Mayville State University (MSU or MaSU) is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universi ...

Mayville, North Dakota Mayville is a city in Traill County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,854 at the 2020 census. which makes Mayville the largest community in Traill County. Mayville was founded in 1881. The city's name remembers May Arnold, the f ...

. It is part of the North Dakota University System.

History

Founded as a

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

by provision of the

North Dakota Constitution The Constitution of North Dakota is the most basic legal document in the U.S. state of North Dakota. It consists of a preamble and fourteen articles. Amendments to the North Dakota Constitution have always required the approval of a majority of vo ...

in 1889, Mayville State was granted and organized by the first Legislative Assembly. Classes began in 1889, with funds for the current

Old Main Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building serves today as home to administrative offices, such as the president or provost, but in its early inception may ...

a building provided by the Second Legislative Assembly in early 1891, where classes were initially held in 1894. In 1926, the State Board of Higher Education authorized Mayville State to grant a Bachelor of Arts in education. The Mayville Normal School thus became Mayville State Teacher's College, providing general education and offering a four-year degree. Successive additions strengthened the curriculum; and as enrollment grew, new buildings appeared. In 1948, the B.A. in Education became a B.S. in Education and the first non-teaching Bachelor of Arts was offered in 1961. In 1973 and 1982, Mayville State College established programs in business administration and computer studies respectively. In the early 1980s, the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of General Studies became available. The present name, Mayville State University, was approved by the legislature in 1987.

Campus

In 1985, multiple campus buildings were recognized by the National Register of Historic Places with the creation of the

Mayville Historic District The Mayville Historic District is a historic district in Mayville, North Dakota. It includes works of significance during 1889–1930. It includes Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements, Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, an ...

. and On April 9, 2010, the university broke ground on "the first state funded building in more than 40 years." Agassiz Hall, the largest residence hall has been remodeled to provide suite- and apartment-style living accommodations for men and women. An addition to the science and library buildings is providing a new home for the Division of Education and Psychology. Great progress continues to be made on a state-funded HPER project, which involves replacement of the 1929 Old Gymnasium and expansion of classroom and lab/practice space for Sports Management, Fitness and Wellness, Health Education, and Physical Education majors.

Athletics

The Mayville State athletic teams are called the Comets. The university is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing as a member of the

North Star Athletic Association The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that began play in the 2013–14 school year. The conference currently has eight full member ...

(NSAA) as a founding member since the 2013–14 academic year. The Comets previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2011–12 to 2012–13; and in these defunct conferences: the

Dakota Athletic Conference The Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As the name implies, member teams were located in the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. T ...

(DAC) from 2000–01 to 2010–11; and the

North Dakota College Athletic Conference The North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) was a collegiate athletic conference that ceased operations following the 1999–00 academic school year when it merged with the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference to form the Dakota Athletic ...

(NDCAC) from 1922–23 to 1999–2000. Mayville State competes in six intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball and football; while women's sports include basketball, softball and volleyball.

Men's basketball

The Mayville State Comets men's basketball team finished runner-up at the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament in 2007. This is the only men's basketball team in North Dakota history to play in a national collegiate championship game.

Softball

Mayville State's softball team appeared in one

Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other wo ...

in 1976.

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{Coord, 47, 30, 17, N, 97, 19, 24, W, format=dms, display=title, type:edu_region:US-ND Educational institutions established in 1889 Buildings and structures in Traill County, North Dakota Education in Traill County, North Dakota 1889 establishments in Dakota Territory Public universities and colleges in North Dakota Mayville, North Dakota