Campus Currents

Volume XXIV No. 44 • Nov. 3, 2000

Anagnopoulos receives $120,000 grant to study intergenerational communication
Strand and Norby present paper
Smith awarded grant from John Ball Zoo Society for ongoing endangered Antiguan snake project
BHSU senior presents winning paper at sociology conference
Dakota Chamber Orchestra to perform at Matthews Opera House
Global awareness committee sponsors presentations
Interview times changed
Cast announced for "The Diary of Anne Frank"
Minutes of the NCA self- study committee
Health screening postponed due to weather
Faculty research funds available
Instructional improvement funds available
Grants opportunities announced
This week at BHSU

Submit items to Campus Currents - Top

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.

Anagnopoulos receives $120,000 grant to study intergenerational communication - Top

A $120,000 grant from the National Institute of Health will be used by Dr. Cheryl Anagnopoulos, associate professor of psychology at Black Hills State University, to research intergenerational communications in the Lakota culture.

The purpose of the three-year study initiated by Anagnopoulos is to investigate whether the Lakota cultural tradition of respect for elders (filial piety) insulates the older generation from negative age-related stereotypes and their detrimental effects on intergenerational communications.

The BHSU psychologist believes that a conversation between a young adult and older adult will result in an age-related stereotype. If the age-related stereotypes are positive, a normal conversation follows. However, if the age related stereotypes are negative, the younger adult will alter speech style by being overly accommodative or patronizing. Older adults often react with annoyance or perceive it as an insult.

For some the negative age-related stereotype results in loss of self-esteem, self-confidence, and social withdrawal. The consequence is a cycle of deterioration based upon the negative stereotypes and lowered expectations of others.

During the first year Anagnopoulos plans to collect measures of filial piety and acculturation as independent variables and assess these as trait-generation tasks. During the second year she will trait-sort stereotypes from year one. The third year the BHSU psychologist will examine the moderating effects of filial piety on speech patterns using a hypothetical intergeneration conversation.

Anagnopoulos has been a member of the arts and science faculty for the past seven years. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in cognitive psychology in 1993.

Strand and Norby present paper - Top

Dr. Sharon Strand, assistant College of Arts and Science professor, and Rena Faye Norby, assistant College of Education professor, have been accepted to present a paper at the Asynchronous Learning Network Conference (ALN) in College Park, Md., this week. The topic of their presentation is "Teaching by Style: Profiling Online Instructors Using the MBTI Myers-Briggs Type Indicator."

They are presenting research on attitudes of on-line K-12 instructors towards the 1999 governor's Technology for Teaching and Learning (TTL).

According to their study, "These on-line instructors found the work challenging yet rewarding, and the majority who responded to the survey said that they would like to teach technology courses on-line again."


Strand	Norby

This research was an enhancement and follow up to the research published earlier this year by Drs. Fuller, Norby, Pearce and Strand entitled: "Internet Teaching By Style: Profiling the On-line Professor." Fuller et. al. researched higher education and K-12 instructors using the MBTI and Gregorc personality inventories to assess attitudes towards on-line teaching of 1998 governor's TTL courses. This article can be viewed on-line at this website.

Smith awarded grant from John Ball Zoo Society for ongoing endangered Antiguan snake project - Top

Dr. Brian Smith, Black Hills State University assistant professor of biology, recently received a $1,000 grant from the John Ball Zoo Society’s Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Smith has done extensive research on the endangered Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae) by monitoring the snake’s primary food source—lizards. This grant will pay a stipend to an Antiguan student in an ongoing project to reintroduce the snake to suitable islands in the Caribbean. It is estimated that fewer than 100 snakes remain.

This snake, found only in Antigua, is probably the rarest snake in the world," said Smith.

"The BHSU herpetologist said, "Antiguan

students cannot join the project without a paid stipend, since economic conditions within Antigua and the necessity of raising money for education prohibit volunteer work by these students on this or other similar projects."

Smith and two BHSU students conducted prey-based studies in 1999. The Antiguan Racer Conservation Project (ARCP), established in the summer of 1995 to conserve the snake, plans to train and employ local (Antiguan) students to continue the research. The study on prey is necessary for determining which islands will provide enough lizards to ensure the snakes’ survival.

