FACULTY & STAFF E-UPDATE
In place of the April 30 Town Hall Meeting, BHSU will host a Campus Forum as Executive Director Nate Lukkes and his senior staff will be visiting campus.
Please plan to attend this campus community open forum with President Elliott and Board of Regents Executive Director Nate Lukkes. During the forum, President Elliott will provide a BHSU update, and Executive Director Lukkes will provide an update on higher education in South Dakota, along with a summary of the recent legislative session.
This forum offers faculty, staff, and students an opportunity to hear from President Elliott and BOR leadership and stay informed on key developments affecting higher education across the state.
CAMPUS FORUM
Thursday, April 30
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (note time change from Town Hall meeting)
Jacket Legacy Room (upper level of the Student Union)
Campus Works consultants will be on campus tomorrow to hear from you. Please plan to attend one of the open forums listed below to share your thoughts on our IT services. All sessions are on Wednesday, April 29th.
3:30 – 3:55 – Open to all staff – Jonas 305
4:00 – 4:25 – Open to all faculty – Jonas 305
4:30 – 5:00 – Open to all students – Jonas 305
Here are questions the consultants would like input on during their campus visit.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Fred Nelson, Ven Thompson, or me.
ACTIVE ENROLLMENT NOTICE:
Previous selections or opt-outs do not rollover. Take action by May 15!
State of South Dakota Open Enrollment: May 1-15, 2026
Open Enrollment is almost here. You’ll soon be able to choose the State of South Dakota benefits that will support you and your family in the coming year. Mark your calendars for the following important dates:
Learn about your benefits
As always, the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration (BHRA) is happy to offer you a variety of benefit options that, along with LiveWellSD and your Employee Assistance Program, provide exceptional coverage across any life stage. We also wanted to provide you with additional links:
Questions? Contact the BHRA team at 605.773.3148 or benefitswebsite@state.sd.us.
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Swarm Days King & Queen! Nominees must be a senior in the fall of 2026. Nominations will remain open until May 1st—get your nominations in soon! The nomination form can be found here
For questions, please contact Jessie.Gramm@BHSU.edu or Ryken.FalkenburgBrown@yellowjackets.bhsu.edu
Check out these BHSU job openings! Please share with anyone you know that might be interested!
Staff and Faculty job listings can be found here: https://www.bhsu.edu/About-BHSU/Employment-Opportunities.
We are looking for volunteers to assist with this years Women in Science STEM conference May 13th 8:00-3:00. Volunteers will receive a free lunch and will help with event directions, chaperoning a student group, help in the exhibit hall, or help with set up and tear down. The conference is at BHSU and will be hosting over 800 middle schoolers to explore careers in STEM. If interested contact Sydney.Haugland@bhsu.edu or call 605-642-6697.
The Verizon Digital Ready platform is designed specifically for busy entrepreneurs and students, offering:
Registration is free and takes less than five minutes. Use the dedicated SD CEO link below to ensure you are counted toward our community's goals and gain full access to these exclusive resources.
Sign Up for Verizon Digital Ready: https://bhsu.edu/sdceo/digitalready
Please reach out to SD CEO West if you have more questions.
Do you enjoy visiting with people about Spearfish, the Black Hills, and BHSU? Do you excel at directing the lost? Is the hum of nervous excitement music to your ears? Then we have a deal for you!! We are seeking on-campus staff/faculty who would like to welcome and assist new students and their families during summer orientation.
When would assistance be needed?
Summer orientation dates are May 22, June 5, June 15, June 26, and July 13. We are looking for help in key parts of the day:
1. Welcome/Check in - 8-9:15 AM
2. Information fair/Student & family lunch - 11:15 AM-12:45 PM
3. Tear down/Clean-up - 3:30-4ish PM
What are you asking of me?
Examples of things you might be doing include giving directions, answering basic questions and referring to resources, technical work such as computer password help, providing info pamphlets, or being a runner, or just having an engaging conversation with students and their families. The most important task will be making around 120 new students and their guests feel welcome while positively promoting BHSU and our community.
Please call or email Lauren Krier (6062 or Lauren.Krier@bhsu.edu) to sign up for days and times on which you can help. Thank you for your consideration!
The NSO Committee - Janette Hettick, Jane Klug, John Allred, John Ginther, Joe Rainboth, Jessie Gramm, and Lauren Krier
We are looking for students who want an opportunity to join the Facilies Services Summer team from May through August. We have many positions available working in the grounds, custodial, mail services, facilities, maintenance, recycling, and sustainability departments. Hourly rate is $15 and training and equipment is provided.
If you would like to apply, or have a friend who is interested please stop in the Facilities Services building to complete an application.
Don’t wait – apply in advance!
🎉 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!
