Volume XXIV No. 4 • Jan. 28, 2000

Submit items to Campus Currents

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.

Welcome to Black Hills State University - Top
Barbara Harris, secretary, College of Arts and Sciences

Professors will take part in a panel discussion - Top
The global awareness committee at Black Hills State University is sponsoring several video presentations and a panel discussion next week in recognition of “Changing Face of America.”

The video presentations will be Feb. 1-4 at 3:30 p.m. in Jonas 304.

A resource person will be available for discussion after each video presentation.

All BHSU students, faculty and staff, and public welcome at no charge.

The schedule for the videos is as follows:

  • Tuesday, Feb. 1 Mountains, Mist, and Mexico (Learn about Latino culture)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 2
    Great Religions of the World
  • Thursday, Feb. 3
    Eyes on the Prize, Part IV (Civil Rights struggle)
  • Friday, Feb. 4
    Vincent Chin (Story of a racial hate crime)

The global awareness committee points out this quote from Farai Chideya, from Time, Feb. 1, 1999, "One thing bears remembering: every day America's heartland looks more and more like New York and Los Angeles, not the other way around."

Landis Peterson DeCory Glover
 
Ahmad Valades Wallerstein  

The panel discussions will be presented Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union multipurpose room. Each session will include a question-and-answer session.

Professors participating in the panel discussion are Dr. Larry Landis, Dr. Dan Peterson, Ms. Jace DeCory, Dr. John Glover, Dr. Ahrar Ahmad, Dr. Joe Valades, and Dr. Nicholas Wallerstein.

Topics to be discussed at each session include:

  • The 2000 census - possible findings and implications
  • Prejudice and racism in South Dakota
  • Religious diversity in the United States
  • The impact of the Latino culture on the cultural/ethnic landscape of America
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. and the rhetoric of race in America.

The public is invited to attend either session at no charge. Refreshments will be served at the evening session.For more information contact Legia Spicer, BHSU global awareness committee chair, at 642-6556.

Teaching with technology faculty award winners meet with state legislators - Top
Faculty from all state universities who received the governor's Teaching with Technology awards this year met in Pierre this week to discuss their projects and course redesigns with state legislators.

The South Dakota Board of Regents hosted the presentation so that lawmakers could see the improvements faculty made in integrating technology in their courses and curricula. Through this competitive grant program, faculty award winners increase their use of instruction of students and mentor other professors who wish to adapt their courses with technology.

Eleven Black Hills State University professors participated in the demonstration outlining how they have used technology in their individual courses. Faculty from BHSU were, Dr. Thomas Cox, professor of psychology; Dr. Pat Fallbeck, professor of education; Dr. Amy Fuqua, assistant professor of English; Dr. Carol Hess, associate professor of education; Dr. Jim Hess, professor of psychology; James Knutson, professor of art education; Dr. Roger Miller, associate professor of geography; Dr. Roger Ochse, associate professor of English; Dr. Sandee Schamber, assistant professor of education; Dr. Betsy Silva, associate professor of physical education; and Dr. Larry Tentinger, assistant professor of physical education.

Carol Hess Betsy Silva

Two BHSU faculty members also facilitated discussion topics with other faculty award winners. Dr. Carol Hess led a discussion on using internet technology to support interactive learning in content areas and Dr. Betsy Silva facilitated the discussion on the impact of technology on student learning in health and physical education.

Robert T. Tad Perry, executive director of the board of regents, praised the program saying "it has engendered a sense that the future is here now and that we can be—indeed, that we will be—a part of it."

Black Hills State is seeking string players for a chamber orchestra - Top
Black Hills State University band director Don Miller is interested in establishing a community/university chamber orchestra. Miller is currently looking for anyone interested in participating, especially string players. An organizational meeting for the chamber orchestra is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m .in Cook Hall 204. For more information contact Professor Miller at 642-6888.

Black Hills State hosts Preview Day today - Top
High school seniors will be on campus to check out Black Hills State University during `Preview Day,' Friday, Jan. 28 at the David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union.

Students and their parents will have an opportunity to visit with university faculty and representatives about admission procedures, scholarship programs, costs of attending college, and housing options. Students will also visit with university faculty in the student's area of academic interest.

A panel discussion featuring current BHSU students will be held so new or prospective students can ask questions and learn from the upperclassmen.

Financial aid officials will be available to answer questions about loans, scholarships, expenses and financial aid forms.

Campus tours will be given to familiarize the guests with the university.

Student teacher meeting scheduled - Top
Students planning to student teach in the summer or fall 2000 should attend one of three student teacher meetings.. The meetings are Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7 a.m. in the David B. Miller Student Union Multipurpose room. For more information contact Colleen Gustafson, Office of Field Experience, 1200 University Street Unit 9038, Spearfish, S.D. 57799-9038 (605) 642-6642.

