Minot State University is excited to announce the newly renovated Hartnett Hall will be the site for the September Business After Hours hosted by the Minot Area Chamber EDC.

Minot State will officially open the new Hartnett Hall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony starting at 5 p.m. Business After Hours runs from 5-7 p.m.

The $26.6 million renovation project — awarded by the North Dakota Legislature during a special session in 2021 — began in May 2022. Some MSU classes and collaboration spaces were open during the Spring 2024 semester, and the building will be fully utilized this fall.

The Minot Area Chamber-EDC started Business After Hours as a way to network with chamber members, enjoy delicious food, and win great prizes. Facility tours are available throughout the event, along with food, drinks, networking, and prizes. Business After Hours is open to the public with a $5 entry.

Hartnett Hall is home to several key academic programs at MSU, such as English, humanities, art, theater arts, and professional communication, as well as many general education courses. It also features Aleshire Theater, a new performing arts recital hall, KMSU radio station and television studio, and MSU’s Esports studio.

Minot State University, the Minot State Alumni Association, the MSU Development Foundation, and MSU Athletics invite the public to celebrate Homecoming 2024 with multiple events held during the week of Sept. 11-14.

The week kicks off with the MSU Alumni Association and MSU Development Foundation’s annual President’s Club Luncheon, honoring donors who contributed $1,000 or more. The Luncheon is set for Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 12 p.m. in the Student Center Conference Center.

Another premier event is the Golden Awards and Young Alumni Achievement Award Dinner, slated for Thursday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. in the Student Center Conference Center. The Golden Awards are the highest award bestowed by the MSU Alumni Association.

Athletics begins a busy week with an Athletics Luncheon on Friday, Sept. 13, at 11:30 a.m. in the South Lobby of the Minot State Dome. Athletics will host its annual Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet at 5 p.m. at the Sleep Inn & Suites. MSU volleyball plays Medicine Hat at 12:30 p.m. and University of Jamestown at 6 p.m. at the Dome, while MSU women’s soccer battles Montana State-Billings at 6 p.m. at Herb Parker Stadium.

MSU will induct two individuals into its Academic Hall of Fame on Friday at 3 p.m. in the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space. 

The MSU Alumni Association will cap Friday off with a Homecoming Reunion Social starting at 7 p.m. at Sports on Tap.

The popular MSU Homecoming Parade will kickstart events for Saturday, Sept. 14. The parade is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. in downtown Minot and will end at the Minot State Dome. For more information, see the MSU Alumni Association’s parade WEBSITE.

MSU volleyball has a matinee date with Brandon University at 11 a.m. at the Dome, and tailgating in the MSU Dome East parking Lot begins at 11:30 a.m. The Beavers football team will take on Northern State with a 2 p.m. kickoff scheduled at Herb Parker Stadium, and the volleyball team will cap the weekend off with a 4:30 p.m. match with Mayville State.

For more information and all dates and times, see the Homecoming 2024 WEBSITE.

The Northwest Arts Center presents “The Great Open: Photographs from North Dakota” on display at the Walter Piehl Gallery from Aug. 9 to Sept. 21. A culmination of a multi-year project by internationally known photographers Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, the exhibition is touring the state through the North Dakota Museum of Art’s Rural Arts Initiative.

In 2019, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Museum commissioned the artists to create a body of photographs probing the essence of North Dakota’s current landscape, people, and way of life. The Great Open interweaves their distinctive photographic styles to create a multi-layered portrait of North Dakota.

Additional programming is planned while The Great Open is in Minot, including a public reception, multiple presentations, and workshops. The artists will be attending the public reception on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., held at the Northwest Arts Center in the Walter Piehl Gallery.

The couple will present selections from their body of work in two public lectures on Friday, Sept. 6. Part of the Art Seminar Series, they will present Blind Man & the Bus at noon in the newly renovated Hartnett Hall. The seminar will showcase a mix of projects by the Webb’s, some solo and some collaborative, including Brooklyn (AW & RNW), Night Calls (RNW), and La Calle: Photographs from Mexico (AW).

