Bluefield State College has generated a report detailing the institution's progress and aspirations in the area of technology. The report notes Bluefield State College has developed technology on three fronts--computer services, instructional technology, and distance learning.

Computer Services--The BSC computer services function includes approximately 500 microcomputers, networked across three campuses. BSC also has 13 computer labs and 380 computers dedicated to student use.

Students receive training in utilizing the WorldWide Web and, upon request, students receive Internet accounts. Two student computer laboratories have Windows and WordPerfect for Windows. Lotus, dBase, and WordPerfect are available on our network, as is computer-assisted instructional software for various divisions.

Future Plans for Computer Services--BSC will be upgrading its campus computer network to install Category 5 wire in campus buildings to place Windows on desktop in new hard drive machines, the first group of which will be purchased this summer. BSC will also establish a new, upgraded computer network at the renovated facility into which its Greenbrier Community College Center will relocate by the Fall Semester, 1997. This facility will be a test site for changes to be made later on the Bluefield campus of BSC. The College is also exploring the possibility of leasing or purchasing 300 new PCs for College use, beginning this summer.

Instructional Technology--This service is provided from BSC's Instructional Technology Center, where the institution maintains computer laboratories (Macintosh and IBM) for student and faculty use, multimedia stations with laserdisc and CD-ROM (in both Macintosh and IBM), and audio-visual production facilities.

Bluefield State College conducts workshops, available for faculty and staff, on Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, IPSI, and PowerPoint. The College also presents WorldWide Web and Internet workshops for faculty, staff, and students.

Future Plans for Instructional Technology--BSC will offer more workshops to train students, faculty, and staff in the use of WorldWide Web and PowerPoint. It is also proceeding with plans to create an electronic teaching classroom in each of the institution's academic buildings, beginning with the Physical Education Building in 1997.

Distance Learning--BSC significantly augmented its distance learning capabilities with the opening of the June Oblinger Shott Center for Extended Learning during the 1996-97 academic year. We are currently running 17 interactive video system courses for students at our campuses in Bluefield, Lewisburg, and/or Beckley. This semester, BSC offers 12 instructional television courses through WSWP-TV and PBS. Bluefield State College has also originated three SATNET courses and have offered three additional courses for college credit.

Future Plans for Distance Learning--Plans for the immediate future call for conducting distance learning workshops to train faculty and professional staff in the design and delivery of distance learning courses. The institution's goal is to strengthen our distance learning infrastructure by installing a new interactive video classroom at its Beckley (Harper Industrial Park) campus. BSC will also upgrade our Greenbrier Community College Center electronic classroom to full production capability. BSC is awaiting news on the status of grants that seek funding assistance for installing electronic classrooms in Welch and in Pocahontas County.

Dr. Sudhakar Jamkhandi, Director of the Center for International Understanding at Bluefield State College, has been reappointed to the Northeast Regional Panel of the Department of Defense's National Security Education Scholarship Program (NSEP) for Undergraduate Study Abroad.

The program is designed "to lead in developing the national capacity to educate U.S. citizens about cultures and languages and, in the process, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and enhance international cooperation and security," according to a NSEP guidelines.

Created in 1991, the NSEP awards undergraduate study abroad, graduate fellowships, and institutional grants to promote the program's goal of "improving U.S. capacity for international leadership through increased knowledge of less commonly studied languages and world regions." It focuses on countries identified as critical to U.S. national security, and reflects a commitment to supporting the development of long term political and economic stability.

"Beginning in 1997," Jamkhandi said, "The NSEP has identified specific countries critical to U.S. national security. These include selected countries in Latin America, the NIS, Eastern Europe, Egypt, South Africa, the PRC, and selected Asian countries."

"The qualifications of the applicants and their diverse backgrounds reflect the attractiveness of NSEP scholarships," he continued. "To ensure a return on the dollars invested in these future international relations personnel, the NSEP requires candidates selected to receive a scholarship to work at a federal or higher educational institution in the field of international relations within eight years, upon completion of the study abroad project."

NSEP's northeastern regional review panel will evaluate more than 200 applications from undergraduates at institutions of higher education in 17 states, including West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Additional information on the NSEP may be obtained by calling the Center for International Understanding at Bluefield State College, (304) 327-4036.

