MSU President's Newspaper Column
December 30, 2023
Thankful for accomplishments in 2023, we look forward to a bright new year
As the year comes to a close, we reflect with grateful hearts on all that has happened and turn the page to what promises to be a bright 2024. We have been blessed with many opportunities to make an impact as we educate the leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to continuing this important work as we develop new programs and more that will give us additional tools to assist with the workforce needs of our local area, state, region, and country.
Our students are learning from faculty who are instilling the knowledge needed to be successful, as well as the values that will serve them well as they pursue their lives as leaders in their careers and communities. Our student population is made up of nearly 70% North Dakota residents, and our graduates stay in North Dakota. Nearly 70% of graduates report being employed in North Dakota and/or continuing their education, and almost 800 Mayville State graduates teach in North Dakota. At least one of our graduates is teaching in nearly every county in our state. We are Comet Proud of the impact we are having in North Dakota and across the United States, not only in the profession of teaching, but in many other careers as well.
Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, the Mayville State University Foundation is experiencing many firsts. As of Oct. 31, MSU Foundation assets were at an all-time high of $14,838,264. This is up from $13,418,897 at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2023, and $11,694,014 at the end of the fiscal year in 2022.
The MSU Foundation endowment balance is at an all-time high as well, at $12,055,557. You may know the endowment balances are maintained in perpetuity. Only the earnings on endowments are made available in scholarships and other forms of support for the university.
Financial support to our athletic teams is outstanding. Through their work over the past three academic years, the Comet Athletic Club has given out nearly $600,000 in athletic scholarships. We are grateful to the Comet Athletic Club board members for their tireless support for Comet Athletics.
Over the last several years, the North Dakota Challenge Grant has been multiplying the impact of the generosity of our alumni and friends who very thoughtfully provide scholarship resources for our students. For the current biennium, the legislature has made $1.1 million available in matching funds for Mayville State University, up from the $700,000 allotted in the last biennium. Private scholarship gifts are being matched at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar. This support from the state has made a huge impact at Mayville State in the past and continues to do so today.
A family with three generations of involvement at Mayville State and a farming heritage going back to at least the 1600s in Europe has issued a $20,000 matching challenge to all Mayville State University alumni and friends, especially those who are a part of the farming community. This anonymous Mayville State family is matching dollar-for-dollar all donations to fund agribusiness scholarships at Mayville State, up to a total of $20,000. Donations must be received in the office of the MSU Foundation by January 15, 2024. The funds raised are eligible for matching provided through the North Dakota Challenge Grant program, making the impact of the Harvest Challenge even greater. Scholarships generated will plow, till, plant, cultivate, and pave the way for students who wish to pursue careers in agribusiness and start the journey by earning a college degree at Mayville State University. Scholarships will be awarded to students in the fall semester of 2024. You can learn more at www.mayvillestate.edu/harvestchallenge.
The future is bright at Mayville State University. We thank our employees, students, friends, and neighbors for the part they played in making 2023 a fantastic year. We look forward to continuing these important partnerships that will help to bring our beloved university to greater levels of success in 2024 and beyond.
As we turn the calendar page, we know that many high school seniors will be taking a serious look at where they will make their college homes next fall. If you know of someone who would benefit from a Mayville State education, please encourage them to explore Mayville State. We have a fantastic new scholarship opportunity planned for students enrolling in the Fall of 2024. Watch for exciting information coming soon. You can learn more at www.mayvillestate.edu/makeitmayville or arrange for a campus visit by calling 701-788-4842.