Welcome to Black Hills State
University - top
- Garrett Stevens, senior computer support specialist, Technical
Support Services
CSA position open -
top
The following Career Service position is open:
- Custodial worker, Facilities Services
For additional information, check the announcement
bulletin or see
www.sdbor.edu/jobopps/get_job_location.cfm.
New BOR finance system will
change payroll procedures - top
The South Dakota public institutions of higher
education will adopt a new finance system over the next several years.
As was previously mentioned in the June 10 issue of Campus Currents, the
new system will change several campus procedures. Below are the upcoming changes
that will begin the process:
- All South Dakota public higher education institutions
have been directed to discontinue the mid-May payment to faculty. The
one-half month pay that was paid mid-May each year will now be paid at
the end of May. This change will become effective with the May 2006
payroll.
- The HRIS/Payroll module group has been informed that
when the new payroll system is implemented, only one payroll
will be written each month. To ease into that process, faculty and staff
will no longer receive pay in the middle of the month. Beginning July 1,
all pay,
including correspondence and extension courses, will be paid at the end
of each month.
- BHSU has, in the past, paid a
large number of student employees by flat-rate pay. Because of this
method of payment, the university has not reported the FTE usage
appropriately and has been directed to begin appropriate reporting. Effective July 1, student employees will be paid by the hour and each student will use a
time sheet or time card. The exception to this will be students who
are paid commissions and payment for photography used in the student
newspaper. Students should use the electronic time sheets to track time
worked and update them daily. Electronic time sheets can be found at
www.bhsu.edu/studentlife/enrollment/financialaid/student_employment.html
and may be saved in Excel.
First cohort of Project SELECT
students graduate from BHSU - top
The first cohort of Black Hills State
University Project SELECT students recently earned their teaching
degrees and are looking forward to beginning their teaching careers
after participating in a year-long “theory into practice” program during
their final year of college. Project SELECT graduates are: front, Dawna
Christopher; middle row, left to right, Jessica Henrichsen, Kay Baker,
Jill Unnasch, Jenny Tollefsrud, Annie Lukkes, and Tony Mraz. Back row,
left to right, Shawn Dupris, Heather Linde, Roxann, Meyer, JoEllen
Thompson, Joy Ho, Bob Holm, and Geoff Sheehy.
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School’s out for the summer, and a group of Black
Hills State University students, who spent the final year of their
college career in the classroom learning as they taught, feel that their
classroom time will be beneficial as they return to school this fall at
the head of the classroom.
The first cohort of students in BHSU’s Project SELECT
program graduated this spring with teaching degrees, and thanks to the
new program, which is heavily immersed in classroom experience, these
first-year teachers already have experience leading a classroom and are
looking forward to beginning their teaching careers. Project SELECT is a
new program at BHSU which allows people who already have a content major
degree the option of earning a teaching certificate in a “fast-track”
program that is heavily immersed in practical experience.
According to Karen Mortimer, director of the Project
SELECT program, the theory into practice program was very successful.
“We learned that this is an incredible way to provide
training for teachers,” Mortimer says. “This program, which relies on
theory into practice, was very successful. There is really reason to
celebrate.”
According to Mortimer, BHSU developed the program to
strengthen and expand teacher preparation training, as well as respond
to and support educational reform in the K-16 environment. She stresses
that this is a very different approach with a strong “theory into
practice” component.
Because the Project SELECT students, known as student
interns, spend an entire semester in the classroom with their consulting
teacher, they have the opportunity to connect with students on a much
greater level than traditional student teachers do. Consulting teachers
were carefully chosen for their expertise and ability to mentor.
She noted that the Project SELECT students scored
exceedingly well on exit exams and commented that they completed the
program with the confidence to begin their teaching careers.
The first-year of teaching is often very stressful for
beginning teachers, but several of the Project SELECT graduates
mentioned that they are looking forward to being at the head of the
classroom.
“I am ready to move on with my life. I am so grateful
that I am going to be a teacher that was trained well. I feel confident
in my teaching abilities; something I didn’t have at the beginning of
the year, says Jill Unnasch, who recently graduated from the Project
SELECT program at BHSU.
