Volume XXIV No. 9 • March 3, 2000
   

Welcome to Black Hills State University - Top

Chris Feller, senior building maintenance specialist, facilities services

Resignations - Top
• Shirley Brost, agency integration specialist,
computing center 		• Cindy Schoon, baker, food service

Nominations sought for employee award program - Top

Please forward your nominations for the annual employee award program to BHSU, Unit 9568, by March 15. Forms are available from the personnel office.

Hesson article published - Top
Dr. James Hesson has an article published in the latest edition of the European Journal of Applied Physiology (2000) 81:140-147.

The title of the article is "Effect of altitude training on serum creatine kinase activity and serum cortisol concentration in triathletes."

Hesson was a member of a small research team at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs where the research was conducted and he is a co-author of the research article.

Diamond's radio career offers students' valuable insights - Top

A wealth of experience is often a good thing, in David Diamond's case it's a tremendous resource he can call upon to embellish his lectures and bring real life experiences to communication students at Black Hills State University.

Story

Women's history month activities planned - Top

Several activities are planned at Black Hills State University in honor of women's history month. The theme for the month of women's history month is "You've come a long way, baby ... Or, have you?"

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Potential employers will visit BHSU campus - Top
Several potential employers will be on the BHSU campus in the near future to visit with students and graduates about job opportunities. The career services office will coordinate the following visits.
  • Paula Plagmann, a representative from Martin and Associates, a Mitchell telecommunications company, will be on campus March 22 at 4:30 p.m. in the Student Union Conference room 221.
  • Waddell and Reed will set up an informational table in the Student Union lobby March 28 to give students an opportunity to learn more about financial planner opportunities. Jim Patrick will be available to meet with students from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • BHSU graduate Eric Bittner will be on campus April 7 to present employment opportunities with the National Archives.

For more information contact the BHSU career services office at 642-6277 or stop by David B. Miller Student Union room 124.

Instructional improvement committee taking applications for course releases - Top
The instructional improvement committee is ready to receive applications for course releases for the 2000-2001 school year.

Course releases are available to any full-time faculty member with the approval of his/her dean and department chair. Course releases will be for one semester during the regular academic year. Consideration will be given for summer stipends for faculty unable to apply for a course release for the regular academic year because of documented departmental staffing problems.

Course releases may be granted to:

  • design a new course which will be infused with technology or offered through the internet;
  • redesign an existing course so that it is infused with technology or offered for internet delivery;
  • design a new course or redesign an existing course to be presented collaboratively with other BHSU faculty;
  • significantly redesign an existing course; or
  • design a new course.

Proposals for course releases will be reviewed by the instructional improvement committee in March so that the recommendations may be made and approved by April. Proposals should be submitted to the grants and special projects office, Woodburn 220, by the last Friday in February, and will consist of a proposal following the specified format. A copy of the guidelines and proposal format are available from the grants office web page or by contacting your dean or department chair for a hard copy. Ten copies of the proposal are needed so that each member of the IIC can review it. Proposal writers may be requested to make an oral presentation to the committee in support of a proposal.

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 of 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 practicable on each proposal. Ten copies of the proposals should be submitted to the grants and special projects office, W220, 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 March 25.

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 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. Mail ten copies of your proposal to unit 9550.

Grants opportunities announced - Top

Below are the program materials received Feb 17-March 1 in the grants office, Woodburn 220. 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.

  • Preservation Assistance Grants (NEH). The National Endowment for the Humanities' Division of Preservation and Access is inviting applications for preservation assistance grants to preserve and increase the availability of resources important for humanities research, education and public programming. Deadline: April 3. Funds: Up to $5,000 will be awarded per grant. http://www.neh.gov/
  • American Honda Foundation. The American Honda Foundation supports various programs within youth education. Projects that have been funded include a focus on job training, math, science and environmental education. Deadline: May 1, 2000, Aug. 1, 2000 and Feb. 1, 2001. If the staff receive preliminary proposals a month before the deadline, they can provide feedback in time for applicants to make changes and still meet the deadline.
  • NEH. Fellowships. Due May 1.
  • NEH. Challenge grants. Due May 1.
  • NEH. Preservation and access. Due July 1.
  • US West Foundation. Arts and culture. Due April 15. Priority emphasis will be given to a collaboration of organizations which will provide free access for a day or weekend at the major cultural attractions in your community.
  • US-Mexico Fund for Culture. Program for 2000 calls on artists, scholars, independent groups to present proposals for projects of binational relevance in dance, theater, music, visual arts, literature, media arts, cultural studies, libraries. Due April 28.
  • NATO. Science program. Various grant opportunities.

New Faculty Profile

By Dawn Taggart

Micheline Hickenbotham

"I knew at six that I was going to be a teacher. I was already playing teacher when I was a little girl with all the kids in the neighborhood. I never gave up on my dream," said Micheline A. Hickenbotham, who recently joined the College of Education staff of Black Hills State University.

Hickenbotham is from Brussels, Belgium, where she was born and raised. It was there she earned several degrees in education beginning in 1972.

She earned a bachelor of science degree in 1974 in elementary education; a master's in English language arts/reading in 1981; and became a certified Dutch language elementary teacher in 1984, all from Brussels, Belgium. She is also a certified teacher in South Dakota, and is currently working on her second master's degree which is in curriculum and instruction.

