Category: Campus Updates

Update Provided By: Jessie Bessert

• Had 6 semi-finalists on campus for the Presidential search. The committee has since met and submitted finalist names to SBHE. Tentative date for March 31st to announce the president.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Corey Gorder has moved to Campus Dean from interim.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Clinical Addiction Counselor alumna to come talk about understanding behavioral health

Update Provided By: Megan Dimmler

• VP of Administrative Affairs (Lloyd Halvorson) retired
• Going to a 3-team leadership model to replace him with an internal search, closes March 16th (Dean of CTE, Academics and Nursing and Allied Health)

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

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Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Presidential zoom interviews have and a few in person interviews have taken place or will in the next week.

Update Provided By: Brandon Wallace

• Started campus planning sessions with various committees

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Update Provided By: Carol Campbell

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Update Provided By: Jessie Bessert

• Bylaws committee is making revisions and updates
• Hosting a toast master’s on campus and offering staff membership fee up to 10 members to be paid.
• Looking at offering CPR and other trainings for staff
• Mystic Mornings – once a month offer staff an opportunity to meet and discuss, and has opened that up to faculty
• Had to move staff appreciation dinner to December and invited faculty to that as well

Update Provided By: Mike O’Toole

• Campus Dean search underway with hopes of having someone hired by end of February
• Committee met 1/8 to go over applicants and will start interviews in a couple of weeks.

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Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Shari Veil started as Provost on 1/5
• Heidi Pecararo started as Attending Veterinarian on 1/2;
• Kelli Maddock as the interim Director of VDL;
• Co-interim VPs of Marketing and Communications Brynn Rawlings and Seinquis Leinen
• Haven’t heard who the interim President will be

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Starting master planning process that will take about a year; community coat project; suggestion box has been inundated with concerns regarding snow removal and closings and safety of staff, especially during the break

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Interim president (Dr. Allen Burgad – formerly Dean of the VCSU School of Education) started and joined last week’s Staff Senate meeting; put forth some names for the presidential search committee;
• Some internal things – cocoa crawls, thinking about a Caribbean night event; plan for professional development over spring break since all the staff are still working

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

New healthcare building opens for students on 1/13; committee designed to see who takes over the spaces that the healthcare vacated

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Update Provided By: Jessie Bessert

• Forming nominations for presidential search right now
• Discussions over email right now
• Survey sent out looking for people to serve on committee
• Got football program starting in fall 2027

Update Provided By: Mike O’Toole

Staff senate sponsored some Halloween activities – costume contest, pumpkin decorating. The bookstore had morale-boosting activities.

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Update Provided By: heather Halverson

• Pumpkin Decorating Contest
• TRIO program hosted a 1st gen round table
• November 17th supervisor training

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Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Waiting to hear results of Attending Veterinarian search and who it was offered to
• 4 Candidates were brought to campus for the Provost.
• President Cook announced that he is a finalist for ISU President.
• Hosted 2nd Annual Academics Fair

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

• Shared Governance award has been brought back to campus and is awarded to a student, staff member and a faculty member. This award is managed by the Staff Senate
• Turkey Bingo event coming up

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• The President is leaving on December 31st

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

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Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

The President spoke at the last Senate meeting. They’ve asked for more communication from the administration, and they are getting that. The President shared about the strategic planning and legislative issues. Elected committee chairs came up with new ideas on how to greet new employees from the Senate (meet in person and give them a welcome gift). Separation of faculty and staff at events – The president is on board with providing funding to help incorporate faculty into staff events as well.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

Fundraiser going right now (Get Axed). Have signs that put in the yard, pay money to get them removed, can pay money to have them placed in someone else’s yard. Evergreen Gala – Sept. 27th – the Foundation’s biggest fundraiser; dress up, play games, silent/live auction. Did staff trainings over the summer instead of doing them all during an in-service week.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

Staff Senate is working with Sodexo for dining to get free lunch cards to take new employees for lunch during their first week of work. Sodexo provided the cards free of cost to Staff Senate.