A social and refreshments will precede “The Poetics of Light” at 7 p.m. in the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space on the second floor. The evening photo viewing and book reading features five bodies of work and ends with “A Difficulty Is a Light.” Discussed is Alex and Rebecca’s joint Cuba work (Violet Isle), My Dakota (RNW), The Suffering of Light (AW), and Waves (AW & RNW).

On Saturday, Sept. 7, two photography workshops are being held in Hartnett Hall. Interested community members are encouraged to contact Minot State Professor Ryan Stander for details. Space is limited, so RSVP is required.

While at the Northwest Arts Center, the exhibition will be available for viewing Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 1-5 p.m. The Center is closed on holidays. The Walter Piehl Gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library at Minot State University, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The exhibition and related events are free and open to the public.

This exhibition was made possible by the North Dakota Museum of Art and the Rural Arts Initiative. Part of the Rural Arts Initiative, funded by the state of North Dakota. The Northwest Arts Center is supported in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Minot State University Alumni Association has selected four individuals for the 2024 Golden Award and one individual for the 2024 Young Alumni Achievement Award.

The honorees include Dan Langemo, Teresa (Kraft) Loftesnes ’07/’15, Dr. Jeffrey Sather ’94, and Julie (Keller) Stavn ’76. The Young Alumni Achievement Award winner is Jazmine (Wolff) Schultz ’11.

“It is an honor to recognize these five fantastic individuals for their outstanding service to Minot State University and the greater Minot community,” said Courtenay Brekhus, MSU’s director of alumni engagement. “The MSU Alumni Association looks forward to celebrating their accomplishments at our Golden Awards banquet and dinner during Homecoming week in September.”

Langemo, a Valley City native who lives in Minot, retired from First Western Bank & Trust in 2015. He is a past chair of the MSU Board of Regents and is currently the vice president of the MSU Development Foundation and the MSU Summer Theatre boards. Loftesnes, from Norwich, retired in 2021 after 42 years at Minot State in various roles, including her last 14 as marketing director. She earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees at MSU. Sather, who lives in Norwich, currently serves as the medical director of Trinity Health’s Emergency Trauma Center in Minot. He earned a psychology degree from MSU. Stavn, from Bismarck, is a former teacher and coach in the Bismarck Public Schools, earning multiple state championships and Coach of the Year awards during her 41 years in education. She earned a degree in physical education from Minot State. Schultz, originally from Burlington, is the co-owner of Prairie Sky Breads in downtown Minot. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Theatre from MSU.

The MSU Alumni Association will honor the 2024 class at its annual awards dinner on Thursday, Sept. 12, with a social at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. in the Minot State Student Center Conference Center. For more information and to RSVP for the dinner, visit the Alumni Association WEBSITE.

The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) at Minot State University has been awarded a $13,000 grant from the ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities titled “ND CREATE’s Customized Employment Technical Assistance Program” and a $25,000 grant from the ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities titled "Building Bridges: Enhancing Local Programs for Children with Disabilities." 

The ND CREATE’s Customized Employment Technical Assistance Program project is designed to support employment agencies in developing high-performing customized employment services. The goal of their project is to improve career outcomes for job seekers who want to improve their employment status with increased hours, higher job satisfaction, and/or increased pay and benefits. They will do this by providing consultation to community rehabilitation providers so that job seekers can be supported by their customized employment consultant to complete an Initial Discovery Action Plan that will eventually lead to gainful employment. 

The Building Bridges: Enhancing Local Programs for Children with Disabilities project aims to foster a culture of inclusive care and support for children with disabilities in community-based childcare, before/after school programs, and social programs through training, resource utilization, and technical assistance. This goal will be achieved by engaging community agencies alongside NDCPD staff in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) training activities, including creating a community of practice where agencies will come together to problem-solve, share best practices, and learn from each other to create inclusive environments for children with disabilities within their respective programs. 

