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.

CSA positions open - Top  

The following Career Service positions are open

• senior building maintenance worker (painter), Facilities Services
• senior building maintenance worker (carpenter), Facilities Services

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

BHSU biologist receives grant for fish genetics study - Top

Dr. Shane Sarver, associate professor of biology at Black Hills State University, received a $6,000 grant from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks to conduct a genetic study of walleye fish.

The BHSU biologist will be doing a preliminary genetics study of a population of walleye in Park’s Pond in eastern South Dakota. It seems the walleye population that originally was composed of male and female fish now consists almost exclusively of females.

“This unlikely finding probably resulted from feminization of the (genetically) male fish,” said Sarver. “I will try and develop sex-specific genetic markers to discriminate between genetic males and females.”

In addition, the BH professor will genetically compare the Park’s Pond population with the source population of walleye in Lake Oahe.

Sarver joined the BHSU science faculty in 1996. He earned a Ph.D. in zoology from the Louisiana State University in 1993 and a master’s degree in fisheries from Humboldt State University in 1989.

Royer is guest clinician/conductor for area music festivals - Top

Dr. Randall Royer, assistant professor of music at Black Hills State University, was guest clinician and conductor for several area music festivals. 

Royer was the guest conductor for the ninth grade honors band for the Rapid City area high schools music festival.  Ninth graders from Rapid City Central and Rapid City Stevens high schools were auditioned and selected for the honors band. The evening concert featured the ninth grade band from Central High School, the cadet band from Stevens High School and the ninth grade honors band. The honors band performed “Third Suite” by Robert E. Jager, “Dona Nobis Pacem” arranged by James Sudduth, and “Manhattan Beach March” by John Philip Sousa.

Royer was the guest conductor and clinician for the Rapid City All City eighth grade honors and festival bands. The bands included musicians from South Middle School, Southwest Middle School, Dakota Middle School, North Middle School, and West Middle School. Their respective directors selected the honors band musicians by audition. The festival band played “Annabel Lee” by Douglas Wagner, “Battle Hymns” by John Higgins, “Commemoration “ by Robert W. Smith, and “Aerostar March” by Eric Osterling. The honors band performed “Chanteys” by 

Robert Sheldon, “To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above” by Robert W. Smith, “Of Still Meadows and Mountains Bold” by Gary Fagan, and “Royal Crescent March” by Robert Geisler.

The BHSU music professor was also the guest conductor at the Montana “AA” band festival held recently in Billings, Mont. The “AA” festival featured the top bands from Missoula Sentinel, Billings Skyview, Billings West, and Billings Senior High Schools.  Sentinel and Skyview were combined for one festival band, while West and Senior bands were combined for another. The first day of activities included clinic sessions with the guest conductors and the combined bands, and then an evening concert by each of the individual bands. The second day included more clinic and rehearsal sessions and was capped by a concluding concert. Other guest conductors participating in the festival were Dennis Gowen from University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and Ronnie Bedford from Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyo.

Royer earned his Ph.D. in music education from the University of Utah in 1996 and has been a member of the music department faculty at Black Hills State University since 1997. He joined the BHSU faculty as a woodwind specialist and band director. He now teaches various music courses and directs the university’s jazz ensemble and the Dakota Chamber Orchestra.  

Turner creates educational web portal - Top

By Dawn Taggart, BHSU media relations student intern

Laura Turner, instructor in the College of Education at Black Hills State University, has created a web portal in which a series of educational links has been organized alphabetically by the site’s name and contains brief summaries of each site.

Turner said she created the portal because, “I kept finding so many good sources for my students. I wanted to put it in one place so it would be easy to access and the web is a place students have access to.”

When Turner started the project two years ago she had her students in mind. However, she decided, “Why not create it for teachers also; it started out for student teachers and evolved. It started off with main areas like science – all the main areas teachers would be interested in.”

She was very quick to point out that “the portal is not just for teachers; there are some sites that anyone will enjoy, such as art/music/theatre, Internet filtering software, libraries on the web and museums on the web.” There is also a site called Just for

 Kids, with interesting things for kids such as kid rodeo, pages from cartoons on SD Public Broadcasting, and others.  

The BH instructor continued, “If you don’t find what you need in my portal, there is a list of other portals in Education Web Portals.”

There will be two new sites added to the portal soon, one called live web cameras and the other called virtual tours. The instructor said, “The live web cameras are like slow motion video.” She added, “As I find more and more information, it just evolves into another link.”

She has found more information over the last six months and updated the portal while the students were away on spring break. The portal is updated three to four times per year Turner explained; “it’s a constant work in progress.”

According to Turner, her web portal can also now be found in the deep web, which is actually databases that are not index-able or query-able by today’s search engines, so they appear invisible to the average Internet user.

BHSU president signs agreement with Japanese women’s college for student exchange program - Top

By Dawn Taggart, media relations student intern

Thomas Flickema, president of Black Hills State University, recently signed an agreement with Michio Sugiyama, president of Gifu City Women’s College for a mutual exchange of faculty and students.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to present our way of life to our Japanese partners, while also having an excellent chance to learn about the centuries-old Japanese way of life,” said the BH president.

