麻豆传媒AV President's Newspaper Column
January 24, 2026听
A bright future shaped by meaningful programming and personal service
The spring semester began last week, and we are energized for what the new academic term will bring. It is exciting to welcome new students to the Mayville State family, and it is equally exciting to see so many students who were with us during the fall semester return after the break. First day enrollment numbers show an increase over the Spring Semester of 2025 and the positivity found university-wide continues.
We know that the spring is always packed full of extra activities that include awards programs, conferences, campus events for prospective students, and more. The busy semester will culminate with our greatest annual celebration, commencement. It is our honor to celebrate with our newest graduates and their families as the new owners of Mayville State degrees are recognized for reaching their academic goals and dreams.
Among Mayville State鈥檚 most important goals is to provide for North Dakota鈥檚 workforce needs. We work very hard to prepare graduates who are educated in critical need areas and are ready to make a difference for our state.
Toward that end, we constantly explore new program options that meet the state鈥檚 evolving needs, while continuing to fine tune and provide the best-possible educational components in our traditional programs. Mayville State鈥檚 commitment to educating teachers, which has been at the institution鈥檚 core since its founding as a normal school in 1889, is paramount. Just this week, The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education Academic and Student Affairs Committee approved our proposed undergraduate certificates in Dyslexia and Language-based Reading Pedagogy and in Reading Science and Pedagogy. Our outstanding Division of Education faculty and staff go above and beyond to ensure we are serving the needs of our state and beyond.
In addition, the committee approved a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Agribusiness for Mayville State. About five years ago, we began a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness degree program. This new BAS degree will provide another similar option that will be beneficial for students who transfer in with associate鈥檚 degrees.
Last week, we learned that the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), our accrediting body, has approved our new Master of Science in Leadership program that will begin in the fall of 2026. We are super-enthusiastic for what this program can mean, not only for our students, but for our state.
Mayville State鈥檚 new Master of Science in Leadership program will provide our region with graduates who have high demand skill sets, including management operations, communication, and leadership. The importance of these skill sets becomes even more critical in the changing workplace of the future as AI and other technologies increasingly support technical skill sets.
Mayville State鈥檚 program will be available in a fully online format to serve our entire region, including those currently working in business and industry. It will further offer a fast-track 4+1 pathway for the Bachelor of Science in business administration majors, meaning they can seamlessly go directly into the master鈥檚 degree program and earn it in one year. A student could have a bachelor鈥檚 degree and a master鈥檚 degree in a total of five years.
A recently added program in criminal justice is already making a difference. In addition, I am always in awe of the number of recent Mayville State graduates who are pursuing further education that will lead to careers in the medical field. We鈥檝e got medical doctors, dentists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and more who are members of our alumni family. Also on the healthcare front, we鈥檙e awaiting word from HLC on their approval of a Pre-Licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that we plan to launch in the fall as well. This new program will allow students to pursue bachelor鈥檚 degrees from beginning to end with Mayville State and will nicely complement our already successful RN-to-BSN and Master of Science in Nursing programs. The needs for well-prepared employees in each of these careers are great.
The new year is off to a great start. While we鈥檙e enjoying all that comes with the spring semester, we look ahead to a continued bright future and meaningful existing and new programs that benefit our university, students, community, and state. This programming, combined with our commitment to educating the whole student through opportunities for intellectual development; personal growth; volunteerism; community involvement; character development; social, emotional, and personal development; and leadership development wraps up the Mayville State experience in a wonderful package tied with a lovely bow called 鈥減ersonal service,鈥� which truly sets Mayville State apart.