Mortimer also says that the program, which pairs
student interns with consulting teachers, forged a wonderful partnership
between BHSU and the Rapid City schools.
“Many of the consulting teachers, who worked with the
student interns, want to continue the practice. These teachers expect to
see an increase in test scores for their students as well,” Mortimer
says. “These consulting teachers will be a lifelong support for the
beginning teachers. By using cognitive coaching we were able to provide
more support for the beginning teachers.”
Connie Krueger, a consulting teacher who teaches
English at Rapid City Central High School, praised the program and feels
the student intern who participated in her classroom is ready to lead a
classroom of his own.
“Ninety percent of good teaching is good thinking,”
Krueger says. “If a teacher can visualize the lesson, pull the
appropriate resources, anticipate possible misunderstandings and plan
for diverse learning styles, he or she can set the stage for the magic
of learning. Here’s where the rigor of Mr. Sheehy’s (student intern with
Project SELECT) background pays off. I was pleasantly surprised by his
level of understanding. Most teachers look back on their early days of
teaching and shake their heads. We knew so little, made so many
mistakes. I have been observing Geoff Sheehy for almost four months now
and I can resolutely say that he should not look back on this phase of
his teaching career with any dismay. He is a natural teacher. Knowing
him, he will not be satisfied with the status quo. I can only dimly
imagine how brightly his star will shine in the years to come.”
Dr. Dean Myers, vice president for academic affairs at
BHSU, says the Project SELECT program, proved to be even more successful
than they imagined.
“We had a tremendous cohort of students in this first
year of the program who worked very hard and were dedicated to making a
difference in the lives of children. In addition, this project received
tremendous support from the administration and teachers in the Rapid
City Area School District. The consulting teachers were always
supportive and willing to provide the extra time needed to ensure that
the Project SELECT students were taught how to be effective in the
classroom,” Myers said.
Myers praised the work of Mortimer and Mary Goebel,
coordinators of Project SELECT, and noted that their dedication and
vision for this project ensured its success and has built the stage for
future cohorts.
According to Mortimer, the fall 2005 cohort for
Project SELECT is full and currently has a waiting list. She said the
cohort includes people from other graduate programs, business people and
retired military people who are interested in teaching.
Mortimer and Goebel are making plans for next year of the Project SELECT
program which will include additional exchange collaborations.
BHSU hosts Advanced Placement
summer institutes for high school teachers -
top
Dr. Micheal Zehfus and Robin Strain,
co-instructors of the advanced placement chemistry workshop for high
school teachers that was held at BHSU last week, prepare for a lab
session. High school teachers from across the state attended the
week-long AP institute.
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High school teachers who are responsible for teaching
Advanced Placement (AP) courses were at Black Hills State University
recently to expand their knowledge and develop curriculum for their
classes. BHSU hosted AP workshops for chemistry and music teachers.
The AP program is a collaborative effort between
motivated students, dedicated teachers, and committed high schools,
colleges and universities that has allowed millions of students to take
college-level courses and exams, and earn college credit or placement
while still in high school.
The purpose of the AP music theory workshop was to
enable the participants, generally high school music teachers, to
develop a curriculum that will prepare high school students for the AP
music examination, according to Randall Royer, BHSU music professor.
Participants in the music theory workshop included:
Mary Collins, Hot Springs; Lynette Daum, Lead; Kari Tucker, Custer; Gary
Nelson, Sturgis; Amy Woodward, Hill City; and Colby Shuck, Kadoka.
Instructors were Royer and Sandy Steele, from Laramie High School.
The AP chemistry course was designed to cover material
which would be included in a freshmen general chemistry course.
Instructors Dr. Micheal Zehfus, associate professor at BHSU, and Robin
Strain, Sturgis, taught the chemistry workshop.
