• Chattahoochee Technical College
• Georgia Gwinnett College

On behalf of the entire AITP NCC Committee & Volunteers, have a Great Summer and we hope to see you in Atlanta next year!

Click here for attendance statistics, sponsors/exhibitors, contest winners, and represented schools.

When I was approached by Ed Drum to join AITP in the summer of 2012, he was so excited to talk about his experience at the NCC (National Collegiate Conference) 2012. It was as if this conference was the highlight of joining AITP. So I joined in the summer of 2012, knowing that I wanted to get into the computer field and wanted to get as much exposure as I could.

Not much happened for the rest of the summer until fall semester started. That's when I went to my first meeting. It was OK; we did not do much but talk about fund raisers and getting certifications at the NCC. I was a little turned off, when do we get into the computer work. I joined the club to learn more about computers. So I thought to myself, give it some time, you cannot judge a year's worth of experience on one meeting.

As time went on, and I got involved in the meetings and fund raisers, I started to make new friends and what I felt was a professional relationship with our two mentors, Irene Edge and Carolyn Carvalho. It was not known to me at the time, but these two ladies will have the largest impact in my computer technology experience at Kent State University. They were more than Professors at the school and mentors in AITP; they were genuine women who really wanted the students to get the most out of their time in school and after graduation.

The fund raisers did more than just raise money for the trip; they seem to have given the whole experience a sense of worth. One truly does appreciate things more when they have put the time in to doing it right. A lesson all professionals should understand and implement.

continued......

This was my third AITP National Collegiate Conference. Through hallway conversations and shared meals, I connected with AITP student members from across the country and learned how the programs, certification exams, contests, and networking events make a difference in their life on campus and transition to their IT careers. Over a dozen vendors and sponsor were at NCC 2013 recruiting for over 500 permanent and internship jobs. I could always pick out the students waiting for their interviews. They were a little better dressed and paced a bit faster waiting on interviews that could land them their first job.

We have so many dedicated AITP national leaders who attend this conference to help ensure that our student members have an experience that they will always remember. Many volunteer their time to set up the welcome bags, staff the registration desk, unpack and pack the conference materials, announce speakers, and proctor and judge the many AITP contests.

The entire AITP Board was there to answer questions and aid students/ faculty advisors and professional members who require assistance. As a member of the AITP National Board, I have seen first hand how preparations for St. Louis started over a year ago. With contracts to review and agendas to plan, the meeting is a significant amount of work. But being able to connect with new and old friends is always a highlight of the week for me.

Another highlight of my conference experience was being able to sit in on the Student Leadership Council's (SLC) Town Hall meeting. I enjoyed watching the enthusiasm of our student leaders as they met and came up with ideas to make the on-campus experience of our student members even more fulfilling and worthwhile. So many are willing and eager to devote their time to making the SLC a real resource for their fellow student members. Two faculty advisors joined a panel to talk about ways to put AITP to work for you on campus. They answered questions and related their experiences mentoring students throughout the year.

With so much to do at NCC, I had very little time to spend seeing the local sights in St. Louis. Some of my colleagues were able to visit the legendary St. Louis Arch and gain a spectacular view of the city and the Mississippi River from a different vantage point. Others took the hotel shuttle to visit the Budweiser plant to see the famous Clydesdale horses, view the process involved with making that iconic beverage and sample some freshly-made brews. All in all, it was a spectacular conference this year. I will look forward to the 2014 NCC in Atlanta, Georgia!

In between Board meeting sessions, I attended many of the breakout sessions and was fortunate to hear many of the subject-matter experts offering invaluable instruction and advice. I was even able to sneak away during a break to visit the top of the famous Arch for a different perspective on St. Louis altogether.   

I've attended many conventions in the past, but none with the sole purpose of recognizing students for their technical achievements. In the end, the most rewarding aspect for me was the chance to converse directly with the students and offer advice and guidance that will hopefully help shape their careers. I couldn't help but be impressed with the poise and maturity of the students; engaging in intelligent conversations while possessing both the optimism of young professionals and all the confidence needed to succeed.   

During the closing awards dinner, as I looked around the massive room of 700+ attendees and watched these shining young students graciously and excitedly accept their awards, it was clear to me that the future if IT is in good hands.

For me, this was an NCC of a different flavor than before. This year I participated as one of the Association Board of Directors. In previous years I went with my students as their advisor.

For me, this was a chance to talk to students about what they wanted from their student chapter, their professional chapter, and their national board.

