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  

• Heidi Kegler, salad maker, food service
• Holly Estes, child-care worker, child-care center

CSA position open - Top  

The following career service position is open  

• cook, dining services

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

Resignation - Top  

• Sarah Sandvick, secretary, TTL/LOFTI

Janklow awards more than $1 million to university faculty to enhance courses with technology - Top    

Fifty-one faculty members at South Dakota's six public universities will spend the summer enhancing their courses with technology after receiving the Governor's Faculty Awards for Teaching with Technology. Nine of the grant award winners are faculty at Black Hills State University.

Janklow is providing $1,136,925 to the 51 faculty members for computer-based curriculum projects.  The winners of the competitive grants will receive compensation and funds for equipment, software, and training.   

"The best way for students to learn the technology skills they need to compete in the world is to have them use it at all levels of their education," Janklow said.  "The university faculty really put these awards to use in very creative ways to teach better using technology, which helps the students learn both the subject matter and technology skills."

The Governor's program, now in its fourth year, encourages state university faculty to develop skills and methods to integrate computer technology into their daily courses.   Since Janklow started the program in 1998, more than 220 faculty members have been awarded more $4 million dollars to enhance their courses with technology.

Robert T. Tad Perry, Executive Director for the Board of Regents, calls this program, “The best investment that can be made in technology. Investing in faculty who can master and apply technology will give South Dakota higher education students the opportunities to learn about technology applications. The Governor’s leadership and investment will pay dividends for many years.”

The 51 award winners for 2001 include:

• Nine from Black Hills State University at Spearfish;

• Eight from Dakota State University at Madison;

• Ten from Northern State University at Aberdeen;

• Two from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at Rapid City;

• Twelve from South Dakota State University at Brookings; and

• Ten from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion.

The grant pays a faculty member’s salary for three months during the summer, so that the faculty member can work on a project to adapt a current course to delivery using technology.  The grant also provides up to $5,000 for project expenses, such as computer software and hardware or travel for instruction or research.

Heidrich	Peterson
Pollard	Schurrer
Shearer-Cremean	D. Wessel
S. Wessel	Altmyer
Austin

Winners from Black Hills State University, along with their project titles, are:

• Fred Heidrich, Business Policy and Strategy;
• Daniel Peterson, Social Psychology, Gender Roles, and Social Theory; 
• Connie Pollard, Methods of Teaching Individuals with Learning Disabilities;
• Robert Schurrer, Wellness for Life;
• Christine Shearer-Cremean, Basic English, Written Communications I, Grammar and Composition for the English Teacher;
• Douglas Wessel, Abnormal Psychology;
• Susan Wessel, Business Law;
• Don Altmyer, Survey of Business;
• Leonard Austin, Child Growth and Development.

Fallbeck honored by Northern Hills Training Center - Top  

Dr. Patricia Fallbeck, College of Education professor, was honored for her work for people with disabilities at an education conference sponsored by the Northern Hills Training Center and BHSU.

Fallbeck was honored for her commitment and contribution. Fred Romkema, executive director of the Northern Hills Training Center, cited Fallbeck’s dedication and professional leadership in

preparing others to be competent, confident and compassionate in providing services to people with disabilities.

More than 50 regional experts provided concurrent workshops at the conference. The keynote address came from national motivational speaker Mike Patrick, who has been paralyzed since a high school football injury. Other speakers were Elaine Roberts, president of SDEA and Michelle Powers, state office of special education.

Norby presents at two science teacher conventions - Top  

Dr. Rena Faye Norby, College of Education assistant professor, will be presenting at two conventions this month.

At the annual meeting of the national science teachers association in St. Louis, Mo., she will give a presentation on: “Integrating Technology into Teaching

Science - Does it Help?”

Norby will also present at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, also in St. Louis. At this meeting she will report on a faculty research funded topic: “Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota - the Investigation of Role Modeling for Science Careers in Native American Students.”

