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.

Simpson poetry accepted for publication - Top

The June issue features the subject of "Fathers."  BigCityLit is a literary magazine for poets, fiction writers and essayists. The senior poetry editor is Nicholas Johnson, senior essayist and articles editor is Maureen Holm and associate editor is George Dickerson.

CSA positions open - Top

• secretary, Upward Bound
• senior secretary, Extended Services

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

Transfer - Top  

• Rebecca Haak from Secretary in the Records Office to senior secretary in Extended Services.

Faculty will display exhibits for governor’s faculty awards for teaching with technology - Top

Winners of the 2001 Governor's Faculty and Advanced Faculty Awards for Teaching with Technology Summer 2001 awards will be hosting a viewing of their achievements  Jan. 29 in the Jacket Legacy Room of the David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union. 

Exhibits will be available from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and everyone is welcome to attend at your leisure.

Nine of the exhibits will be displayed in the Capitol Rotunda in Pierre Feb. 6 for members of state government to view.  Others will be shown at the mall in Rapid City later this spring.

Faculty award winners at BHSU are Donald Altmyer, Dr. Steve Anderson, Dr. Len Austin, Dr. Christine Cremean, Dr. Susan (Wessel) Dana, Dr. Abdollah Farrokhi, Dr. Richard Gayle, Fred Heidrich, Dr. Carol Hess, Colleen Kirby, Dr. Roger Miller, Dr. Kristi Pearce, Dr. Dan Peterson, Dr. Connie Pollard, Dr. Sandee Schamber, Dr. Rob Schurrer, Dr. Sharon Strand, Dr. Ron Theisz, and Dr. Doug Wessel.

A brief description of their projects can be found on the BHSU web site. 

Faculty art show at Ruddell - Top

Six Black Hills State University faculty members have their works of art on display at the Ruddell Galley in the university’s Miller Student Union through Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2002.

Featured artists include Richard DuBois, Richard Hicks, James Knutson, Steve Babbitt, Linn Nelson, and Dan Binder. A closing reception, open to the public, will be held Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery.

Following the reception, Christopher Hahn will perform a concert of "Mostly Jazz" trumpet music in Woodburn Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. assisted by Janeen Larsen, Randall Royer, and other musicians

The Ruddell Gallery in the Miller Student Union is open to the public at no charge weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m.

Student Union has new look

Students returning to campus for the spring semester found the scenery had changed as the north entrance to the David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union sported a new look.

Prior to departing for the holidays the north entrance had been wrapped in plastic sheeting so construction workers could complete the brick and cement exterior work. With the wrapping discarded this past week, a present awaited, as a new façade appeared on the campus scene.

Art Jones, facilities services director, said work on the north entrance would be complete by March 4. The $240,500 facelift makes the building more functional and up to date. It also aesthetically ties the recently remodeled south end of the building in with the older north portion. Jones says it’s part of the first phase of the campus master plan that will ultimately change the look and functionality of the campus.

MAC Construction of Rapid City is the general contractor for the remodeling effort on the Student Union. Architects Williams and Associates of Spearfish created the design.

Faculty consider a first-year experience program grant  - Top

The Bush Grant hosted the spring 2002 in-service for 47 BHSU faculty and staff.  Joni Webb Petschauer, first-year experience director at Appalacian State, presented their program that was featured in the September issue of TIME magazine which "honored four colleges that know how to help newcomers survive and thrive."   Petschauer facilitated activities and discussion for participants to introduce the concept of first-year experience in the morning and then led a workshop in the afternoon for more specific planning of how BHSU could create such a program to address the issue of student retention. 