So…..hold on……..here we go. First and foremost, the students want to be engaged – not only by their advisor(s), but by their supporting professional chapter. They truly want you – their advisor to help them locate speakers, advise them on field trips, help them setup field trips, be a mentor, be a sounding board, and to push them to succeed. As a former advisor I know how important the role of advisor is – or maybe I should say role model. These students thrive on positive acknowledgement from you. I also know that many advisors have full-time class loads, families, and other things in their lives. So know that your time commitment is truly appreciated by these students and by me.

Student chapters need many things from their professional chapters. At one presentation, a student asked, "What can our professional chapter do for us?”. There were several board members in this presentation – and the comments to this student were: they can help you find speakers or they may have members that would love to be involved as a speaker; some chapters have scholarships; professional chapters can be mentors; they can visit your student chapter; and your student chapter can visit their professional chapter. Imagine the possibilities!

What can the national board do? All the above! Sometimes we all need a reminder that we are all in this together. When you can help, please help. When you can mentor, please mentor. Everything that you do touches someone and means the world to them.

My challenge to you --- be that someone that cares enough to be open to a student and help them succeed!

The deadline for the SCOPA application to the Region Presidents is May 31, 2013.

The deadline for the SIPA applications to the Student Awards Committee (studentawards@aitp.org) is May 31, 2013.

Student Chapter Outstanding Performance Award (SCOPA)

The SCOPA award will be presented to each student chapter that has attained at least the required number of points in all five areas. The points required are as follows:

Area Points  

Effective with the Year 2001 award year, points can be transferred FROM ONE area TO ONE of the other four areas, provided that area is deficient by 10% or less. The other three areas must meet the required points. If the membership area is deficient, points may be transferred INTO membership, not to exceed 3.5% of previous year end (April 30) student chapter membership total.

The award period for this year's submission began May 1, 2012 and ends April 30, 2013. The award entry must be submitted to the Region President for Region Outstanding Student Chapter consideration. The Region President forwards the awards submission to the Student Awards Committee by the deadline date. If the chapter is not affiliated with a region, the award entry is submitted directly to the Student Awards Committee (studentawards@aitp.org) by the deadline date.

Student Individual Performance Award (SIPA)

Individual members of each student chapter may receive either a two-year or four-year Student Individual Performance Award. The awards are designed to require continued active participation by members in student chapter activities. The awards require sustained individual effort, both in the administration of the student chapter and in the increase of knowledge in information technology.

The awards are based on a point evaluation of various activities which are essential to the organization and operation of the student chapter. The rules are structured so that a total contribution will be acknowledged. These are awards of significant merit which recognize in a fitting manner the services rendered and sacrifices of time and effort made by a member on behalf of the chapter. The award year for the SIPA award follows the academic school year, from August (or September) to May.

After logging into your member account at http://www.aitp.org , both the SCOPA and SIPA award spreadsheets and all accompanying documentation can be found under the AITP Member's Only tab, then Reports, Manuals and Forms, then Student Awards or go directly to http://www.aitp.org/?page=StudentAwards.

Don't wait until the last minute to work on the awards. Start working on them now before getting too busy at the end of the semester. Any questions about the SCOPA and SIPA awards can be emailed to studentawards@aitp.org

With just a week and a half to go before the start of the National Collegiate Conference, registration is running very well. As of Sunday March 24, there are 606 registrants, of which 427 are students and 55 are faculty.

The event counts are:

Hotel Situation

Due to the sudden and unplanned closing of over 400 guest rooms at the St. Louis Millennium Hotel, a great number of conference attendees with confirmed reservations for the National Collegiate Conference will be relocated to either the Hyatt at the Arch or the Hilton at the Ballpark hotels. The official statement from the hotel is as follows:

 
The room rates will be the same as quoted for the Millennium Hotel contracted rate of $135.00/night plus taxes. Any additional charges assessed by the alternative hotel will be billed directly back to the Millennium Hotel.

The conference hotel was originally due for this major guest room renovation last fall but sadly, that never happened and the hotel owners opted to start the project immediately and notified us 4 weeks out from the conference. Additional information about this decision can be found by viewing this article in the St. Louis Business Journal <article link>.

The AITP NCC staff regrets any difficulties this may cause some conference attendees and additional steps are being taken to provide walking escorts to and from the hotels in the evenings.

See the NCC Hotel page for more information.