Dear BHSU Faculty and Staff,
Advanced Acting Student Showcase
April 30th at 7pm in the Black Box Theatre
3rd Floor Woodburn
The students in the Advanced Acting class have been working hard this semester. Come join them as they showcase their work! The performance will be about 90 minutes and will feature monologues from some Shakespeare classics, and of course scenes from modern realism, Greek tragedy, and absurdism. Come see what they have been up to, oh, and did we mention it is FREE for everyone! See you there!
Please join us on Friday, May 8th from 5:00PM to 7:00PM at the Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City, SD for the opening reception of the BHSU Senior Art Exhibition.
The Black Hills State University Senior Art Exhibition offers a diverse blend of media and methodology, featuring the work of thirty-three Fine Art Seniors. These individuals represent a group of cultural advocates that are making an impact through both their artistic and educational accomplishments. Every spring this popular exhibition introduces the Black Hills State University campus and Northern Hills audiences to the work of our BHSU Senior Fine Art Students. The exhibition highlights a wide range of artistic formats and reflects the broad scope of interests by each graduating student, providing a thought-provoking experience for students, faculty, and community members. Ultimately, the Senior Exhibition catalogs a pivotal moment of many young artists graduating from Black Hills State University.
This exhibition is intended to be a reference revealing connections to current students, highlighting their studio practice, while marking a meaningful step further into the art world. The exhibition celebrates senior’s exceptional curiosity, creativity, and inventiveness, focused in an area of concentration and contemplation and further situating their work within the larger discourse which characterizes the practice of art today. Showcasing student works in such a scale has been a tradition at BHSU, it is what makes the Senior Exhibition an unparalleled, seminal experience for students and the campus community.
Studio Art Majors
Aristotle Dausch
Rae Hanzlik
Christian Mueller
Trinity Mutchler
Sophie Nieman
Abigail Popken
Tam Smith
Hollie Hight
Katie Farley
Rosa Link
Art Education Majors
Catera Link
Reilly Lane
Anna Romero
Ella Lickei
Emma Euneau
Photography
Alec Butterfield
Joshua Hall
Mercedes Reed
Maralee Rischling
McKayli Simpson
Noah Westergaard
Julia Wilson
Journee Bachand
Graphic Design
Alivia Pautz
Brooke Lammle
Grace Beck
Grant Koening
Jesse Powers
Katelyn Lueth
Elizabeth Richardson
Maquelle Strawn
Jacob Zundel
Amber Aymar
April 30th at 7 pm in the Woodburn Black Box. Completely Free
The students in Advanced Acting class have been hard a work this semester. Come join them as they showcase their work! The performance will be about 90 minutes and will feature monologues from some Shakespeare classics, and of course scenes from modern realism to Greek tragedy to absurdism. Come see what they have been up to, oh and did we mention it is FREE for everyone! See you there! The Advanced Acting class will showcase what they have learned so far this semester through their own monologues, which they wrote themselves.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Henry’s Books
In Know My Name, the reader experiences Chanel Miller’s brilliantly-written memoir about her experience of being sexually assaulted by a Stanford University athlete and the many ways she copes and recovers from a life-altering experience. Formerly known as “Emily Doe—the unconscious intoxicated woman,” Chanel Miller comes out to the world to describe what happened after the assault, the process of sharing her story, mental health challenges, bystander awareness, creativity and coping, the legal process, toxic masculinity, and many more themes that are of fundamental concern for our community.
Join us for this powerful panel featuring experts that have assisted survivors of sexual violence. Hear local panelists share their knowledge and actionable strategies for social change.
Be a part of the conversation tackling social norms...you can make a difference!
No ticket needed. Free Community Event
The Matthews
Thursday, April 30th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Please note: this event and book contains mature content and may not be suitable for all readers.
Submit Questions for the panel and learn more
https://www.artemishouse.org/awareness
Join the Community Book Read Facebook Discussion Group in April
https://www.facebook.com/groups/readwithartemis
Expert panelists:
Tracy Dollison Decker, The Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault Attorney Consultant & Advisor
Rebecka Funk, LPC-MH Black Hills State University Licensed Counselor
Samuel Funk, Spearfish PD Detective
Jeanie Berns, Artemis House Advocate
Tifanie Petro, MS Pennington County Victim Services Director
In 2025-2026, eight faculty and six staff members developed a plan for elevating the quality and consistency of online courses at BHSU. Join this session to learn about this Academic Affairs initiative and explore some of the resources the group developed, including new BHSU Online Course Quality Standards.
When: Thursday, May 7, 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Where: JA 103A (RSVP for online option)
Hosts: Nick Van Kley, Prasanthi Pallapu, Amy Fuqua
No policy updates at this time.