Smith has been a member of the BHSU science faculty since 1997. He holds a Ph.D. in quantitative biology from the University of Texas.

BHSU senior presents winning paper at sociology conference - Top

Research shows that children can be negatively influenced by violence on television, according to a paper presented at the Great Plains Sociological Association Conference by Corey Aker, a Black Hills State University senior from Rapid City.

Aker’s paper, "A Review of Selected Research on the Effects of Television Viewing," won first place in the undergraduate division at the Great Plains conference held in Mandan, N.D., this fall.

The BH senior said his original research on effects of television viewing was done for a paper in a psychology class the year before. During the summer he did additional research doubling the paper’s size. He then presented it to Dr. Larry Landis, professor of sociology, for final editing and review before submitting it at the conference.

He found that children are able to learn from

television and it’s not always quality educational material. Children as young as 14 months can imitate what they see on television.

"Violence can be manifested now or 20 years down the road," he said. "Public television is alright but children learn from everything else they watch."

At the conference his presentation was made using a power point display and a question and answer session for further explanation.

He plans to do more research and revision and submit the paper at the Midwest Sociological Society meeting in St. Louis, Mo. He would like to add more theory to his paper and work it into a Federal Trade Commission Report.

Aker will graduate from BHSU this May with a double major in psychology and sociology. He would like to attend graduate school but has not made specific plans at this time.

Dakota Chamber Orchestra to perform at Matthews Opera House - Top

The Dakota Chamber Orchestra, comprised of Black Hills State University students, Spearfish community students, and community adults, will perform at the Matthews Opera House Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The group is conducted by Dr. Randall Royer, assistant professor of music.

The group was organized last spring by Donald Miller, who was a music teacher at Black Hills State during that time.

There is no admission fee, and everyone is welcome to attend the concert.

Global awareness committee sponsors presentations - Top

The Global Awareness Committee at Black Hills State University is sponsoring a presentation titled "Consumerism and Culture" Monday, Nov. 6, in the Student Union Jacket Legacy Room.

"Affluenza," a video about the ethics of consumerism and it’s consequences on the planet, will be shown from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and also from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

A panel of committee members will present arguments on consumerism after the videos from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The panel members are: Patty Jo Bellamy, presenting "Consumerism: A Long-Range Perspective;" Dr. Brian Smith presenting "Lifestyle and the Environment;" Dr. Ahrar Ahmad presenting "The Culture of Gobalism and the Globalization of Culture;" and Legia Spicer will present "Human Needs: A Spiritual Perspective." Dr. Dan Peterson will serve as the moderator for this panel.

There will be an audience-panel interaction from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Legia Spicer at 642-6556.

Interview times changed - Top

The Air Force audit agency interviews scheduled for Nov. 1 were postponed due to the weather. The interviews will be held

Wednesday, Nov. 8. To scheduled an interview contact the BHSU Career Center at 6238.

Cast announced for "The Diary of Anne Frank" - Top

The cast has been announced for "The Diary of Anne Frank" a production by students of Black Hills State University’s theatre department.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, in a new adaptation by Wendy Kesselman, will be presented Dec. 7, 8 and 9 at 8 p.m. in Woodburn Auditorium.

The play is set in World War II and Amsterdam has fallen to the Nazi regime. Seeking refuge in a long forgotten storage attic, Otto and Edith Frank try to maintain a sense of security and hope for their daughters, Margot and Anne. With limited supplies, they agree to hide another family, the van Daans and a dentist, Mr. Dussel. Days become months as tensions mount and news reports worsen. Anne, a gifted young girl of 14, records the daily events in her diary. Her accounts are filled with the humor, pain and passion of a young girl becoming a woman. She tries to maintain her belief in the general goodness of humanity, but as her

world and traditions are destroyed, her optimism fades.

Members of the cast are Anne Frank – Sarah Cozort, Spearfish; Otto Frank – Steve Blume, Spearfish; Edith Frank – Crystal Bleu Muglia, Spearfish; Margot Frank – Saisha Kuykendall, Redfield; Miep Gies – Leann Olsen, Spearfish; Peter Van Daan – Jason Robb, Belle Fourche; Mr. Kraler – Tim Bessette, Elko, Nev.; Mrs. Van Daan – Teresa Addington, Lead; Mr. Van Daan – Jacob (Mosas) Feeley, Diamondville, Wyo.; First Man – Troy Russell, Rapid City; Second Man – Nic Hansen, Spearfish; and Third Man – Ryan Heinis, Littleton, Colo. The stage manager is Dan Patterson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Assistant directors are Geno Pesicka, Rapid City and Dan Patterson.

