| Volume XXIII No.
47 • Dec. 10, 1999
The Campus Currents is distributed every Friday. If
you would like to include an item in the newsletter send
it to Campus Currents, Unit 9512 or by e-mail to Campus Currents.
Deadline is Thursday at 8 a.m.
BHSU participates in fast
for a world harvest - Top
Many students, faculty and staff at BHSU joined with
others in various schools and colleges in the U.S. to
participate in a "Fast for a World Harvest"
just before Thanksgiving break.
The idea was for people to give up lunch (or any part
of it) and donate that money to Oxfam America. Oxfam is
one of the most respected humanitarian agencies in the
country determinedly engaged in combating problems of
poverty and inequality in the world.
A total of $194.76 was raised and sent as our
contribution. The figure may appear to be paltry, but it
is helpful to put it in perspective. It is estimated that
the money is more than enough to buy all the educational
materials for a class of about 50 students for an entire
year in a rural primary school in India, or arrange water
purifying tablets to benefit a village of about 500
people for a year in Guatemala, or provide a nutritious
meal for about 1,000 people in Sudan. The event was
sponsored by the Global Awareness Committee.
Winter commencement set -
Top
The 138th Commencement will be held at
Black Hills State University Saturday, Dec. 18 at 10 a.m.
in the Donald E. Young Sports and Fitness Center.
Degrees will be awarded to 189 students. Degrees
awarded include 13 associate degrees, 169 bachelor's
degrees and 7 master's degrees.
Greetings from the South Dakota Board of Regents will
be given by Pat Lebrun. Diplomas will be presented by Dr.
Thomas Flickema, BHSU president, and the college deans.
Faculty marshals for the ceremony are Dr. Howard Perry,
professor of business and technology, and Dr. Darlene
Swartz, professor of education.
Following the commencement ceremony a reception hosted
by the president will be held in the Young Center field
house.
An honors breakfast will be held prior to commencement
at 8 a.m. in the multipurpose room of the David B. Miller
Yellow Jacket Student Union. The magna, summa and cum
laude graduates will be recognized.
Chiesman foundation to
sponsor issue forum on juvenile violence - Top
Black Hills State University Students For Informed
Voters in conjunction with South Dakota Issues Forums and
the Chiesman Foundation For Democracy announce that an
issue forum on juvenile violence will be held Monday,
Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. in Jonas 308.
The forum is free and open to everyone. Pre-forum
materials and information may be obtained by contacting
Dr. Tim Martinez at 642-6246 or stopping by his office in
Jonas 106C. The juvenile violence issues forum is
developed by National Issues Forums, which offers several
suggestions to the problem of juvenile violence in
America.
Funds
available through instructional improvement committee
- Top
The instructional improvement committee (IIC)
encourages, through monetary grants, the application of
existing knowledge to specific teaching situations to
improve the quality of instruction at BHSU.
Any full-time faculty member, full-time adjunct
faculty or other full-time staff member engaged in
student instruction may apply for grant funds
administered by the committee. Grant funding will
normally be available up to a maximum of $1,000 per
project. Priority will be given to projects that will
have a broad-based, visible, continuing impact on
instruction across faculty members and/or disciplines.
Funds are available for development of materials and
methods to improve teaching and learning, equipment to
enhance teaching and learning, travel to conferences or
workshops which enhance teaching and learning, and
bringing consulting lecturers and teaching specialists to
campus to offer presentations to and/or with faculty and
teaching-support staff at BHSU. Faculty members who apply
for grants to support travel to a conference or workshop
are limited to receiving no more than one grant every
three years.
Proposals for grant funding will be reviewed by the
IIC on a monthly basis. The deadline for submission will
be the last Friday of each month; a decision will be made
as soon as practical on each proposal. Ten copies of the
proposals should be submitted to the Grants and Special
Projects Office, Woodburn 220, or to the chair of the
committee, Sharon Strand. Proposals will consist of
proposal and budget outlines following the specified
format available at the grants and special projects web
page.
Faculty-research committee has
funds available - Top
The faculty-research committee has funds available for
the current fiscal year. Write a short (about three-page)
proposal. Proposal forms are available at the academic
affairs office. Proposals are due Dec. 17.
It is anticipated that successful applicants will
request support for faculty release time, research
equipment, travel to research sites, research support for
the production of creative work. Preference is given to
new applicants particularly in the areas of education,
business, social sciences and humanities.Two three-hour
release times are available for fall 2000 and spring of
2001.
Funds for two three-hour release times are available
for the spring and fall 1999 semesters. You can apply
now. The research committee will not provide salary. The
committee may approve payment to student or non-student
research assistants. Mail ten copies of your proposal to
unit 9550.
