VCSU Faculty and Staff Newsletter, The Hotline!

This week's Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President’s Column: A busy start, and more to come
• Presidential search update: 5 candidates invited to campus Sept. 10–12
• VCSU Foundation increases scholarship commitment
• Reserved parking spots up for auction this week
• Da Vinha publishes paper on presidential elections
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: A busy start, and more to come

We have completed our first week of classes at VCSU. It’s great to have students and faculty back on campus. They bring new energy and excitement as they start the new semester. We’re not sure yet where our enrollment stands—enrollment numbers aren’t official until the fourth week of classes—but it certainly feels like we have a “full house” on campus.
We also had the honor of hosting the Interim Higher Education Legislative Committee on campus last Monday and Tuesday. Our education faculty had a good opportunity to visit personally with members of the committee and show them some of the innovative teaching activities being launched or augmented this fall in our education program.
VCSU’s formal presentation focused on our strengths—strong enrollment, the success of our larger programs (education, fisheries and wildlife science). About half of our students are enrolled in an education program, and 46 percent of our students study exclusively online.
We also talked about our facility needs: a new building to replace Foss Hall, which sits on the wrong side of the flood wall; an upgrade to our fire alarm system; and renovation of McFarland Hall, our oldest building. Because we have some of the oldest buildings in the state higher education system, it’s important that we pay particular attention to those with special meaning to campus—McFarland Hall, for example. The main floor was beautifully updated in the mid ’90s, but the other two floors need attention. And the roof needs to be replaced, and tuckpointing, which we chip away at each summer, is becoming more urgent.
Not that we’re complaining! The state has been very good to us, authorizing two new buildings on campus in the past 10 years, providing support for the Wellness Center, and authorizing other improvements, such as the track renovation (currently in progress) and the new activated carbon plant that is still on the drawing board.
An update for the presidential search: When my next column comes out (Sept. 10), we will be in the midst of on-campus interviews for the committee-selected finalists. If you are interested in meeting the candidates, please look for the interview schedule and feel free to join us at one of the forums.
After the on-campus interviews are complete, the search committee will select three names from this group to forward to the State Board of Higher Education, which will meet in Valley City on Sept. 27 to interview the three candidates and select the next president for VCSU.
And don’t forget—please join us for the Ag Bowl on September 8, as we celebrate the importance of agriculture in our region. Tailgating and entertainment at 5 p.m., football game (vs. University of Minnesota–Morris) at 7 p.m., and fireworks after the game!

Presidential search update: 5 candidates invited to campus Sept. 10–12

The VCSU Presidential Search Committee has narrowed the pool of applicants to five candidates who have been invited to campus for interviews to be scheduled Sept. 10–12, 2018.
Fifty candidates applied for the VCSU position, which the search committee narrowed to 12 for interviews via interactive video on Aug. 16–17. Following these interviews, the search committee narrowed the pool to the five semifinalists invited to campus.
The semifinalists are:

VCSU Foundation increases scholarship commitment

The VCSU Foundation has approved an increase in the scholarship commitment for the 2019–20 academic year. The increase will move from the current allocation of $1.425 million to $1.623 million, an increase of nearly $200,000.
The revenue to support the scholarship program comes from the V-500 scholarship program, Century Club program, investment pool earnings, endowed and memorial scholarships, Alumni Phone-a-thon, faculty/staff giving, and several special activities and events.

Reserved parking spots up for auction this week

Finding it hard to find a parking spot on campus? The VCSU Foundation’s online auction this week may be just the answer. Here’s a unique opportunity to purchase a reserved parking spot that would be yours exclusively from September 2018—July 2019. Facilities Services has offered two campus parking spots to auction off as part of our scholarship fundraising effort. The athletic department is also donating a reserved parking spot, along with two reserved seats, for basketball season.
If you are the successful bidder for a parking spot, we'll furnish a personalized reserved parking sign. What a great way to raise money for scholarships and reserve a front row spot for yourself!

The online auction starts on Tuesday, August 28, at 10 a.m. and ends at noon on Friday, August 31.

Items up for bid include:

Da Vinha publishes paper on presidential elections

Luis da Vinha, associate professor of political science, authored an article in the latest edition of the Federal University of Paraná’s (Brazil) journal “Revista de Sociologia e Política” titled “A Vitória Eleitoral de Donald Trump: Uma Análise de Disfunç&atildeo Institucional.”
The article assesses how political dysfunction associated with political polarization and institutional gridlock affected the 2016 American presidential elections. More precisely, the article considers how America’s unique institutional political framework fosters the growing distrust in our political system and how this has fueled candidates who frame themselves as “outsiders” and “anti-establishment.” Da Vinha also considers some of the implications of trying to implement institutional reforms in the current period of hyper-polarized politics.
The complete article can be found online at www.scielo.br/pdf/rsocp/v26n66/0104-4478-rsocp-26-66-0007.pdf.

Viking sports update

Football
Saturday: University of Jamestown 28, VCSU 26
The Viking football team lost a hard-fought season opener to the University of Jamestown on Saturday. The Vikings now shift to their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 1, against Northwestern College. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Volleyball
Friday: Our Lady of the Lake 3, VCSU 1; Saint Francis 3, VCSU 0
Saturday: Morningside College 3, VCSU 1; Cardinal Stritch 3, VCSU 2
VCSU’s volleyball team started with the season against tough competition at the Viterbo University tournament, dropping all four matches. VCSU is back in action this weekend at a tournament hosted by Concordia University in Nebraska.

Golf
The VCSU golf team begins the fall portion of its schedule on Tuesday at the Jamestown Country Club. VCSU will be playing in the UJ Fall Kickoff, which starts at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Upcoming Events
Aug. 28: Golf @ Jamestown Country Club, 1:30 p.m.
Aug. 31–Sept. 1: Volleyball @ Concordia (Neb.)
Sept. 1: Football vs. Northwestern College, 1 p.m.

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

Monday, August 27
Tuesday, August 28
Viking Golf @ UJ Fall Kickoff, Jamestown Country Club, Jamestown, N.D.
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW
Wednesday, August 29
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
Thursday, August 30
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room
Friday, August 31
Payday
Viking Volleyball @ Bulldog Bash Tourney, Seward, Neb. (August 21–September 1)
Saturday, September 1
National Barrel Horse Association State Finals, North Dakota Winter Show Event Center (September 1–2)
1 p.m. Viking football vs. Northwestern College, Shelley Ellig Field @ Lokken Stadium
Sunday, September 2
10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sodexo Sunday Brunch, Student Center Cafeteria
Monday, September 3
Labor Day
No VCSU classes–offices closed
Tuesday, September 4
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW
Wednesday, September 5
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
5 and 7 p.m. Viking JV and varsity volleyball at Concordia College–Moorhead, Minn.
Thursday, September 6
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room
Friday, September 7
3 p.m. Viking volleyball @ College of Saint Benedict Tournament, St. Joseph, Minn.
8:15 p.m. Viking women’s cross country @ MSUM Dragon Twilight Meet–4 K Race, Moorhead, Minn.
8:45 p.m. Viking men’s cross country @ MSUM Dragon Twilight Meet–4 K Race, Moorhead, Minn.
Saturday, September 8
Viking golf @ Concordia Invite, Wildflower Golf Club, Detroit Lakes, Minn. (September 8–9)
9 and 11 a.m. Viking volleyball @ College of Saint Benedict Tournament, St. Joseph, Minn.
7 p.m. Viking football vs. University of Minnesota-Morris, Shelley Ellig Field @ Lokken Stadium
Sunday, September 9
Go to https://www.valleycitynd.org/calendar.php to see more events happening in and around Valley City.