Ochse presents plenary paper at national conference online - Top

Dr. Roger Ochse, associate professor of humanities and English at Black Hills State University, will co-present the Plenary Paper “Critical Thinking and the Internet” at the conference “Home on the Web: Challenges and Opportunities of Online Learning Communities.” The conference will be presented online March 26-April 6 via listserv and the World Wide Web.

The virtual conference is sponsored by the Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning based in St. Paul, Minn., serving over 160 private and public universities throughout the United States.

Ochse will present his paper with Dr. Michael Day of Northern Illinois University. “Critical Thinking and the Internet” evolved through their mutual teaching and research interests, evolving into a popular traveling workshop for college faculty sponsored by 

the Minnesota-based collaboration. “Critical thinking,” according to Ochse, “can provide a powerful tool for making sense of the Internet. It can be used to transform Internet information into logical systems, which in turn serve as an impetus for creative and critical thinking.”

He said, “Much has been made of technology, but little has been done to help users interpret and assess the volumes of information streaming on the web.”

Information about the conference and Ochse’s plenary paper may be found at the collaboration’s web site: http://www.collab.org

The BHSU English professor joined the College of Arts and Sciences faculty in 1993. He earned his doctorate in educational administration from the University of South Dakota in 1993. He has a master’s degree in English from the University of Rochester and a bachelor’s degree in English from Dickinson College.

Faculty present at technology grants at mall - Top

Faculty members John Alsup, David Calhoon, Riley Christman, Amy Fuqua, Carol Hess, Roger Miller, Kristi Pearce, David Salomon, Shane Sarver, Scott Simpson, Sharon Strand, Darlene Swartz, & Abdollah Farrokhi all demonstrated their governor's grant projects in person at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City Saturday, March 17.  Also, Jim Knutson, Roger Ochse, Sandee Shamber, Betsy Silva, & Ronnie Theisz sent displays to be shown because they were out of town or (in Betsy's case) otherwise occupied.  Displays were set up in the mall all day.

Larry Tentinger, assistant professor in the division of physical education and health, presented information about his governor’s technology grant in the Sioux Falls Empire Mall. 

The presentations were a part of the Governor’s Faculty Grant Presentations in the Mall, intended to highlight the technology grant programs to South Dakotans.  Faculty from other state institutions were presenting at the Sioux Falls mall and the Aberdeen mall.

The faculty awards program was the inspiration of Governor Janklow. He first announced the program in 1998. The awards are grants used to support university teaching with computer technology. Faculty members of the South Dakota’s public universities compete for the grants provide summer compensation and funds for equipment, software and training. More than 180 grants have been awarded in the past three years and 51 more are to be funded this summer.

Johnson and Lillehaug attend national science education meeting - Top

Dr. Andy Johnson and Janet Lillehaug of the Center for the Advancement of Science Education (CAMSE) at Black Hills State University will be traveling to St. Louis, Mo., later this month to attend a national meeting of science educators

The annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) brings together top science educators from around the United States.

Lillehaug, who manages the Black Hills Science Teaching Project (BLAHST), will be seeking the latest in classroom science materials and teacher professional development ideas to augment the university’s BLAHST project.

"It's a great opportunity to pick up new and useful ideas and to develop relationships at a national level," said Lillehaug.

Johnson will be attending conferences with leaders of Education Development Center's (EDC's) K-12 Science Materials Dissemination Center. BHSU hosts the Northern Plains hub for this national project.

"I'm looking forward to meeting the other hub leaders from around the country and sharing information on ways to promote effective science education," said Johnson. 

Johnson	Lillehaug

"We can find out what the other hubs are doing that works well in their areas.  Also, the work we are doing here with school districts from Wyoming to North Dakota will be of interest to the other hub leaders."

Lillehaug, who has extensive experience as an elementary teacher, reading specialist and Peace Corps educator, earned a master’s degree in educational administration for South Dakota State University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from BHSU in elementary education.