The application deadline has now passed. The top 10 finalists have been selected. They are:

Adam Arras (Southern IL Univ of Edwardsville)
Zechariah Campbell (Missouri State University)
Karl Cardenas (Illinois State University)
Nicholas Christensen (Illinois State University)
Joseph Isreal II (Georgia Piedmont Technical College)
Elizabeth Karber (University of Southern Indiana)
Nichole Karrels (Waukesha County Technical College)
Arielle Kohler (Ferris State University)
Raymond Levesque (Georgia Gwinnett College)
Liz Ulam (Texas State University-San Marcos)

The two $2,500 scholarship winners will be announced during the AITP National Collegiate Conference (NCC) Friday morning (4/4/2013) RHT Keynote panel discussion, which starts at 7:45am at the Millennium St. Louis hotel.

Click here for more details about the Robert Half Technology/AITP Scholarship.

This contest is Friday, April 5^th from 9:30am – 1:00pm with early registration at 9:00am.

Are you up for the Challenge? http://aitpncc-contests.org/?page_id=192.

See you at the Arch!

The student group which drove for two and a half hours to make the visit, got a chance to meet and greet their professional mentors, discuss their interest in going to the national collegiate conference in April and also to listen to a guest speaker on the topic "How to improve, protect, and preserve your memory”.

The president of the professional group reiterated his groups’ commitment to the student chapter and vowed its continued support to the students’ endeavors. The students on the other hand were elated about their experience and vowed to continue a good relationship with the professional group.

The student chapter last visited the professional chapter approximately two years, and thus it was a new experience for some of the students.

The president and members of Midwestern State University AITP student Chapter would like to thank the president and members of the Dallas professional group for allowing them to visit with them.

NCC (http://www.aitp.org/ncc/) is just a month away, April 4 – 7, in St. Louis, MO. Many student chapters as well as professional members will begin or have already started making travel plans. Why? This collegiate competition and conference is considered to be a premiere event for AITP. Many of you go to NCC to compete in awesome competitions, to attend one of the many presentations, and to talk to businesses in attendance. Did you also know that you could walk away with a contact for a job? You need to take advantage of every opportunity that you have to market yourself and grab the future that you want.

So, you ask – why continue with AITP after you graduate? As a student, AITP provides you with the means and support to be a part of an organization engrained in technology and service. Guess what – it does that for professional members also! The web portal gives you access to many articles and information via IE (Information Executive) – take a look at the current newsletter (http://www.aitp.org/?InfoExec201301).

Another link will take you to the Career Center where you can search for job openings (http://www.aitp.org/?page=AITPcareersPublic). There are also many services and discounts available to members (http://www.aitp.org/?ProdServDisc) – you will be prompted to log in before seeing this page.

Be part of an organization where YOU can continue your passion with technology, where you could mentor students in local student chapters, where you already have a vested interest, where you can stay active, stay involved, stay AITP.

For many of you, joining AITP as a student was your first involvement in a large professional organization. For others, you joined because you "heard” from other students that going to NCC was awesome! And yet, for others, you joined because you like technology. You can continue with AITP for all these same reasons!

As an added bonus, former student members receive a discount on their first year of professional dues. Under this discount, Association dues which are normally $105 per year are reduced by $50 (to $55) for the first year of professional membership. This discount can be used anytime during the first three years following graduation or the expiration of student membership – whichever is later.

Chapter and Region dues must also be paid and are not discounted.

To apply for the discount, fill out the form at: http://www.aitp.org/?page=Stud2ProfDiscount. This form can be found by clicking on Contact AITP or Why Join AITP in the left navigation rail and then clicking on Membership Discounts. Existing members can also find the form by logging in, clicking on Members Only in the left navigation rail, and then clicking on Membership Discounts.

Once approved, the applicant will be given a discount code to be used when the applicant joins on-line at http://www.aitp.org/join.

Please email memberservices@aitp.org for more information.

We look forward to seeing you at the Student to Professional (S2P) booth at NCC this year in St. Louis (Apr. 4 – 7). There will be current graduates in the booth that you can talk to about their involvement with the professional side of AITP and find out where professional chapters are located. For those of you not able to attend NCC, go to the web portal and click on the Chapters link and then Find a Professional Chapter. You have already made a wise investment in your future by being AITP. "Come to the professional side!”

The Robert Half Technology / AITP Scholarship Deadline has been extended to March 4, 2013

Each year, Robert Half Technology and the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) offer two $2,500 scholarships to two outstanding AITP Student Members pursuing studies in Information Technology. The scholarships awarded are based on demonstrated academic achievement, leadership activities, community service and future career interests.

