College of Business
announces curriculum changes - top
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| Sarkar |
The College of Business and Technology at Black Hills
State University has just undergone a revision of their curriculum and
course offerings which will enhance the rigor of the business
administration program according to Dr. Amin Sarkar, dean of the
college.
Curriculum changes include the addition of courses in
ethics, business statistics, quantitative decision analysis, and an
upper-level economic theory class. The addition of these courses makes
the business program more flexible because students have the opportunity
to choose from more electives.
Business students at BHSU now have the option of
earning a bachelor of science in business administration with one of
seven specialization areas: accounting, entrepreneurial studies, health
services administration, human resource management, management,
marketing, and tourism and hospitality management.
Other bachelor of science degrees offered by the
College of Business and Technology include business education,
professional accountancy, industrial technology, technology education
and applied technical science.
According to Sarkar, modifications to the program
provide flexibility by allowing students to select from more electives
to pursue business topics of interest to their specific career goals.
Faculty members have been designated as program
coordinators and will answer questions from prospective students, help
promote the programs, and be involved in the planning and assessment of
the programs. For questions on any of the business programs, visit
www.bhsu.edu/businesstechnology or contact the program coordinators:
- Accounting, Randi Ellis, 642-6734
- Applied Technology Science, Jerry Miller,
642-6387
- Business Education, Priscilla Romkema, 642-6091
- Business Services Management, Pat Mackin,
642-6869
- Entrepreneurial Studies, Priscilla Romkema,
642-6091
- Health Services Administration, Steve Andersen,
642-6417
- Human Resource Management, Carrie LeBrun,
642-6876
- Industrial Education, Tom Termes, 642-6498
- Industrial Technology, Jerry Miller , 642-6387
- Management, Verona Beguin, 642-6398
- Marketing, Patty Bellamy, 642-6868
- Technology Education, Jerry Miller, 642-6387
- Tourism and Hospitality Management, Siriporn
Sujithamrak, 642-6702.
Business professors publish
article about Internet learning in accounting courses -
top
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| Altmyer |
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| Mackin |
An article authored by Don Altmyer, Black Hills State University
associate professor in the College of Business and Technology, and Pat
Mackin, BHSU assistant professor, has been accepted for publication in
the refereed teaching journal for the Consortium for Teaching, Research,
Learning and Development.
The article, Is Academic Success Influenced by Student Learning
Preferences in an Internet Based Accounting Course?, researches
whether students studying introductory accounting courses learn equally
when course content is delivered in a lecture format or in a Web-based
format.
Altmyer said the idea for the research began when he delivered his
first Internet accounting course in the fall of 1999 and saw a distinct
difference in the distribution of grades between the internet course and
lecture course.
In the article Altmyer and Mackin present a statistical analysis of
data collected over a two-year period in eight Principles of Accounting
I and II courses completed by 150 students. Four of the courses were
taught in the traditional face-to-face lecture class format and four of
the courses were taught in an online format. Students had the option to
enroll in either method of delivery. The courses, which were taught by
the same instructor, used the same course materials and objective
multiple-choice questions. The key difference was a lack of a
traditional lecture and class interaction in the online class.
The professors’ research findings showed that Internet students were
on average four years older, confirming prior research that internet
courses are very popular with non-traditional students. There was,
however, no difference in the average test scores of the Internet
students and the face-to-face students.
The results did show that test scores in the Internet classes varied
according to student learning preferences. Scores were higher in the
Internet classes for students who were found to be “active learners” as
opposed to “reflective learners.” Active learners in an Internet course
can independently pace themselves and actively manipulate the course
content, assessments and communications throughout the course.
Reflective learners learn by passively observing and listening to
instructor lectures and student interactions. Data on student learning
preferences and learning styles were determined using Kolb’s Learning
Style Survey.
Research findings also showed that students scored better in both
modes of content delivery in the Principles of Accounting II courses
when the students had “abstract” versus “concrete” learning preferences.
The BHSU professors attributed this to the fact that the Principles of
Accounting II course has more abstract concepts such as corporate
financial statement analysis rather than the mechanical operations of
recording journal entries and preparing ledgers and financial statements
in the Principles of Accounting I course.
Altmyer received his bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Duquesne University and his master’s degree in taxation from
California State University-Fullerton. He has been a member of the BHSU
faculty since 1995.
Mackin has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in
mathematics from the University of Montana. He received his doctorate in
business administration from Arizona State University. He has been a
member of the BHSU faculty since 2002.
Sigma Tau Gamma donates 2,500
books to Youth and Family Services -
top
The Black Hills State University fraternity Sigma Tau
Gamma recently donated 2,500 books to the Rapid City chapter of Youth
and Family Services. The books were collected during the fraternity’s
annual national philanthropy project “Books for Kids.”
Each year, during the “Books for Kids” fundraiser,
fraternity members collect new or slightly used books for elementary
schools that lack the funds to buy books. This year, Sigma Tau Gamma
members worked with students from Lead/Deadwood Elementary School and
the East Elementary and West Elementary Schools in Spearfish to collect
books. The elementary students brought books they were no longer using
at home and put them in the classroom donation boxes provided by Sigma
Tau Gamma. The two classes from each school that donated the most books
received prizes.
“The generosity of our local elementary students
surpasses my expectations every year,” said Andy Steele, vice president
of Sigma Tau Gamma, “After donating more than 2,000 books each year the
last two years, I never expected them to bring in more than 2,000
donations again this year.”
Sigma Tau Gamma members delivered the books to Rapid
City for the 2005 Readiatrics Book Drive. Readiatrics, a yearly book
drive that supplies new and used books for children in hospitals,
shelters and head start programs, then presented the books to Youth and
Family Services, their designated recipient for the year.