South Dakota Board of Regent's executive director to visit BHSU - Top

Dr. Robert Tad Perry, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents, will visit Black Hills State University on Tuesday, March 27.

The purposes of executive director’s visit are to meet with faculty, staff and students to listen to concerns regarding the state’s higher-education system and explain policy issues.  It is basically an information gathering and information disseminating session designed to bring higher-education officials, faculty and students up-to-date on current issues. 

Perry’s schedule is as follows:

 8-8:30 a.m. -  Visit the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics & Science Education (CAMSE)

Perry’s schedule is as follows:

8-8:30 a.m. - Visit the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics & Science Education (CAMSE)  

9-10 a.m. - Meet with the academic deans and directors

11-12 noon  - Meet with the administrative council in the president’s office  

12 noon - Lunch

2-3 p.m. -Meet with the faculty and staff in the Young Center Hall of Fame Room

3-4 p.m. - Meet with the students in the Young Center Hall of Fame Room

Perry was named executive director of the South Dakota higher-education system in 1994. He previously served as the chief operating officer of Indiana’s Partnership for Statewide Education. In his twenty-three year career at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., he served in several positions, most recently as associate vice president form 1987 to 1994. Perry graduated from Central Methodist College. He received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Currently, he is vice-chair of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Sociologist to speak at BHSU - Top

Dr. R. Dean Wright will be on the BHSU and EAFB campuses March 26 and 27 under the sponsorship of the Sociology and Human Services Club, the Department of History and Social Science, The College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education.

Dr. Wright is an internationally known scholar known for his study marginality and homelessness.  He began his study of marginality in India and subsequently, in terms of the U.S. national scene, he has been working for a number of years in the area of  homelessness.

He is coming to our campus to speak to a number of classes. He will be at EAFB on Monday evening March 26th at 7 p.m. He will give a public lecture Tuesday evening, March 27th at 7 p.m. at the Young Center Hall of Fame Room. 

Members of the university community are cordially invited to attend this lecture and the general public is welcome.

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

Faculty and students present at research symposium - Top

Faculty and students had an opportunity to show the results of their labors at the annual Black Hills Research Symposium this week in the Student Union’s Jacket Legacy room. Jodi Massie, a sophomore biology major from Belle Fourche, spoke to a group regarding research involving the conservation of the Antiguan Racer, an endangered snake found in the Caribbean Islands. Students and faculty presented their research projects to interested spectators. Ten presentation sessions and a poster-display session were open to the public.

By Dawn Taggart, media relations intern

Verona Beguin, assistant professor of business education at Black Hills State University, initiated a program at BHSU that has potential to help improve selected businesses of the northern Black Hills, as well as the senior-level students participating in her small-business-management class.

Enhancing the Entrepreneurial Experience (EEE), is a cooperative program between the university and small-business owners in which owners share their experiences with the students and the students use their growing ‘expertise’ to help owners improve their skills and learn new approaches to running their business.

Beguin originally developed the program in Pendleton, Ore., for a small-business -management program. It was so successful that when she had the opportunity to apply her knowledge at the Spearfish campus, she wrote a winning grant to get the program going.

She said, “The program in Oregon was really exciting, but it’s a lot of stress. It could have a positive economic impact [for Spearfish] if the participants get at least one benefit from it.”

The BH business instructor said she spends quite a bit of time visiting each of the participating businesses to make sure that her students are doing their jobs.

Mike Kellogg, owner of Custom Woodworks, said, “Verona’s been very straight-forward and helpful. I learned something new in the first 20 minutes of the first class.”  

Each group has to make at least one improvement in the business they are assigned to, and “there has to be concrete evidence that they have done something,” said Beguin. “The owner can’t just say that the group has helped; there has to be proof.” 

Dakota Quilt Company owner Polly Young believes the students are doing well.

She said, “I’ve just been thrilled with the enlightenment that the students have brought to me. They’ve been terrifically helpful in helping me analyze numbers [for her financial records].”