Participants in the AP chemistry workshop were:
Jessica Zwaschka, Spearfish; Bernard Kastein, Bon Homme; Jennifer
Jordan, Rapid City; Bobbie Traxinger, Douglas High School; Molly
TenBroek, McIntosh; Judi Tiller, Rapid City; Kris Hollenbeck, Estelline;
LuAnn Lindskov, Timber Lake; Angela King, Faith; John McEnelly, Wolsey-Wessington;
Stephanie Musilek, Belle Fourche; Jeremy Haugen, Flandreau; Gene
Erickson, Sioux Falls; Jim Jarorski, Sioux Falls; Brandy Fenenga,
Watertown; Dick Banks, Rapid City; Penny Hanna, Custer; Carolyn Burns,
Watertown; Erin Alfson, Winner; Judy Galvin, Redfield; and Julie Huber,
Sioux Falls.
As a result of teaching this workshop, Zehfus was
invited by the College Board to attend a national consultant training
program in New Orleans later this summer. Every year the College Board
hosts a number of workshops and conferences that provide professional
development for teachers, counselors and administrators. In order to
meet the need for consultants to deliver AP workshops, the College Board
sponsors training events for new consultants. In addition to learning
more about College Board program, shifts in the direction of
professional development, and equity and access initiatives,
participants at the national training seminar will model a variety of
presentation strategies and have the opportunity to observe each other
and provide feedback.
 Music teachers from across the state
discuss advanced curriculum plans during the AP music theory workshop
held at Black Hills State University recently. Dr. Randall Royer (far
right) and Sondra Steele (far left) served as instructors of the
workshop.
CAMSE directs inquiry based
institute for regional teachers -
top
Sheri Ross and Annie Heltzel from the
Spearfish School District conduct a science investigation during a
BLAHST workshop that introduced methods for teaching science by inquiry
in the classroom. The four-day workshop was hosted by the Center for
Advancement of Math and Science Education at Black Hills State
University.
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Teachers from across western South Dakota recently
participated in a four-day workshop, titled “Center for the Advancement
of Math and Science Education (CAMSE) Institute for Inquiry,” which
introduced methods for teaching science by inquiry in the classroom.
Janet Briggs, Black Hills Science Teaching Project (BLAHST)
manager at Black Hills State University, explains that inquiry is a
scientific process applicable to all science disciplines, as well as
other subject areas such as math and language arts. Participants
examined inquiry at length through science investigations and discussed
how it can be applied in the classroom. The workshop included
exploration of basic principles, such as questioning techniques that
both teachers and students can use to deepen understanding. It also
explored the kinds of scientific skills learners need to make sense of
the world around them.
The workshop was held on the South Dakota School of
Mines and Technology campus. Four local teachers facilitated the
workshop under the guidance of Briggs. The facilitators included Lola
Kleinschmit from the Wall School District, Sandy Nichols from the
Spearfish School District, Della Mader from the New Underwood School
District and Theresa O’Connell from the Douglas School District. These
teachers attended a six-day institute in February at the San Francisco
Exploratorium’s Institute for Inquiry and received the training to
provide this workshop. The workshop was based on a model developed
through 15 years of work at the Exploratorium.
The workshop was sponsored by CAMSE at BHSU through a
National Science Foundation grant entitled the Black Hills Science
Teaching Project (BLAHST) with additional support from BHSU, S.D. Tech
and the participating school districts. Participating districts include
Belle Fourche, Custer, Douglas, Kadoka, Lead-Deadwood, Meade, New
Underwood, Rapid City Middle Schools, Spearfish and Wall. These 10
districts span an area that exceeds 10,000 square miles and serve nearly
10,000 students at the targeted grades.
According to Briggs, BLAHST has been providing
professional development opportunities for teachers in these districts
for the past six years. Participants have attended sessions focusing on
life, earth and physical science, as well as classes designed to enhance
science teaching. More than 400 teachers are eligible to participate in
the project's coursework, which is offered for graduate credit through
BHSU. BLAHST is administered through CAMSE, which was established in
1997 by the South Dakota Board of Regents to serve the state as a Center
of Excellence. CAMSE’s mission is to enhance the teaching and learning
of mathematics and science at all levels.