BHSU Green and Gold Club to host chamber appreciation night - Top
The Green and Gold Booster Club and Spearfish chamber relations committee at Black Hills State University will host an appreciation night Saturday, Feb. 12 for members of the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce during the BHSU basketball games against Dakota State University.

Chamber members are encouraged to bring to the game the letter they will receive with the February issue of the Fish Wrapper. The letter will serve as a complimentary game ticket for two people. As guests of the Green and Gold Club and the chamber relations committee, chamber members will be treated to complimentary concessions in he hall of fame room between the women's and men's

basketball games. The women's game begins at 6 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 8 p.m.

The Green and Gold Club is a booster club that works to promote Black Hills State University and provide financial support to its athletic programs. The BHSU/chamber relations committee promotes collaboration and friendship between the university and Spearfish chamber members.

Information about the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce appreciation night is available by contacting the BHSU Advancement Office at 642-6385.

Excellence in writing prizes will be awarded - Top
For the first time, a BHSU Undergraduate Writing Prize Competition will be held at the university. The prizes are being provided by the Deans' Council this year. In future years the prizes are expected to be endowed by donation.

The competition will be based on a calendar year. Submissions are now invited for essays written in spring 1999, summer 1999, and fall 1999 courses. Essays written for courses at both the Spearfish and Ellsworth campuses are eligible.

There are two competitions:
1) for essays written in English composition courses (010, 101, and 102);
2) for essays written in other English, humanities, philosophy, and Spanish (papers must be written in English) courses.

At this time poetry and fiction are not eligible for the competition, but creative non-fiction essays are.

Submit five copies of the essay with the following information clipped to a cover sheet:

  • Student's name
  • Essay title (which should also appear on the first page of the essay itself)
  • Student's e-mail address
  • Student's address
  • Student's phone number
  • Course for which paper was written
  • Instructor's name
Only one essay per student, per course is eligible. Therefore, the student's best work must be selected for submission. Students may win only one prize in each category.

The student's name is to appear nowhere other than on that cover sheet.

The deadline for entries for this year's competition is 5 p.m., March 1, 2000. Winners will be announced in mid-April with an awards ceremony scheduled for late-April. Only winning entries will be notified, and entries cannot be returned. Prizes for each competition range from $100 to $200 and will be awarded at a ceremony on Monday, April 17.

Submit entries to the committee chair, David A. Salomon, at 1200 University, Unit 9063 or Jonas 103A. Contact Professor Salomon with any questions.

Minutes of the December CSA meeting - Top
The CSA council met Dec. 14, 1999, at the Pangburn dining room. Present were Deatta Chapel, Susan Hemmingson, Paulette Palladino, Gloria Spitler, Fred Nelson, Candy Huddleston, Marilyn Luscombe, Ellen Boyd, Colleen Gustafson, Ginny Sunding, Jeanne Hanson, Myron Sullivan and Corinne Hansen. Not present were Becky Dovre, Margaret Kleinsasser and Jim Holter.

Vice president Deatta Chapel called the meeting to order. Minutes of the November meeting were read and approved.

Marilyn Luscombe gave the treasurer's report.

Deatta Chapel welcomed the new council members. New council officers will be elected in January.

Candy Huddleston reported on the safety committee meeting she attended. Several safety and parking concerns were discussed. Myron Sullivan reported on changes in parking. He also indicated fire extinguisher classes will be held for staff members.

Colleen Gustafson reported on the strategic-planning committee. The committee is going through the 1995 strategic plan.

The CSA social event originally scheduled before Christmas was discussed. A chili feed for all CSA

employees was set for Friday, Jan. 21 prior to the basketball game. Paulette Palladino will contact council members concerning what to bring.

Susan Hemmingson indicated that she will be glad to help the CSA council with any purchasing procedure questions in the future.

Fred Nelson reported on the SDSEO meeting he recently attended. He discussed some bureau of personnel proposed changes.

Jeanne Hanson from BHSU is currently on the election ballot for the Personnel Management Advisory Board (PMAB) at the state level.

In new business, the continuing members thanked outgoing members for their help and service throughout their CSA term. CSA council president Colleen Gustafson thanked the council for their cooperation this year.

The next CSA meeting was set for Jan. 18 (date was delayed one week due to conflict with registration) at 9 a.m. in the Little Dining Room. Meeting adjourned.

Recorded by Corinne Hansen, CSA secretary.

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. Deadline is Jan. 31.

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 2000 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.