More than 130 students from seven area schools are displaying their artwork at the Hebert Gallery in Bluefield State College's Student Union. The students are participants in the third annual Youth Artsmen Exhibit, sponsored by BSC.

Students from Princeton High School, Princeton Junior High School, Bluefield High School, Graham High School, Knob Elementary, Straley Elementary, and Melrose Elementary took part in the exhibit, which features more than 200 works of art.

Working professionals in southern West Virginia will be able to get an Executive Master of Business Administration degree next fall from West Virginia University without traveling north each week, thanks to a cooperative agreement between Bluefield State College & WVU.

WVU will connect Bluefield State College and its campuses in Bluefield, Lewisburg, and Beckley to its distance learning network. Students will take their courses simultaneously with others around the state in a two-way interactive electronic classroom setting, according to Dr. Sydney V. Stern, Dean of the WVU College of Business & Economics. "Serving this area of the state is an important part of WVUÕs mission," Stern noted. "We are delighted to partner with Bluefield State College in bringing our nationally accredited program to students in the southern part of the state."

BSC President Dr. Robert Moore added, "The Executive M.B.A. from WVU complements Bluefield State College's existing offerings at and below the baccalaureate level, via the BSC network. By providing residents in southeast West Virginia the opportunity to access a top quality master's level program, this cooperative venture augments BSC's use of technology to meet its goal of expanding access to higher education throughout the region."

Officials of the WVU College of Business & Economics' Office of Graduate Programs and Bluefield State College are working to establish a series of public question-and-answer sessions about the Executive MBA program. A tentative schedule includes visits in Bluefield (March 23 and April 21), Lewisburg (March 24 and April 22), and Beckley (March 25 and April 23). Specific times will be announced in the future.

A group of 15 Bluefield State College students, along with BSC Student Services personnel and administrators, took part in West Virginia's observance of "National TRIO Day," February 25. The trip was coordinated by former West Virginia Secretary of Education & the Arts Barbara Harmon-Schamberger, and included a tour of the Capitol, the Cultural Center, and the Governor's Mansion, where West Virginia's First Lady, Hovoa Underwood, greeted the BSC delegation.

"This was a wonderful experience for our students," BSC Student Support Services Director Kathy Epperly noted. "The opportunity to see the Capitol, to meet the First Lady, to walk the halls of the Legislature, and to see the legislative process in action made quite an impact upon them."

Students also attended a legislative session, where they received special recognition from the floor of the House of Delegates. BSC students taking part in the National TRIO Day observance included Sharon McBride, Linda Lanter, Tammera Cordle, Jamie Price, Dawn Hesters, Bill Smith, Roger Gunnoe, Ronald Dodson, Clarissa Daniel, Curran Jones, Bud Gordon, Joseph Rocchetti, Louis Rocchetti, and Randall Johnson.

TRIO programs were established under the Higher Education Act of 1965, for the purpose of ensuring educational opportunity for all students, regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstances.

Campus Activities

• Contingent of 15 BSC students, staff, alumni, and administrators took part in "College Day at the State Legislature," meeting several legislators, promoting the State College System and BSC, attending House and Senate sessions, and utilizing an institutional display spotlighting BSC's distance learning capabilities

   

• Hosted a financial aid workshop for prospective college students and their families

   

• Conducted a variety of Black History Month activities, including two concerts, a large Black History Month display, and four free admission showings of movies saluting African-American contributions to education, business, and the arts

   

• Proceeded with several campus improvement projects, including excavation preceding the construction of an elevator that will bring Conley Hall, the College's administrative building, into compliance with ADA regulations

   

• Directed four workshops, through Student Support Services, designed to enhance students' study skills

   

• First year nursing students at BSC's Beckley Campus, continued to work with their "adopted family," providing a needy Raleigh County family with clothes, food, furniture, blankets, and assistance

  Partnership Activities

   

• BSC contingent traveled to West Virginia State College to discuss how the two institutions may cooperate in land grant college program development

   

• BSC accounting students and faculty began ninth year of service through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, providing income tax help for area residence

   

• Announced an agreement with at College of Business and Economics, whereby WVU business faculty may utilize BSC distance learning network to offer Executive MBA program to working professionals at BSC campuses in Bluefield, Lewisburg, and Beckley, beginning Fall Semester, 1997

