MSU President's Newspaper Column
August 30, 2025
A time to celebrate!
The fall semester is off to a great start! Student athletes started arriving on campus for their fall camps the first week in August, and all others had their official move-in day at the residence halls on Saturday, Aug. 23. There’s been a whirlwind of activity ever since!
The Student Life folks have planned lots of activities to not only help students be academically prepared for the new semester, but also to have some fun, get comfortable, socialize, and make new friends. Students have enjoyed everything from a bonfire and s’mores bar to a hypnotist show and a karaoke/rap battle. On Sunday evening, the President’s Cabinet and friends served a picnic-style meal for students. We’re thankful for all who helped, including MSU Foundation Executive Director Lon Jorgensen who served as grill master. Everyone enjoyed a tasty meal in the beautiful setting at the new patio area at Agassiz Hall. The exceptional late summer weather made it even better.
Our Peer Leaders and residence hall assistants have made me Comet Proud over and over again throughout the weekend and into this week. These students exhibit personal service at its finest. Not only are they friendly and helpful, but they are also the best of the best in terms of mentors for the newest members of our Mayville State family.
The first classes of the fall semester began at 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25. This day also marked the culmination of the hard work so many have put in to ensure that we’d have success in the important area of student enrollment. Our employees have worked extremely hard for this, and their work is paying dividends.
Overall student headcount on the first day of classes was up 6.9% and the full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment was up 7.62% over the first-day figures from the Fall Semester of 2024. The number of freshmen enrolled was up 42.74%. The FTE of 847 recorded on Monday was the highest ever in Mayville State history! I commend all Mayville State faculty and staff who have contributed to this significant success. Parking lots are full, the community is busy, and smiles abound … it’s a great day to be a Comet! #GDTBAC
The first-day enrollment numbers are preliminary. Official final Fall Semester 2025 enrollment figures will be computed on Sept. 22, when all North Dakota University System institutions calculate final enrollment data.
These outstanding enrollment figures go hand in hand with the fact that our residence halls are full. There are very few beds available at this point. In addition, housing in the community is at or near capacity. I’m hearing of upper-class students who have had to go to the neighboring communities of Reynolds and Grand Forks to find places to live. In addition, some of our new faculty members needed to secure housing in Fargo because of the unavailability in Mayville-Portland. If we want to grow, there’s no better way to do it than to have our students seeking degrees living in Mayville/Traill County.
Housing is definitely a challenge on campus and in the community, but it’s a good problem to have in light of the positive enrollment success and all the good things that are happening at Mayville State. The Traill County Economic Development Commission is working hard to try to help with the housing crunch and has a goal of providing affordable housing in Mayville. I encourage the members of our community and beyond to join us in working together to find solutions. Let’s make good things happen. We are optimistic and eager to turn the housing challenge into another success story.
We are deliberate in our efforts to grow enrollment at the university as we serve the state with one of its greatest needs - workforce. Mayville State University plays an important role in providing graduates who are well-prepared to meet the workforce needs of our state. Do you remember the stat I shared recently that demonstrates how the number of graduates has grown? In the 2018 academic year, Mayville State graduated 163 students. That number has grown to 250 graduates in the 2025 academic year. It is most definitely our goal to keep that momentum going.
As I reflect on the past week, I celebrate this very special time at Mayville State University. I am beyond happy for all the great things that are happening, and I could not be more excited about welcoming new and returning students who I know make a difference while they are enrolled as students and when they graduate and pursue their careers in communities throughout our state and beyond. We thank the citizens or our community and region for their support and for welcoming our newest residents, our students!