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 position open - Top

The following Career Service position is open

• custodial worker, dining service

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

BHSU arts and science dean attend national conference - Top

Dr. Holly Downing, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Black Hills State University, recently attended the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) in Montreal, Canada.

The annual meeting of entomologists was held jointly with the Entomological Society of Canada. Thousands of researchers from both the basic and applied areas of entomology attended the five-day conference.

Downing served as a co-moderator during an informal conference titled the “Art of Nest Architecture.” She presented an overview of 

the various areas of research included under the heading of insect construction. Her talk is titled “Insect Construction:  messages from an architectural menagerie.”

The BHSU dean also judged student papers for the ESA’s president’s prize.

Downing was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at BHSU in July of 1998.  She holds a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She served as chairperson of the department of biology at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater from 1993  to 1998.

Silva, Tentinger and Hesson present - Top

Silva	Tentinger	Hesson

The title of the presentation was "The Ab Solution."  They presented a comprehensive plan to reduce waist circumference.  Many people recognize and focus on only one part of the solution and therefore become discouraged when they don't get the results they were expecting.

Retirement representative will visit - Top

Ron Van Patton, Field Representative with the South Dakota Retirement System, will be on campus Dec. 13 at the Student Union multipurpose room in meeting room 1.

He will be available to meet with individuals who may have questions or concerns about the retirement system or have specific questions regarding their individual retirement accounts.  If you have questions about your

 individual account, please bring your latest retirement summary that was sent to in July or August of this year. 

Should you wish to visit with Mr. Van Patton, contact Becky Bruce 642-6549 or Anita Haeder 642-6545 to schedule a time to visit with him.  Meeting times are limited so please schedule your time early.

Christmas concert is Sunday - Top

The BHSU Choirs and Community/Concert band will perform a Christmas Concert at the Belle Fourche Area Community Center,

Dakota MasterWorks art show on display at BHSU Ruddell Gallery  - Top

Winning works of art from the Dakota MasterWork Art Show and Creative Contest are on display at the Black Hills State University Ruddell Gallery through Dec. 19.

Dakota MasterWorks was created to demonstrate what older adults already know—the second half of life can be full of creative growth and fulfillment. The fourth annual art show celebrating the art talents of South Dakotans over age 60 were featured this fall at a show at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Professional artists juried the artwork and winning entries are being displayed at the Ruddell Gallery.

South Dakotans competed in the age categories:  experienced—age 60 to 79, and masters—age 80 and above. The creative

categories included painting (oil), painting (watercolor), drawing/illustration, photography (black and white or color), sculpture, and woodcarving.

The South Dakota Health Care Foundation, Home Federal Savings Bank, and KELO-Land Television sponsored the art show.

Following the showing at BHSU, the art show will be exhibited at the state capitol during the legislative session this January.

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

Vucurevich contributes to BHSU endowment - Top

The Black Hills State University Foundation recently received $100,000 from John T. Vucurevich to support his scholarship fund at the university.

This latest gift brings the Vucurevich scholarship endowment to more than $553,000 since its inception in 1993.

Vucurevich scholarships are awarded each year to Black Hills area residents who are juniors or seniors at the university. The students must be in good academic standing and have financial need. No preference is given to the students’ program of study for the scholarships to be awarded.

The university’s scholarship committee

selects scholarship award winners each year.

Steve Meeker, institutional advancement director at BHSU, said, “John Vucurevich has been very generous in his contributions to Black Hills State University over the years and for that we are grateful.  His scholarship endowment is a testimony to his resolve to help others by giving back to the community. He has been a significant contributor to many worthwhile charitable organizations in the Black Hills region and across the state.”

Meeker noted that Vucurevich’s gift brings the BHSU Foundation’s assets total to over $7.5 million.

Seventeen BH students selected as technology fellows - Top

Seventeen Black Hills State University students are paying their way through college utilizing their computer technology skills by assisting faculty in the ever-changing technological world.

The South Dakota Board of Regents initiated the technology fellows program this fall with an award from the 2000 Legislature. Students selected as technology fellows receive the cost of all tuition and fees during participation in the program. They are responsible for providing 10 hours a week of support time to faculty and instructional support staff. In addition, they spend one hour a week in training to improve their skills.

In a press release following the regents’ June meeting, board president Harvey Jewett said, “It’s about learning and earning. …This technology fellowship funding will allow the campuses to provide additional support and training to faculty in an area that is constantly changing. Additionally, this will provide student fellows with real life experiences in utilizing the technology and assisting others to make the technology work for us. The ultimate beneficiaries will be the students who are taking courses from these faculty.”

Dr. Dorothy Fuller, instructional designer who directs the BHSU fellowship program, says faculty and students are benefiting from the exchange of ideas. The program is working very well and she expects it to continue well into the future.

In selecting student fellows, “we tried to achieve a balance of technology skills and people skills,” she said. “All of our fellows have good people skills and the ability to show and teach without intimidating.”

Students entered the fellowship program with varying technology backgrounds. Some were quite advanced and others were at a more basic level. All of them were required to set up a learning contract with Fuller defining their expectations and what they wanted to accomplish.

During the first semester of operation three fellows were assigned to the College of Education, three to the College of Business and Technology, and five to specific faculty members who were working on particular projects. The other six fellows are assigned as needed to various short-term projects.

Fellows are converting music to digitalized formats, developing video clips to menu driven CDs, designing web pages, and giving technology demonstrations. Some are working on long-term research projects with faculty in specialized fields. As more faculty members are becoming aware of the fellows program, more of them are seeking help.  