Start Up Minot Academy powered by CO.STARTERS has openings for its 10-week business course starting Sept. 18. The course meets once per week from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sign up HERE and contact Mark Lyman at 852-6000 or by EMAIL. For more information, see FLYER.

Minot State University is using Vector LMS to offer Title IX courses online. Title IX training is mandatory, and there are no waivers. An alternate training is available for those who have difficulty with the content due to experiencing sexual misconduct. If you need alternative training, please contact the Title IX Coordinator via EMAIL. The training is due Sept. 30.
Follow these easy steps to complete your Minot State University safety training requirements:

• Using your web browser, go to the Vector LMS WEBSITE for Minot State University
• Enter your Username: @ndus.edu, Password is the same as campus connection

For questions about the training, please contact Jeni Anderson via EMAIL. For alternate training, please contact Lisa Dooley via EMAIL.

Go on an adventure with Minot State's international programs. The May 2025 trip to Scotland is now open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. The application deadline is Feb. 14, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the program page HERE. Ye dinnae ken Scotland yet, but you will!

We are delighted to announce the “Being Human and Working in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” conference, a platform dedicated to examining the evolving relationship between humans and AI in the context of work, society, and personal development. This event will take place on the campus of Valley City State University on Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. This event is hosted by the University of Mary, Valley City State University, and the North Dakota University System Dakota Digital Academy. If you have questions, please contact dakota.digital.academy@ndus.edu. For more information, see the updated 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.

• The Great Open: Photographs from North Dakota: In 2019, the museum commissioned Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb to create a body of photographs that probes the essence of North Dakota’s current landscape, people, and way of life. When the pandemic delayed the project, the artists returned to North Dakota in 2022 to complete the commission, which was supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. "The Great Open: Photographs from North Dakota," on view in the Northwest Arts Center’s Walter Piehl Gallery from Aug. 9 to Sept. 21.

Gordon B. Olson Library Gallery
The Gordon B. Olson Library gallery is located on the main level of the library, past the information desk. It is open during library business hours.

• Photography Retrospective: A Creative Life: The Northwest Arts Center and Gordon B. Olson Library present selections from Rosanne Olson's "Photography Retrospective: A Creative Life,” currently touring through the North Dakota Art Gallery Association. Rosanne Olson is a photographer, artist, and educator. During her 40-year career Olson has worked in multiple genres of photography — newspaper, magazine editorial, advertising, and fine art. The Northwest Arts Center is excited to bring her touring exhibition to the Gordon B. Olson Library gallery. It will be on display from Aug. 22-Oct. 12.

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.

• Stencil Workshop with Piotr Szyhalski: On view May 15 to Sept. 30.

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 business hours.

• ND/SD Photo Exchange: The Northwest Arts Center and Hartnett Hall present the "ND/SD Photo Exchange," an exhibition curated by Ryan Stander and John Benasiak. As with most print exchanges, each artist represented produced enough prints for all the other artists, and a large-scale trade ensued, where each artist received one print from every other artist. Additionally, one set was given to Minot State University and the University of South Dakota for their permanent art collection and for touring exhibits. The exhibition will be on display in Hartnett Hall from Aug. 22-Oct. 12.

David Frantsvog, assistant professor, Department of Business, was a part of Moneygeek.com's Expert Tips section of their website. Frantsvog added his insights on finding the best first-time credit cards. Read Frantsvog's advice HERE.

Holly Pedersen, professor of special education, and Katherine Terras, Certification Central CEO, presented to the Bush Foundation Board of Directors annual meeting in Minot on Aug. 14. Pedersen and Terras were co-directors of a Bush funded community innovation grant called Project PIPELINE that addressed the special education teacher shortage in ND by working collaboratively to plan a seamless teacher preparation pipeline to ensure a supply of high-quality special education teachers for the state.