Hickenbotham finds there is a definite difference between the two countries in teaching. She said, "Europe is very content based. There is not a system of credits when you come to higher ed. There, you are in class all day long from 8 to 4 and it is a continuing education where you take the course over a period of four or five years, one hour a day every day instead of a semester."

The instructor remarked that she would not call education in Europe better, but said, "I think America gives more opportunities. It provides you with the right to go and finish high school, to compare to some of the countries in Europe that I am familiar with where you are tracked, and then many students don't make it through eighth grade, and they get into a vo-tech program and sometimes they don't even finish that. There is no inclusion if you have special needs. You are automatically educated in a situation where they just help those students so when it comes time to analyze scores you only have the cream off the top over there to compare here with the total population. It reflects what the total population is capable of - not just the elite. This is the land of opportunity."

Hickenbotham says of her teaching style, "I think I'm a social constructivist. I like interaction - I don't like lectures. My students are engaged in hands-on activities. I think I am flexible and open to new strategies and theories...I am promoting success." Indeed, she appears a model of success.

She relocated to the United States when a visit with her penpal in Faith resulted in the friend telling her of a new school opening on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. She called for an interview and was hired the next summer. She taught there for nine years before joining the faculty at Black Hills State.

The educator said her most rewarding classes are "methods and my seniors, because they are just a door away from being my peer. By the time they are done and in student teaching, there is such a big growth. They are in your room being students and leave you being teachers. I just hope that we made enough connection that they will understand that we're now part of a network and that everybody can help each other. It seems to work so far. They contact me and we visit about some of their challenges or their successes."

In her classroom, Hickenbotham said, "I promote as much as possible integration, especially with language. Language is used in anything you do. Literature is just such a gift, but sometimes we forget. One day I hope everybody understands what a gift reading is, because it's the door to a good education."

Hickenbotham said her plans for the future are to develop a program that promotes literacy in a diverse classroom - something that's going to help every child regardless of their differences."

One thing Hickenbotham wants to be remembered for is, she said, "I hope to be a role model for some teachers that will understand that being different is okay, taking risks in your life as a life-long learner, and promote new things in teaching."

Hickenbotham has one son who is a junior at Black Hills State. He has a double major in special education and elementary education. Her husband has three children.

For fun and leisure, she enjoys trap shooting, which is a gun sport where you shoot clay targets. "I will be in competition next year," said Hickenbotham. "I also read a lot and I enjoy crafts and gardening." She lives in the country where she also enjoys watching the wildlife.

Campus Calendar

BHSU events are shown in gold, Spearfish Chamber events are in gray.
Submit items or send to media relations, Unit 9512, BHSU.

Friday,
March 3

Preview day - High school students will visit campus

Saturday,
March 4

Spring break begins

Destination Imagination Tournament (formerly Odyssey of the Mind)

Sunday,
March 5

Spring Break

Monday,
March 6

Spring Break

Tuesday,
March 7

Spring Break

Wednesday,
March 8

Spring Break

Thursday,
March 9

Spring Break

Friday,
March 10

Spring Break

Saturday,
March 11

Spring Break
Sunday,
March 12		 Monday,
March 13
Women's history month, student panel, 3:30 p.m.

Workshop and performance, workshop, Student Union, 3 p.m., comedy revue, Woodburn Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Tuesday,
March 14		 Wednesday,
March 15		 Thursday,
March 16
2000 Summer Job Fair, Student Union, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Green & Gold Luncheon, Cedar House, noon

Women's history month presentation, Dr. Sharon Strand, 12:30 p.m., Jonas 307.

BHSU Spring Film Festival - "Orlando," Jonas 305, 7 p.m.

Friday,
March 17
Preview day - High school students will visit campus

 

Saturday,
March 18 
Sunday,
March 19		 Monday,
March 20
Women's history month presentation, Dr. Kristi Pearce, noon.

Spring Science Seminar Series, Dr. Audrey Gabel, 4 p.m., Jonas 101

Rising junior exam, 8 a.m. to noon
Tuesday,
March 21
Rising junior exam,
noon to 4 p.m
Wednesday,
March 22
Black Hills Research Symposium,
Student Union multipurpose room, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Career services hosts Martin and Assoc., Student Union Conference room 221, 4:30 p.m.,

Thursday,
March 23
Green and Gold Luncheon, Cedar House, noon

Women's history month presentation, Dr. Holly Downing and Dr. Rena Faye Norby, 3 p.m.

Spring Film Festival - "Grand Illusion," Jonas 305, 7 p.m.

Friday,
March 24		 Saturday,
March 25
Track and field BHSU Frostbite Invitational
Sunday,
March 26		 Monday, 
March 27
Manic Monday re-treat for faculty, Woodburn 3rd floor conference room, 11:30 a.m.

Spring Science Seminar Series, Dr. Richard Gayle, 4 p.m., Jonas 101
Tuesday,
March 28
Career services hosts Waddell and Reed, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Student Union lobby

Student recital, Cook 303, 3:30 p.m.

Jazz Band/Black Hills Gold Concert, Student Union, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday,
March 29		 Thursday,
March 30
Spring Film Festival, "Buena Vista Social Club," Jonas 305, 7 p.m.
Friday,
March 31		 Saturday,
April 1