   

• BSC's Veterans Upward Bound program achieved its fiscal year goal of enrolling 128 service veterans into the program, even though the program is in only its fourth month of the fiscal year

   

• BSC-TV 10, the television production and programming component of BSC, rebroadcast on the Bluefield area television cable system two Bluefield City Board of Directors meetings and the January monthly Mercer County Board of Education meeting

   

• Presented one-day seminar on "Women's Health Care Issues for Nurses" through BSC Center for Economic Enhancement and Educational Outreach

   

• Announced the scheduling of a two-day "Safe Babysitting" course, presented through Center for Economic Enhancement

   

• BSC's Director of Campus Activities reelected to Executive Board of WV Association of Student Personnel Administrators

   

• Received from the family and friends of Mrs. Savannah Scott Page (BSC class of 1919), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, BSC Alumni Association, and Links, Inc. the gift of a wheelchair for use by individuals with disabilities who visit or attend BSC

   

• Completed a customized Microsoft Word training program for 15 employees of First Century Bank in Bluefield, WV. Began training for second group of employees February 27

   

• Began a salary and benefits review of the telemarketing industry as part of a project to develop compensation system for Turner Vision of Bluefield, NW. This project is funded through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program

   

• Submitted proposal for customized Microsoft Office training to DS Parts of Bluefield, WV. This program is being considered for funding through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program

   

• Assigned a second student from BSC's electrical engineering technology program to work as intern at BF Goodrich Aerospace in Union, WV. The intern will prepare detailed work instructions for the firm's product line

   

• Scheduled the following continuing education programs in Bluefield, Beckley, and/or Lewisburg: Fundamentals of Programmable Logic Controllers, Analysis of the National Electric Code, Shop Floor Mathematics, Blueprint Reading, Engineering Economics, Business Communications, Job Search Assistance, Basic Dysrhythmias, Care of Stroke Patients, Med-Surg Certification, Critical Care Review, and Women's Health Care Issues

   

• Completed "Is Training The Solution?," a free seminar sponsored by the NW Region 7 Training Network

   

• Presented free seminar providing information on the at Workforce Program, in partnership with the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce

   

• Participated in a meeting at the Robert C. Byrd Institute, Marshall University, to review curriculum designed to develop qualified employees for manufacturing firms. Other organizations participating in this effort include: The Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program, the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development, the Mercer County Technical Education Center, and the Robert C. Byrd Hardwood Technology Center

   

• Continued to research the demand for a certificate program for "Gerontological Care Giving." A needs assessment and focus up for health care professions is being planned to determine if a job market would exist for those completing the certificate program

   

• Participated in a meeting with Hoest-Celanese, a Pearisburg, VA plant employing more than 1,600, to discuss opportunities for adult education and workforce training

   

• Scheduled the following programs as part of the Creative Retirement Center at BSC: Remembering World War 11; Social and Ethical Implications of Advanced Health Care Technology; Fifty Years of Early American Popular Music; The Life of Thomas Jefferson; The Life of Pearl Buck; Investing; Healthy Aging; and Vital American Issues

   

• BSC's Center for International Understanding (CIU) continues to provide "Customized Training Assistance Programs for the United States Agency for International Development. The CIU has been awarded training programs on "Fiscal Federalism" for two groups of Bosnian officials (March 14 - April 12 and April 12 - May 10)

   

• CIU is circulating a brochure outlining CIU capabilities for Customized Training Programs for international entrepreneurs and officials

   

• CIU has prepared a capability statement for inclusion in an application for membership for the National Council of International Visitors, a liaison organization of US Information Agency (USIA)

   

• CIU is preparing capability statement for inclusion in an application for membership in the National Council of International Visitors, a liaison organization for USIA

   

• CIU has submitted proposal, "Appalachian Community Connections Project," featuring three training programs for USIA on American Business Practices, Local Governance, and the Legal Profession and the Administration of Justice in Appalachia

   

• CIU Director has been selected to serve as reviewer of applications for undergraduate study abroad for the National Security Education Program, sponsored by the Pentagon

   

• CIU is in process of developing an "English as a Second Language" program, offering non-credit courses for international students and professionals, to begin in the Fall Semester, 1997

   

• CIU has established a self-supporting Washington, DC bureau

   

• CIU is recruiting West Virginia business persons to participate in a trade mission to Russia, May 31 - June 19, 1997

   

• CIU is preparing brochure, "International Trade and Investment: Export Assistance Services

   

• CIU is preparing for publication the Commonwealth Novel in English, a semiannual scholarly journal circulated in 34 countries

Dr. Shekhar Pradhan, Department Head of Electrical Engineering Technology at Bluefield State College, recently took part in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) panel review process.

