Board of Regents
House Bills for DakotaDome, National Music Museum updates awaiting governor’s approval
Two state House Bills, which would fund updates to the DakotaDome and the National Music Museum, were passed by the state Senate on Feb. 7 and are awaiting the governor’s signature. House Bill 1060 would appropriate a sum of $14.5 million privately raised donations, $6.4 million capital funds held at USD and $5.4 million from […]
Senate Bill 103 proposal could prohibit undocumented students from attending state universities
In reaction to the introduction of a sanctuary campus resolution in Student Government Association by former SGA senator Josh Arens last year, a state Senate bill has been proposed. Senate Bill 103, which could potentially prohibit undocumented students from attending South Dakota Board of Regents schools and receiving in-state tuition and financial aid was introduced by Sen. Stace […]
Search committee forms to appoint next university president
The South Dakota Board of Regents is going through the process of finding a successor for President James Abbott. The search committee was appointed by SDBOR President Bob Sutton in early November. There are 13 committee members, including students, faculty and alumni. There was no application process to join the committee; members were appointed. Each […]
ICARE explained: Strategic plan approved, subcommittees move forward
The ICARE strategic plan, a $300,000 sexual assault prevention and education grant the university received in 2016, was approved on Oct. 20. ICARE stands for Inclusive, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Engagement. It’s “committed to preventing and responding to sexual assault in the University of South Dakota community through programming and advocacy,” according to the mission […]
Need-based financial aid program in the works for South Dakota
South Dakota is one of the only states that doesn’t offer a need-based financial aid program. The South Dakota Board of Regents has been working on a program, Dakota’s Promise, to change that. Dakota’s Promise is a five phase, state-funded aid program that could support 6,000 students once fully implemented. SDBOR has sent a recommendation […]
USD flexible when it comes to employee leave
USD was recently nominated for an award because of its flexibility in granting employees leave. The When Work Works award, a project of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), is awarded to effective and flexible workplaces nationwide. “The focus of it was to determine if you as an employer do a good job of having […]
Updated: Board of Regents approve tuition and fees for 2017-18
USD students will see a tuition and fee increase of $315 next year. There will be a 0.5 percent increase in tuition costs and a 21.4 percent increase in fees, according to an email from Tena Haraldson, USD’s director of communications. The 0.5 percent increase in tuition is to cover inflation. On average, an in-state […]
Economic survey estimates universities’ impact on South Dakota
The Board of Regents recently commissioned USD economics professors Mike Allgrunn and Travis Letellier to conduct a study centered around the economic impact of the South Dakota public university system. The study concluded that 67,850 people are living in South Dakota as a result of the economic activity created by the universities. To conduct the study, a […]
Almost one in three South Dakota first-years must take a remedial course
In South Dakota, roughly 30 percent of all first-year college students are deficient in their mastery of math or English or both, in many cases. Governor Daugaard addressed this issue in his State of the State Address, calling students’ unpreparedness for college coursework a “persistent problem.” Having to take remedial courses, Daugaard said, is a “lose-lose,” because […]
Sexual assault update: No continued threat suspected
Though Matt Betzen, Chief of the Vermillion Police Department, couldn’t provide any more details regarding the investigation of a reported sexual assault that happened on-campus last week, he was able to confirm that there is no ongoing threat to the community. “The investigators have no reason to believe there’s a continuing danger to the public,” […]