Robert Half Technology/AITP Scholarships
2013 Applications NOW being Accepted

Visit the RHT/AITP Scholarship page for complete rules and details
http://www.aitp.org/members/group_content_view.asp?group=83279&id=111037

Important Dates:
Application Submission deadline: March 4, 2013
Transcript Submission deadline: March 8, 2013

2012 Robert Half Technology/AITP Scholarship Winners:

Rebecca Duxler (Illinois State University)

I feel extremely honored to receive this very prestigious award from Robert Half Technologies and AITP. This award reduces the financial burden and stress of college tuition, allows me to focus more on my studies, and I can be more involved in serving as an officer for Illinois State University's new and growing student AITP organization. I have been very active in the AITP student chapter since the club was first founded and aspire to continue a long-lasting legacy. I am excited to see next year what AITP has to offer at the national level. I will continue to rally support from the student club to raise enough money to send representatives to attend the 2013 NCC. Being a part of this organization has encouraged me to enhance my leadership skills and has helped me gain a greater knowledge of IT through networking, informational speakers, and much more. I plan on utilizing these skills to help establish my career in the IT field. I would like to thank Robert Half Technologies and AITP for sponsoring this award and for giving me this incredible opportunity. I look forward to encouraging and motivating other IT students to participate in this wonderful organization and share my passion with everyone involved in IT.

Marcus Guidry (Kennesaw State University) 

"I want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to both Robert Half Technology and AITP for selecting me as one of the two finalists for this prestigious national scholarship award. I am honored and humbled to be a recipient, and to represent Kennesaw State and the state of Georgia. Robert Half Technology is committed to helping students to reach their goals and value their education as the building blocks for their future. Thanks to RHT, I will be able to finish my degree in Information Security. I have been actively involved in AITP for 5 years now, serving in the capacities of chapter president and Student Leadership Council (SLC) for Region 7. I am still passionate about reaching out to students and inspiring them to reach their career goals. I'm also equally passionate about giving back to the community by helping other non-profit organizations with their technical needs. AITP has done many great things to help me in my career path (including helping me with landing my first IT job), so I always take pleasure in giving back to this organization. AITP has also taught me technical and leadership skills, both which are needed in order to be successful in the real world. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in an IT-related field to join AITP and take advantage of the wealth of resources the organization has to offer. I look forward to helping and contributing to AITP in the years to come."

These scholarships are available only to AITP Student Members. The opportunity to apply for this scholarship, as well as participating in the National College Conference, are just two of the unique benefits of AITP Student Membership.

How can I find out about AITP student membership? Click here for details and options to become a student member of AITP.

AITP student members enjoy access to the highest quality IT educational opportunities, conferences, events, contests, scholarship opportunities and forums for networking with experienced professionals and those new to the field.

MSU will be helping the participants get to know St. Louis, and the event itself. They have developed a Picture Scavenger Hunt that will send students in search of historical landmarks in the area. It has also been prepared with the intent to get students to familiarize themselves with the schedule and location of events right there in the conference hotel. And since we all know the importance of networking, the participants will need to locate someone they don't know and partner up in order to win the grand prize for the Picture Scavenger Hunt!

MSU students are looking forward to helping in a variety of ways. You'll know them by the bear on their shirt and the smile on their faces. We can't wait to see you at NCC 2013…under the Arch!

18^th annual

2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference

April 4-7, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri

Don't miss your chance to attend, compete, network and visit with IT hiring organizations at the premier event for IT college and university students which is none other than the upcoming 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference. The event will be held Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the St. Louis Millennium Hotel literally across the street from the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch!

The event was last in St. Louis (at the very same hotel) back in 2010 and the attendees enjoyed the many aspects of not only the conference but the downtown St. Louis attractions as well! Our AITP student chapter hosts include: Eastern Illinois University, Missouri Western State University, Missouri State University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville while the professional chapter hosts include both the St. Louis and the Capitol chapters. In fact, check the other articles and events that they have planned for you which include:

• Thursday afternoon Welcome Reception featuring the "Gateway Games”
• A Thursday / Friday Photo Scavenger Hunt
• Friday night LAN Party

Over 600 IT college and university students are expected at the conference from all over the country. All the details and updates will be posted to www.aitp.org/ncc including conference registration, hotel reservations, scholarship applications, sponsor and exhibitor opportunities, call for speakers and more.

For attendees the event registration fee, which includes just about ALL your conference meals during the event, will be $295 for both AITP student members as well as faculty. But you must register by 3/5/2013 as that is the cut-off date for the early-bird registration rate. Don't forget to make your hotel reservations for the $135/night room rate which includes complimentary in-room internet access and is good for up to quad occupancy!

