Photo: Dr. Matt Borcherding, Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at M State (left), and Larry Brooks, Vice President for Academic Affairs at VCSU.

Unique collaboration benefits students with cost savings and convenience, aims to address workforce shortage

Moorhead, Minn. – Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) and Valley City State University (VCSU) held a press conference today, July 17, to celebrate their unique partnership on a seamless transfer pathway for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Technology Education.

This pathway program provides students with a flexible, timely and cost-effective way to become K-12 trade and industry teachers, and it aims to address a regional workforce shortage by increasing the number of high-quality graduates entering the field. Graduates will have the skills and knowledge needed to teach in the areas of manufacturing, automotive service, diesel equipment, powersports and construction management.

Leaders from both M State and VCSU spoke at the press conference, held at the Oscar Bergos Center on M State’s Moorhead campus.

“This is a novel, student-focused partnership that addresses a desperate need for skilled technology educators in this area of Minnesota and North Dakota,” said Dr. Matt Borcherding, M State’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The program prepares students with the technical knowledge and teaching skills to thrive in today’s classrooms, and they benefit from coordinated advising, shared support services and distance-delivered coursework that makes it easier to balance education, life and work.”

“VCSU is excited to partner with M State on this unique teacher education program,” said Larry Brooks, VCSU’s vice president for academic affairs. “This collaboration provides a flexible and affordable high-quality program that prepares graduates to enter the field of technology education. Nationwide, the number of technology and engineering educators is declining. This partnership helps meet critical workforce needs of our region by addressing the teacher shortage.”

Under the agreement, students who earn an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from M State can transfer to VCSU to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Technology Education – without losing time, money or credits. Students complete their general education requirements at M State, at the M State tuition rate, and then finish their VCSU bachelor’s degree courses online or at one of M State’s four campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. Both institutions adhere to state and national accreditation guidelines ensuring teacher quality.

As an added benefit, students can complete their required student teaching internships at schools within their communities, eliminating the need to move or travel to another area.

Dr. Peder Gjovik, director of the Don Mugan CTE Leadership Center at VCSU, remarked, “Our agreement acknowledged today is not simply a collaboration between neighboring states but a template for other institutions of higher education across our nation to follow, to ensure technology education needs are addressed and satisfied in the decades ahead.”

For more information about the Technology Education program, contact M State’s Dean for the School of Applied Technology, Dr. Mark Bannatyne, at mark.bannatyne@minnesota.edu or 218.299.6718, or VCSU’s Director for the Don Mugan CTE Leadership Center, Dr. K. Peder Gjovik, at peder.gjovik@vcsu.edu or 701.845.7448.

Photo: Larry Brooks and Dr. Matt Borcherding, along with Dr. Mark Bannatyne, Dean for the School of Applied Technology at M State, and Dr. Peder Gjovik, Director for the Don Mugan CTE Leadership Center at VCSU.

About VCSU

Valley City State University is a member of the North Dakota University System and is located in Valley City, N.D. VCSU offers more than 65 areas of study and is the leading North Dakota university in preparing K-12 teachers. Learn more at www.vcsu.edu.

About M State

A member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities, M State (Minnesota State Community and Technical College) serves more than 10,000 students in credit and non-credit courses each year in over 70 career and liberal arts programs online and in-person at its four campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. The college also partners with communities to provide workforce development services and other responsive training programs to 500 businesses and thousands of annual participants.

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