Given that this is the final semester of the current Bush grant "Creating a Collaboratory for Life Long Learning," the campus is exploring the idea of developing a new Bush grant proposal to establish a first-year experience program.  The current grant has invested over $240,000 into faculty development during the past two years to support infusion of technology into teaching and learning and use of action research to investigate the impact of collaborative work to improve student learning.  Faculty have received stipends during the past three summers to learn ways of incorporating WebCT into teaching and learning. And, prior in-service presentations focused on team building with Earl Hipp, integrating technology with Gil Dyrli, shifting the campus culture from teaching to learning with Bob Barr, and learner-centered assessment with Mary

Huba. These faculty development activities have built a foundation for creating a first year experience for BHSU.

Dr. Sharon Strand, College of Arts and Sciences, will lead the efforts in preparing the next Bush grant proposal to establish a first-year experience for our incoming freshman to be submitted in July.  The following faculty, administrators and staff have spent time brainstorming the idea for BHSU: Joe Valadez, Rob Schurrer, Len Austin, Dave Bergemann, Curtis Card, Mike Isaacson, Jace DeCory, Tim Hightower, Sharon Hemmingsen, Jan Golliher, Cris Hollingsworth, Pam Wegner, Dan Durben, Doug Wessel, and Holly Downing.  If others are interested, please contact Strand.

Johanna Meier to perform at fundraiser for Summer Institute of the Arts - Top

Famed soprana Johanna Meier will perform for a Valentine scholarship fundraiser for the Black Hills Summer Institute of the Arts Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish.

“From the Heart of Spain” will feature Meier singing Spanish folk songs about dance, love and lullaby by Manuel de Falla (canciones populares espanolas). This concert is Meier’s only public performance this year.

International star of the opera and concert stage, Meier has been a leading soprano with the Metropolitan Opera and countless major opera houses and orchestras throughout the world. She is well-known as the first American to sing the role of Isolde in the Bayreuth Festival, which was filmed for Unitel/Philips and has appeared twice on PBS Great Performances. She is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and made her sensational debut with the New York City Opera in 1965.

“From the Heart of Spain” will also feature performances by guitarists Christopher Robin Johnson, the Rushmore Orchestra, Spanish dancers and special mystery guests. Tapas (hors d’oeuvres) and dessert bar will be served. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 642-6420. Cost is $25 per person donation. Gala dress is recommended.

Proceeds of this fundraising event underwrite the student scholarship program of the Black Hills Summer Institute of the Arts-Vocal Arts/Opera Theater workshop which will be held June 17-30. Now in its fifth year, this program, under the artistic direction of Johanna Meier, offers students exposure to the highest level of voice training and performance experience in a workshop format. Hosted by Black Hills State University, this vocal arts program encourages students to stretch their creative potential with emphasis on individual expression.

For more information contact Laura Hovey Neubert at 341-5714 or 642-6420.

Speaker and author promises students good grades  - Top

National award winning speaker and author, Joe Smith, communications professor at the University of West Florida, will speak to BHSU students about “acing college” Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Jacket Legacy Room of the David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union.

Smith makes an unusual claim for students who attend his presentation “Tricks of the Grade: Street-smart Strategies for Acing College.” He promises to pay students $100 for any course in which they receive a “C” grade or lower after hearing his message.

A product of his own message, Martin grew up in one of the toughest inner city ghettos in Miami, Fla. At the age of 24, Martin became the youngest professor ever hired to a tenured-earning position in the state of Florida.

“After I graduated from high school, going to college wasn’t even an option,” Martin recalls. “My standardized test scores were so low that I was told that I wouldn’t even be allowed to 

‘drive’ to college, let alone get accepted into one. I laugh now, but hearing those comments at age 17 made me very angry,” Martin says.

Martin persisted in pursuing his college degree, ultimately being voted “Student of the Year” at his university and graduating at the top of his class by the age of 20. Martin credits his academic success to ten strategies he calls “Tricks of the Grade.”

His book “Tricks of the Grade: Street-smart Strategies for Acing College,” is popular among college students across the country.  The success of the book and lectures have garnered professor Martin national recognition. In 1999 APCA honored Martin as their national “Campus Speaker of the Year,” as voted by college students across the country.

