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.

CSA position open - Top

The following Career Service position is open and is limited to status Career Service employees of Black Hills State University

• senior secretary - extended services

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

Salomon book accepted for publication - Top

David A. Salomon, assistant professor of English, has had his book on the Glossa Ordinaria accepted for publication by the University of Wales Press.

The book, which he is currently writing, concerns the Medieval glossed Bible and is an introduction to the history and critical issues 

Two long-time BHSU employees will retire this month - Top

If you attended Black Hills State University any time during the past 27 years there’s a good chance you probably received help from the financial aid office or the admissions office and more than likely Judy Berry was answering your questions and guiding you in the right direction.

“Something I’ve always want to do, and I’ve managed to do it, was to work with students,” said Berry regarding her professional career.

Berry, assistant director of the BHSU Enrollment Center, will be taking early retirement at the end of January after assisting BH students and staff since 1975. She started her collegiate employment at Black Hills State as a staff assistant with the Center of Indian Studies.

Her hard work and attention to detail were recognized in those early years as she was promoted to senior secretary in the financial aid office. It was there that her helping hand was put to work as she advised students, calculated financial aid awards, and managed the office. Her diligence once again paid off as she was promoted to assistant director of financial aid in 1986.

The thing she liked about working in the financial aid area was the contact with students over a period time usually involving several years of attendance. Berry says admissions work is exciting and has its rewards, too, but it involves initial contacts and a new group of students every year.

The ability to work with students, parents, manage office procedures and explain the intricacies of financial aid planning were taken a step further as she was promoted to assistant director of admissions and records (now the enrollment center) in 1990. Her responsibilities included counseling new freshmen, planning and coordinating travel schedules for admissions counselors, providing academic advising, planning and supervising recruiting events, training telecounseling staff, implementing new computer technology, and supervising staff members.

The BH assistant enrollment center director described herself as “detail oriented. I like to organize. I might get a little tense at times and need to back off, but I’ll do whatever is necessary that is good for the office or institution.”

Admissions work provided her an opportunity to present the virtues of obtaining a higher education degree and to tell students about Black Hills State. That appeals to her.

She says she will miss her co-workers. “We’ve got a great group of people working in the enrollment center and the student life offices. Their dedication is outstanding.”

Berry began her teaching career in 1963 following graduation from the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Neb. She taught English in grades 8-12 in Nebraska, Colorado and South Dakota. She has been active in financial aid and admissions association at the local, state and national levels during her term at Black Hills State. Her dedication was recognized in 1999 when she received the BHSU Student Service Award.

BHSU extended services secretary to retire - Top

Jerri Geist, senior secretary in the extended services office at Black Hills State, will take early retirement Feb. 1 after 24 years of service to the university.

She began her career at BHSU in the fall of 1978 as a secretary with the division of science and mathematics. While working in the science and math area, she was promoted to senior secretary before moving on to the College of Education in 1989.

During her working years she found time in a very a busy schedule to take classes and complete her degree. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1989. Geist said she began college work after graduating from Lead High School in 1958, but family responsibilities and work forced her to take the long route to completing her education.

In 1993 she moved to the office of extended service where she worked with grants, facilities use and extended service. She will complete her

tenure at BHSU this winter as a senior secretary with the extended services office.  

Geist said, “I’ve enjoyed all the areas of I’ve worked in. I’ve particularly enjoyed the students and the staff.”

Regarding her retirement plans she said, “My husband, Roger, and I plan to do some traveling after our youngest grandchild’s first birthday to Texas and Arizona. We plan to take each day as it comes and have fun and enjoy our two sons and two granddaughters.”

Student life offices begin “100 grand promotion” - Top

Student life staff members are taking part in a new customer service program beginning Jan. 14.

The “100 Grand Promotion” is designed to stop the run around for all students. In response to a student survey which showed the students’ biggest complaint about BHSU was getting “the run around,” student life staff are committed to finding ways to end “the run around” for all students.

The student life staff makes this pledge, “No run around. If an someone in a student life office refers you to the wrong location, come back to the original office and we will pay up. Our goal is to stop the run around for all students.”  

Students who think they’ve been given erroneous information at any student life office, are encouraged to return to that office point out the 

error and the staff will pay up with a 100 grand candy bar. In turn this will indicate to the staff what mistake was made so it won’t happen again.

Submit names of volunteers to president’s office - Top

Please submit to the president's office the names and addresses of any volunteers who will be working in your area.

The names will be forwarded to the South Dakota Board of Regents

Spirit of Excellence at Work Award - Top

This award is chosen by a group which meets regularly to discuss ways to improve the campus working environment. This group feels that when they “catch” someone doing their job well, that performance should be recognized and encourages everyone to keep up the good work so they can “catch” you at it.

