This week's Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President’s Column: 25th Annual Scholarship Auction a Success!
• City planning open house postponed
• Common course design workshops to be offered May 15-16
• Business students place 3rd in credit analysis competition
• Russi performs at comedy festival in Alaska
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: 25th Annual Scholarship Auction a Success!

Greetings from Valley City State University!

This semester has included many firsts for me as the new president of VCSU, and I’m happy to report that my first VCSU Scholarship Auction was everything that folks said it would be — and more. Held Friday, April 12, at the Valley City Eagles Club, the theme of this year’s auction, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the annual event, was “Viking Gala.”

The evening was full of wonderful folks, great food, and lots of fun, highlighted by numerous activities to raise money for VCSU Century Club and V-500 student scholarships.

The silent auction included almost 175 items, the gift certificate auction included 53 items, and the live auction included almost 90 items. All of these were donated by businesses or individuals in support of VCSU students. Following the auction, a few hours of karaoke and dancing put an exclamation mark on the fun!

So many folks and organizations work behind the scenes before, during and after the event to ensure a successful outcome. The 20-member auction committee, coordinated by the VCSU Foundation and Alumni Office, began its planning efforts last fall and helped engineer the successful outcome of this year’s gala.

Century Club and V-500 board members, with help from faculty and staff, provided valuable help. More than 20 student volunteers assisted with the auction the entire evening. Special thanks to Dacotah Bank for sponsoring the auction and to all those who worked behind the scenes to make this event so successful.

We are grateful for all of the efforts and contributions that helped us reach and exceed our $85,000 goal! On behalf of the university and our students, we thank the community of Valley City and all who played a part in making the 2019 Scholarship Auction a success!

Going once…going twice…Go Vikings!

City planning open house postponed

The open house to review work on the City of Valley City’s Comprehensive and Transportation Plan originally scheduled for Thursday, April 25, has been postponed; a new meeting date has yet to be determined. Notification will follow once the date has been set.

Visit www.valleycity2045.com for more information.

Common course design workshops to be offered May 15-16

Instructional designers from across the country will tell you that common course design, in all disciplines, will improve student success, retention, and persistence. Courses within a university should all follow the same pattern of organization. This practice allows students to know where to find key content in each course, regardless of the discipline or content area.

Our student academic services personnel at VCSU have reported that several students have dropped courses or completely withdrawn from the university because they cannot find the key information necessary to be successful in their online courses. We can remedy the situation by implementing some intentional course design principles.

The theory behind common course design is relatively simple. You might think of your favorite big-box stores and the ways in which they organize their products. You always know where to find the produce, hardware, clothing, frozen foods, etc. because each of these stores, Costco for example, arranges their products in similar ways. Another way to imagine this concept is to think of your on-ground classroom. Your students know where to sit, where the door is located, where the instructor will set up.

Our online courses work in a similar way. The English course should have a similar organization to the science course or the music course, with similar buttons, similar terminology, and similar locations for content.

Please consider a reexamination of your online courses with common design in mind. A training workshop opportunity is coming soon. VCSU will have an expert on BlackBoard and course design present two sessions of workshops May 15 and 16, 2019.

Get a jumpstart on updating your course design and increasing your students’ opportunities for success.

Business students place 3rd in credit analysis competition

A VCSU team comprised of Bradyn Sand, Hannah Schlecht, Katelyn Nehlich and Jared Lentz competed in the 2019 RMA Credit Analysis Competition held Wednesday, April 17, at the Dakota Medical Foundation in Fargo. Jacob Miller participated in the writing portion of the competition but was unable to attend the presentation piece of the competition.

Teams participate in a case study requiring them to absorb and analyze complex information to recommend an appropriate structure and conditions for approval of a small business loan request. Teams partner with a mentor from a local financial institution.

This year’s competition was once again very rigorous. The team analyzed the case study and presented their recommendation and conditions to a group of loan officers. The loan officers reviewed their written proposal and conducted a question and answer period at the end of the presentation. Teams competing included the University of Manitoba (1st place), NDSU (2nd), VCSU (3rd), Concordia (two teams), MSUM (two teams), University of Mary, and Minot State University.

The North Central Chapter of the RMA (Risk Management Association), with the support of corporate sponsors, allocates prize money to the top teams. The VCSU team not only brought home a plaque; they also won a $1,500 cash prize.

The team was mentored by VCSU alumnus Joshua Kasowski, VP and market president of the Valley City location of Bank Forward. The students were advised by Brenda Tyre, assistant professor.

Russi performs at comedy festival in Alaska

Jenni Lou Russi performed at the Alaska B4UDIE Comedy Festival in Anchorage, Alaska. Russi was selected from submissions by professional comedians around the country to perform in three shows April 3-5. The festival received national attention, with Comedy Central's Kyle Kinane as the guest headliner closing the event.