According to Beguin, “The students work in groups of five or six. If one of the members of the group is not doing his fair share of the job, the rest of the group can ‘fire’ him. When a member is fired, he has to do all the work using a make-believe business on his own. Also, students are required to sign a confidentiality agreement with the business owner. If this confidentiality is breached in any way, that student will flunk the course.”

Expenses and books for the participating businesses are paid through a grant from the Coleman Foundation. The grant, written by Beguin, was awarded to BHSU for the purpose of funding this cooperative program.

According to Beguin, “the success of the program depends on the demonstrated impact that the program will have on first-year participants. We need success stories to link the college and the community; if we can marry the two, we have a win-win situation here.”

Win-win seems to be the general opinion of all involved so far. Young said of the course, “It’s a crash course in how we should be running our businesses. The class shows you the right way to be doing things. …”

Kellogg also feels the class is beneficial. He said, “I’m better able to analyze my own business and compare it to others [and] to look at it [the business] from a banker’s or an investor’s perspective. The class has been a great help. I’ve grown a lot just by being a part of it.”

Beguin joined the College of Business and Technology faculty at BHSU in 1995. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business education, a master of science degree in secondary supervision and a master of business administration, all from Chadron State College, Chadron, Neb. 

BHSU grad receives law school scholarship - Top

David Steele, a December 2000 graduate of Black Hills State University, was recently awarded a John Marshall Law School Scholarship at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Wash.

The award is given to students who demonstrate promising futures in the field of law and who have achieved high academic success while completing their undergraduate programs. The scholarship  award is given to students planning to

attend private institutions.

Steele, a 1996 graduate of Tongue River High School in Ranchester, Wyo., graduated from BHSU with a degree in history. He was president of the student senate at BHSU and was a magna cum laude graduate with a 3.65 grade-point average.

He will begin his law studies at Gonzaga University in August.

Northwest Mutual interviews at Career Center April 5 - Top  

A representative from Northwest Mutual Financial of Rapid City will be interviewing Black Hills State University graduates and undergraduates Thursday, April 5 for both full-time and summer internships as financial services representatives.

Interviews will be conducted for all degree areas; however, sales, marketing, and communication skills are key requirements for service representative positions. Preferred individuals will have some business, entrepreneurial interests and skills.

All interviews will be held in the university’s Career Center in the David B. Miller Student Union. Times are available on a first come basis. To sign up, clients should bring a resume to the center and select a time. Help is available to complete and update resumes.

For information contact the Career Center at (605) 642-6277 or visit the center’s web page at www.bhsu.edu/careers

$10,000 gift establishes communications/music scholarship at BHSU - Top

Nancy Wheaton of Lake City, Fla., recently established a $10,000 scholarship endowment at Black Hills State University in memory of her late husband, Thomas F. Wheaton.

The Thomas F. Wheaton Memorial Scholarship fund will support a scholarship for a BHSU student majoring in either mass communications or music. The scholarship recipient must be enrolled as a full-time student and will receive half of the award in the fall semester and half in the spring semester. The recipient must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average.

The principal of the scholarship fund will be permanently preserved with interest earnings from the principal used for the management and distribution of the scholarship(s).

The Wheaton’s son, Tom, is a 1987 BHSU graduate and assistant director of admissions at the university.

Scholarship recipients will be selected by the BHSU College of Arts and Sciences.

BHSU residence hall association recognizes residence hall, students and staff for the month of February - Top

The residence hall association at Black Hills State University recognized a residence hall, students and staff for the month of February.

Wenona Cook Hall, a male residence hall, was recognized as the hall of the month and cited for projects within their hall government such as creating hall t-shirts, a trip to Canada, making the dorm more handicap accessible, and starting a library.

Thomas Hall, a coed residence hall, was recognized for its “Valentine” program. The program involved all the campus residence halls. Flowers and candy were sold to raise funds for residence hall use.