The agreement consists of BHSU sending faculty members to GCWC to teach English conversation and American culture, and GCWC will send faculty to BHSU to teach Japanese. There will also be an exchange of students whereas BHSU will offer a summer English language program for about three weeks each summer. The Japanese will receive one credit for English and one credit for humanities for the summer session.

Dr. Holly Downing, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at BHSU, said, “We’re still in the planning stages,” as to what BH students will be offered through the Japanese college. Mainly, Downing believes that the exchange is “an effort to internationalize our campus a little more.”

The dean feels that with BHSU now offering four languages, it’s a “sign we’re becoming more global in perspective.” BH faculty will be able to go to Japan and engage in research that could benefit students at Black Hills State.

The institutions both hope to develop the possibility of joint research between their faculty members through this agreement, as well as to exchange materials, publications, and information, including an annual exchange of college research bulletins and journals.

In the agreement, both parties say they “seek to cooperate in academic interchange and research and to foster friendship and interests in post secondary academic pursuits. Based upon the principles of mutual respect and understanding, both parties shall attempt to engage [in the exchange].”

 Gifu, Japan, is famous for its Nagara River cormorant fishing. A bird, the cormorant, is trained to help the fishermen in obtaining fish. The fishing is described in ancient Japanese stories and ancient chronicles of Japan. This tradition is over 1,200 years old.

BHSU Jazz Ensemble and BH Gold Jazz singers will perform - Top

BHSU students organized for disability awareness present program - Top

BHSU students promoting disabilities awareness are presenting a series of activities for students and the public during “Life’s Challenges Week,” March 19-23.

Events will be held every noon for five days in Miller Student Union room 220. Planned events include:

• March 19 – A video titled “Growing Up With Dyslexia” will be shown. An adult shares his life story, which entails struggles with dyslexia without a diagnosis.

• March 20 – A video titled “If I Can’t Do It” will be shown. Arthur Campbell tells of his struggle to independence while growing up with Cerebral Palsy. He wanted to live an independent life away from his family.

• March 21 – A video titled “King Gimp” will be shown. The 1999-2000 Academy Award winning film shares in the life of Dan Keplinger who was born with Cerebral Palsy.

• March 22 – Speaker Deb Brauneller will share information on disability rights and responsibilities.

• March 23 – An open forum/discussion will be held.

For information about Life’s Challenges Week contact Deb Brauneller at 642-6099.

BH hosts summer math and science program for outstanding high school juniors - Top

Black Hills State’s Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE) is sponsoring a three-day summer enrichment program for high school juniors July 17–20.

The all-expense paid enrichment program titled “Rising Scholars in Math and Science” is designed for South Dakota and Wyoming students between their junior and senior year in high school.

Students who “are intellectually curious, and have a strong interest in math and science are encouraged to apply,” said Dr. Ben Sayler, CAMSE director. “Public, private, and home-schooled students are all welcome to apply. Approximately 20 exceptional students will be selected.”

Participants will interact closely with BHSU faculty, exceptional high school teachers and a select cohort of fellow participants.  

“The goal is to enrich the academic

preparation of the most promising high school mathematicians and scientists,” said Sayler. “Students will expand their minds and make new friends with peers who have similar motivation, talents, and interests.”

Student participants will spend three days together on the BHSU campus, dine with program faculty and staff, and immerse themselves in fun mind-expanding math and science challenges.

Applications for the enrichment program are due April 1. Students are required to submit an essay, a list of extra-curricular activities, a transcript and a recommendation. For complete application information contact Dorothy Keller at <dorothykeller@bhsu.edu>, or phone (605) 642-6873 or check the web site at <http://camse.spearfish.k12.sd.us/sdrs>. Applications and information should also be available by contacting area high-school guidance counselors.

BH alumna achieves national board certification - Top

Judith K. Pzinski, a teacher at Newcastle Middle School, Newcastle, Wyo., is one of only 4,700 teachers nationwide to receive national board certification.

National board certification, a voluntary process established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes almost a year to complete. Through the assessment process, teachers document their subject matter knowledge; provide evidence that they know how to teach their subjects to students most effectively; and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning.

Pzinski, a ten-year veteran with Newcastle Middle School commented, “as a special needs educator, I am proud to represent Newcastle Middle School, and the state of Wyoming. I believe that the standards set forth by the NBPTS are standards of excellence for which all educators should strive. This process was challenging, exciting and wonderfully affirming. I believe that this process serves to make one a better teacher.”

Pzinski, a graduate of Rapid City High School, is a member of the BHSU Class of 1990. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary and special education and completed a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from BHSU in 1994.

The YBA will hold annual conference for high school students, teachers and business professionals  - Top

The Center for Business and Entrepreneurship at Black Hills State University will host a one-week conference for 125 high school seniors and 10 teachers and counselors from across the state June 10-15. 

The program, sponsored and designed by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, exposes students to the state’s business community.

