FACULTY & STAFF E-UPDATE
Action: Verify your Well-Being Incentive Reward is complete for you and your spouse (if applicable). Log in today to confirm status and finish any remaining requirements before April 1. Visit LiveWellSD
Click here for the FY26 Biometric Screening Form
Important Information
To view the recording of the LiveWellSD presentation that was held on February 24th, please reach out to Human Resources to request the video.
Contact: EmpHealthOffice@state.sd.us or 605-773-3148
Visit: https://www.sd.gov/bhra or LiveWellSD
🎉 Call for Nominations: Annual Employee Recognition Event 🎉
We are thrilled to kick off the nomination period for our Annual Employee Recognition Event—a time to celebrate the remarkable contributions and achievements of our colleagues!
This event honors individuals who exemplify dedication, innovation, and teamwork in their roles. We invite all employees to take a moment to reflect on the outstanding efforts of their peers and submit nominations for those who have truly made a difference.
🏆 Individual winners will each receive a $500 award!
📅 Awards will be presented at the State of the University this fall.
You may nominate multiple colleagues across different categories if you feel they meet the criteria. Nomination forms and award descriptions can be found at the BHSU Experience page (https://experience.elluciancloud.com/bsu945/). Please look under the "BH Employee Links" card to find all nomination forms.
🗓️ Deadline for nominations: Friday, May 15, 2026
📧 Submit nominations to: BHSUHumanResources@bhsu.edu
📞 Questions? Contact HR at: 605.642.6549 or via email.
Let’s recognize and celebrate the incredible talent and dedication within our university community!
As part of Goal 3 of the University’s Strategic Plan, Black Hills State University participates in an institution-wide Employee Satisfaction Survey. The data we receive from this survey is beneficial as we continue the process of creating the best workplace possible for our employees. Survey topics include work quality, communication, management, workplace culture, benefits, and many other subjects.
On Tuesday, March 31st, the 2026 Employee Satisfaction Survey will be distributed to our employees over email. You will receive an invitation with details about the survey, including instructions on how to log in to complete it. This invitation will be sent to you from ModernThink, from the email address: surveys@modernthink.net.
When you receive the invitation, please take a moment to complete the survey. This is a chance to make your voice heard, and a high response rate helps ensure an accurate representation of our community. At the close of the survey, we will receive reports that summarize the organizational competencies and relationships that most directly impact and influence our culture.
The survey is voluntary and completely confidential; the university will not be able to trace results back to individuals. Your survey will be processed by ModernThink LLC, an independent management consulting firm focusing on workplace quality in higher education. They can be reached at 888.684.4658 or at surveys@modernthink.net.
We encourage everyone’s participation and hope you will take this opportunity to share your honest feedback! Thank you, in advance, for your participation. Please contact Kathy.Johnson@BHSU.edu and Garrett.Stevens@BHSU.edu if you have any questions.
Is your office missing that special something? Need a place to store paperwork, snacks, office secrets, or the hopes and dreams of future organization?
Look no further!
The Student Financial Aid Office is clearing out some classic, well-loved filing cabinets, and they are FREE to a good home. That’s right - $0.00, no FAFSA required.
Features include:
📂 Four drawers for maximum stuff-hoarding potential
🛠️ Authentic “vintage office” aesthetic
🔑 Keys may or may not be included (adds mystery and excitement!)
Important Details:
First come, first served
Must be willing to pick up
Cabinets come as-is
Price: FREE
Value: Debatable
Storage Potential: Endless
Please mark your calendars to attend the Spring Town Hall:
Thursday, April 30, 2026
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Student Union - Jacket Legacy Room (upper level of the Union)
Greetings,
We are writing to inform the campus community that Black Hills State University’s institutional subscription to the Read&Write and OrbitNote software suite officially concluded on March 1, 2026.
Because this was a campus-wide tool, if you have noticed the software is no longer active, we want to help you transition to alternative solutions.
Next Steps for All Users:
We want to ensure everyone has the support they need to finish the semester strong.
Dear BHSU Faculty and Staff,
Thursday, April 2 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Informal artist talk at 5:30 PM
Please join the Fine Arts Faculty at the Ruddell Gallery for an evening reception celebrating My Place in the Universe: Prints and Drawings by Lindsay Twa. Twa’s work explores connections between the infinite and the intimate, moving through plant life cycles, human history, and geologic time. Through printmaking and drawing, she reflects on care, resilience, and the accumulation of experience across scales of time.