The third floor south wing of Heidepriem Hall was recognized for its efforts of including all residents in a variety of activities including a ping-pong tournament, watching movies, and various game activities.

The recognitions are part of the university’s attempt to award individuals and residence halls for building a supportive as well as a community atmosphere.

Jade Harney, residence life area coordinator, said, “The individuals awarded are nominated by the residents of each residence hall. After all the ballots are collected, the hall government for each hall meets and chooses the best nomination. … The residence hall association also votes on the overall hall of the month, floor-wing community of the

 month and program of the month.”

Resident students of the month are as follows:  Wenona Cook Hall—Tony Demaro, a freshman from Rapid City; Thomas Hall—Destinee Swanson, a freshman from Clearfield; Heidepriem Hall—Billi Jo DeRudder, a freshman from Roberts, Mont.; Pangburn Hall—Jessica Hayen, a freshman from Cogswell, N.D.; and Humbert Hall—Becky Byer, a sophomore from Casper, Wyo.

Hall government members of the month are as follows:  Wenona Cook Hall—William Stodden, a sophomore from Spearfish; Thomas Hall—Jennifer Butler, residence life secretary; Heidepriem Hall—Andre Wald, a senior from Rapid City; Pangburn Hall—Amanda Caster, a freshman from Custer; and Humbert Hall—Marie Schmeling, a freshman from Beach, N. D.

Staff members of the month are as follows:  Wenona Cook Hall—Jeff Kipley, a junior from Aberdeen; Thomas Hall—Rachel Thompson, a freshman from Volga; Heidepriem Hall—Elizabeth Mergenthal, a freshman from Elk River, Minn.; Pangburn Hall—Melanie Shurtz, a sophomore from Gillette, Wyo.; and Humbert Hall—Melissa Anderson, a senior from Hermosa.

Minutes of the March CSA meeting - Top  

The CSA council met at Pangburn Hall, March 13, 2001. Jeanne Hanson called the meeting to order. Those present were Nancy Shuck, Jeanne Hanson, Carolyn Skallerud, Lynette Long, Cheri Leahy, Deatta Chapel, Krista Schroeder, Myron Sullivan, Linda Allbee, Ginny Sunding, Sherry Albert and Becky Haak.

The minutes from the February meeting were read and accepted as read.

Lynette Long gave the treasurer’s report:

Committee Reports:

Ginny Sunding gave an abbreviated report on three strategic planning meetings (hard copies are available).

Ginny Sunding reported she had one welcome bag to deliver and she needed to buy supplies.

Old Business:

Cheri Leahy reported we sold 50 bundles of daffodils for the American Cancer Society (second to Banner Health Services).  Myron Sullivan made a motion we send a check for the full amount to American Cancer Society and Nancy Shuck/Deatta Chapel seconded it.

Ginny Sunding reported the CSA Recognition Luncheon will be held April 11, 2001, in the Multi Purpose Room.  

The committee, Ginny Sunding, Deatta Chapel, Cheri Leahy and Krista Schroeder will meet soon and call on the rest of the council if they need help.  The council members are expected to be available by 11 a.m. April 11 to help with last minute details for the luncheon.

Cheri Leahy reported the college scholarship committees have until April 9^th to make recommendations and we will need to make our choice fast to make our announcement at the CSA luncheon.

Becky Haak suggested we ask Lisa Glover, an art student, to design a logo for CSA.  Myron Sullivan made a motion we offer Lisa Glover a $100 scholarship to the Art Institute in Chicago and Carolyn Skallerud seconded the motion.

New Business:

Cheri Leahy reported our web site needed to be updated.  Jeanne Hanson asked Becky Haak to look into the situation and to send the minutes each month to Kopco/Taweesup.

Nancy Shuck made a motion to adjourn and Cheri Leahy seconded the motion.  Our next meeting is April 10, 2001, at 9 a.m., at Pangburn Hall (small dinning room).

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 2 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.