This week's Hotline! includes the following articles…

• President’s column: Not everything is about COVID-19
• Support students through gifts to the VCSU Foundation
• Baughman posts blog on Society for the Teaching of Psychology site
• One Team One Family apparel fundraiser open until April 22
• Local tennis association featured on USTA website
• Complete the 2020 Census

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is typically published weekly during the school year. During the coronavirus response, we’ve been publishing every two weeks. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. Friday.

President’s column: Not everything is about COVID-19

Greetings from Valley City State University!

As we continue to navigate through April and into the waning weeks of the semester, I’m pleased to report that faculty are delivering instruction, students are attending classes, support services are helping out with tutoring, advising and registration is taking place, and planning for summer and next fall continues. Valley City State University is up and running strong!

Next I’d like to recognize Shane Hitch, one of our top students in the Computer Systems and Software Engineering Department. Recently Shane finished among the top five in a Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition hosted by the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center (NICERC). He was one of more than 300 national and international competitors participating in the virtual cybersecurity challenge in March.

“Now, more than ever, students need to know how to operate safely online,” said Chuck Gardner, NICERC director of curriculum. “The current COVID-19 environment is presenting threat actors with opportunities to capitalize on our fears. Capture the Flag competitions give students hands-on opportunities to learn how to prevent malicious events at home, in school or at work.” We congratulate Shane for his continued success in these endeavors!

Additionally, we learned this past week that VCSU alumna Kimmy (Mandt) Milligan ’07 was named the Fargo Public Schools 2020 Teacher of the Year. Elementary student performance strategist at Eagles Elementary, Kimmy was cited for her commitment to students and the teaching profession, tirelessly advocating for students and personalizing the learning experience for each student.

In addition to a VCSU bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Kimmy holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from North Dakota State University and a master’s degree in elementary curriculum and instruction from St. Catherine’s University. She also holds reading, math, and kindergarten endorsements.

We congratulate Kimmy on this outstanding recognition!

Finally, I’d like to provide an update on the Center for the Arts construction project. The first half of the construction documents have been completed, and bid packages will be let soon. A walk-through of the site with potential subcontractors will be held April 30, with bids due on May 7. The anticipated start date for construction is June 1.

We may not be able to bring everyone together physically for a formal ground-breaking ceremony in the traditional sense, but we will celebrate as we begin the construction on this long-awaited project.

Go Vikings!

Support students through gifts to the VCSU Foundation

The world has certainly changed over the past few weeks. It has been a challenging time. Our students will complete their coursework for this semester online. Commencement will take on a new format. We have been working from home. Communication has taken on new meaning with Teams, Zoom, and conference calls. One thing that has not changed is our scholarship commitment to our students.

Now, more than ever, we need your support. Throughout the past few weeks we have continued to work toward reaching our scholarship goals. Needless to say, it has not been easy. We still have a considerable way to go to generate the necessary dollars to cover those commitments.

If you have been supporting our scholarship programs and/or our Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign, thank you for that support. If you have not, please consider making a contribution today. Any amount, big or small, is appreciated. You can make a difference. Just like with the effort we are making to confront the coronavirus pandemic, it takes all of us to be successful.

You can reach foundation staff via email at alumni@vcsu.edu or call Loree Morehouse at 845-7203, or give online at www.vcsualumni.org/ways-to-give. Stay safe and stay healthy; we need you.

Baughman posts blog on Society for the Teaching of Psychology site

Kiersten Baughman, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, wrote an invited post for the “This Is How I Teach” blog, found on the website of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division Two of the American Psychological Association).

Baughman was chosen for the opportunity after sharing multiple resources with the group during the transition to online teaching. The post, published April 10, is available online at teachpsych.org/page-1703896/8891888.

One Team One Family apparel fundraiser open until April 22

The VCSU Athletic Department has started an apparel fundraiser sale to help unite Viking Nation and our community. The VCSU One Team One Family store, open until April 22, features a message of solidarity and strength during these challenging times. There are several styles of shirts available in youth and adult sizes.

All VCSU proceeds from this sale will be donated to the Barnes County Food Pantry.
Shop here www.bsnteamsports.com/shop/VCSUOTOF20.

Local tennis association featured on USTA website

The Valley City Tennis Association (VCTA) is featured in an online article — “CTA Spotlight: Valley City Tennis Association” —on the United States Tennis Association website.

About 500 youth and adults participate in tennis programming by the VCTA in Valley City.

Erik Kringlie, VCSU director for data centers and virtualization, is president of the Valley City Tennis Association. Kringlie is quoted in the article as follows: “In a small, rural community that is solely run by volunteers, the VC Tennis Association assures that tennis programming is available for all ages and abilities year round. I am astounded by the impact we have had on our dedicated tennis community and how we teach players to truly love the game, on and off the court.”

For more information on VCTA, contact Kringlie or visit www.facebook.com/vctatennis.

Complete the 2020 Census

If you have a few extra minutes while you are teleworking, please complete the 2020 Census. Your response will influence the next 10 years of federal funding. That includes North Dakota’s share of funding for public health and aid during emergencies and disaster declarations. One missed resident is equal to a $19,100 loss in funding to North Dakota.

The census is safe, confidential and secure. Completing the census has never been easier and can be done by mail, phone and for the first time, online at www.2020census.gov.