Grant opportunities announced
- Top
Below are the program materials received Dec. 2-8 in
the grants office, 220 Woodburn. For copies of the
information, contact our office at 642-6627 or e-mail
requests to us at <grants@mystic.bhsu.edu
>.
Fellowship information will also be posted on the Student
Union bulletin board near the information desk.
- DOC.NIST. NSF Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowship (SURF) Program for
students majoring in science, mathematics and
engineering. Due Feb. 15.
- University of Michigan. Center for the
study of higher & postsecondary education
information.
- IREX. Short-term travel grants. For
scholarly projects on Central & Eastern
Europe, Eurasia, and Mongolia. Next deadline Feb.
1.
- American Political Science Association. Small
research grant program. Due Feb. 1.
- NSF. Research on learning and education
(ROLE). Preliminary proposals due March 1 and
Sept. 1. Proposals due June 1 and Dec. 1. NSF
00-17.
- NSF. Biocomplexity: special Competition -
integrated research to understand and model
complexity among biological, physical, and social
systems. Message of intent due Jan. 31.
New Faculty Profile
by Dawn Taggart, media
relations student intern
|
C. Gregory Cooch
 “While
my attraction [to teaching] was an accident,
staying is due to the committed individuals I've
been associated with over the years. I think
there was a period of time (a long time ago),
when I thought maybe it wouldn't be that hard to
be a teacher; it is very demanding but at the
same time rewarding.”
Dr. C. Gregory Cooch is teaching
special-education courses at Black Hills State
University. He has been in education for the past
23 years, during which he worked at different
positions which were involved with
developmentally disabled people, mostly children.
Cooch was very positive about his BH students
and remarked, “I'm just very impressed with
them. They'll not only compete with, but beat,
all the competition that's out there; they are
challenging and they are bright.”
In terms of style, Cooch says he does his best
to bring into the classroom real life and
authentic material, and he has a more
participatory classroom. Cooch is also very
positive regarding outcomes for children with
disabilities, or those for whom he is training
his students to help. He stated, “I think
many times individuals with disabilities given
the opportunity, can achieve with their
commensurate abilities as long as no one places
obstacles in their way.” As for those
obstacles, he said, “I've seen a change;
there are not so many people out there
handicapping these individuals with their
attitudes.”
Technology seems to be another positive factor
for Cooch. He said, “For me personally it is
just astounding, the mass of information
available to us – it can be the bridge
between knowing and not knowing; it's a marvelous
tool.” Cooch is also impressed with the
level of proficiency he sees at Black Hills State
with so many staff and students.
Cooch earned several degrees, all from the
University of South Dakota in Vermillion,
including: bachelor of science in political
science, 1974; secondary teaching certificate,
1985; master of arts in special education, 1987;
secondary school administration certificate,
1989; education specialist in educational
administration, 1992; educational doctorate in
curriculum and instruction, 1996. He is currently
working on an education specialist degree as a
school psychologist.
His professional experience includes: 1976-84,
director of industrial services for Sioux
Vocational Services; 1984-85, student; 1985-86,
secondary classroom teacher for Children's Home
Society; 1986-91, special-education teacher for
Sioux Falls Public School District; and 1991-99,
director of student services for Lennox School
District.
Cooch received many awards and nominations,
and has been involved with various accreditation
teams and advisory panels. He was also involved
with the Turner County Child Protection Team.
Cooch says of his leisure time, “My plan
is to try to keep the golf ball on the fairway
– I would like to experience that with some
consistency.”
|
This week at BHSU - Top
Friday, Dec. 10
- Women's basketball vs. University of Mary, 7 p.m.
- Hawaiian Suitcase Dance, Student Union Market
Place, 8 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, Dec. 11
- Women's basketball vs. Presentation College, 6
p.m.
- Men's basketball vs. Presentation College, 7:30
p.m.
- ACT, GRE tests on campus, prior registration
required
Tuesday, Dec. 14
- Last day of tutoring and make-up exams in the
student assistance center
- Dunk Club hosts "Meet Coach Mike
Kruszynski" social at Pizza Ranch, 5-6:30
p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 15
Thursday, Dec. 16
- Green & Gold Luncheon, Pizza Ranch
Thursday – Friday, Dec. 16-17
- Final examinations
- Book buy-back at the bookstore
Saturday, Dec. 18
- Book buy-back at the bookstore
- Commencement, Young Center, 10 a.m. (honors
breakfast, Student Union multipurpose room, 8
a.m.)
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