Dickinson State University (DSU) invites the community to attend a farewell reception in honor of Dr. Thomas Mitzel, president of DSU. The reception will be held from 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, November 7, 2019 at the DSU Heritage Foundation (230 8th Ave W) in Dickinson.
My wife Rhonda and I arrived in Dickinson late in the evening December 6, 2015. From our first interactions with campus security when we received the keys to our home, to partaking in the local restaurant cuisine and downtown atmosphere, to obtaining our North Dakota driver’s licenses, we were truly humbled at the collegiality and support of the Dickinson community. These first impressions of Dickinson State University and the community of Dickinson were only strengthened over time as we worked together to ensure that our students continued to receive the best possible education and that DSU continued to be a foremost leader for western North Dakota.
Dr. Thomas Mitzel, President of Dickinson State University (DSU), has been selected as the next President of Kentucky Wesleyan College. Mitzel has grown enrollments and forged new financial pathways as the President of DSU, a position he has held since 2015.
During a distinguished career in higher education, Mitzel has excelled in every academic setting: as a scholar and faculty member, an Associate Provost, a Dean of Natural Sciences, a Provost of a nationally ranked liberal arts college, and as President of DSU. He has accomplished much at Dickinson State, including supporting the development of the University’s Foundation, gaining the confidence of the business community, and building relationships with all constituencies at the University.
Regarding his time at Dickinson State University, Dr. Mitzel said, “I am proud of our accomplishments. Working with the new DSU Heritage Foundation to ensure connectivity to our surrounding Blue Hawk supporters to aid our students in their educational endeavors has been a major highlight of the past four years. The DSU Heritage Foundation has worked steadfastly and tirelessly to ensure our institution has a healthy financial basis for campus needs and student scholarships. Well beyond these two accolades, however, the DSU Heritage Foundation has been instrumental in helping the University reconnect with the local community and the Blue Hawk alumni who are so passionate about the institution and its machinations.”
“We have stabilized the student enrollment and have begun to rebuild the student community on campus once again. Residence housing numbers continue to climb. The increase in retention for our first to second year students has been amazing. This increase could not have occurred without the hard work of both faculty and staff members. By making students feel that the campus is their home, more of them are choosing to stay. Student involvement in academics, athletics, social and academic clubs, and community involvement also continue to rise in a positive manner. This trend should continue in the coming years, again establishing DSU as a leader for the surrounding area as we integrate a younger generation into the ethos of Dickinson and western North Dakota.”
Mitzel started his career as a faculty member and administrator at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, a nationally ranked liberal arts institution. Mitzel taught organic chemistry there for 12 years, and served three years as Associate Provost, overseeing curriculum and budget for all academic programs. He then became the Dean of Natural Science at St. Edward’s University, a thriving Catholic institution in Austin, Texas, with a service-based mission and record of academic excellence. At St. Edwards, Mitzel worked with university advancement to raise $6.5 million in six months for a new science building, in addition to raising an endowment for the institution’s recently acquired Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Mitzel then returned to Trinity College as Provost, where he helped guide the College through a presidential succession, before assuming the presidency of Dickinson State.
Members of the Dickinson State University and Dickinson communities gathered to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of the DSU Rodeo Practice Complex Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the University will be welcoming back outdoor riding and practice arenas.
The August Minute with Mitzel can be viewed here.
Hello, Dickinson family, and welcome to a Minute with Mitzel.
I am finding it difficult to believe that we are already most of the way through August. It seems like yesterday our senior Blue Hawks were walking across the stage to accept their diplomas and begin the careers for which they have strived so hard. We had an exciting summer at the “College on the Hill,” but we are more excited to see the return of our students and the start of a brand new academic season.
The fall festivities began with the return of our athletes in early August, giving the campus a buzz of movement and youthful exuberance. On August 19th and 20th, the campus hosted the North Dakota Legislative Interim Higher Education Council. It was the first time in many years that this council met on the DSU campus, giving us the opportunity to present our plans on Dual Mission and to showcase the wonderful changes that have occurred across our campus as well as new programming that has been put in place. On Tuesday of that week, we also presented the State of the University, highlighting the four-year plan and discussing upcoming projects. This event was capped with a picnic for all staff and faculty members, hosted by the DSU Heritage Foundation. It was a perfect way to end the day with fun conversation and good food. The week culminated on Friday, with a celebration of Move-in Day, when all the Blue Hawk students living in residence halls moved onto campus to continue their academic endeavors. The new students were officially welcomed to the DSU community on Monday, August 26th, during our Convocation celebration, followed by an all-campus picnic.
Also, on Monday, we hosted an official groundbreaking for the new outdoor rodeo grounds, which will be constructed next to the Agriculture Building by State Street. This project has been entirely funded with private donations and I cannot thank our Dickinson community enough for their support of our Agriculture program.
Festivities will continue with “37 Days of Programming,” and I urge all of you to check the calendar of events, and participate in your university’s activities as we begin the new fall semester.
One of the projects of which we are quite proud this fall is “The Big Read.” Between October 22nd and December 15th, Dickinson and its surrounding communities will read and celebrate the novel “The Things They Carried,” written by Tim O’Brien. This endeavor is a wonderful example of Western North Dakota coming together as a collective group to share in the educational pathway upon which we set all of our students.
We have many other exciting events in which you can partake. The internationally known Theodore Roosevelt Symposium will be hosted on campus from September 12th to September 14th. The theme of this year’s gathering is “Theodore Roosevelt in Retrospect: An American Legacy.” The symposium grows in popularity every year and I invite you to join the discussion surrounding our 26th president.
For those of you with an interest in the geological history of our area, DSU is hosting a Paleontology Conference on September 14th and 15th.
There will also be a myriad of athletic activity at DSU this fall beginning with the first football game as we host the Rocky Mountain Battlin’ Bears on Thursday, August 29th. This is an evening game, and we have collaborated with the city of Dickinson to hold the final First on First gathering at the BAC the same evening. There will be fun for all, and you will not wish to miss this exciting get-together.
Regardless of your interests, there will be something at DSU to pique your interest and I urge you to participate where you are able.
Please join me in welcoming our new students to campus and to the community for an exciting new academic year, and until next time, go Blue Hawks!
The June Minute with Mitzel can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2RLBvqR
The May Minute with Mitzel can be viewed here: bit.ly/2EevwoY
Our summer season has officially arrived! The campus is unusually quiet with spring graduation having been completed, and our students either home for the summer resting for the start of the fall 2019 semester, or embarking on their next journey as Blue Hawk alumni.
Pete Stanton has been appointed by Dickinson State University (DSU) President Dr. Thomas Mitzel to serve as the director of intercollegiate athletics.
Visit Flickr for the full album of photos.
Dickinson State University (DSU) held its annual faculty and staff award ceremony on May 2, 2019. This event, which was first held in 1988, is an opportunity for the University to celebrate the accomplishments and service of faculty and staff.
Dickinson State University (DSU) received approval at the Dec. 6, 2018, State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) meeting to offer a Master of Entrepreneurship (ME), the University’s second approved master’s program. In a unanimous vote, DSU was approved to launch its inaugural cohort, which will begin online in August 2019. The program received approval from the Higher Learning Commission April 15, 2019.