The brand new AITP Event Registration system is making a debut for the 2013 AITP NCC event and as of late Monday, 2/4/2013 – registration is NOW open! The link can be found at www.aitp.org/ncc and for the first time ever – you can register individually as well as a group, then separately manage the contest teams by event and team members!

Noteworthy confirmed conference sponsors with potential career opportunities for YOU include:

• Robert Half Technology (Diamond sponsor of the whole conference)
• State Farm (sponsoring the Java contest and Friday afternoon break)
• USAA (sponsoring the Mobile Application contest and the lanyards)
• The Foundation of IT Education (sponsoring the Business Analytics contest)
• IBM (sponsoring the Enterprise Systems contest)
• ICCP Education Foundation (partial sponsorship of the Web Project contest)

For many attendees, the compelling reason for their attendance is to compete in the many national level competition events held during the conference against your other peers for fame, fortune and enhanced job offers from the nation's leading IT organizations. Be sure to visit the AITP NCC Contest website at http://aitpncc-contests.org/ which profiles each contest event and provides resources like skill sets and past problem statements with suggested solutions, so that YOU can be ready to take home a trophy or two!

CONTEST EVENTS

*For the list of past conferences including the WINNERS and list of schools that attend the AITP National Collegiate, click the "Past Conferences” link on www.aitp.org/ncc.

We hope to see you in St. Louis April 4-7, 2013 at the 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference.  And in case you are wondering where the next AITP NCC will be – Atlanta, Georgia April 10-13, 2014 at the downtown Omni Hotel at the CNN Center!

For additional information, feel free to contact Kevin Jetton, Texas State University AITP student chapter faculty co-advisor at kjetton@satx.rr.com or call 210-275-2062.

We have four schools that are co-hosting this event, Eastern Illinois University (EIU), Missouri Western State University (MWSU), Missouri State University (MSU), and Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville (SIU), as well as the Capitol professional chapter in Springfield, IL. All of these chapters are looking forward to making the time spent at the conference a fun and enjoyable time.

There will be the welcoming Gateway Games hosted by MWSU on Thursday afternoon, and if this is anything like the last time in 2010, everyone will have a bang up time.

MSU will be running the photo scavenger hunt on Thursday evening, running until Friday morning, where they will be getting everyone to work with each other and with other schools to get the information gathered for the hunt.

Friday evening EIU and MWSU will be hosting Game Night, where everyone is invited to bring their computers and compete against others in a variety of games. This is a little time for rest and for getting away from the competitions to have some fun.

The St. Louis Professional Chapter will be having their monthly meeting on Thursday evening starting with dinner at 6:30pm and then a presentation from AITP's own Mark Gilfand at 7:30pm. The dinner will be $30.00 per person, but students are invited to the Presentation after the dinner at no charge. More information on this will be posted on the St. Louis chapter website as well as the NCC website, as we get closer to the conference date.

Gaming consoles (Xbox, Wii, etc.) will also be on-site with a variety of group games available. Prizes will be awarded for each individual and team tournament. Open source computer tournament games will include (but not limited to): Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Dance Dance Revolution (Console), and Wii Sports (Console). Both wired and wireless connections will be available. Computers WILL NOT BE provided.

Snacks will be provided outside the game room; please no alcohol will be permitted in the game room itself. So come prepared to have lots of fun, and get to you know your fellow students.

So, be ready to play and "See you in St. Louis”!

Traits: Traits of the "ideal candidate” is one who:

• Gives of their time and energy in an unselfish manner to the AITP student chapter throughout the year
• Keeps the AITP student chapter focused
• Ensures successful AITP student chapter events and activities
• Bends over backwards to train, support and mentor chapter officers, committee chairs and members
• Helps coordinate chapter trips, events and activities and basically "makes things happen when it looks like they will not happen”

Past Winners:

• 2012 -  Diane Murphey, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and Dr. Lissa Pollacia, Georgia Gwinnett College
• 2011 -  Dr. Alex Citurs, Eastern Connecticut State University
• 2010 -  Brenda Wilz, Fox Valley Technical College
• 2009 -  Dr. Scott Hunsinger, Appalachian State University
• 2008 -  Johnny Snyder, Mesa State College
• 2007 -  Monica Holmes, Ph.D., Central Michigan University and Robert Brzycki, Milwaukee Area Technical College - West Campus
• 2006 -  David Weirschem, Ph.D., Midwestern State University
• 2005 -  Jack Russell, Ph.D., Northwestern State University
• 2004 -  Dawn Panatelo, Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Nomination: To nominate your advisor for this award, please complete the "Going the Extra Mile Faculty Advisor of the Year Submission Form” that includes the following information by March 1st:

