"BIT Talks" series continues with Jeremy Neuharth
BIT Day this Wednesday
Division of Business and Information Technology Reaches 100%
First annual Winter Festival this weekend!
Russell invited to PPST Advisory Committee
AM 1100 radio's Chris Berg "College Tour" visits VCSU
Rhoades Science Center update:
IDEA Corner
Viking Athletic Update
Winter safety and tips:
What's Happening at VCSU and in Valley City...
January Birthdays

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published each Monday during the academic year. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 4:30 pm the preceeding Friday.

The second of the "BIT Talks" series of presentations will be held Wednesday, February 1 at 3:00 pm in the VCSU Student Center Skoal Room. In this presentation, Jeremy Neuharth, a software engineering supervisor at State Bank and Trust, will deliver his presentation: "Why 'America's Got Talent' is a Role Model for Managers." This "Talk" is open to the public.

Jeremy Neuharth is an 11 year veteran in delivering technology solutions with a particular enthusiasm for the banking industry. In his current position as software engineering supervisor at State Bank & Trust, he oversees many strategic projects including: implementing mobile banking, building a real-time alerting engine, coaching social media efforts, and integrating many of the bank's various online financial products.

As an experienced project manager, Neuharth holds many industry certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute as well as the Certified SCRUM Practitioner (CSP) from the SCRUM Alliance. Jeremy also serves as a board member on the Information Technology Council of North Dakota (ITCND), the program manager for the Northwest Outreach Program of the Minnesota Chapter of the Project Management Institute, and as an adjunct trainer for TrainND.

He enjoys being actively involved in the IT and financial services community through various user groups and technical organizations. He can frequently be found presenting or attending roundtable discussions or technical forums on a variety of topics.

Jeremy lives in Fargo with his wife and two children.

The Division of Business and Information Technology is happy to announce that it will host our 20th Annual BIT Day this Wednesday, February 1. Please help us welcome high school students from the region as they come to campus to compete in a variety of marketing and information technology events. We want to offer a special thank you to the VCSU Garage Bands for entertaining our visitors, and Doug Britt and Sodexho for accommodating extra students during their busy lunch hour.

Congratulations to the Division of Business and Information Technology for reaching 100% participation in giving to the VCSU Foundation this fiscal year. This outstanding achievement will be celebrated with a break party, hosted by Dr. Shirley.

Thank you to all who are currently participating in Foundation giving. Every dollar is making a difference on the Valley City State University campus.

The Valley City Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the first annual Winter Festival, a series of fun events to help get us through the mid-winter doldrums. This year the Winter Festival will be held Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5 at locations around Valley City.

"This is a great opportunity for family and friends to get out of the house and enjoy lots of fun activities and events," said Stephanie Mayfield, executive vice president of the Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce. "We put together the schedule making sure we had something for everyone!"

For more information, visit www.hellovalley.com/calendar.php.

Recently, Valley City State Univeristy Communication Arts Professor Dr. Julee Russell received an invitation from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to participate on the PPST Advisory Committee. Russell attended three days of committee meetings on the ETS campus in Princeton, NJ. The committee's charge was to suggest possible changes or revisions to the PPST exam in order to align the exam with the Career Readiness Standards and the Common Core Standards.

Many states have adopted the Common Core Standards for preK-12 education. The PPST exam was last revised in 2007, and as part of the regular revision process, ETS intends to begin developing an updated exam which will reflect clear alignment with the new standards. The process may take several years.

Julee Russell was one of approximately twenty middle school and university educators from across the country to receive this opportunity. Russell said, "Meeting and working with professional educators from all over the United States and Guam provided for lively and informed discussions related to reading, writing, and mathematics, in terms of the skills pre-service teachers require. I look forward to working with ETS and this committee again if the opportunity arises."

The January 26 edition of the Chris Berg Show was broadcast from the VCSU Student Center and featured several of our students and faculty. If you missed it, you can replay the podcast by clicking HERE and selecting the segments dated January 26.

A HUGE thank you to the students who participated (Kendra Krueger, Tommy Zinke, Brian Dahlberg, Ben Snyder, Caitlin Miller, Mardee Lander, Ryan Lenoue, Adam Bommersbach, Garrett Anderson and Jen Shadlock) as well as the faculty (Hilde van Gijssel and Sue Pfeifer), Dr. Shirley, Jack Denholm, and Dennis McCulloch. They all did an outstanding job! One of the segments (the 9:00 am hour) also featured some very positive comments about VCSU from alum Dan Michaels, the 106.9 "Voice of the Bison." Other guests on the program (by phone) included Representative Kim Koppelman (West Fargo, Candidate for U.S. House) and Kurt Zellers (Minnesota Speaker of the House).

Last week, the first walls were poured on the new addition of the Science Center. They were covered all last week with plastic sheets to keep the heat in until the concrete had a chance to cure.

This Wednesday, they will be pouring another section of the walls. This means there will be more heavy equipment on campus, so as always, please use caution around the construction site.

More pictures have been added to the website from the month of January: check it out!

Don't forget to check out the LIVE webcam to see play-by-play action: LIVE Webcam

From Instructional Designer Roger Skophammer

The brown bag Wednesday, February 1, highlights the ebook resources at the library. The ebook is coming of age and is changing the way we read and study. Please plan to attend this informative presentation.

To reserve a $5 box lunch for the Brown Bag, contact Shannon Van Horn.

