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.

Welcome to Black Hills State University - Top

• Marc Jolley, building maintenance specialist, facilities services

Resignation - Top

• Shirley Hahka, custodial worker, facilities services

CSA position open - Top

The following career service position is open:

• press operator, university printing service

• library associate, library learning center

For additional information, review the announcement bulletin or contact the personnel office.

Bush grant recipients will be honored - Top

The Bush Grant is hosting a day for faculty to reflect on and share their experiences with learning and teaching on Jan. 9 in the Donald E. Young Center Hall of Fame room. Recipients of minigrants and travel awards during the past year will be highlighted.

The collaborative minigrant projects include: 

• Collaboration in American Economic History designed by Dr. Ron DeBeaumont from Economics and Dr. David Wolff from history; 
• The Collaboration of Advertising Strategy with Advertising Graphics developed by Patty Jo Bellamy from the College of Business and Dr. Abdollah Farrokhi from the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Health, Culture, and Technology - Digital Diversity for Educators was developed by Dr. Larry Tentinger from the health and physical education department at BHSU and Dr. Marilyn Wells from Hampton University's Health Education Department; and,
• New Course Development in Ethnobotany designed by Dr. Mark Gabel and Dr. Charles Lamb from the science department, together with Jace DeCory from American Indian Studies and Nora Danforth, an undergraduate American Indian Studies major.

Travel grants awarded in 2000 included:  

• Dr. Jane Shimon to attend the World Congress and Exposition on Disabilities in Atlanta, Ga.;  

• Micheline Hickenbotham and four elementary education students, Leslie Schweitzer, Alan Demaret, Amber Volner, and Lori Peterson to present at the South Dakota Reading Annual Spring Conference in Huron; 

• Dr. Priscilla Romkema to present at the International Society for Business Education in Helsinki, Finland;

• Dr. Pamela Wegner to attend Creating Partnerships, Creating Scholarships: Strengthening Research, Teaching, and Learning with Effective Use of Electronic Resources in Minneapolis, Minn.; and 

• Dr. Kristi Pearce to attend The Collaboration Conference for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning in Minneapolis, Minn.

Time capsule opened at BHSU - Top

By Antonia Kucera
media relations student intern

The Black Hills State University campus community and alumni gathered together on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 8, 2000, to witness an event 32 years in the making—a time capsule embedded in the corner stone of Jonas Hall in 1968 was opened.

The contents of the capsule along with new items to be placed in another time capsule were on display in the Student Union Legacy room. Student senate president Allen Godsell and senate member B.J. Jorgensen presented the contents of both capsules to a small gathering of faculty, students and alumni.

The capsule’s existence was actually discovered by accident. While attending a meeting at the School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, Godsell was inspired by the idea of creating a time capsule for the beginning of the new millennium. When he presented the idea to the student senate, advisor Jane Klug remembered something about a capsule already on campus, somewhere.

Jorgensen began a search through the library’s archives and found a picture that revealed the capsule’s whereabouts. The photograph was of Dr. Jonas, BH’s president from 1942 to 1967, standing with the cornerstone of Jonas Academic Hall; the caption explained that the time capsule was placed behind the cornerstone as part of the new building’s formal dedication on Aug. 15, 1968. Ironically, the time capsule was intended for the year 2000.

The old capsule contained BH catalogues, decals, Swarm Day stickers, campus newspapers, an award-winning yearbook, and several other treasures.

The new capsule will include many of the same things which contrast in several ways: the school colors have changed from purple and gold to green and yellow, the mascot name from the Stingers to the Yellow Jackets, and the name of the campus newspaper from the Anemone to the Today.

Technology changed immensely from 1968 to the year 2000; the student senate had to search the campus for a reel-to-reel audio 

The senate will include multi-media disks of pictures and letters in the new capsule; hopefully the students of 2030 will still have the old (2000) technology available to use the disks.

If Dr. Jonas were still alive to witness all of these changes, he would have approved. In a letter included in the time capsule, he stated, “It is my personal belief that the only proof we have that one has learned is that some change occurs.”

We have learned a lot, according to Dr. Charles Schad, professor emeritus, who was director of College Relations in 1968. He remembers the 60s as being a tough era, filled with riots in protest of the Vietnam conflict.

He felt  “a lot of dissention between students and teachers” at that time. There has been a positive change over the past three decades, and he now feels that “today seems relatively peaceful compared to then.”

