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BSC Business and Office Technology programs and professor receive top honors

Published: Jul 26 2017
BSC Business and Office Technology programs and professor receive top honors - Photo
Bismarck State College’s Business and Office Technology (BOTE) programs were recently recognized as Program of the Year and BSC Associate Professor of Computers & Office Technology Dr. Vickie Volk was named Post-secondary Teacher of the Year by the Mountain-Plains Business Education Association (M-PBEA) at their recent annual conference.
 
BSC’s BOTE programs include the Information Processing Specialist and Administrative Assistant programs. These programs provide students with highly marketable skills and the knowledge to meet ever-changing technology in business and industry. BSC offers students one- and two-year BOTE options. An online degree option allows for both the working student and the rural student to obtain a degree and video conferencing software is offered for face-to-face meetings between students and faculty members to answer questions. The programs require an internship, cooperative education experience or service learning and many students continue working for the companies after the internship or learning experience. In 2015-16 the administrative assistant program had a 100% placement rate after graduation.
 
Volk has taught in the BOTE programs at BSC for 17 years and was also named Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year by the North Dakota Association of Career and Technical Education in 2015 and received the 2014 BSC Faculty Award for Excellence. Her students describe her as enthusiastic about the classes and the subjects she teaches, willing to answer questions and help you get out of a mess you've created, and a teacher that asks questions to challenge students and makes you want to come to class.
 
M-PBEA is an affiliate of the National Business Education Association (NBEA), the nation's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to serving individuals and groups engaged in instruction, administration, research, and dissemination of information for and about business.
 
“I had a chance to spend time with the group and was very encouraged to see so much emphasis on experiential learning and student activities,” BSC President and conference keynote speaker Dr. Larry C. Skogen said.
 
The M-PBEA also recognized Agency MABU, a BSC industry partner, with the Contributions to Business Education by a Business Firm award for the support and opportunities they have provided for BSC faculty and students.
 
M-PBEA is comprised of the following states and provinces: Colorado, Kansas, Manitoba, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This year’s conference was held in Bismarck and BSC Professor of Computers & Office Technology Lynette Borjeson-Painter and Volk co-chaired the conference of business educators with the assistance of BSC Associate Professors of Computers & Office Technology Karen Nathe and Kristina Wells.
 
For more information on BOTE programs at BSC visit bismarckstate.edu.