While in Anchorage, Russi visited with former VCSU students, participated in radio shows, wrote and took photos for a local newspaper for which she had worked over 20 years ago and taught her on-campus classes via Skype.

Viking sports update

Softball
Friday: VCSU 7, Waldorf 2; VCSU 8, Waldorf 0
Saturday: VCSU 5, Waldorf 1; VCSU 8, Waldorf 1
The Viking softball team outscored Waldorf University 28-4 this weekend, sweeping a four-game series in Forest City, Iowa. VCSU is now 38-3 overall and leads the NSAA with an 18-2 conference record.

Baseball
Wednesday: Mayville State 12, VCSU 10; VCSU 10, Mayville State 6
Friday: VCSU 3, Waldorf 2; Waldorf 3, VCSU 2
Saturday: Waldorf 3, VCSU 2; Waldorf 9, VCSU 2
Monday: VCSU 14, Presentation College 7
The Viking baseball team is now 16-18 overall and 10-8 in conference play. VCSU is currently third in the NSAA standings with six conference games remaining.

Track & Field
The Valley City State University track and field team added two more national qualifiers on Saturday as the Vikings wrapped up competition at the two-day Red Raider Open hosted by Northwestern College. Mackenzie Huber (discus) and Carter Buelow (shot put) both hit the NAIA "B" Standard in their respective events Saturday, earning themselves a chance to compete at the NAIA National Championships from May 23-25 in Gulf Shores, Ala. View complete results from this weekend’s meet at: www.vcsuvikings.com/article/3381.

Golf
Valley City State University's Casey Julson, Dalton Poitra and Jocelyn Braunberger all took first place Thursday as the Viking golf teams competed at the small Blue Hawk Spring Invite. Played at Heart River Golf Course in Dickinson, the Blue Hawk Spring Invite featured just VCSU and Dickinson State University. Valley City State's men fired a 299 to win the men's team title, defeating the Blue Hawks by 12 shots on their home course. View complete results from the meet at www.vcsuvikings.com/article/3376.

Upcoming Events
April 23: Track & Field @ Cobber Twilight Meet, 3 p.m.
April 23: Softball @ Mayville State, 3/5 p.m.
April 24: Softball vs. Mayville State, 3/5 p.m.
April 24: Baseball @ Mayville State, 2/5 p.m.
April 27: Softball @ Presentation College, 1/3 p.m.
April 27: Track & Field @ MSUM Ron Masanz Classic
April 27: Baseball @ Presentation College, 1/4 p.m.
April 28: Softball @ Presentation College, 1/3 p.m.
April 28: Baseball vs. Presentation College, 1/4 p.m.
April 29-30: Golf @ NSAA Championships (Bellevue, Neb.)

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City ...

Tuesday, April 23
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. VCSU Opera Ensemble Showcase Performance, Student Center
12:05 p.m. Rotary, Student Center Student Senate Room
3 p.m. Viking track & field @ Cobber Twilight Meet, Moorhead, Minn.
3 and 5 p.m. Viking softball @ Mayville State University, Mayville, N.D.

Wednesday, April 24
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
2 and 5 p.m. Baseball @ Mayville State University, Mayville, N.D.
3 and 5 p.m. Viking softball vs. Mayville State, VCSU

Thursday, April 25
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
7:30 p.m. Instrumental Concert, Vangstad Auditorium
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room
11 a.m.-6 p.m. VCSU Foundation and Stoudt-Ross Ford “Drive 4 Ur Community” event, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse parking lot
New Student Orientation

Friday, April 26
State Class A Vocal Festival on VCSU Campus

Saturday, April 27
Track & Field @ MSUM Ron Masanz Classic
1 and 3 p.m. Viking softball @ Presentation College, Aberdeen, S.D.
1 and 4 p.m. Viking baseball @ Presentation College, Aberdeen, S.D.

Sunday, April 28
1 and 3 p.m. Viking softball @ Presentation College, Aberdeen, S.D.
1 and 4 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Presentation College, Charlie Brown Field

Monday, April 29
Viking golf @ NSAA Championships, Bellevue, Neb.
7:30 p.m. Composition Recital, Froemke Auditorium

Tuesday, April 30
Payday
Viking golf @ NSAA Championships, Bellevue, Neb.
11 a.m. General Student Recital, Froemke Auditorium
12:05 p.m. Rotary, Student Center Student Senate Room

Wednesday, May 1
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, May 2
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, May 3

Saturday, May 4

Sunday, May 5
Cinco de Mayo
Ramadan begins at sundown
10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sodexo Sunday brunch, VCSU Cafeteria

Go to www.valleycitynd.org/calendar.php to see more events happening in and around Valley City.