• AITP student chapter name
• Name, academic rank (if applicable) and history at the school
• Contact information for both the candidate and the individual making the nomination
• Brief description of your AITP student chapter including chapter size, officers, history and challenges. Also mention school that your chapter is affiliated with (technical, college, university….)
• List and describe specific reasons, incidents or situations (over the past year) wherein you feel the nominee truly "Goes the Extra Mile” for your AITP student chapter
• Testimonial letter from the AITP student chapter President is required. Additional letters from the rest of the student chapter is strongly encouraged. Letters from the Dean or department head are acceptable also.

The Nomination form and more detailed information about the Award can be found on the NCC site. http://www.aitp.org/ncc. Then click on Student and Faculty Awards. A direct link to the page is: http://www.aitp.org/members/group_content_view.asp?group=83279&id=125867.

Submission: Email the document(s) which MUST include all the information listed above to studentawards@aitp.org by March 1st.

According to this infographic, users are expected to download 21 BILLION mobile apps by 2013! With the average user spending over 11 hours a month on their apps, now is the time to become a mobile developer!

Here's your chance! Join USAA, Computer World's Best Place to Work in IT, in the Mobile App Dev contest at the 18^th annual AITP National Conference. AITP Students are invited to raise the bar during this mobile app development throwdown! Expand your technical and troubleshooting skill set while showcasing your innovation in the mobile frontier!

On the morning of the competition, teams will be provided with a problem statement and will be given 3.5 hours to imagine, develop and submit a working prototype for the competition. This is your chance, get in front of a Fortune 200 Financial Services Company with this exciting national technology competition. You can view the full contest rules here. Practice problems and the latest updates will be available in a Facebook invite and the AITP newsletter.

Where: 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference in St. Louis, Missouri

When: Friday, April 5, 2013 from 9:30am-1pm

Getting Started: Become a fan of USAA on facebook.com/usaacareers and "Join” the Facebook invite for more details

Want to hear more about Computer World's best place to work in IT 3 years in a row? Visit usaa.com/careers today, full time positions and internships are available.

As an advisor, a main point made to the students was to push the organization continually upward. This started with suggesting that they co-host the 2010 NCC in St. Louis. Just a tiny push propelled them to not only co-host that year, but also the following year in Florida and again this year in St. Louis. These upward movements also made these students realize the importance of getting involved at the national level and promoting AITP. During these years they also received SCOPA twice and their region's Region Student Chapter of the Year award. Hard work – definitely!

Last year during NCC in San Antonio, I received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. WOW – that was a very humbling experience! With my retirement last May, 2012, becoming a member of ABoD seemed like the best place for me to continue service to AITP and also to stay involved with student chapters.

If you are an advisor, please keep pushing your chapter for excellence. That excellence not only promotes AITP, but it can promote stewardship in the student's local community, their campus, and their lives after college. A new initiative for faculty advisors (one per school) this year is the Faculty Advisor Membership Initiative (not available online) which provides a $35 reduction in dues off our regular association professional dues, bringing it to $70/year plus applicable chapter dues. More information on this can be found at: http://www.aitp.org/news/99094/

If you are a student, push your chapter to get involved. Ask – is my chapter "active”? Ask - are we developing our members? Ask – what can my chapter do to earn SCOPA? Ask – what did I do for the organization?

Consider the following awards for your chapter and advisor(s) (descriptions and forms regarding these awards can be found at: http://www.aitp.org/?page=StudentAwards.

This page can be found by:

• Logging in
• Selecting AITP Leaders Only in left navigation rail
• Then selecting Reports, Manuals and Forms
• Then selecting Student Awards

SCOPA: Student Chapter Outstanding Performance Award - recognizes outstanding student chapters throughout AITP. This award indicates the chapter is providing a variety of opportunities to and for its members and its members are participating in a variety of activities. Application forms are due by May 31 each year.

SIPA: Student Individual Performance Award - Student members are encouraged to work toward this award by completing certain chapter activities. The award is non-competitive in that every member of the chapter can achieve the award through participation. Applications forms are due by May 31 each year.

Going the Extra Mile Faculty Award: recognizes faculty members that truly go "the extra mile” for their AITP Student Chapter. Application forms are due March 1 each year.

