Community

Minot State’s reach extends well beyond campus

Minot State University's role in the community goes well beyond the classroom.

Across all departments, MSU faculty, staff, and students actively engage with individuals, groups and organizations in Minot and northwest North Dakota.

That involvement takes many forms. The university provides health-related services and introduces young people to science and technology, hosts cultural events, supports future educators and innovators, and gives area residents opportunities to experience athletics and the arts at an elite level.

Community engagement is both an extension of MSU's educational mission and an opportunity for students to learn by serving others.

One of the most direct examples is the Minot State Communication Disorders Clinic, a community-based teaching clinic that provides speech, language, cognitive-communication, and feeding and swallowing services to the community. Originally developed under the guidance of Edna Gilbert during her 40-year tenure from 1930-1971, the clinic serves approximately 1,000 individuals each year, while giving students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) real-world clinical experience.

"The clinic is a place where education and service intersect," said Mary Huston, CSD professor and department chair. "Our community helps us educate future clinicians, and in return, our students and faculty provide meaningful services and support."

The clinic offers a broad range of speech-language pathology services for people across the lifespan. Services include speech and language assessment and intervention, fluency, voice, literacy, cognitive communication, swallowing and feeding, aural rehabilitation, and services related to neurological conditions. Students work under the direct supervision of licensed, certified speech-language pathologists.

The clinic is open year-round and operates as a donation-only clinic, helping make services accessible while providing students with valuable preparation for professional practice.

The department's community involvement extends outside the clinic.

CSD students participate in screenings at area preschools, including in Minot and Belcourt, and graduate students gain experience through clinical placements in medical, educational, and private-practice settings.

Community engagement also means meeting people in less formal settings. The department partnered with MSU marketing at the North Dakota State Fair for the second consecutive year, giving students an opportunity to interact with children and families.

"The North Dakota State Fair is another opportunity to connect with the community in a different way," Huston said. "Unlike the clinic, the fair is a casual environment where we can meet families, interact with children, answer questions and introduce people to the profession of speech-language pathology."

The ND State Fair was one of several summer events that brought Minot State into the community. MSU representatives participated in the Hot Tots STEM Expo, Hot Tots Education Day, Family Day at the Fair, and a Back to School Bash held in partnership with the Minot Park District.

Science and STEM faculty and staff maintain an especially broad community presence throughout the year.

"One of my favorite parts of my job is community outreach," said Tina Webb, MSU workforce development officer for science, technology, engineering, and math. "Whether it's showing students how to engineer a catapult at the state fair or supporting rural North Dakota school teachers with high-quality STEM experiences through MSU's three SPARK-ND grant options, we absolutely love sharing our passion for STEM with the community."

That outreach includes science open houses for area schools, College for Kids programming, professional development for high school teachers, Science Olympiad, the Native American Science and Engineering Fair, and First Lego League competitions. Faculty and students also deliver presentations to regional organizations and participate in projects such as the Plum River Native Prairie Project.

SPARK-ND provides another avenue for extending STEM education across the state. Funded through a National Science Foundation E-CORE award, the initiative seeks to build a sustainable STEM research and education ecosystem in North Dakota, with Minot State leading its STEM Pathways Core.

Athletics provides another highly visible connection between Minot State and the community.

Each year, more than 1,000 youth participate in Beaver camps. Student-athletes and coaches also visit area schools and participate in events in Minot, Parshall, New Town and Watford City. The Jason Two Crow Football Camp in Parshall brings Beaver football coaches and student-athletes directly to area youth.

Athletics also uses its platform for service. The football program has led a bone marrow match drive designed to raise awareness and encourage participation in efforts that can help people battling blood cancers and other blood diseases.

"We compete for Minot State, but we serve something bigger," said Kevin Harmon, vice president for student affairs and intercollegiate athletics.

The university's commitment to education goes beyond the 100-plus-year-old campus and into area schools.

Programs such as ASPIRE give North Dakota high school juniors and seniors interested in education an early start on a teaching career through dual-credit coursework and other experiences, while SPARK-ND connects Minot State STEM expertise with students and educators across North Dakota.

The arts provide another major connection. NOTSTOCK, Minot State's annual hands-in, hands-on arts event, brings artists and performers together with MSU students, K-12 and postsecondary students, teachers, community members and other guests. The event encompasses poster art, ceramics, poetry, writing, film, theater, music and dance.

MSU Summer Theatre has long served as a bridge between the university and the community. The summer company has been a part of Minot since 1965 and has operated at the university's outdoor amphitheater since the early 1970s. Summer Theatre is a collaborative university-community theatrical organization designed to meet the region's artistic and creative needs.

Through the Northwest Arts Center, NoDAKoN, SRT Tech Day, the Entrepreneurial Perspective, and the Alumni Speaker Series, Minot State brings artists, technology and cybersecurity experts, industry leaders and other professionals from across the country to the community.

Each spring, the university welcomes the community to its annual Spring Honor Dance and Powwow, a cultural tradition that brings dancers, drummers, artists, and spectators together to celebrate Native American heritage through song, dance, and community.

Taken together, these efforts illustrate the many ways Minot State is more than a place where students attend classes. Its faculty, staff, and students provide services, share expertise, mentor young people, host cultural and artistic experiences, support regional schools and organizations and create opportunities for people throughout the region to connect with the university.

It's the ultimate two-way relationship.

"The community helps us educate our students," Huston added, "and our students have the opportunity to give something meaningful back."