The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named North Dakota State College of Science as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. Based on strong and improving student outcomes — including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity — 15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.

“We are truly honored and humbled to be recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “This is exciting recognition of the strategic decisions we have made — and the outstanding work our employees do every day — to continually improve the services and support we provide to our students.”

The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the 2021 Aspen Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39 states in urban, rural, and suburban areas, serving as few as 500 students and as many as 75,000 students, these colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector.

Data show that over the last two years, student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.

“Community colleges play a vital role in developing talent and enabling social mobility across the country, and it’s critical for them to get better at what they do,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “We’re pleased to see evidence that these institutions are improving, that more are delivering on their promise. We’re also pleased to play a role in honoring outstanding community colleges and sharing what works to ensure great outcomes for students — through graduation and beyond.”

The top ten finalists for the 2021 Aspen Prize will be named in May 2020. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished jury will make award decisions in spring 2021.

For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.

The ApprenticeshipND program at the North Dakota State College of Science will celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with an open house and round table discussion on Wednesday, November 13 at NDSCS-Fargo, located at 1305 19^th Avenue North.

The open house will be held from 1-4 p.m. and will include opportunities to learn about the ApprenticeshipND program and network with other business and industry representatives. At 2 p.m., a round table discussion will be held to share information about the future of apprenticeships and how apprenticeships can help meet business needs. Round table attendees will hear from statewide leaders from certification boards and businesses with established apprenticeship programs. Additional information about the event can be found online at ndscs.edu/naw, or by calling 701-231-6921.

The NDSCS Division for Workforce Affairs operates the ApprenticeshipND program to offer a variety of non-credit correspondence courses for individuals in a vocational field who cannot attend regular college learning activities. Individuals are able to expand and/or update their knowledge through additional courses in their related field of study by enrolling in one or more of the occupational courses available. ApprenticeshipND offers more than 100 courses in areas including carpentry, cement-masonry, roofing, sheet metal and boilers. Additional information is available online at ndscs.edu/ApprenticeshipND.

Upon completion of a qualifying apprenticeship, individuals may be eligible to apply for the NDSCS Technical Studies – Journeyworker Track program, which provides students the opportunity to earn an Associate in Applied Science degree by combining their apprenticeship training with college credit course work. Individuals who are interested in the Journeyworker Track can contact NDSCS Academic and Career Counseling at 1-800-342-4325, ext. 3-2257.

National Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration to showcase the opportunities that apprenticeships offer to develop workplace experience and skills that employers value. The fifth annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place November 11-17, 2019, with events across the country.

In North Dakota, Governor Doug Burgum has proclaimed November 11-17, 2019 Apprenticeship Week in the State of North Dakota and November 2019 as Registered Apprenticeship Awareness Month. The full proclamations are available online at governor.nd.gov/proclamations.

NDSCS Nursing faculty members Barb Diederick and Ruth Gladen have been named recipients of North Dakota Center for Nursing Legendary Nurse Awards.

­­Barb Diederick received a Legendary Nurse Award for Nurse Executive, which is presented for providing exceptional leadership in a top executive role for nursing. Diederick has taught in the NDSCS Nursing Department since 1980, and has served as the Nursing Department Chair since 2005.

Ruth Gladen received a Legendary Nurse Award for Faculty Achievement, which is presented for demonstrating excellence in teaching, engaging students in the love for nursing and supporting student growth. Prior to retiring from NDSCS in June of 2019, Gladen was the Registered Nursing Program Coordinator and primary instructor from 2005-2019.

Both Diederick and Gladen were instrumental in launching the Associate in Science in Nursing Registered Nursing program and the Associate of Applied Science Registered Nursing program. They are also both past recipients of the NDSCS Excellence in Teaching Award.

The North Dakota Center for Nursing Legendary Nurse Awards began in 2015 as a way to honor exemplary nurses across the state of North Dakota.

NDSCS Social and Behavioral Sciences Associate Professor Jeff Hart has been selected as the third place winner of the Economist Educators Best in Class Teaching Award, sponsored by the National Economics Teaching Association (NETA) and Cengage. He presented his winning entry at the Economics Teaching Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

Economist Educators Best in Class Teaching Award Contest entrants submit a description of a lesson they created for an Economics course, along with a video describing the technique. Entries are judged based on originality and creativity, ease of implementation of teaching techniques, and value of successful student outcomes.

Hart’s award-winning lesson uses agriculture news reports and market headlines to teach students about supply and demand, and the corresponding impact on price and quantity in the market. Students also create scenarios that illustrate changes in supply and demand. The lesson is interesting and applicable to Hart’s students, many of whom have farm experience.

The North Dakota State College of Science has surpassed one million consecutive hours without any employee work time lost due to a work-related injury or illness. More than 500 days have passed since the College last had employee hours lost to work-related illness or injury, a streak that began in February 2018.

This significant safety milestone reflects the efforts in place at NDSCS to foster a safe working environment for all of its 700 employees. The College has established safety guidelines and provides annual department-specific training for its employees.

“NDSCS is committed to the safety of our employees,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “This milestone was made possible through not only the guidelines put in place as a College, but also by the work of all of our employees to maintain a safe working environment every day.”

The North Dakota State College of Science Athletics Department has hired Chris Kappes as head baseball coach. The Wildcat baseball team will play its inaugural season in the Mon-Dak Conference beginning in fall 2020 at John Randall Field. Kappes will begin his role at NDSCS immediately, with the recruitment of student-athletes to fill out the roster.

“Baseball has a strong footprint in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge community, and this entire region,” said NDSCS Athletic Director Stu Engen. “The success Coach Kappes has had is well documented, and he laid out a plan that matched up with what the committee was looking for in a candidate. We are excited that he accepted the position and look forward to getting Wildcat baseball started.”