Outstanding Faculty Advisor award: Recognizes an advisor who has exemplified the highest ideals of his/her profession. The recipient is chosen from faculty advisors of student chapters who achieved SCOPA for the previous two years.

KSUA AITP students, already preparing for their annual journey to the AITP National Collegiate Conference in April 2013, were excited to hear Keith share his knowledge on Microsoft Virtual Academy and the Technology Affiliate Certification program. Each year students attempt certification exams available at the conference. They see certification as an important step in advancing their career as an IT professional. Keith did an excellent job explaining the many advantages of getting certified, the different levels of certifications offered to them through Microsoft, and the fantastic resources available to them via the Microsoft Virtual Academy.

Students were pumped after the conference. Rita Hennigan stated: "I learned a lot about the certification tracks for professional status, especially the SQL track. I am looking forward to the conference in the spring so I can gain some of these certifications.” After Keith described creating virtual study labs with Windows Azure Virtual Machines, Jeff Hopes said, "Can't wait to start using Server 12 over winter break!”

Video conferencing is becoming more prevalent and revolutionizing the world of education. Students are highly benefiting from its educational advantages. Introducing students to new technologies, such as what was used to facilitate this web conference, can prepare them for trends that will soon be the norms of society. One of the reasons this web conference was so well-attended by our students was the fact that delivering this presentation via Microsoft Lync enabled our students to attend on an early Saturday morning when they might not have been able to make the 3-hour round trip to Columbiana. A virtual conference eliminated the drive and eased the cost of gas and time.

The technology necessary for the presentation at KSUA was readied a few minutes before the event. The room we met in was equipped with a PC with an Internet connection and speakers. Lync Attendee client software was already downloaded and installed on the system to provide integrated audio and video. A Logicam webcam and microphone was connected so the students were able to ask Keith questions. We viewed the presentation on a large projector screen at the front of the room. An email had been sent with the meeting room URL. All that was required was to navigate to the URL for the meeting room and join the meeting. Once the meeting began, we could view Keith's PowerPoint presentation and explore websites he visited. Students were able to ask questions in real time and discuss aspects of the presentation that were personally relevant.

Thanks again to the Columbiana Student AITP and Keith Mayer for a great educational experience. I enjoyed hearing the many positive comments from the students about the technology used to deliver the web conference, the content of the presentation, and their enthusiastic intent to study and commit to preparing for certification exams in the near future.

Carolyn Carvalho
Assistant Professor (Computer Technology)
Kent State University at Ashtabula

Registration for the 2012 IBM Master the Mainframe Contest is now open!

This year, the IBM Academic Initiative System z team is giving away over $50,000 in prizes, including ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity tablets, expenses-paid trips, custom T-shirts (featuring the zEnterprise EC12 mainframe, which was just announced on August 28) and a ton of swag! Plus, tons of great technical challenges to give students hands-on experience and sought-after skills.

Contest homepage: http://ibm.com/university/contest.  

Students can access the simple registration form from that page. We also put a link to a printable PDF Flyer on the homepage to help promote the contest in the classroom.

The contest, which begins on October 1, is an educational tool that progresses in difficulty and prize value as contestants complete a variety of tasks, logging into a remote mainframe system from their own workstations. You can see more details on the contest in this Destination z blog post.

This year, the custom Master the Mainframe Contest T-shirt (the prize for being among the first 2,500 contestants to complete Part 1) will feature "tour dates" on the back, which will match the hometowns of the 50 schools that have the most registrants as of October 1. The contest runs through December 28.

You can connect with other students and educators, and keep up with the latest contest announcements, on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MasterTheMainframe.  

Students will also be encouraged to use their mainframe skills to help them apply for the jobs on our System z Job Board at systemzjobs.com.

Our team hopes to see you Mastering the Mainframe this fall. Best wishes for a successful semester!

Region 3 Student Conference
October 11-13, 2012
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Learn about this great opportunity here.

Register NOW! 

The time has come, spread the word: you can now register for the 2012 AITP Region 3 Student Conference!! Yep, we are pretty excited too! Make sure you sign up now and don't forget to tell your friends.

Have you been to our website for the most up to date information on the conference? Check out the contests and our keynote here. We'll see you in Lafayette Oct 11-13.

Keynote Speaker: Lieutenant General Robert Elder (USAF, retired) is a senior advisor to the Cyber Innovation Center and a leading expert on Cyber Defense. Learn more here.

Contests with Cash Prizes! Contests include: Application Development, Microsoft Office Solutions, Mobile Applications, PC Troubleshooting, Web Development, & MORE. Click here for more info.