South Dakota stock market simulation game - Top

The registration deadline for schools participating in the South Dakota Stock Market Simulation spring program is Friday, Feb. 15.

The SDSMS is an online education tool that increases student motivation and learning in a variety of subjects and grade levels. Students participate in three divisions:  elementary/junior high, high school, and college. Cash prizes and award letters are presented to the top teams following a ten-week trading period. The spring program runs from Monday, Feb. 18 to Friday, April 26, 2002.

The registration fee is $15 per team and includes all teacher materials and online support 

plus a bi-weekly Coordinator Newsletter with information on the stock market and a variety of current business and economic events to stimulate student discussion in the classroom. Teachers sponsoring five or more teams will receive a free 10-week subscription to the Wall Street Journal delivered to their home or school address.

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,

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. 

Ten tips for grant writers - Top  

The daunting task of proposal writing is a frequent source of questions for both new and experienced grant writers.  Many grantseekers turn to their colleagues for answers and insights into tried-and-true methods of creating successful proposals. 

A popular meeting spot for grantseekers and other fundraising professionals to share ideas and questions is Charity Channel, the world’s largest online community of nonprofit-sector professionals.  Charity Channel offers more than 50 nonprofit-related discussion forums, with topics including grants and foundations, advocacy, annual funds, boards, e-philanthropy, sponsorship and technology.

Recently, on Charity Channel’s Grants forum, Jennifer Mansfield of JHM Consulting in Merrimac, Mass., asked grantseekers for help in constructing a proposal writing tip sheet.  Many forum participants posted quick and helpful replies and the resulting ten-point list.

Proposal Writing Tips

• When seeking funding for a program start from your own strategic plan: what activities will move you forward and what they will cost?  Do not change or create programs solely for funding purposes.

• Do your homework, make sure you have identified, described and documented the need for which you are seeking funding (include statistics when possible).  Make sure to put this problem statement near the beginning of your proposal.

• Do your homework some more…have an understanding of the funder’s mission, funding priorities and geographical preferences.  Based on your program needs and each funder’s interests, match your program with a prospective funder. Also understand the typical grant size given by the funder.

• Understand the application process; get a copy of their guidelines and deadlines for submission.  Funders vary with their timelines and even how they want to be contacted.  This sounds simple but if they have specific instructions—follow them to the letter.

• Pay close attention to the appearance of the proposal.  Make sure your font is no smaller than 12 point.  Use bold/underlined headings for new sections.  Your margins should not be less than one inch on all sides.  Toss in a chart, graph or sidebar story once in a while.  In other words, try to make the document user friendly.  The reviewer can’t help but have an “oh no” reaction to a proposal with dense type and narrow margins.

• Generally, most proposals start with a one-page summary or project abstract page—this should tightly summarize your case for support and proposal.

• Typically a longer project narrative, goals and objectives of the project, evaluation, budget and budget justification page, follows the summary page.  The entire proposal should be about five (and no more than 10) pages.

• Include a one-page cover letter outlining your agency, the proposal and the amount of funding requested.

• If your proposal is not accepted, send a thank you note or make a call thanking the funder for the time spent reviewing your proposal.  Ask for any shortcomings of the application, so that you might revise when applying in the future.

• If your project is funded, follow up with a thank you, a six-month and 12-month letter telling the funder how the money is being spent.

**Taken from “Foundation Grants Alert”, December 2001

Grant opportunities announced - Top  

Below are the program materials received Jan. 3-9 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.

• National Science Foundation.  Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Educational Materials Development and National Dissemination Tracks.  The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program seeks to improve the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for all students and targets activities affecting learning environments, course content, curricula, and educational practices.  The program has three tracks-Educational Materials Development (CCLI-EMD); National Dissemination (CCLI-ND); and Adaptation and Implementation (CCLI-A&I).  Deadlines:  June 6, 2002, EMD and ND Tracks; Nov. 13, 2002, A&I Track.

• National Council for the Social Studies.  Grant for the Enhancement of Geographic Literacy.  Purpose:  To promote geography education in the schools; to enhance the geographic literacy of students at the classroom, district, or statewide level; and to encourage the integration of geography into the social studies curriculum/classroom.  Deadline is March 21, 2002.

• The German Academic Exchange Service.  Study visit research grants for faculty.  This program offers support to scholars and scientists to pursue research at universities and other institutions in Germany for one to three months during the calendar year.  Deadlines:  Feb. 1 for visits during the second half of the current year; Aug. 1 for visits during the first half of the following year.

This week at Black Hills State University - Top

Campus Calendar

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