Last week, NDSCS shot four more department videos to add to the running list of over 20 videos. The videos in production are:
Look for the debut of each video in late October!
Check out the other NDSCS Department Videos at youtube.com/ndscswildcats
Author and professional speaker V.J. Smith will travel to North Dakota State College of Science on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 to share his inspirational, heart-warming story that is based on his best-selling book “The Richest Man in Town.” Smith’s performance focuses on the importance of being kind, compassionate and caring to everybody you know.
“The Richest Man in Town” is a true story based on a Wal-Mart sales associated named Marty who captures the important things in life and is considered rich because he was loved and respected, but most of all, he was content with every aspect of his life. Marty’s simple philosophies show what happens when you take the time to be kind and compassionate. All that you give, you get back, and more. Smith’s performance will make you laugh, make you cry, but most importantly, will make you reflect on what life is about.
Smith is a 1978 graduate of South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, S.D., and spent the decade of the 1980s working for the Allied Signal Aerospace Company is Kansa, Mo. He returned to his alma mater in 1990 to serve as Assistant Athletic Director for the SDSU athletic program. He was appointed Executive Director of the SDSU Alumni Association in 1996 and resigned from the position in January 2007. He honed his speaking skills through his membership in Toastmaster’s International. On two occasions, he was a finalist in that organization’s ‘World’s Championship of Public Speaking.’
V.J. Smith will speak at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5 in the Harry Stern and Ella Stern Cultural Center. This event is free and open to the public.
North Dakota State College of Science, the two-year public college on North Dakota’s eastern border, is celebrating enrollment numbers similar to those last attained in the early 1980s. Fall enrollment at the College has reached a 28-year high of 3,127 students, a 10.4 increase over fall 2010. The College last saw student enrollment numbers over 3,000 in 1983.
“NDSCS has strived to make a two-year public education more accessible and attainable for traditional and non-traditional students throughout the region by offering classes in Wahpeton, in Fargo at NDSCS-Fargo and online,” said Dr. John Richman, NDSCS president. “Today’s enrollment numbers reflect the growing number of students who are becoming aware of and taking advantage of the new and diverse class formats.”
Enrollment has been increasing steadily for the last four years. 2011 fall enrollment is 294 students over last fall’s headcount of 2,833 students. Since 2007, enrollment has grown by nearly 30 percent (710 students).
“Students are looking for recession-proof careers and NDSCS offers these specific, employable degrees,” said Karen Reilly, executive director of enrollment services. “As salaries rise with a two-year education, so does enrollment.”
“Our graduates are able to start their careers with well-paying salaries, and numerous job and advancement opportunities. Others seek out NDSCS to benefit from small class sizes and individual attention, as they transition from high school to college,” said Richman.
On-campus housing has also experienced a boom, as students living at the Wahpeton campus increased 8.5 percent to 993 this year. This is the third consecutive year more students have chosen to live on campus. One reason for the increase is the popular Stay & Save program that offers current students the ability to lock in housing and dining rates in the spring to avoid annual price increases for the following academic year.
“Living on campus plays an integral role in the academic achievements and personal development of our students,” commented Melissa Johnson, executive director of residence life. “As we continue to experience growth, we remain committed to providing a safe and affordable environment for each student.”
The 2011 student body includes 1,791 full-time students and 1,336 part-time students. The number of women enrolled at NDSCS continues to rise, with 1,340 enrolled this fall, roughly 43% of the total enrollment.
The enrollment data shows NDSCS continues to do an exemplary job serving North Dakota students. NDSCS has registered students from 51 of the state’s 53 counties. The total number of students from North Dakota (2,166) comprises more than 69 percent of the student body.
Representation from neighboring states includes: Minnesota, 22 percent; South Dakota, 2.5 percent; and Montana, 2 percent. NDSCS has students enrolled from 37 states other than North Dakota, two Canadian provinces, and nine foreign countries.
North Dakota State College of Science will celebrate Homecoming during the week of September 19-24 in Wahpeton.
Six distinguished alumni and friends will be recognized as the 2011 Alumni/Foundation Homecoming Honorees:
The recognition ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harry Stern and Ella Stern Cultural Center.
Coronation to select the 2011 NDSCS Homecoming King and Queen will take place at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in the Harry Stern and Ella Stern Cultural Center.
Friday also marks NDSCS’ 40th Annual Family Day. Registration for Family Day begins at 10 a.m. and includes a continental breakfast, guided department tours, luncheon and concludes with a Family Day program at 1:45 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Wildcat Stage Band and Wildcat Singers.
On Saturday, the Wildcat Volleyball Tournament begins at 8 a.m. in the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center. The annual homecoming parade will begain at 10 a.m. with a tailgate party to follow in the Earl “Skip” Bute Stadium. The Wildcat football team will kick-off against College of Dupage at 1 p.m. The 2011 homecoming court and honorees will be recognized during half-time ceremonies. After the game, the Alumni/Foundation is sponsoring a Wildcat Letterwinners social held at the Niblicks Clubhouse at Wahpeton Park.
The Hall of Fame Banquet, held in the newly renovated Flickertail Dining Center (Student Center), will be the final event of the week. A social will be held at 6 p.m. with a dinner and program to follow at 6:30 p.m. The NDSCS athletic department will induct the following individuals in to the Hall of Fame:
For a complete list of NDSCS Homecoming events, go to ndscs.edu/homecoming.
