This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• Support the Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign
• Rescheduled ‘All About Numbers’ to be held Wednesday
• Hone receives ‘Staff Member of the Quarter’ award
• Reule presents at CSTAND, elected 2nd VP
• Fenster attends Vital Services Conference
• VCSU Transition to Teaching Program prepares educators for the field
• Viking sports update
• What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

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

Support the Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign

Among the many giving options available for faculty and staff are a variety of “Friends of…” categories — Friends of Business, Friends of CSSE, Friends of the Library, Friends of the Medicine Wheel, Friends of Music, Friends of the Planetarium, Friends of Professional Communication, Friends of the School of Education and Graduate Studies, and more.

Contributing to one or more of these “Friends of…” funds is yet another way you can play an important role in helping our students succeed. For example, Friends of CSSE funds are used for scholarships for students in the Computer Systems and Software Engineering Department. In addition, some of the funds are used for educational experiences such as the Tech Wars competition, in which high school students compete to create the most complete and creative program and are introduced to the VCSU learning environment and campus.

Of course, there are other options for contributing, and the amount and focus of your gift is entirely up to you. Won’t you consider joining me and supporting our students in their pursuit of their collegiate and career goals?

Please contact the Foundation Office for more information or to complete a donation form. Thank you for your consideration! — President Alan LaFave

Rescheduled ‘All About Numbers’ to be held Wednesday

Joe Jangula will present “All About Numbers,” a 45-minute presentation involving math tricks, in Rhoades 102 on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m.

Cass-Clay Creamery in Fargo is sponsoring the presentation by Jangula, a retired farmer from Marion, N.D. The event is open to the public free of charge, and participants who volunteer during the session may win prizes.

The event had originally been scheduled for Sept. 11.

Hone receives ‘Staff Member of the Quarter’ award

Shannon Hone, assistant registrar, recently received the “Staff Member of the Quarter” award.

Her nomination read, in part, “In my humble opinion, student registrar issues (e.g. transcripts, graduation requirements, course substitutions, transfer credits, etc.) can be very complicated for both students and their advisors. Each student/situation seems to be unique, hence adding a level of complexity. Whenever I need assistance with helping an advisee I call/email Shannon with supreme confidence that she will provide the remedy and she never lets me down.”

Another nomination read, in part, “I greatly appreciate Shannon and she is deserving of such recognition. I could not assist my distant students without her help. Shannon's assistance helps make me a more efficient and better advisor.”

Congratulations, Shannon!

Reule presents at CSTAND, elected 2nd VP

Jonna Reule, Ph.D., associate professor of communication arts, presented at the Communication, Speech, and Theatre Association of North Dakota (CSTAND) annual conference in Mandan, N.D., Sept. 13-14. One of her sessions on mental wellness has been forwarded to the regional conference for consideration.

Reule was also elected as the CSTAND second vice president at the conference. Her election places her in the presidential cycle, with her presidency scheduled for the 2021-22 academic year. Reule also serves on the editorial board for the CSTAND journal; she previously served as the university representative on the CSTAND board.

Fenster attends Vital Services Conference

Emily Fenster, associate professor of sociology, attended the 2019 Vital Services Conference on Sept. 19 in Jamestown, N.D.

This day of the conference provided an overview of programs within the state (Great Plains Housing Authority, Grand Forks Housing Authority, North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, First Link, Central Valley Health District), information on the 2020 Census, and updates on the restructuring process of the North Dakota Department of Human Services.

VCSU Transition to Teaching Program prepares educators for the field

The Transition to Teaching Program (T2T) at VCSU offers nontraditional dedicated professionals who want to teach — but don’t possess an education degree — an alternative path to teaching. A one-year program for individuals who have been hired within the teacher-shortage areas, the T2T progam is designed to jump-start the individual’s transition into the secondary classroom.

VCSU launched the 2019-20 academic year by meeting with 30 teachers granted emergency teaching licenses to begin the process of providing them the educational coursework they need to be licensed as teachers in North Dakota. This alternative path is a win-win for all because it helps fill vacancies in shortage areas and puts experienced individuals, many from career and technical fields, in the classroom.