Grants opportunities announced - Top
Below are the program materials received Jan. 13-Jan. 26 in the grants office, Woodburn 220. For copies of the information, contact our office at 642-6627 or e-mail requests to us at . Fellowship information will also be posted on the Student Union bulletin board near the information desk.
  • Leadership Grants - National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. Purpose: To underwrite professional development opportunities for teachers, education-support personnel, and higher-education faculty and staff to prepare them for collegial leadership in the spirit of Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning. Deadline: March 1 and Oct. 15. NFIE awards grants of $1,000 to individuals to engage in professional development activities that address the needs of the students they serve.
  • NSF. Geoscience education. Due April 10.
  • DOC. Technology Opportunities Program. (Formerly Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program). Due March 16.
  • USDA. Rural Development. Rural Utilities Service - Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program. Deadlines vary.
  • Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Grants-in-Aid Program for scientific research in social problem areas related to interests of the society. Due April 1.
  • American Massage Therapy Association Foundation. Research Grants for $1-2,000. Due March 1.
  • NSF. Rural Systemic Initiative in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education. Due April 19.
  • Rotary Foundation. Ambassadorial Scholarships for students. Contact local rotary for information.

New Faculty Profile

by Dawn Taggart, media relations student intern

Don Miller

“Intrinsic motivation,” said Donald K. Miller, “is my teaching style. They do it because of the excitement of learning.”

Miller feels we are put on this planet to learn, and he is a part of that process. He commented, “Not a day goes by without [my] learning something for or by my students. I have become more interested in inspiring individual people with integrity and sincerity...”

Miller joined the Black Hills State music department this January, and was drawn to Black Hills State because of the possibilities in the music department and strong community support for musicians. Miller said of his career choice, “It kind of chose me; I was teaching music and planning to go to law school, then I saw the fire in their eyes.”

Miller finds his ensemble classes and music listening classes rewarding, and loves any classes where he gets to conduct music. He feels that music has changed over the years by becoming less competitive. “It is seen more as a performance of art rather than competition,” he said.

For Miller, technology is beneficial in many ways, including more efficiency in paper work, easier communication with other performers, and faster and more efficient publication. He commented, “computers have developed their own musical language, but they have not changed my style a bit. Not because it's not available or important, just that one to one communication cannot be enhanced through technology, and there's no way technology can make me a better conductor.”

Miller earned several degrees including: bachelor of music education in 1982 from Southwestern Oklahoma State University; bachelor of arts in music, 1983, also from Oklahoma State; master of music education, 1987, Wichita State University; and is currently working on his dissertation for a doctor of music arts at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

His job experience includes: co-director of jazz band and a student teacher at Elk City High School in Elk City, Okla., 1981-1982; director of bands and elementary music at Snyder Public Schools in Snyder, Okla., 1982-1985; W.S.U. graduate assistantship – director of elementary bands at Church of the Magdalen School in Wichita, Kan., 1985-1986; director of instrumental music – band and orchestra at Coleman Junior High School in Wichita, Kan., 1986-1989; director of bands, instrumental music coordinator, conductor and music director of Southwest Symphony – community symphony of Southwest Kansas, and was instructor of music history, music appreciation, instrumental music methods and instrumental conducting for Seward County Community College from 1989 to 1995; visiting instructor of instrumental music methods at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1997; and graduate assistant, Hawkeye Marching Band and Concert Bands, and conductor of the university band at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, 1995-1997.

The position Miller held at the time of accepting employment at Black Hills State was at the University of Missouri in Rolla, Mo. as director of bands and orchestra, conductor of musical productions, and instructor of music theory.

Miller has done extensive work in the area of professional development, including various workshops, symposiums, and private studies. He has achieved many awards and distinctions, including Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Orpheus Award, and the Tau Beta Sigma Marching Band Achievement Award, among many others.

Miller enjoys being involved with the community where he lives, and has many professional affiliations, including: Conductor's Guild, Music Educator's National Conference, Missouri Music Educator's Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, and World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles.

Miller said of his plans for the future, “[I want] to continue growing as a musician, to inspire my students to be the best musicians within their capability, and to continue to look for opportunities for [these] musicians to perform.”

Setting thoughts of the future aside, though, Miller's busy schedule still allows him to invest a bit of himself into other activities he enjoys such as running, cooking, his family, and playing with his pet dog named Chuck.

Campus Calendar - Top

Friday, Jan. 28

  • Preview day: high school students visit campus

Monday, Jan. 31

  • Changing Face of American Forum panel discussion, Student Union multipurpose room, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Manic Monday Retreat for faculty, Woodburn, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 1

  • Changing Face of American Forum video presentation - Mountains, Mist, and Mexico, Jonas 304 at 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 2

  • Changing Face of American Forum video presentation - Great Religions of the World, Jonas 304 at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 3

  • Green and Gold luncheon, Perkins, noon
  • Changing Face of American Forum video presentation - Eyes on the Prize Part IV, Jonas 304 at 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 4

  • Changing Face of American Forum video presentation - Vincent Chin, Jonas 304 at 3:30 p.m.