NDSCS today announced the launch of NDSCS Mobile for Android users. NDSCS Mobile lets the NDSCS community stay connected to campus whenever, wherever.
The Android app, now part of the NDSCS mobile suite that also includes apps for the iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad®, offers instant mobile access to campus maps, the latest news, event calendars and more. In addition, NDSCS Mobile for the Android includes widgets, an Android-specific feature that gives users the ability to access important content directly from their phone’s home screen without even opening the app.
“With the popularity of Android devices on campus, having a native Android app is an extremely important asset for improving student engagement,” said Barbara Spaeth-Baum, executive director of College Relations and Marketing. “Now, with Android, we can reach even more of our campus community.”
NDSCS Mobile is available free on the Android, iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad® at www.ndscs.edu/mobile. You can also download NDSCS Mobile from the Android Market directly to your Android smart device.
Legendary folksinger, storyteller, and autoharp virtuoso, Adam Miller, will perform a program of American folksongs, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 22 during Homecoming Week, at the Mildred Johnson Library, on the campus of the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D.
One of the premier autoharpists in the world, Adam Miller is a renowned American folksinger and natural-born storyteller. An accomplished folklorist, historian, and song-collector, he has amassed an impressive repertoire of over 5,000 songs. He accompanies his rich, resonant baritone voice with lively finger-picking acoustic guitar and stunningly beautiful autoharp melodies.
“I have always had a great interest in how folksongs travel through history, and how history travels through folksongs,” Miller explains. “American History — our collective past — is very much alive within us. It is a great privilege to sing with people all over the nation, and help them locate their own place in the long stream of cultural tradition – to make those connections to their own family history, their traditions, and those old songs that are part of them.”
Traveling 70,000 miles each year, from the Everglades to the Arctic Circle, Miller is a 21st century troubadour with a trunk full of stories and songs rich with the wisdom, wry humor, and soulful sensibility of American wit. His songs evoke a by-gone time when most entertainment was homemade — before radios and televisions replaced the musical instruments that once resounded in every American homestead. His songs are the songs of America’s heritage; a window into the soul of our nation in its youth.
Miller has recorded four CDs that receive airplay across North America and Europe: “Bare Fingers – The Solo Autoharp Artistry of Adam Miller,” “The Orphan Train and other Reminiscences,” “Wild Birds,” and ” Along Came a Giant – Traditional American Folk Songs for Young People.”
For more information on Adam Miller, visit his website.
by Valley News Live
Area Jobs in High Demand Video
Kyle Young has known what he’s wanted to do for a long time.
Young says, “I was always very interested in manufacturing. I was interested in mostly cars and the assembly line process.”
But little did he know, his manufacturing job would be in high demand.
Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation President, Kevin McKinnon, says, “Those employers, that they have grown and that they do have the demand for their products.”
It’s a good problem with a bad reputation. At North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, one of the manufacturing program is only half full.
One reason people don’t choose manufacturing jobs is the stigmas against it where people think they’ll sit at a conveyor belt and tighten a bolt all day, but technology has changed that.
McKinnon says, “You are not manually doing heavy lifting yourself. You’re actually operating machines.”
Most jobs only take two years of school. And if all that isn’t enough to persuade you, how about around 50 thousand dollars starting pay? And with a high placement rate, you can almost guarantee yourself a high tech and stable job.
In the region, Caterpillar is expanding its plant and adding 250 new jobs in the next few years, so that means demand will be even higher. But manufacturers aren’t employer’s only hot commodity. There is also a shortage in IT, engineering and healthcare.
Lisa Schumacher, Deb Dusek
NDSCS educators Lisa Schumacher and Deborah Dusek received awards for their exceptional work in special needs education and their dedication to student success. Schumacher, a reading and writing lab assistant, has been named the Outstanding Career and Technical Special Needs Teacher of the Year. Dusek, an English and Humanities Associate Professor, was named Outstanding Direct Special Needs Support Provider of the Year.
The Teacher of the Year award is given to a classroom instructor or job placement coordinator who works with identified specials needs students in career and technical education programming. The Direct Support Provider of the Year is given to an administrator or non-classroom person who has made a major contribution to the development and/or growth of career and technical special needs education.
Both awards are given annually at the North Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education Conference.
North Dakota State College of Science has launched NDSCS Mobile, a suite of smartphone applications that gives students, staff, faculty and visitors the ability to tour the NDSCS campus, browse event calendars, get the latest news, view campus photos and more.
NDSCS developed the mobile app in partnership with Blackboard Mobile™, a division of Blackboard, Inc. Currently, NDSCS Mobile is available only for Apple® devices. An Android® version will be available in the Android Market in the very near future, followed by a version for Blackberry® users.
“We wanted to offer our students and members of our community the best in technology and access, and that means making NDSCS services and information available to mobile users,” said Dana Anderson, interactive media manager. “With NDSCS Mobile, users get on-demand access to campus information when and where they need it.”
Depending on the capabilities of the device and services available, NDSCS Mobile allows users to:
Following the initial launch, NDSCS plans to make continual improvements to the app. A mid-year upgrade will include added apps and capabilities, such as a searchable directory and expanded interactive map features.
NDSCS Mobile can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and is compatible with the iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad®.
For those who do not use a smart device, a mobile web version with much of the same information will soon be available at m.ndscs.edu. For more information on the app, visit www.ndscs.edu/mobile.