Other workshops this summer include Physics for
Elementary Teachers, Geology of the Black Hills and Badlands, and
several weeks of workshops on the new science standards. Faculty from
BHSU and S.D. Tech, as well as other qualified scientists and veteran
teachers from participating districts, will serve as instructors. Briggs
indicated that additional staff development opportunities would be
offered this fall to help teachers continue to refine their teaching
practice. Information about the BLAHST project is available by calling
(605) 642-6875, or by visiting the website at
www.camse.org.
High school students participate
in art camp -
top
Dale Lamphere, Sturgis, gives
recommendations to Anne Ellingson, Bison, during an art camp held at
Black Hills State University recently. Local artists Lamphere and Dick
Termes worked with 16 high school students during the week-long art
camp.
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High school students from across the state recently
participated in the fourth annual art camp at Black Hills State
University.
According to Jim Knutson, art professor and
coordinator of the camp, high school students were nominated by their
high school art teachers. This talented group of high school students
worked with well-known local artists Dick Termes and Dale Lamphere.
Termes, internationally recognized six-point
perspective artist, worked with the students in the morning sessions.
Termes, unlike any other painter, paints on spheres which, when
completed, are known as Termespheres. According to Termes, each sphere
is a revolving three-dimensional space/time exploration of an entirely
closed universe.
Lamphere, a sculptor, worked with the students in the
afternoon sessions. Lamphere, who bases his work out of his home in
Sturgis, is nationally recognized for his work with architecture,
sculpture and design across the United States. His interpretations of
the environment, including the human form, landscape and abstract, are
molded in stone, cast bronze, stainless steel and other materials.
At the conclusion of the camp, the high school artists
displayed their artwork for parents and friends. At the closing
reception, Lamphere and Termes praised the students for their level of
talent and dedication and reminded the students that creating art is
important.
“Art defines a society. Going into art is an important
thing,” Lamphere said. He encouraged the students to continue to develop
their interest and skills in art.
Termes also commented on the “high caliber” of art
students selected for the camp and encouraged the students to keep in
touch with each other as they progress in their art professions.
“Networking is an important part of being an artist. I
think many of you will be professional artists,” Termes said. “Sometimes
artists are considered oddballs but that keeps a fresh perspective in
society, and hopefully, by being an oddball we can change society for
the better. I’m very excited about the future of this group.”
Participants in this year’s art camp included: Autumn
Trescott, Sturgis; Jason Schoeppner, Chamberlain; Karla Jager, Clear
Lake; Megan DuVal, Marion; Destry Ford, Rapid City; Cody Wheelock,
DeWitt, Neb.; Jedadiah Cracco, Lead/Deadwood; Will Reid, Belle Fourche;
Maggie Pawlowski, Sturgis; Sean Binder, Spearfish; Levi Ortiz, Denver,
Colo.; Kyle RedWater, Eagle Butte; Samantha Engebretson, Sioux Falls;
Anne Ellingson, Bison; Tim Elkjer, Sioux Falls; and Amy Colgan, Rapid
City.
 High school students Karla Jager,
Clear Lake; Samantha Engebretson, Sioux Falls; Will Reid, Belle Fourche;
Tim Elkjer, Sioux Falls; and Jason Schoeppner, Chamberlain, were among
16 students selected to attend a week-long art camp at Black Hills State
University recently. The students worked under the direction of
well-known local artists Dale Lamphere and Dick Termes.
Mark Larscheid Memorial Golf
Tournament will be July 2 - top
The fifth annual Mark Larscheid Memorial Golf
Tournament will be held Saturday, July 2 at 1 p.m. at the Spearfish
Canyon Country Club. A social hour and silent auction will follow the
tournament at 7 p.m. Dinner and dancing begins at 8 p.m. Proceeds will
benefit Black Hills State University track and field scholarships.
The entry fee of $70 per person includes 18 holes of
golf, golf cart rental and dinner. Registrants will also have a chance
to win team prizes and pin prizes. Prizes will be awarded in three
divisions: men’s, women’s, and mixed.
