MSU President's Newspaper Column

April 1, 2023 

Success comes with hard work, sacrifices, and planning

Mayville State University’s faculty and staff are the driving force behind many of the accomplishments of the university as a whole, as well as the students we serve. At “The School of Personal Service,” our employees take a genuine interest in making sure Mayville State’s students are successful and have a great start as they begin new careers.

In addition to making the world a better place by helping individuals on their road to success, Mayville State employees work hard every day to make sure the university is the best it can be. As part of their involvement on committees, senates, and associations, employees take an active role in our goals for excellence university-wide. Not only are faculty and staff working directly with students, they are working on things such as meeting standards for accreditation, providing proper curricular opportunities, and exploring ways in which the university can better-serve the state of North Dakota.

We are currently working to establish a new strategic plan for the university. The effort is being led by the president’s cabinet working together with Dan Bussian, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who is coordinating and doing the hands-on work for the project. Many employees are involved on the various strategic planning committees that are having thoughtful discussions on the university’s future and formulating a plan that will help to guide us for the next several years. This is important work, and I am grateful to Dan for his leadership and to all who are involved.

Mayville State has been successful in achieving several accomplishments over the last couple of years. Some of the top accomplishments include development of degrees to help with North Dakota’s workforce needs. These high-need degree areas include nursing and special education. We now have master’s degrees available to help serve the needs of our students and ultimately the citizens of North Dakota.

Over the last several years, we’ve had some financial struggles that I’m happy to report have been reversed. Our Composite Financial Index (CFI) score has grown from .41 just a couple of years ago to 4.07 in a report issued several weeks ago. The CFI measures the overall health of an institution based on core ratios. One could compare the CFI with your personal credit score. The lower your credit score, the more difficult it is to have financial freedom.

At a recent board meeting, State Board of Higher Education members recognized Mayville State’s progress and commended Mayville State employees for their tenacity in making this happen. It is gratifying to know that our higher education leaders recognize our efforts.

In addition to a declining CFI score, we had some audit findings a couple of years ago. They have all been addressed and continue to be corrected. In our latest audit report, Mayville State University had no audit findings. That is a huge success, and one in which all employees can take ownership. Hats off!

These wonderful achievements have come with a lot of hard work and sacrifices as well. Administration has had to make some very difficult decisions and employees have pulled up their boot straps and done what has needed to be done to keep our beloved university moving forward. I could not be more appreciative of the faculty and staff members who have embraced the concept of team and come together for the greater good. From the bottom of my heart, I say “thank you.”

We know that it is extremely important for us to remain vigilant in all that we do. As we look to a bright future, we can be happy for the progress we’ve made while keeping a keen eye on how we can continue to serve our students and our state at the highest level possible.