MSU President’s Column for Traill County Tribune

February 9, 2019

Financial support is crucial to MSU’s mission of positively impacting the future

The first-ever Glitz & Glam Gala held Saturday evening, Feb. 2 was an overwhelming success! Again, I am Comet Proud! I continue to be amazed by the generosity and support that Mayville State receives from the Mayville-Portland and Traill County communities and beyond. Wow! Attendees for the evening in New York-themed event were from Mayville, Portland, Fargo, Crookston, Hatton, Cavalier, Grand Forks, and many more places.

The event, hosted by the MSU Foundation, was a success in terms of fun and goodwill, but I cannot forget the important overall goal of raising funds to support Mayville State University and its students. While figures are still being calculated, MSU Foundation Executive Director John Klocke tells me that an estimated $40,000 was raised as a result of the Glitz & Glam event.

Fundraising was a huge team effort that included those who purchased admission tickets and attended the event, those who purchased items on the live auction, those who donated items for the auction, and several table and corporate sponsors. We were also fortunate to have several who donated their time and talents to assure that the event would be a success and those in attendance would have a good time. These folks include Ron and Toni Jacobson of Jacobson Studio who provided a photo booth and souvenir photos, DJ Lute Simley who provided music, Pifer’s Auction who provided auctioneering and clerking services, and Jim and Stacie Morowski who provided safe rides home.

Funds raised in the event will be distributed equally via three entities, the MSU Foundation, the MSU Alumni Association, and Comet Athletics. These groups, each in its niche mission, will use the dollars raised to benefit the university and its students.

Many of Mayville State’s student athletes helped with the Glitz & Glam event, some in the background as preparations were made. Others helped out during the event, where they assured that guests were well-served and accommodated.

These student athletes are another reason for all of us to be Comet Proud. They work hard in the classroom, in the community, and in their respective sports to represent Mayville State University very well.

Nearly 40% of our full-time students participate in athletics. Athletics is an essential piece in the puzzle that makes up Mayville State’s success. The MSU administration recognizes this and is committed to supporting the athletic department to the greatest extent possible.

Over the last several years, serious consideration has been given to making sure that the Athletic Department is well-supported in the university budgeting process. For 2018-19, the university supported Athletics with a total of $137,200, which included an increase of $25,000. This action was approved by my cabinet and marks the first time in recent history that a move like this has been made.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the Comet Athletic Club will be digging deep to make a contribution of $145,000 to athletics. Athletic Director Ryan Hall’s Comet Coaches Club will provide an additional $40,000 to spread evenly across all athletic programs, and the university will be providing waivers amounting to an additional $21,000. Combine that with the $25,000 increase in 2018-2019 for a total boost of $46,000 over two years.

We are happy to say that next year’s financial support to Comet Athletics will be the largest amount in recent history. It makes me Comet Proud to know that everyone is pitching in to support an entity that is so important to Mayville State’s success. The amounts that will be allotted to each sport will be determined by roster sizes. The overarching goal is to be sure that we are distributing funding in as equitable a way as possible.

One important thing to note is that the amounts mentioned here do not take into account the other financial assistance our student athletes have the potential to receive, which includes endowed, academic, and music scholarships, diversity waivers, financial aid, work study, and more. While Mayville State rarely gives full rides for athletics, many students do get full rides when you include the additional support for which they qualify. John Klocke and Ryan Hall are working now on more ways to provide student support in the future.

Thank you to all who support Mayville State University and its students through events like the Glitz & Glam Gala or a plethora of other ways. We are grateful beyond words that we can offer a wonderful Mayville State education and great opportunities for successful futures to our students. How wonderful it is to know that we are making a positive difference for others.