Last week at the brown bag, we discussed assessment and one topic that was of interest to many was the development of a common writing rubric. This would be a rubric that instructors could use or modify that would communicate the expectations to students that we as faculty have for written assignments. Is this a tool you would find useful? If you have any thoughts please post them to the discussion board on the instructional design page in Blackboard.

There are still some time slots left for iPads in your classroom. Please contact me to avoid the rush later in the semester.

Viking Athletic Weekend Results

· The Viking women's basketball team suffered a hard fought O.T. loss to Dickinson State on Saturday 53-58, the Vikings are currently 15-10 on the season.

· The #19 Viking men's basketball team also had a O.T. contest but prevailed over Dickinson 71-68 as they improve to 19-6 on the year.

· The Viking Track & Field team completed at the Cobber open (hosted by Concordia College) on Saturday. The women's team had a very good day with 5 top 10 finishers. Leading the way was sophomore Amber Volanti in the shotput with a toss of 11.47 meters. This throw was good enough for a 3rd place finish and was a personal best for Amber. Anna Fuka also ran well this weekend in the 800 meters with a time of 2:32.38 for a 6th place finish. The women's team placed 8th with 9.3 points.

On the Men's side of the track the team was led by freshman standout Darien Moore with a weight throw of 16.78 meters. Moore's shot put throw of 15.92 meters is well over the "A Standard" and currently ranks him 7th in the country for the event. The men had 4 top 7 finishers in the 800 meter. The group was led by Wayne Engelhard with a time of 2:00.25. Eric Schauer, Tanner Hovland, and Casey Flick rounded out the rest of the top 7 spots. The men received 64 total points and a 5th place team finish.

Away Contest

· The Vikings travel to Jamestown College to play the Jimmies at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm on Wednesday, February 1.

· The Viking Track and Field programs will travel to Bethel University, in St. Paul, MN on Saturday February 4.

Home Weekend Contest

· The Vikings host the Mayville State Comets this Saturday at 2 & 4 pm in W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

We have had quite the tame winter so far (and we all hope it stays that way!), but you never know with North Dakota. Here are a few "refresher" winter weather tips (just in case):

Winter Driving Tips:

Winter driving in North Dakota can be unpredictable. These simple precautions may help you avoid dangerous situations when traveling during the winter months.
· Winterize your vehicle to keep it in top operating condition. This will also improve safety and fuel economy.
· Keep your gasoline tank full. This will minimize water in the tank and will provide the maximum advantage in case of trouble.
· A cell phone, CB radio, or amateur radio can be a very useful item in emergencies.
· A winter survival kit is a must!

If you are going to spend time outside, remember the following:

· Dress warm in loose-fitting, layered, light weight clothing.
· Avoid overexertion.
· Keep yourself and your cloths dry.
· Walk with caution on icy sidewalks and streets.

Monday, January 30

12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Hi-Liner Activity Center
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, St. Catherine Gym

Tuesday, January 31

Pay Day
6:00 am On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, Legacy Place
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Toning Tuesday, St. Catherine School Gym

Wednesday, February 1

February is Love Without Fear month
February is Eating Disorder Awareness month
BIT Day at VCSU
6:00 am On the Move Event – Circuit Training, Legacy Place
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Hi-Liner Activity
12:00 pm IDEA Corner Presentation Discussion, Presidents/Norway Room, VCSU Student Center
5:30 pm Viking women's and men's basketball at Jamestown College
6:30 pm "BIT Talks" presents Jeremy Neuharth "Why America's Got Talent is a Role Model for Managers", Student Center Skoal Room
7:00 pm On the Move Event – Step Aerobics, Studio 29

Thursday, February 2

Groundhog Day
Faculty Senate Meeting
6:00 am On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, Legacy Place
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights , Open Door Center
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Toning Tuesday, St. Catherine School Gym

Friday, February 3

Mawlid al-Nabi begins at sundown
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Mercy Hospital Health Education Center

Saturday, February 4

Valley City Winter Festival – Go to www.hellovalley.com/calendar.php for details (February 3-4)
Track & Field at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN
2:00 pm Viking women's and men's basketball vs Mayville State University, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Sunday, February 5

Monday, February 6

12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Hi-Liner Activity Center
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, St. Catherine Gym
7:00 pm On the Move Event – Step Aerobics, Studio 29

Tuesday, February 7

6:00 am On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, Legacy Place
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Toning Tuesday, St. Catherine School Gym

Wednesday, February 8

6:00 am On the Move Event – Circuit Training, Legacy Place
12:00 pm IDEA Corner Presentation Discussion, Presidents/Norway Room, VCSU Student Center
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Hi-Liner Activity
7:00 pm On the Move Event – Step Aerobics, Studio 29
5:30 pm Viking women's & men's basketball vs Jamestown College, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Thursday, February 9

6:00 am On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds 1 mile – Hand Weights, Legacy Place
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights , Open Door Center
6:00 pm On the Move Event – Toning Tuesday, St. Catherine School Gym

Friday, February 10

Track & Field at North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND (February 10-11)
Deadline to Apply for summer 2012 Internship
12:00 pm On the Move Event – Walk Away the Pounds & Hand Weights, Mercy Hospital Health Education Center

Saturday, February 11

Sunday, February 12

Lincoln's Birthday

5 Kim Knodle
6 Jodi Shorma
7 Erica Bunn
9 Ron Pommerer
13 Steve Olson
15 Sara Hagen
19 Joe Stickler
19 Hilde van Gijssel
21 Emma Tufte
22 Susan Pommerer
23 Richard Gruman