Hotels: The Hilton Garden Inn Lafayette and the Comfort Suites are the Conference Hotels for 2012. Each is conveniently located near the University and both are offering special pricing for the Conference. See hotel information here.

AITP Student Members: State Farm Insurance is holding a Java Coding Competition Saturday October 13, 2012 for select schools. And it has opened up the competition to ALL full time undergraduate AITP Student Members, regardless of their school. Here's a chance to show off your skills, compete for some serious cash, and get yourself known to a world class IT organization.

But you must register by 10/13/2012 7:59 PM CDT. See http://sfresearchcenter.com/codingcomp/ for details and to register. Be sure to read the competition FAQs and rules.

The competition will be held 10/13/2012 8:00 PM - 11:59PM CDT. The problem statement will be available for download on October 13 at 8:00 PM CDT at the competition's "Dashboard page”. Teams may be comprised of either one or two members.

Four prizes of $800 each will be awarded to the top 4 individuals or teams. If a two person team wins a prize, they will split the money. The 4 finalists will be given an all-expense paid trip to State Farm ® in Bloomington, IL November 15-16, 2012 to compete for the $1,500 grand prize award. Only the finalists attending will be considered for the grand prize.

To help spread the word to your fellow AITP Student Members, here are two flyers that can be used:
http://www.aitp.org/resource/resmgr/2012-IE-Files/SFcomp-flyer2012-5x7.pdf
http://www.aitp.org/resource/resmgr/2012-IE-Files/SFcomp-flyer2012-8x11.pdf

Check out the rules and FAQs, register for this unique event at http://sfresearchcenter.com/codingcomp/ and take advantage of this benefit of AITP Student Membership!

Save the Date – Start Planning Your Trip for:
18^th annual - 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference
April 4-7, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri

Don't miss your chance to attend, compete, network and visit with IT hiring organizations at the premier event for IT college & university students which is none other than the upcoming 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference. The event will be held Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the St. Louis Millennium Hotel literally across the street from the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch!

The event was last in St. Louis (at the very same hotel) back in 2010 and the attendees enjoyed the many aspects of not only the conference but the downtown St. Louis attractions as well! Our AITP student chapter hosts include: Eastern Illinois University, Missouri Western State University and Missouri State University while the professional chapter hosts include the St. Louis and the Capitol chapters. In fact, a planning meeting was held in July with representatives from all these chapters at the hotel. While we were there, downtown St. Louis was definitely super-busy and exciting as it was a MLB home stand of the St. Louis Cardinals playing their arch rivals the Chicago Cubs.

Over 600 IT college and university students from literally all over the country are expected at the conference and all the details and updates will be posted to http://www.aitp.org/ncc/ throughout the fall including conference registration, hotel reservations, scholarship applications, sponsor & exhibitor opportunities, call for speakers and more. For attendees, the event registration fee includes just about ALL your conference meals during the event will be $295 for both AITP student members as well as faculty but you must register by 3/5/2013 as that is the cut-off date for the early-bird registration rate. Don't forget to make your hotel reservations either, as we get closer and the $135/night room rate is good for up to quad occupancy too.

SCHEDULED CONTEST EVENTS

Thu 4/4/2013	6:30-10:30pm	Office Solutions, Systems Analysis & Design
Fri 4/5/2013	10am-1pm	PC Troubleshooting, Cobol, Security Scenario
	2-6pm	Database Design, Network Design
	6:30-10:30pm	Visual Studio, Business Analytics, Graphics Communications
Sat 4/6/2013	8:30am-12:30pm	Student Web Project Finalists
	9am-1pm	Java, Mobile Applications, RPG
	Mid-day	AITP Student Chapter Banners & Shirts

*Be sure to visit the AITP NCC Contest website at http://aitpncc-contests.org/ which profiles each contest, provides resources and in most cases, past problem statements and suggested solutions!

ALL this and MORE so you definitely don't want to miss out on this annual opportunity to network, compete against the best IT college and university students from all over the country, grow professionally and land that internship or full time job offer!

*For the list of past conferences including the WINNERS and list of schools that attend the AITP National Collegiate, click the "Past Conferences” link at www.aitp.org/ncc/.

Hope to see you in St. Louis April 4-7, 2013 at the 2013 AITP National Collegiate Conference!

For additional information, feel free to contact Kevin Jetton, Texas State University AITP student chapter faculty co-advisor at kjetton@satx.rr.com or call 210-275-2062.