The NSF is a primary funding agency for providing grant money to institutions of higher education throughout the United States. The panel review committee considers proposals submitted by colleges and universities, then makes recommendations to NSF. The process is competitive, and federal money is awarded to selected top proposals.

In the meeting where Dr. Pradhan participated, proposals submitted under NSF's Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program were reviewed, with panel recommendations for funding forwarded to NSF. A total of $67 million in requests was considered by the panel, with $16 million to be awarded to top proposals.

Dr. Pradhan had earlier written two proposals considered by NSF, which awarded $14 million to one proposal for the purchase of six SUN workstations. The workstations will be used for designing very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits by BSC students. The completed design will be e-mailed to the University of Southern California (MOSIS service)/Marina Del-Ray. USC personnel will fabricate the computer chip designed by BSC students and mail the chip back for student testing.

A separate proposal written by Dr. Pradhan to finance the computer chip-fabrication project (in collaboration with USC/Marina Del-Ray) has also been approved by NSF.

Several first year students in the nursing program at the Beckley Campus of Bluefield State College have "adopted" a needy Beckley-area family as one of several service projects this year. The first year students in the Beckley Campus Student Nursing Association (Beckley-SNA) have expanded the scope of their volunteer activity with their "adopted" family beyond the traditionally-provided Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and have provided carpet, clothes, blankets, and furniture for the family.

"This project has been very gratifying for us," noted first year Beckley-SNA president Krista Richmond of Beckley. "We talk to the family 2-3 times each month to see how they are doing and see what we may do to help them." Richmond said the nursing students plan to continue work with the family for the rest of the academic year.

Earlier this academic year, the first year SNA at BSC's Beckley Campus provided a "Halloween on Wheels," dressing in Halloween costumes and taking treats, gifts, and food to patients in the pediatric unit of Raleigh General Hospital. "We had so much donated food left over we put it in the 'fathers' waiting room' outside the delivery room and in the OB/GYN unit," Richmond said.

The group also participated in the Christmas "Angel Tree" program in Beckley in December.

The Beckley-SNA's activities include a program where second year BSC Beckley Campus nursing students serve as "big brothers/big sisters," assisting first year nursing students with challenges they encounter. Each first year student has a specific second year student "big brother" or "big sister."

"The Beckley Campus SNA is a wonderful organization," RN instructor and organization advisor Debra Vest said. "It meets the needs of other students in the program and reaches out to help individuals and families within our community."

The deadline for applying to be admitted into Bluefield State College's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is March 15, 1997. Applicants must have graduated from a state-approved National League for Nursing accredited program, be currently-licensed Registered Nurses, and have recent clinical nursing experience with references.

This program is designed with classes scheduled one day a week, permitting RN's to work full-time while pursuing their BSN degree," BSC BSN Program Director Beth Pritchett noted. "It's a nationally-accredited program with affordable tuition."

A broad perspective of nursing practice is presented in relation to management, leadership, values and ethics, critical analysis, research and the application of the nursing process to families and other groups in the community.

Individuals interested in applying should contact the BSC Admissions Office at (304) 327-4065. Additional information on the program may be obtained by calling (304) 327-4139.

A two-day SAFE babysitting course will be presented by the Center for Economic Enhancement at Bluefield State College on March 1 and 8, 1997, from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Tierney Conference Room, Dickason Hall on the BSC campus. Kathy Linkous, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing at BSC, will be the instructor.

Topics that will be covered during the two-day course include appropriate and safe toys and games for different age groups, first aid--including basic CPR and what to do when an infant or toddler is choking--and how to handle phone calls and deal with strangers coming to the door.

To register for the course, contact the Center for Economic Enhancement at 327-4071 or 327-4109. Course cost is $20 per student. Class size is limited to ten students, so early registration is advised.