Sponsors of this year’s “Books for Kids” program were
Domino’s Pizza and Lueder’s Food Center. If you would like to donate to
or participate in next spring’s “Books for Kids” program, contact Steele
at 645-6279.
Custer High School takes top
honors in spring stock market game -
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Custer High School recently took top honors in the
spring 2005 South Dakota Stock Market Game (SDSMG), sponsored by Black
Hills State University. Custer finished the 10-week trading period with
$102,568, the highest return on investment (ROI) in the state at 2.57
percent.
A total of 189 teams consisting of 505 students from
25 schools participated in the spring SDSMG. The teams competed in three
divisions: middle school (grades four through eight), high school, and
college. Each team started the 10-week trading period with a
hypothetical $100,000. After conducting online research and stock
trading, the teams with the highest ending portfolios in each division
received cash awards and prizes.
Four teams competed in the middle school division.
Taking top honors was: first place, Milesville, led by Carmen One Skunk,
$99,691.
Custer, led by Nancy Gausman, received first place
honors out of 154 teams in the high school division. Other top teams in
the high school division were: second place, Sioux Falls Washington, led
by Ronda Gassmann, $101,986; third place, Wessington, led by Charlotte
Mohling, $101,782; fourth place, Douglas, led by Dale Pepper, $101,707;
fifth place, Watertown, led by Kathleen Johnson, $101,695; sixth place,
Wessington, led by Charlotte Mohling, $101,232; and seventh place,
Bridgewater, led by David Eich, $100,800.
The top students in the college division were BHSU
students: first place, Chandra Prillwitz, a freshman from Spearfish,
with a final portfolio of $101,613, a 1.61 percent ROI; second place,
Mackenzie Collin, a junior psychology major from Lakefield, Minn.,
$100,817; and third place, Alexandria Watson, a junior art major from
Black Hawk, $99,802.
The three major market indices for the 10-week trading
period produced negative returns on investment. They performed as
follows: Dow Jones Industrial Average, $94,090, a -5.91 percent ROI;
NASDAQ Composite, $93,020, a -6.98 percent ROI; and S&P 500 Index,
$95,600, a -4.44 percent ROI. According to Don Altmyer, associate
professor in the College of Business and Technology, SDSMG coordinator,
and director for the BHSU Center for Economic Education, most
professional portfolio advisors fail to beat these indices over the long
term.
The SDSMG, an innovative education tool available in
all 50 states, motivates students and supports teachers in building
lifelong learning skills. It is the only stock market simulation
endorsed by the National Council on Economic Education. Since 1977, more
than eight million students have participated in the program.
“Teachers have successfully used the Stock Market Game
to enliven core academic subjects including math, social studies and
language arts,” Altmyer said. “Research has shown that there is no
better way to teach the importance of savings and investing.”
The team registration fee of $10 per team of three or
four students includes all teacher materials, student team materials and
support, including newsletters with information on the stock market and
a variety of business and economic topics to stimulate student
discussion in the classroom. Teachers sponsoring seven or more teams
receive a free eight-week subscription to the Wall Street Journal
to be delivered to their classroom.
The fall 2005 SDSMG will begin Monday, Oct. 3.
Registrations will be accepted online at
www.smgww.org. Click on the “Register Now” button, follow the
prompts to the South Dakota Stock Market Game information page, and
click on the “Pre-register Now!” button. Team identification numbers and
passwords will be issued immediately. Teacher and student team materials
will later be mailed to the school for classroom use.
For further information, visit the SDSMG website at
www.bhsu.edu/businesstechnology/cee/stockmarketsimulation.html or
contact Altmyer at
DonAltmyer@bhsu.edu or 605-642-6266.
The spring 2005 SDSMG was sponsored by the BHSU Center
for Economic Education, the Central States Securities Industries
Association and the South Dakota Council on Economic Education.
Grant opportunities announced
- top
Below are program materials received in the Grants Office, Woodburn
309, through Thursday, May 19. For copies of the information, contact
the office at 642-6204 or e-mail requests to
grants@bhsu.edu. Fellowship
information will also be posted on the Student Union bulletin board near
the information desk.
Earth Sciences: Instrumentation and Facilities (NSF)
The Instrumentation and Facilities Program in the Division of Earth
Sciences (EAR/IF) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports
meritorious requests within and across Earth science disciplines. EAR/IF
will consider proposals for:
- Acquisition or upgrade of research equipment that will advance
laboratory and field investigations, and student training
opportunities in the Earth sciences
- Development of new instrumentation, analytical techniques or
software that will extend current research and research training
capabilities in the Earth sciences
- Support of national or regional multi-user facilities that will
make complex and expensive instruments or systems of instruments
broadly available to the Earth sciences research and student
communities
- Support of research technicians who will provide for optimal and
efficient operation of advanced instrumentation, analytical protocol
development, and user training for Earth science research
instrumentation
- Development of cyberinfrastructure for the Earth sciences (geoinformatics)
that will enable transformative advances in Earth science research
and education through novel application, development or adaptation
of information technologies
Planned research uses of requested instruments must include basic
research on solid-Earth and surface-Earth processes. Support is
available through grants or cooperative agreements awarded in response
to investigator-initiated proposals. Human resource development and
education are expected to be an integral part of all proposals submitted
to EAR/IF. Proposals requesting equipment, infrastructure or personnel
that will serve disciplines outside the Earth sciences may be jointly
reviewed with other programs within the Foundation. EAR/IF will consider
co-funding of projects with other NSF programs.
Deadline: See
http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/NSF/OIRM/HQ/05-587/Grant.html for
deadlines and complete proposal information.
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