Missouri State University’s Association for Business Information Technology Students (A-BITS) sets the pace for other student organizations through its commitment to professional development. The information technology and cybersecurity (ITC) group set itself apart in the 2022-23 academic year by hosting its first regional U.S. Information Technology Collegiate Conference (USITCC).
In April, they were named by Foundation for IT Education (FITE) 2023 Student Organization of the Year.
About the award
The award program encourages effective student organization operations and professional growth through leadership and communication skills.
Students receive points for six areas of professional proficiency, including:
- Student organization meetings.
- Student organization events.
- Industry involvement.
- Public speaking.
- Online presence.
- Special projects.
“A-BITS exceeded all expectations by a huge margin,” ITC interim department head Dr. Xiang Guo said. “Our industry involvement score is 10 times higher than the average requirement, thanks to students hosting the USITCC Regional Competitions in fall 2022.”
Students made it happen
Guo credits the A-BITS executive council and special interest group leads. Please join us in congratulating the following students:
- President: Krista Alexander.
- Vice president: Jacob Renkoski.
- Secretary: Jackson Luu.
- Treasurer: Zachary Frey.
- Webmaster: Noah Lawson.
- SIG cybersecurity: Michael Talbot.
About A-BITS
A-BITS is open to students of all majors with an interest in IT.
“We maintain a close tie with the ITC department,” Guo said. “Our faculty volunteer their time and resources to help students succeed in their career.”
Student members can compete in ITC competitions and see how they stack up against their peers at top universities nationwide.
Representatives from major companies attend and recruit at these events including ConocoPhillips, Koch Industries, Kiewit Technology Group, Bass Pro Shops, KPMG, and more.
The organization hosts bi–weekly meetings with IT professionals so students can expand their network and seek career advice. They also have special interest groups where students can meet with like-minded peers.
Students can also connect through a Discord server to meet for project discussions, keep up to date on events and share their passion. The annual membership fee is $75, which is reduced to $40 after the first year.