Another positive change he pointed out was that BH was an emerging school in the 60s that has grown and continues to produces quality graduates, but that 30 years ago it looked archaic considering all the changes brought about by today’s technology.

The presentation of the time capsule was an eye-opener for current BH student William Stodden, who said “we can’t even imagine what life was like back then,” but he still felt a sense of the 60s atmosphere when looking at the old photographs.

We can only imagine how the BH community of 2030 will feel when they open our time capsule, which will be put in the same place as the old one and will include a letter from President Thomas Flickema. It is hoped the past will not be forgotten, the capsule will be revealed in 2030, and perhaps some students witnessing the current time capsule display will return as alumni in 30 years to reminisce and to explain what it was like back then. 

Faculty senate minutes - Top

Minutes of the Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2000, faculty senate meeting in Jonas 110 at 3:15 p.m.

Members present: Curtis Card, John Glover, Dan Durben, Rena Faye Norby, Margaret Lewis, Fred Heidrich, Steve Babbitt, Vincent King, Colleen Kirby, Marvin Bunch for Don Chastain (Absent: Rob Schurrer)

Meeting opened:  President Card opened the meeting.  The agenda was approved. 

Old issues:

Honors program

The senate expressed their appreciation to the honors program committee for their work. The senate unanimously approved a motion to not pursue an honors program at this time.  

New issues:

Web design and advertising on the web

The senate discussed potential advertising on the BHSU website.  The senate also discussed some of the serious web design problems and issues including the resources committed to the web pages.  Special concern was expressed that two quarter-time people would not be able to adequately develop and maintain a high quality website. The senate will continue discussions on how best to improve and manage the BHSU website.

Back-dated drop slips

      The senate initiated a discussion concerning students who dropped courses by obtaining back-dated drop slips that had not been signed by the course instructor.

Meeting closed:  The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

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,  Abdollah Farrokhi, chair; Jim Hess, Kathleen Parrow, Shane Sarver and Rob Schurrer.

Grants opportunities announced - Top

Below are the program materials received Dec. 14-20 in the grants office in Woodburn 218. For copies of the information, contact our office at 642-6627 or e-mail requests to us at grants@bhsu.edu.  Fellowship information will also be posted on the Student Union bulletin board near the information desk.

• Department of Education.  Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology.  The Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology program provides grants to consortia that are helping future teachers become proficient in the use of modern technologies.  This program addresses looming teacher shortages by developing well-qualified, technology-proficient teachers, who are prepared to teach in 21^st century schools.  Deadline Feb. 22, 2001.  http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm  

• The David H. Smith Conservation Research Program.  The Nature Conservancy.  This post-doctoral fellowship program identifies and supports early-career scientists who will study growth of applied conservation biology.  Deadline Feb. 1, 2001.  http://consci.tnc.org/smith.htm

• National Endowment for the Humanities.  Collaborative research grants support original research contributing to scholarship in the humanities that is undertaken by a team of two or more scholars or research coordinated by an individual scholar that because of its scope or complexity requires additional staff or resources beyond the individual’s salary.  Awards normally range from $10,000-$200,000.  Deadline Sept. 1, 2001.

• Resources for the Future.  Gilbert F. White Postdoctoral Fellowship Program intended for researchers who have a doctorate degree and wish to devote a year to scholarly work in areas related to natural resources, energy, or the environment.  Stipend based upon current salary.  Deadline Feb. 28, 2001.

• National Endowment for the Humanities.  Fellowship opportunities for individuals to pursue advanced work in the humanities.  Applicants may be university teachers or college teachers/independent scholars.  Award is $24,000/6-8 months or $40,000/9-12 months.  Deadline March 1, 2001.

• The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.  The Comprehensive Program is designed to support innovative reform projects that hold promise as models for the revolution of important issues and problems in postsecondary education.  Awards are expected to range from $150,000 to $600,000.  Deadline Jan. 26, 2000.

• National Science Foundation.  Information Technology Workforce (ITWF).  Supports a broad set of scientific research studies focused on the under-representation of women and minorities in the IT workforce.  Awards range from $75,000 to $250,000/year for up to 3 years.  Deadline March 19, 2001.

• National Science Foundation.  Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences Program goal is to identify and increase participation of underrepresented groups across the geosciences.  Maximum award is $400,000/year for up to three years.  Letters of intent due Feb. 16, 2001; applications due March 16, 2001.