YBA is structured to help students learn through a variety of speakers and interactive activities. The purpose of the program is to stimulate curiosity and provide answers to questions about how the free enterprise system works in our country. Students also have the option of earning two undergraduate credits for participating in the extensive program.

Students are assigned to groups to form competitive companies. Each company has a business executive who acts as a mentor 

and sounding board for the students. The main focus of each company is to make management decisions through a competitive management simulation activity. The program also includes panel discussions, assembly speakers and tours of area businesses to keep the students interested while absorbing the message about business in South Dakota.

During the conference YBA students also have an opportunity to compete for one of the five $500 matching scholarships offered through the YBA program.  Colleges, vocational and technical schools, and universities in the state match the scholarships.

A second week-long program will be held at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion during the week of June 24-29. Students and teachers interested in participating in either program should contact Sylvia Moison at 1-800-742-8112 or by e-mail:  <sdyba@dtgnet.com>

Minutes of North Central Self-Study Committee - Top

Minutes of North Central Self-Study Committee for Tuesday, March 13 at 3:30 p.m. in Woodburn Conference Room one.

Present:  Earley, Cook, Schamber, Keller, B. Silva, D. Wessel, J. Haislett, Lin, Downing

Absent:  J. Johnson, A. Hemmingson, Card, Heidrich, Lefler, Godsell, K. Johnson

Chair announced that North Central had recommended Oct 21-23, 2002, as the date for the on-site evaluation.  Chair also reported that the vitae and syllabi files were almost complete for the fall of 2000 and that with the help of Schamber that the documents were being collected and archived.

The committee discussed and agreed on the following schedule for the rest of this semester:

• March 27^th, Criterion 3 - rewrites to Cook for revision and presentation

• April 10^th, Criterion 4 - presentation by Heidrich

• April  17^th, Criterion 4 -  rewrites to Heidrich for revision and presentation

• April  24^th, Criterion 5 -  presentation by Haislett

• May  1^st, Criterion 5 -  rewrites to Haislett for revision and presentation

Please mark these dates on your calendar.  Time and room are the same.

Criterion 3 - Cook presented the draft - discussion followed about contents - strengths, concerns - discussion also followed about faculty self-image and opinions.

Committee agreed to send suggestions and rewrites to Cook before the next meeting.

Minutes of the University Assessment Committee meeting - Top  

Minutes of the University Assessment Committee Meeting on Wednesday, March 14 at 3 p.m. in Woodburn Conference room 1.

Present:  Altmyer, Termes, Sharon Hemmingson, Earley, J. Miller, Schamber, K. Meyers.

Absent:  Cook, Haislett, Myers, Calhoon, Buchholz.

Chair recommended and committee agreed to the following meetings for the rest of this semester- time and location would remain

the same unless otherwise notified.

• March 28 - wrapup- review of human performance rewrites

• April 11 - Earley and Schamber on general education and assessment

• April 18 - Dar  on assessment of technological literacy

• April 25 - Haislett- academic environment

Committee discussed for sometime the draft of how to write an annual assessment report.  Second draft was approved.

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 spring of 2002. Apply now. The next deadline for proposals is April 27 at 3 p.m.

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 March 1-14 in the grants office, 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.

• Foundation for the Future Research Programs.  The Foundation for the Future has developed a research grant program to provide financial support to scholars undertaking research that is directly related to a better understanding of the factors affecting the quality of life for the long-term future of humanity.  The key subject areas are: biological/genetic futures; natural resource futures; demographic/social futures; cultural/values futures; economic futures; governance.  Deadline: April 30, 2001.

• Whitehall Foundation, Inc.  Offering research grants to established scientists of all ages working at accredited institutions in the United States.  Awards range from $30,000-$75,000/year for up to two years.  Also offered is a grant-in-aid program for researchers at the assistant professor or senior scientists levels.  Award is $30,000 for a one-year period.  Letters of intent due April 15; applications due Sept. 1.

• U.S. Department of State.  Language and Cultural Enhancement Program.  Award is $60,000 for organizations with less than four years of experience and $100,000 for experienced programs.  Deadline March 29, 2001.

• National Science Foundation.  Assessment of Student Achievement in Undergraduate Education (ASA).  This program supports the development and dissemination of assessment practices, materials (tools), and measures to guide efforts that improve the effectiveness of courses, curricula, programs of study, and academic institutions in promoting student learning in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET).  The program also promotes the full integration of assessment with these educational efforts.  Letters of intent (optional) due April 30, 2001.  Full proposals due June 7, 2001.

• Corporation for National and Community Service.  National Service Fellowships.  The Corporation for National Service plans to support up to 12 National Service Fellowships beginning in September of 2001 and ending in June 2002.  The fellowships will be in the form of a contract made directly to individuals.  Both full-time (40 hours or more per week) and part-time (at least 20 hour per week) may be awarded.  Full-time award recipients will receive a total of $26,500, with payments of $2,650 per month over a nine-month period and a final completion award of $2,650.  Part-time award recipients may receive an optional final completion award of $2,650.  The request for proposals (RFP) will be issued on or around March 23, 2001.  http://www.nationalservice.org/