Greetings, Comet Nation!
As part of the Pre-Service kickoff for Faculty & Staff on the campus of Mayville State, our new President, Dr. Brian Van Horn, gave his State of the University Address to the public on Wednesday here in the Classroom Auditorium.
(Image from Grand Forks Herald)
Some key points he addressed were:
A growing and diverse student body has a vast array of needs and educational goals to attain, with many avenues that need to be offered in order to attain them. There are many ways to meet those needs, such as collaborating with K-12 leaders, Community Colleges and adding additional degree programs.
In one example, he spoke about a common issue facing some students today. They start out attending a 4 year university, attain perhaps close to 90 credits and suddenly have to leave school for a family illness or other matters in life. Could at least a 2 year Associate of Arts degree be awarded to the student, so they can at least enter the workforce with an education in their hands, and an opportunity in the future to continue that education?
As reported in the Grand Forks Herald’s story -“There are reasons why students have to leave, it’s not a choice,” he said. “We want to get this associate of arts, so if a student stops out they will have a credential that will help them make a living until we can get them back into school.”
Van Horn also noted the hard work and dedication of the previous administrations in putting Mayville State in a solid place amidst statewide budget issues and concerns that affect higher education in the state. By having balanced budgets, that work has helped out MSU tremendously in facing these challenges.
President Van Horn also feels that our goals and objectives are in line with our state’s efforts with the Envision 2030 and NDUS Edge missions.
He also noted how he has been impressed with the spirit of the students at Mayville State and how meeting a few while on his visit for the interviews really made an impact on him. He pointed out four individual students he’s met so far and shared their stories with the crowd.
As he put it very succinctly “Every place has brick and mortar buildings, but it is the people around here that I really like and have been impressed with since I arrived here.”
As quoted once again from the Herald, he finished out his message with a strong statement of hope, pride and encouragement for what lies ahead in the next 12 to 36 months:
“We’re Mayville State University. We do what we do and we do what we do well,” he said. “I’m Comet proud. I’m proud of what we stand for. I’m proud of our faculty, our staff and how we treat students.”
#CometProud, indeed!
We’re all looking forward to an eventful and impactful year here at Mayville State!
Hail To Our Comets!
#HTOC
Captain Comet
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