Anyone wishing to purchase tickets may do so by calling 642-6171 the week of the play.

Minutes of the NCA self-study committee - Top

The university NCA self- study committee met Tuesday Oct 31, 2000, at 3:30 p.m. in Woodburn Conference Room one. Present were Downing, Silva, Heidrich, Lin, Schamber, Cook, A. Hemmingson, Kloppel, J. Johnson, Card, Godsell, Haislett, Johnston and Earley. Absent: Wessel, Keller.

The chair announced that BH had received the letter from North Central notifying us that we were scheduled for an accreditation visit in the fall of 2002 or spring 2003. He also said that Dr. Flickema and he were filling out the form and returning it to North Central.

The chair passed out information on the timeline-suggesting tasks and deadlines for the taskforces as the self-study progressed. A discussion of timelines was held. The chair indicated that as the reports are written Ellsworth should be included as a part of the report, that the taskforces should pay attention to the general institutional requirements, that the taskforces should collect the evidence to support their conclusions, that the taskforce report should include any data bearing on the current situation at BH and its future, and that the conclusion of the taskforce report should list strengths of BH, concerns of BH, and recommendations. When it came time for the accrediting team visit, there would be the snapshot or self-study of BH in fall 2000 and possible updates on changes since that time.

The chair reported that he and Schamber were collecting vita and assembling them into a file. There was a request that Lefler from Ellsworth be on the committee and the chair said he would discuss this with the president.

The taskforces then reported.

Taskforce 1 - Downing reported that the taskforce had met and was working on two surveys on mission statements - one was for faculty and staff, the other for students. Both would be about 300 in number. The questionnaires were distributed and discussed. The chair was asked to prepare a generic letter to the faculty, staff, and students since there will be other surveys.

Taskforce 2 - Schamber reported that this taskforce had met and was collecting information and data.

Taskforce 3 - Cook reported that the committee had met and was also collecting information and data.

Taskforce 4 - Heidrich said that his committee would meet after some of the initial reports had come in from the other taskforces.

Taskforce 5 - Haislett reported that her committee had met and was also collecting data.

There were questions about putting the NCA report on the web and the chair indicated that he was working on that. Hemmingson suggested that he and the chair meet and discuss the concept of an electronic document room.

The chair reported that North Central required that we send them a plan for our self-study and he hoped to have that ready for the committee by the next meeting.

The next meeting will be on Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. in Woodburn Conference Room.

Health screening postponed due to weather - Top

The bureau of personnel's state employee health check that was scheduled this week was

postponed due to weather conditions. The check will be rescheduled in the spring.

Faculty research 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 grants office or can be printed out from their webpage.

It is anticipated that successful applicants will request support for faculty release time, research equipment, travel to research sites or 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. A three-hour release time is available for fall of 2001. You can apply now.

The applicants are encouraged to contact the committee members for advice prior to completing their proposals. The members are John Alsup, Steve Anderson, Lyle Cook, Tom Cox, Daniel Farrington, Abdollah Farrokhi, chair; Jim Hess, Kathleen Parrow, Shane Sarver and Rob Schurrer.

The research committee will not provide salary. The committee may approve payment to student or non-student research assistants. Deliver the original plus ten copies of your proposal to the grants office in Woodburn 218 or Dr. Farrokhi’s office in Woodburn 314 by Nov. 10.

Instructional improvement funds available - Top

Grants of up to $1000 are available to full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, or other full-time staff members for projects which will improve the quality of instruction at BHSU. Grants are available for bringing in consultants, for training support, for equipment that will improve instruction, and for travel to conferences.

Proposals are reviewed monthly. Ten copies of the grant proposal should be submitted to the grants and special projects office or the committee chair, Sharon Strand, by the last Friday of the month. For more detailed information, go to the grants and special projects page or contact Sharon Strand.