Lindsay Twa is Professor of Art at Augustana University, where she teaches art history and leads study abroad programs. She also directs the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery and has curated over 130 exhibitions, overseeing a permanent collection of more than 4,000 objects. This event is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served.
Come support the Lakota Omniciye as they host the last Indian Taco Sale fundraiser of the semester.
Tacos will be sold 04/01/2026 under the BHSU Student Union bookstore at 11 am until sold out.
All proceeds will support the annual Wacipi held in April 18th, 2026. Thank you!
Don't miss this awesome opportunity to hear from investigative journalist, Delia D'Ambra, the creator of CounterClock, for our 26th annual Black Hills Research Symposium's Keynote Address. Delia's talk, "From Print to Podcasting: Why Intentionality and Integrity in Your Research Matters," is sure to be entertaining and educational.
Delia is an investigative journalist, writer, and storyteller who has covered gripping stories for local, national, and international audiences for more than a decade. Her curiosity, ethics, and compassionate approach to reporting have set the standard in an industry that requires a precise balance of transparency and tenacity. Delia has created, hosted, or executive-produced more than half a dozen chart-topping true-crime podcasts that are streamed by millions of listeners drawn to detailed, heart-pounding interviews.
This event will be held in Meier Hall on April 2nd at 4:00 pm.
Other opportunities to participate in the research symposium include stopping by Meier Hall rooms 203 and 207 between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on April 1st to hear oral presentations from our students, and then swinging by the student union to see all the poster presentations from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Please come support all the great research happening at BHSU!
Please join us for American Indian Awareness Week April 13th - 17th!
Our guest speakers will be presenting in Jonas Academic Room 107
This year's theme is "Elevating Native Voices: Embracing Our Collective Impact."
Monday April 13th
Tuesday April 14th
Wednesday April 15th
Thursday April 10th
The HR office is pleased to offer another employee benefits fair! The Employee Benefits Trail - Mapping Out What Matters Most will take place on April 1 in the Jacket Legacy Room from 10AM - 1PM.
The South Dakota Retirement System, benefit providers, financial planners, and local community health and wellness providers will be available in the Jacket Legacy Room from 10AM - 1PM to meet with you regarding their products and services. Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota and flex plan benefit providers will be available to discuss insurance options. There will also be opportunities to attend an SDRS presentation. This event is a great way to learn from the experts. A drawing is planned for attending various booths and we have some exciting door prizes; you won’t want to miss out! Stay tuned for more information about our Benefits Fair!!
SDRS will have retirement planners available for one-on-one appointments. If you are considering retirement in the next 5 years, are new to the system, or have other questions about your SDRS benefits, you are encouraged to meet with the Retirement Planners. Please email BHSUHumanResources@bhsu.edu, stop by in person, or call Human Resources at 642-6549 to schedule an appointment with a Retirement Planner. Seating is limited.
This event is open to all Black Hills State University and State of South Dakota employees, their spouses, and students.
Want to make some art with recycled materials but need a little help coming up with an idea? Or have a few cool items that are repurposed and need some hot glue to stick them together? Join art professor Bridget Beck in the library Wednesday March 18th from 11-12 or Wednesday April 1st from 11-12. The library has some awesome items that are waiting for someone to make into a piece of recycled art.
Please join us on Mondays at 4:00 p.m. in Jonas 110.
(We're also looking for Geek Speakers for fall 2026, too, so please send a note my way if you're interested.
March 30: Greg Strobel: “Slow Tourism and Human Powered Travel”
This Geek Speak will discuss the concept of 'Slow Tourism' and emphasize human powered travel as the method for the concept. It will provide insight into understanding the mindset, introduce different methods of travel, and highlight some fun examples from personal experience.
April 13: Dr. Courtney Huse Wika (Please note the change in date): “A Poet’s Guide to Foraging: Creating Found Poetry”
In honor of National Poetry Month, this hands-on workshop will introduce the art of Found Poetry. Together, we’ll practice two distinct approaches, foraging from texts that already exist: the overheard, the discarded, the official and the everyday, and the overlooked. We will test how meaning shifts when language is lifted, reordered, and reframed. No prior experience is required. Bring yourself (and maybe a friend!)—and a desire to create.
Questions? Contact Courtney.HuseWika@BHSU.edu
No policy updates at this time.