Campus Currents

Volume XXV No. 49 • Dec. 21, 2001

Meeker named vice president for institutional advancement at BHSU
Student life staff sponsors midnight breakfast to kickoff finals
Winners in the faculty staff campaign
Fall stock market simulation game winners announced
Instructional improvement grants available
Faculty research funds available
This week at Black Hills State University

Submit items to Campus Currents - Top The Campus Currents is distributed every Friday. To submit an item send it to Campus Currents, Unit 9512 or by e-mail to Campus Currents. Deadline is Thursday at 8 a.m.
Meeker named vice president for institutional advancement at BHSU - Top
Steve Meeker, director of institutional advancement at Black Hills State University, was promoted to vice president of institutional advancement, it was announced by BHSU President Thomas Flickema during December commencement ceremonies. Meeker began his higher education career at BHSU in 1986 as an admissions counselor. He was selected to head the university’s admissions office as enrollment management coordinator in 1987 and as director of admissions and records in 1989. He was appointed director of advancement in 1990. He also served as the university’s interim athletic director in 1993. During his tenure as advancement director, Meeker was recognized as outstanding staff member by the	BHSU Student Senate in 1994, outstanding organization advisor in 1999, and as marketing administrator of the year in 2001 by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators. Active in the advancement field, Meeker was elected vice president and later president of the state’s Alliance for Higher Education Advancement and Development (AHEAD) organization in 1992 and 1993. Meeker is responsible for university academic and athletic fundraising and oversees two university foundations: the Black Hills State University Foundation and the Yellow Jacket Foundation. The new BHSU vice president of advancement is a native South Dakotan who graduated from Britton High School in 1980 and BHSU in 1984 with a degree in mass communications.
Student life staff sponsors midnight breakfast to kickoff finals - Top
More than 300 BHSU students enjoyed a finals week kickoff midnight breakfast Monday night sponsored by the student life staff. Students began lining up at 10:45 for the breakfast which was served by student life staff members. Students from the residence halls as well as many who had been studying at the library gathered in the	Student Union Marketplace. “Students were very appreciative of the breakfast,” said Kim Schmitz, committee member. “Some were studying and others just stayed and visited.” The breakfast, which may become an annual event, was the first part of an ongoing promotion of the new student life motto, “It’s not just a job, it’s our life…Student Life.” The student life staff sends a special thank you to Tim Johnston, food service director, for all his hard work. More than 300 students came to the midnight breakfast.
Servers for the midnight breakfast included student life employees: (right to left) Kim Schmitz, enrollment center; Ann Chastain, residence life; Juli Larson, child-care center; and Cheryl Leahy, enrollment center.
Winners in the faculty staff campaign - Top
Employee giving at Black Hills State University is at an all-time high with 49 percent of BHSU employees contributing to one or both of the universities two foundations following the recent campaign. The theme for this year’s employee campaign was your contributions are "worth a mint." "And, they certainly are,” said Steve Meeker, vice president of institutional advancement. "Forty-nine percent employee giving is an excellent indication of the dedication and loyalty of employees at BHSU. These donations are truly appreciated.” The following employees won prizes in the recent employee campaign: Spearfish Canyon Resort stay - Riley Chrisman, College of Arts and Sciences; BHSU t-shirt - Joan Wermers, Student Support Services and Jace DeCory, College of Arts and Sciences; BHSU Sweatshirt - Bev Evenson, Facilities Services, and Ellen Lefler, Institutional Advancement.	The BHSU Foundation raises money for the academic scholarships and capital improvements to campus. The Yellow Jacket Foundation raises money for athletic scholarships. The two foundations awarded $455,470 in scholarships to BHSU students for the 2001 fiscal year. Many employees chose to use payroll deduction for their contributions this year. This convenient way to give is set up after an employee authorizes the university to deduct a specified dollar amount from each paycheck and deposit it into either the academic or athletic foundation. Employees can even specify which college, department or scholarship fund they would like their donation to go toward. For more information, please contact Steve Meeker at 642-6385.
Fall stock market simulation game winners announced - Top
The fall session of the South Dakota Stock Market Simulation (SDSMS) game concluded with the close of the Dec. 14^th market indices. Watertown High School and advisor Kathleen Johnson produced the best portfolio out of 112 teams competing in three divisions with a stunning 69.8 percent return and a portfolio worth $169,823. A second Watertown high-school team advised by Johnson finished second with a $122,759 portfolio and a White Lake High School team with advisor Marcia Schuldt finished third with a $115,001 portfolio. College division winners were Paul Hanson at Black Hills State with a $155,012 portfolio, Gus Karinen, BHSU, $134,508 and Adam Sanderson, BHSU, $125,659. The elementary-junior high winner, capturing the top three places, was Watertown and advisor Colleen Ehresmann with a top portfolio of $112,799. The SDSMS is an educational product of the University of South Dakota and Black Hills State University. The simulation is a motivating approach to learning about economics and business. In South	Dakota, hundreds of student teams compete each semester in a statewide competition in which they research companies to invest in a $100,000 stock and mutual fund portfolio. Student divisions include elementary/junior high school (grades 4-8), high school and college. All trading and research are performed online. The top teams in each division receive cash awards and prizes. The South Dakota Stock Market Simulation is sponsored by the South Dakota Council on Economic Education, the Center for Economic Education at the University of South Dakota and the Center for Economic Education at Black Hills State University. The spring SDSMS begins Monday, Feb. 18, 2002, and concludes the 10-week trading period on Friday, April 26. Information about the SDSMS game is available by contacting Don Altmyer, associate professor at BHSU, at donaldaltmyer@bhsu.edu or by phone at (605) 642-6266.
Instructional improvement grants available - 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. In the other categories, priority will be given to those who have not received an IIC grant in the last academic year. 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. Eleven copies of the proposals should be submitted to the grants and special projects office in Woodburn 218, or to the chair of the committee, Sharon Strand. Proposals will consist of the proposal and budget outlines following the specified format available at the grants and special projects web page.
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. The next application deadline is Jan. 18 at 2 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.
This week at Black Hills State University Campus Calendar This calendar is also available on the BHSU homepage quick links.