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Update Provided By: Shannon Hofer

• Pre-services will be held next week, with the state of the University being held on Wednesday
• Football and Volleyball are back on campus
• Football players helped to clean up from the major storm that went through
• Old Main project is still underway

Update Provided By: NDSSS Meeting Minutes

• Fall Kickoff was held on August 20th at Radio City Park
• QPR Suicide Prevention Trainings held
• Wellness Center held a “Riddle me fit” Walk that included riddles to solve at different locations.
• NDCPD new Executive Director – Hilory Liccini
• Awarded major grant for STEM education research opportunities for rural students of $480,000 disbursed over the next four years
• Held last on campus Registration
• Largest Freshman class in 14 years

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Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

Had the Interim VP of RCA appointed (Dr. Heidi Grunwald who was serving as the
Assistant VP). Also turning over the Director of Facilities Management – Brent DeKrey will be taking over on Oct. 3rd after Mike Ellingson’s retirement. The State of the University is tomorrow (9/9).
Historically, been during Homecoming week but decided to try something new this year. Had a successful Welcome Week. Homecoming is week of Sept. 22nd. Staff Senators will be volunteering at events but the only event that we will be participating as Staff Senate in is the parade on the 26th and we’ll have a float. We have our 2nd Annual Academic Programs Fair coming up on Nov. 4th.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

Will do a float at Homecoming Parade. Getting ready for state employee recognition luncheons. Had State of University address as well, with staff at the university center and student government giving the introduction. Having a “seminar series” for new employees.

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• Staff Senate at VCSU is in charge of our campus parade float and we have several appearances coming up. We are working on filling all of our roles on campus committees that require staff representation. Staff Senate VP has started attending our Faculty Senate meetings and we are waiting for Faculty Senate to identify one of their member to attend our meetings. We have been working to greet all new staff members with an information card about Staff Senate and a VCSU t-shirt. Our Professional Development Committee has worked with our EAP to bring a training on Emotional Intelligence to campus. The College Tour TV series from Amazon Prime is on campus this week filming for a new episode featuring VCSU.

Update Provided By: Meeting Minutes

As part of inservice this year, planned a bus tour of campus utilizing a newer athletics bus to transport employees between buildings. Had a recommendation to do it multiple times a year so that the faculty could be involved as well. Spoke with President about overlapping staff and faculty inservice during the same week. Some of the stuff (i.e. Presidential address will have to stay) but some of the trainings could be spread out. Will be moving staff inservice to two weeks before start of semester.

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Update Provided By: Jessie Bessert

• July Annual employee appreciation evet
• Staff Senate just had a retreat to do strategic planning
• Met with President to see what his expectations were for Staff Senate – Focusing on excellence in communication and by-laws this year

Update Provided By: Mike O’Toole

• Volleyball on campus already, with baseball arriving next week.
• All of the offices are buzzing, and IT is busy with a few Teams rooms.
• Change in Leadership has left them unsure of what the next steps are for administration meetings with the different campus senate leaders.

Update Provided By: Laura Fetting

• DSU Staff Senate has started the 2025-26 term with newly elected senators. The senators are working on getting committees up and running. The following offices were elected: President – Laura Fetting, Vice President – Ashley Tillman, and Secretary/Treasurer – Kierra Mathern.
• Staff Senate is working with the President’s Cabinet to revamp the Above & Beyond Award. This award was created to recognize outstanding contributions from DSU employees who exemplify dedication, innovation, and exceptional service. The initiative seeks to foster a culture of appreciation and motivation across campus.
• Staff Senate hosted several potluck lunches over the summer. The final potluck of the summer also held a donation drive to support the DSU Community Pantry. Donations included nonperishable food items, toiletries, and clothing items.

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Update Provided By: Shannon Hofer

• Pre-services will be held next week, with the state of the University being held on Wednesday
• Football and Volleyball are back on campus
• Football players helped to clean up from the major storm that went through
• Old Main project is still underway

Update Provided By: NDSSS Meeting Minutes

• Fall Kickoff was held on August 20th at Radio City Park
• QPR Suicide Prevention Trainings held
• Wellness Center held a “Riddle me fit” Walk that included riddles to solve at different locations.
• NDCPD new Executive Director – Hilory Liccini
• Awarded major grant for STEM education research opportunities for rural students of $480,000 disbursed over the next four years
• Held last on campus Registration
• Largest Freshman class in 14 years

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Update Provided By: Andrea Ludwig

• Applicants for the Interim VP for RCA are interviewing

Update Provided By: Anna Kinney

• State of University will recap key points from the past year and outline the goals for next year
• Town halls will be held – one for employees and one for students, parents/families
• Kicking off AI forum and it will be every 2nd Tuesday of the month on Zoom

Update Provided By: Janna Kohler

• Welcome week held and a family picnic
• Campus engagement held events every week this summer
• Finishing up parade float
• Education Building is open now just in time for the students!

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