Kappes comes to NDSCS after a successful coaching career at various levels, spanning nearly three decades. Most recently, Kappes guided the Wahpeton Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth programs, leading the organization to a North Dakota State Championship in 2019, a runner-up finish in 2018 and three third-place finishes from 2015-17. The program won the 14U Babe Ruth Midwest Plains Regional Tournament in 2019, qualifying for the Babe Ruth World Series.

Previously, Kappes managed the Wahpeton American Legion Post 20 club from 2009-14, following his 2001-2004 stint with the Breckenridge (Minn.) American Legion Post 53 team. Kappes has sent 18 former Legion players to collegiate programs.

A familiar face in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge community, Kappes has spent time as a mentor at Circle of Nations and as the President of the Wahpeton Baseball Association. He currently serves on the Wahpeton-Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

“I would like to thank Mr. Engen and the athletic department for placing their trust and confidence in my abilities to assume the head coaching position for Wildcat Baseball,” said Kappes. “I am eager to build this program from the ground up and ready to go find those student-athletes that want to receive a great college education and play the great game of baseball at the collegiate level.”

The NDSCS Performing Arts Department will present its first concert of the season on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bremer Bank Theatre in the Harry Stern and Ella Stern Cultural Center on the NDSCS campus in Wahpeton.

The concert will include performances by the NDSCS Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Adam Hollingsworth, and the NDSCS Wildcat Singers under the direction of Bryan Poyzer. The groups are kicking off their touring season.

The concert is free and open to the public.

North Dakota State College of Science crowned the 2019 Homecoming King and Queen on Wednesday, October 9. Queen Morgan Menge is from Bismarck, N.D. and is pursuing a Dental Hygiene degree. She was sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and NDSCS Ambassadors. King Joe Khalifa is from Westhope, N.D. and is pursuing an Automotive Technology degree. He was sponsored by the Automotive Technology and Powersports Technology Clubs. Menge and Khalifa will preside over NDSCS Homecoming activities for the duration of the week.

The 2019 Homecoming Court also included:

• Chantel Ganser of Fargo, N.D.; Practical Nursing; sponsored by Residential Life and the Wildcat Welcome Team
• Jessica Johnson of Barnesville, Minn.; Dental Hygiene, sponsored by the Dental Club and the Diesel Club
• RJ Hutcherson of Walcott, N.D.; Liberal Arts; sponsored by Residential Life and Phi Theta Kappa
• Chris Kowalski of East Grand Forks, Minn.; Plumbing; sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and the Wildcat Welcome Team

Fall enrollment numbers are now official at the North Dakota State College of Science. The data reflects that enrollment at the College continues to be steady. Total student enrollment is 2,977, which includes Wahpeton, Fargo, Online and Early Entry students. This number is an increase of 20 students over fall 2018 enrollment. There are 869 students who are new to NDSCS, including first-year and transfer students, which is an increase of 8.4% over 2018.

The enrollment data shows 919 high school students taking Early Entry courses, a 10% increase over 2018. Early Entry classes allow high school students to earn college credit while still fulfilling their high school requirements. There are 470 students taking classes at multiple NDSCS locations, or through a combination of in-person and online instruction. This is an increase of 9.3% over 2018.

“The trends continue to show that college students want flexibility with how and when they receive their education,” said NDSCS President John Richman. “An increasing number of students are earning college credit while still in high school, and are looking for flexible options to take classes through a combination of online and in-person delivery.”

The number of NDSCS students from North Dakota has increased to 2,151, with 47 of the state’s 53 counties represented. The student body is comprised of 1,522 full time students, and 1,455 students who are enrolled part time. There are 860 students living on the NDSCS Wahpeton campus in residence halls or apartments.
 

Alan Gilbertson, an Auto Body Repair and Refinishing Technology student at the North Dakota State College of Science, has been named the first recipient of the new North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship. The scholarship was established by the 2019 Legislative Assembly to encourage students to seek educational opportunities in high-need and emerging occupations within the state.

The North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship provides matching dollars for private sector student sponsorships. Gilbertson was eligible for the scholarship thanks to a sponsorship by Modern Auto Body of Grand Forks, N.D.

“I had learned about sponsorships from NDSCS Career Services,” said Gilbertson. “When Shelley Blome from the Financial Aid office called and told me about the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship, I was in disbelief.”

NDSCS Director of Financial Aid Shelley Blome has now helped seven students receive funds from the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship. “We are seeing some students receive more than $10,000 when combining their sponsorship with matching scholarship programs,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for our students to help pay for the cost of their education in these high demand fields.”

For Modern Auto Body General Manager Scott Loscheider, sponsoring a student was a new way to help fill a workforce need, and the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship supports that effort. He made the decision to sponsor Gilbertson after Gilbertson spent time working at Modern Auto Body for a job shadow experience and summer employment.

“It can be hard to find technicians,” said Loscheider. “By providing a sponsorship, we are able to encourage and support a student who has potential, and to help fill an opening at our shop. I’m glad the state created the North Dakota Career Builders program and I hope it helps more students recognize that going into the trades is a good plan.”

“I want to let people know that this scholarship is available and that you don’t have to sit behind a desk to make money – you can work on cars,” said Gilbertson. “This is a good way to encourage people to get into these careers that need people.”

North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship recipients must live and work in North Dakota for three years following their degree completion, and must be admitted to a qualifying high-demand program. At NDSCS, all academic programs qualify for the scholarship program except for Culinary Arts and Liberal Arts. Additional information about requirements for the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship is available online at ndscs.edu/ndcareerbuilders.