Election notice for state retirement system - Top

The South Dakota Retirement System announces an election notice for all members of the retirement system.

Nominations for a classified employee representative on the South Dakota Retirement System Board of Trustees, for the four-year term beginning July 1, 2002, will be received by the administrator, pursuant to the provisions of SDCL 3-12-48.

Nominations of a candidate must be made by petition subject to the following conditions:

Signed by at least 20 members from the same group as the candidate (classified employees):

Petitions may be signed only by currently contributing and terminated vested members.

Petitions shall be on file in the administrator’s office no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 25, 2002.

Petitions forms may be secured from the South Dakota Retirement System, P.O. Box 1098, 216 East Capitol, Pierre, SD  57501-1098.

To inform the voters about the candidates, a special Election Issue of Outlook is prepared and mailed with the ballots.  Candidates who would like information about themselves included in Outlook should submit the following with their petitions:

Recent photo (black & white preferred) and a typewritten biographical sketch and/or statement of candidacy. The biographical sketch and/or statement of candidacy will be printed without editing provided the total word count, excluding articles, does not exceed 200 words.

CSA council will sell Daffodils for American Cancer Society - Top

Daffodils can be purchased from any CSA council representative for $6 for 10 daffodils, or $1/each individually or in bunches of less than 10.  Council members will also be taking orders for Gift of Hope bouquets for $15.  Payment is requested in the form of cash or checks made payable to BHSU CSA Council. All monies collected from the sale of daffodils will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Orders and payment are due by Feb. 14. The daffodils placed in water will open for a beautiful display of spring color. Customers are requested to have their own vases ready to receive the daffodils on March 11.

Last year the CSA Council was second only to Banner Health Care Services in the number of daffodils sold in the community.  (Watch for more details on Daffodil Days to be published in local media soon.)  This year the council would like to place first so please help them support the American Cancer Society and their vital work by purchasing a bouquet of daffodils for Daffodil Days.  A list of CSAC representatives is available on the web. Questions can also be directed to any CSA representative, to CSA President Nancy Shuck, or to Cheryl Leahy as CSA’s liaison with the American Cancer Society.

ABWA is taking applications for scholarships - Top

Applications may be obtained at the BHSU 

ABWA scholarships are made available each year through the ABWA annual STRUT fundraiser. This relay race is sponsored each fall by area businesses that contribute money, teams and prizes to raise dollars for scholarships.

For more information, contact Sharon Allen at 642-1229 or 642-3430.

Minutes of the Graduate Council meeting - Top

Present:  Earley, Thares, Sujithamrack, Alsup, Steckline, and Austin.

Absent:  Cook, C. Johnston, Erickson, B. Silva, R. Chrisman, and Molseed.

Chair reported that the BOR had decided that common course numbering would be applied to all seminar, special topics, individual topics, etc. This numbering was already decided and BH was changing its courses to fit the new numbers and descriptions. The courses and numbers would be reflected in the fall 2002 schedule. The changes can be seen on the website at www.bhsu.edu/instres/Admin/CatalogCourseDesc.asp.

Chair also reported that the proposed summer schedule and all schedules will also be on the internet at www.bhsu.edu/instres/instireslinks.htm.

Chair was asked about enrollment numbers for fall. Those figures are a headcount of 128 for the fall and 112 for the spring, the majority of which were part-time. Chair said he would ask for the spring data and forward it as soon as possible.

Chair also reported the students in the MSCI program could now apply for admission to the degree online.  The Higher Learning Commission had also approved BH to offer the MSCI degree totally online.

Austin and Alsup reported that the College of Education was working on the culminating experience for graduate students.  They had agreed to allow written exams and were working on the rubric and questions to be used.  Another alternative was the collaborative research project and faculty were being assigned students for collaboration.  The estimate was that about 20 students would graduate this May.

Meeting adjourned.

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.  

Faculty research funds available - Top  

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 

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 - Top

Campus Calendar

This calendar is also available on the BHSU homepage quick links.