The North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (ND CTE) collaborated with individuals from VCSU in the early 2000s to develop a program to address the teacher shortage and prepare individuals who wanted to make career changes. Directed by VCSU under a grant from ND CTE, T2T is endorsed by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.

An alternative preparation program for new, non-traditional teachers at the secondary level, T2T allows individuals to begin meeting the requirements for full licensure while teaching at the same time. Most individuals are given three years to complete coursework in a content area and the education sequence to become fully licensed.

VCSU attempts to parallel the educational experiences of traditional education students and provides education professors who meet with T2T individuals over the span of fall and spring semester and carry out workshops on key educational topics. These workshops target the establishment of tone and routine in the classroom, classroom management, unit and lesson design, effective teaching strategies, and evaluation of teaching practices, as well as SPED and ELL strategies.

All T2T students are assigned a university supervisor who observes the individual and provides feedback throughout the fall and spring semester to improve teaching practices. Mentors and content experts are also provided to ensure that the alternatively licensed teachers are addressing state curriculum and being successful. This multi-faceted support system ensures that T2T students have the support they need as they enter the field but also become more prepared as they experience their new field of education. The hands-on, learner-centered workshops, along with the support system VCSU provides, make this program strong and successful.

Viking sports update

Football
Saturday: VCSU 10, Dakota State 6
The Viking football team won its conference opener Saturday against Dakota State and is now 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the North Star Athletic Association. The Vikings play at Waldorf University on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Volleyball
Friday: Dakota State 3, VCSU 0
Saturday: Bellevue University 3, VCSU 0
The VCSU volleyball team was on the road this weekend for a pair of conference matches. The Vikings are now 4-10 overall and 0-4 in conference play. VCSU hosts Mayville State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The VCSU Century Club will be serving a free meal for fans starting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday outside Graichen Gym.

Baseball
Monday: Jamestown 8, VCSU 4
The Viking baseball team is set to wrap up its fall season this week at home. VCSU is scheduled to host Mayville State on Tuesday at 6 p.m., and then hosts Morningside College for a three-game series this weekend. The Vikings currently have a 2-5 record.

Golf
Four Vikings placed in the Top 5 on Monday as the VCSU golf teams wrapped up the two-day Dickinson State Fall Invite at Bully Pulpit Golf Course. VCSU golfers Hayley Shanks and Jocelyn Braunberger placed second and third, respectively, in the women's tournament. On the men's side, Viking seniors Collin Hoss and Cameron Rall took fourth and fifth, respectively. Valley City State's men placed second overall. Read more online at www.vcsuvikings.com/article/3518.

Upcoming Events
Oct. 1: Golf @ VCSU Invite, 10 a.m. (Mapleton, N.D.)
Oct. 1: Baseball vs. Mayville, 6 p.m.
Oct. 2: Volleyball vs. Mayville, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4: Cross Country @ Jamestown Invite, 4 p.m. (Jamestown, N.D.)
Oct. 5: Football @ Waldorf University, 1 p.m. (Forest City, Iowa)
Oct. 5: Volleyball vs. Presentation College, 3 p.m.
Oct. 5: Baseball vs. Morningside College, 4 p.m.
Oct. 6: Baseball vs. Morningside College, 12 p.m. (doubleheader)

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

Monday, September 30
4–6 p.m. Farmers Market in former Shopko parking lot

Tuesday, October 1
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VCSU Student Center
10 a.m. Viking golf @ VCSU invite, Mapleton, N.D.
6 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Mayville State University, Charlie Brown Field

Wednesday, October 2
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
7 p.m. Viking volleyball vs. Mayville State University, Graichen Gym

Thursday, October 3
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
4–6 p.m. Farmers Market in former Shopko parking lot

Friday, October 4
Ployhar Honor Band, Vangstad auditorium
4 p.m. Viking cross country @ Jamestown Invite, Jamestown, N.D.
7:30 p.m. Faculty recital, Froemke auditorium

Saturday, October 5
1 p.m. Viking football @ Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa
3 p.m. Viking volleyball vs. Presentation College, Graichen Gym
4 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Morningside College, Charlie Brown Field
3 p.m. Ployhar Honor Band Concert, Vangstad auditorium

Sunday, October 6
noon Viking baseball vs. Morningside College, Charlie Brown Field (doubleheader)
VCSU student showcase recital, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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