Ernst Pijning, professor of history, published the following book chapter: “O que é transcultural? Um estudo das interacções na Costa do Ouro no século XVIII,” Marana Luísa Tregues Diniz and André Figueiredo Rodrigues transl., in:  Lúcia Helena Oliveira Silva and Jorge Benedito de Freitas Teodoro eds., Espaços Coloniais. Mediações culturais e práticas de poder em territórios de domínio português (América, África e Ásia – séculos XVI ao XX), (São Paulo: FFLCH/USP, 2024), 85-110.

He also presented the following paper at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies, Lisbon, Portugal, on July 12. “Revolutionary Diplomatic Relations between Portugal, Brazil, and the Netherlands, (1795-1834).”

Dan Conn, associate professor and chair of the Department of Education and Inclusive Services, along with Michelle Tenam-Zemach from Drop the Knowledge and Paul Parkison from the University of North Florida, have been honored with the prestigious O.L. Davis Jr. Outstanding Book Award by the American Association of Teaching and Curriculum. The award will be presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the American Association of Teaching and Curriculum, to be held in Denver, Colorado, from October 3-5, 2024. Conn and his colleagues' work is available for reading at the Gordon B. Olson Library and can also be accessed online HERE. For more information, please contact Dan Conn by EMAIL or 701-858-3267.

Minot State University has been approved to join the College Cost Transparency Initiative, committing to clear, accurate, and helpful communication in financial aid offers. Special thanks to Lindsey Benson for her hard work in meeting these requirements. The CCTI seal will soon be added to the University's financial aid website. For more information, see the CCTI WEBSITE.

Kyle Patterson returned to Minot State as the new academic advisor for the School of Business, Math, and Technology after Eileen Solberg's retirement earlier this summer. Patterson will be based in the Academic Support Center in the Gordon B. Olson Library.

Ralitsa Wierson has joined the Minot State Student Health Clinic and Counseling Center as a new counselor. Originally from Bulgaria, Wierson is a former international student-athlete with a passion for sports, the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with her family. To schedule an appointment with the Student Health Clinic and Counseling Center, please visit the student portal HERE.

The 2024-2025 MSU Staff Senate members and the areas they represent are listed below:

• Academic Affairs: Jeni Anderson, Karla Bredahl, Melissa Cantone, Linda Conn, Kacey Donamaria, Christopher Lozensky, Lynda Opp, Diane Pierson, Jana Schultz, Celeste Simmons, Tammy Wolf
  • Areas include: Administrative Assistants/Coordinators, Registrar's Office, Library, Institutional Research, Center for Extended Learning, Graduate School, Academic Support Center,  POWER Center, Looyenga Leadership Center, and North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities
• Administration & Finance: Ann Haider-Bougard, Corrina Lemer, Penny Lipsey, Aundrey Livingston, Tyler Schmaltz, Laurie Weber
  • Areas include: Business Office, Grants and Contracts Accounting, Information Technology Central, Financial Aid, Facilities Management, Post Office, Security, and Human Resources
• Advancement: Pat Slotsve
  • Areas include: Alumni, Development Foundation, University Communications, and Publication & Design Services
• Members-at-large: Lynda Bertsch, Rick Heit, Eric Pietrzak
  • Areas include: all MSU staff
• Office of the President: Heather Halverson, Emily Norman, Ryan Miner-Green, Daniel Schuetz
  • Areas include: President's Office, Athletics, including Minot State Dome custodians, Enrollment Services, Marketing, and Title IX
• Student Affairs: Benjamin Bagwell, Deb Haman
  • Areas include: Student Activities, Student Life & Housing, Student Health & Counseling, Native American Center, Office of International Programs, Military Resource Center, and Wellness Center

Bailee Brommenschenkel, Minot State senior middle blockers, was named an NSIC Preseason Player to Watch for volleyball as the league announced its Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Preseason Players to Watch.