This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles…

• Coronavirus COVID-19 information and campus communications log
• President‘s column: Response to COVID-19 at VCSU
• Scholarship Auction postponed
• Support from Student Academic Services
• VCSU recognized by American College Health Association
• Respond to U.S. Census 2020
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

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

Coronavirus COVID-19 information and campus communications log

Important information for the VCSU community regarding the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) can be found at www.vcsu.edu/news/coronavirus-information.

Here can be found general information about symptoms and preventing the spread of the illness, along with a log of campus communications that have gone out to students, faculty and staff. The page is updated frequently.

President’s column: Response to COVID-19 at VCSU

Greetings from Valley City State University!

When students and faculty returned to campus after the holidays to begin spring 2020 semester, none of us could have predicted the impact that the coronavirus would have on our campus, community, state and nation. We were beginning to have preliminary conversations with our Emergency Management Team, but those conversations were focused on flood preparations. With the exceptionally wet fall and much winter snow, our planning efforts were directed toward potential spring flooding of the Sheyenne River. We couldn’t have imagined what the next months would bring.

Fast forward to Friday, March 20, when we made the decision to shift to online instruction for the remainder of the semester. The decision was not easy, but it was the right thing to do. I’d like to provide a brief recap to help you understand what led to our decision.

At the end of February, a reminder for preventative measures for the cold and flu, along with a mention of the coronavirus COVID-19 illness, was shared with our campus community. Less than a month ago there were only 15 positive cases of COVID-19 in the United States with no confirmed cases in North Dakota. According to the CDC, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 for the general American public remained low at that time. Less than a month later, the COVID-19 illness has gone from relatively low risk to pandemic status with almost 300,000 positive cases and nearly 13,000 deaths in the United States.

This rapidly developing situation led to increased planning efforts by the VCSU Emergency Management Team, officials from City-County Health and the North Dakota Department of Health. A community forum hosted by Valley City Public Schools provided an opportunity for health professionals, local leaders, citizens and media to have an open discussion about data and recommendations from the CDC and other health professionals. Subsequent actions at VCSU included regular messaging to our students, faculty and staff about preventative measures and recommended actions.

With spring break looming, we thought it best to give our students and faculty a heads-up about the possibility of moving to an online delivery format for a few weeks thereafter. On March 12, the decision was made to deliver the curriculum using the online platform from March 23-April 3. We believed this would provide a preventative cushion of time and distance, while we maintained continuity of instruction and allowed students to remain in their home areas. On March 16, we asked most faculty and staff to begin working remotely by March 18. Since then, many businesses and organizations throughout the state have followed similar protocols.

Finally, on Friday, March 20, we made the difficult decision to deliver academic instruction online for the remainder of the semester. As a laptop campus with a long history of technology innovation and application, VCSU was able to make the transition to distance learning relatively seamlessly. In the days before and during spring break, our faculty worked diligently to make the necessary adjustments and conversions to deliver the highest quality academic experience for our students.

We know this was the right decision for the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and community, but at the same time we acknowledge the sense of loss that so many of our students, especially our seniors, will feel as they finish the semester off campus without the personal company of their friends, peers and colleagues.

Our leadership team at VCSU places the health, safety and welfare of our students and campus community at the forefront in our decision-making processes. It is our sincerest hope that the mitigation strategies we’ve enacted will help flatten the curve and lead to a reduction in the potential number of COVID-19 cases for Valley City and Barnes County.

For their individual and collective efforts, I wish to thank all members of the VCSU Emergency Management Team, and especially Betty Tykwinski, director of VCSU Health Services, and our faculty, staff and students, along with Valley City Public Schools officials and teachers, city and county leaders, the business community, and members of the media. While the weeks ahead are filled with uncertainty regarding when the spread of COVID-19 will be curtailed, our resolve remains strong. We will emerge from this stronger and more united and focused on the importance of community and collaboration.

Go Vikings!

Scholarship Auction postponed

Like all of you, we have been continuously monitoring the changes with the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations limiting the size of gatherings for the time being, we believe it is in the best interest of our constituents to postpone the 26th Annual VCSU Scholarship Auction, which had been planned for April 24.

Our campus and community are being affected in a variety of ways; with thought and consideration, we will work on rescheduling our event.

Please watch for details in the coming weeks for a new scholarship auction date. Of course, now more than ever, we’ll need your support for this fun event. Thanks for your understanding.

The VCSU Foundation Office

Support from Student Academic Services

Student Academic Services is fully committed to supporting students while they complete their semester online. Please see the attached graphic which indicates the appropriate Student Academic Services staff member to contact depending on the specific need.

Thank you for all you’re doing to focus on helping our students succeed despite the chaos around us all. We can do this together and keep our students on track.

VCSU recognized by American College Health Association

The American College Health Association (ACHA) recently recognized Valley City State University as a pioneering founder of ACHA and a leader in student health and well-being. ACHA is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and VCSU has been a charter member since the organization’s 1920 founding.

Betty Tywkinski, director for health services, serves as member-at-large on the regional board for the North Central College Health Association, a united member organization of the ACHA which covers North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Because of VCSU’s founding membership, Betty had been invited to attend the ACHA 2020 annual meeting in Chicago this May for a recognition ceremony, but that event has now been canceled.

Respond to U.S. Census 2020

The goal of the census is “to count everyone, once, in the right place” every 10 years. The census is authorized by the U.S. Constitution and the results are used to determine representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, provide federal funding and provide important information about the people living in the United States.

Please get your household counted by replying to the census at 2020census.gov.

Viking sports update

Huber named Honorable Mention All-American

Valley City State senior Mackenzie Huber has been named an NAIA Women's Basketball Honorable Mention All-American, the national office announced last week.

A native of Clark, S.D., Huber led the Vikings this season with 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The senior center shot a school-record 61.4 percent from the field, which led the conference and was third best in the nation this season. She also ranked in the Top 5 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding.

Huber finished her Viking career with 1,320 points and 700 rebounds, ranking eighth all-time in school history in scoring and fifth in rebounding. She was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection and a two-time Honorable Mention All-American.

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

You will notice that the calendar is quite empty due to the COVID-19 social distancing recommendations. If you have virtual events for the calendar, please forward to rhonda.fairfield@vcsu.edu. Thank you all and stay safe!

Tuesday, March 31
Payday

Go to www.valleycitynd.org/calendar.php to see more events happening in and around Valley City.