The BHSU cross country and track and field team will
host a putting contest prior to the tournament from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Larscheid, a former teacher and coach who worked at
Williams Middle School in Sturgis for 27 years, died in an automobile
accident in 2000. He also taught and coached in Spearfish and Wall. To
celebrate his life and preserve his memory, the Larscheid family has an
annual memorial golf tournament, which includes a silent auction and
dinner. The proceeds are contributed to a track scholarship fund at BHSU
in his name.
Larscheid was an outgoing, caring and kind person who
loved his family and athletics. He was an outstanding high school and
collegiate athlete who still holds the South Dakota state high school
record for the 110-yard high hurdles at 14.1, a record he set in 1969.
Larscheid graduated from BHSU with a degree in physical education in
1973. He competed in football and track for the Yellow Jackets.
For more information or to register call 722-1214 or
641-9899 or email Mary at
lizlars@yahoo.com.
Grant opportunities announced
- top
Below are program materials received in the Grants Office, Woodburn
309, through Thursday, June 22. 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.
Discretionary Cooperative Agreement to Address Impaired Motorcycle
Operation (DOT)
The Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Office of Contracts and Procurement announces the
following cooperative agreement program. The purpose of this cooperative
agreement program is to support the development, implementation, and
evaluation of up to three programs (with a law enforcement component)
designed to reduce the incidence of impaired motorcycle riding and
injuries and fatalities resulting from alcohol-related motorcycle
crashes.
Specific objectives for this cooperative agreement program are as
follows:
- Identify a community that demonstrates the potential for
successful implementation and evaluation of innovative law
enforcement-based approaches to reduce impaired motorcycle riding
and the resulting injuries and fatalities associated with
alcohol-related motorcycle crashes.
- Use community data to define the problem, as appropriate. These
data are to extend beyond police crash reports to the extent
possible.
- Actively engage the community to define the problem and
potential solutions to the problem. The community may include but
not be limited to, motorcyclists, law enforcement officials, traffic
safety officials, prosecutors and judges, military personnel, and
health care and injury prevention professionals. The grantee shall
develop strategies for ensuring community involvement in the
process.
- Implement a program to reduce the incidence of impaired
motorcycle riding and the injuries and fatalities associated with
alcohol-related motorcycle crashes. The intervention should be
creative, based on data and citizen input and comprehensive in
nature. The intervention should be designed to allow for easy
implementation and replication.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The evaluation
should include process and outcome measures. The evaluation may
include but not be limited to the following: what works, what does
not work, how to engage partners, methods of overcoming barriers or
challenges, and ways to turn challenges into opportunities.
There are several approaches recommended in Drinking, Riding, and
Prevention: A Focus Group Study and the National Agenda. In addition,
many successful approaches used to reduce impaired driving should be
considered for application to address the impaired riding problem.
Innovative programs that support the recommendations provided by either
document or the successful approaches identified (and include a law
enforcement component) will be considered. Each cooperative agreement
recipient will be expected to implement and evaluate an approach to
determine the effectiveness of reducing the incidence of impaired
riding. Project length will vary depending on the scope of the proposed
effort. However, projects will be considered for a minimum of two years
and a maximum of three years. Upon completion, the programs may be
implemented in other areas for a more thorough evaluation.
Deadline: July 25, 2005. For more information, including the
link to the full announcement, see
http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/DOT/NHTSA/NPO-220/DTNH22-05-H-05102/Grant.html.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF)
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports
active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the
areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
including: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Engineering Grants,
Geosciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering,
Biological Sciences, No Description Available, Social, Behavioral, and
Economic Sciences, Education and Human Resources, and Polar Programs.
REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research
programs or in research projects designed especially for the purpose.
This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student
research:
- REU sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and
conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU
sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or
on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with
a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international
dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense
supports REU sites in DoD-relevant research areas.
- REU supplements may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research
projects or may be included as a component of proposals for new or
renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements. Undergraduate student
participants in either sites or supplements must be citizens or
permanent residents of the United States or its possessions.
Students may not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities.
Deadline: Sept. 7, 2005. The full announcement is available at
http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/NSF/OIRM/HQ/05-592/Grant.html.
Students apply directly to REU sites and should consult the directory of
active REU sites on the Web at
www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm.
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