Aaron Bach, a junior from Rapid City, is working with Dr. Curtis Card, associate professor of math. They are currently working together using Unix and Linux (PC version) program languages to configure an Apache server so they can use Front Page 2000 for web design.  

Aaron Bach, a Black Hills State senior from Rapid City, and math professor Curtis Card, are working together programming an Apache web server to more fully utilize Front Page 2000 web-design capabilities. Bach is one of 17 student technology fellows at BHSU earning his tuition by working with and assisting faculty and instructional staff with technology projects.

“I’m expanding my knowledge and also learning programs (Unix and Linux) that aren’t available in the classroom,” said Bach.

Card said the programming process is very time consuming. “We are in the training phase now and Aaron will soon be able to take over and do the maintenance on the server.” According to the BH professor, “most students wouldn’t have the opportunity to be involved with server administration” without a technology fellows program.

Fuller says she will be using student fellow expertise to create on-line workshops for faculty development. It is a way to provide training in a more expeditious manner and less demanding on her time and equipment. She expects to get that project underway next semester.

The fellows program director says she sees significant applications that relate directly to the workforce. Students will need these skills when they enter the job market.

“Students develop good team-building skills, communications skills, problem solving skills, self-management skills; they define learning needs, and gain experience consulting,” said Fuller.“ They are learning instructional design techniques, web design principals, and computer application skills.”

Student fellows are paid the cost of tuition and fees for 32 semester hours of instruction and for 11 working hours a week, which equates to approximately $11 an hour. The learning and earning concept is proving to be a good match at BHSU.

Student technology fellows at BHSU this fall are Aaron Bach, Rapid City; Daniel Clements, Miller; Sean Crooks, Spearfish; Andrew Erickson, Beresford; Michael Hanson, Rapid City; Brandon Harms, Rapid City; Jody Jarding, Spearfish; Crystal Muglia, Belle Fourche; Heather Murschel, Sioux Falls; Lonny Palmlund, DeSmet; Kim Reierson, Williston, N.D.; Alicia Ripley, Pierre; Michael Shannon, Lead; Anthony Speiser, Watertown; Eric Strawn, Hot Springs; Sarah Templeton, Ree Heights; and Patrick Weber, Renner. 

A $6,000 anonymous gift starts science speakers program at BH  - Top

The Black Hills State University Foundation recently received a $6,000 anonymous gift to start a science speakers program at the university.

One thousand dollars can be used for speakers during the 2001-2002 academic year. The remaining $5,000 will be permanently preserved with interest earnings used for the management and distribution of the fund. The fund shall be used to support an annual science speaker of national or international reputation.

Speakers will be chosen and approved by vote of faculty in the natural science department at BHSU. According to the agreement, interest from the fund could be used to supplement the cost of a national or international speaker in a science-related field.

Persons interested in contributing to the science speaker fund should contact Steve Meeker, BHSU institutional advancement director, 1200 University Street, Unit 9506, Spearfish, S.D. 57799 or phone (605) 642-6228.

BHSU receives anonymous gift for art department  - Top

An anonymous gift of 100 shares of General Electric stock was recently given to the Black Hills State University Foundation.

The gift is worth approximately $5,000 and is to be used to for art supplies and art scholarships at the discretion of the art department.

Minutes of the university assessment committee  - Top

The university assessment committee met Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. in Woodburn conference room one. Present: Earley, Termes, J. Miller, Altmeyer, K. Meyers, Calhoon. Absent: Cook, Haislett, Hemmingson, Myers, Schamber, Johnston.

 Accepted as submitted

1. History (comments to be added)

2. Biology (comments to be added)

3. Human Services (comments)

4.  Music (comments)

5. Art (comments)

6. Communication Arts (comments)

7. Mass Communications (comments)

8. Math (comments)

9. Spanish (comments)

10. Psychology (comments)

11. Sociology (comments)

Returned for revisions

1. Social Science (comments)

No Ratings because dean, chair, and faculty must implement and evaluate student academic achievement

1. Chemistry (comments)

2. Environmental Physical Science

The committee is waiting for the rest of the reports from Arts and Sciences   The reports from the College of Business and Technology should be coming in now.  The committee will meet in December or January to discuss them.  

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 fall of 2001. 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.

Grants opportunities announced - Top

Below are the program materials received Nov. 30-Dec. 6 in the grants office in 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.

• National Science Foundation, Collaborative Research in Chemistry (CRC).  The purpose of the CRC program is to enable groups of researchers to respond to recognized scientific needs, to take advantage of current scientific opportunities, or to prepare the groundwork for anticipated significant scientific developments in chemistry, broadly defined.  The scientific personnel involved should consist of at least three investigators and proposals and must explain how collaborative interaction is critical to the success of the project.  Letters of intent due Jan. 16, 2001; applications due Feb. 26, 2001.

• Community Action Grants.  American Association of University Women.  Deadline Feb. 12, 2001.  Community Action Grants provide seed money to individual women and AAUW organizations, as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations, for innovative programs or nondegree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls.  Applicants must be women who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  Two types of grants are available:  one-year grants for start-up projects-topic areas are unrestricted but should promote education and equity for women and girls; two-year grants are restricted to projects focused on K-12 girls’ achievement in math, science and/or technology.  Projects must involve community/school collaboration.  Funds support and coalition-building activities during the first year, and implementation and evaluation the second year.  http://www.aauw.org

• Call for Proposals in Conservation Biology.  Earthwatch Institute.  Earthwatch supports a broad range of conservation biology research.  cfr@earthwatch.org