by running 8.68 in the men’s 60-meter hurdles. Orin Rambow also went in the VCSU record book with his time of 2:34.83 in the 1,000 meter run.

Upcoming Events
Jan. 19: WBB/MBB @ Mayville State, 5:30/7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: Track & Field @ Cobber Duals (Moorhead, Minn.)
Jan. 20: WBB/MBB @ Presentation College, 3/5 p.m. (Aberdeen, S.D.)

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

Tuesday, January 16
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW

Wednesday, January 17
12 noon Kiwanis, VC Town & Country Club
6–10 p.m. St. Catherine’s Spaghetti Supper, CHI Mercy Health Education Center

Thursday, January 18
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
12 noon Toastmasters, VCSU Norway Room
7 p.m. “New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud,” Joseph DeMasi, Barnes County Museum
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, January 19
5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Viking women’s and men’s basketball @ Mayville State University, Mayville, N.D.

Saturday, January 20
3 and 5 p.m. Viking women’s and men’s basketball @ Presentation College, Aberdeen, S.D.
3 p.m. Showcase Recital, Solo Song Symposium, Vangstad Auditorium
7 p.m. VCHS Café Concert

Sunday, January 21
3 p.m. VCHS Café Concert

Monday, January 22

Tuesday, January 23
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW
6 p.m. VC Chamber annual business meeting, VC Town & Country Club
7 p.m. VCHS Café Concert

Wednesday, January 24
12 noon Kiwanis, VC Town & Country Club

Thursday, January 25
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
12 noon Toastmasters, VCSU Norway Room
8:30-10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, January 26
5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Viking women’s and men’s basketball vs. Dakota State University, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Saturday, January 27
3 and 5 p.m. Viking women’s and men’s basketball vs. Bellevue University, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Sunday, January 28