Student Life
USD spring semester COVID plans and vaccine rollout
The spring semester is underway, and while classes and professors may change from the fall, one thing hasn’t. The COVID-19 pandemic is still a threat to campus life and classrooms, yet USD is prepared to handle any outbreaks and the upcoming vaccine rollout this spring. As students are welcomed back to campus all staff and […]
Wellness Center Bingo offers new way to reach fitness goals
The USD Wellness Center has created a new bingo program to help students and members reach their health goals through fun activities with the chance to earn prizes. Dottie Kerkman, the fitness and special events coordinator, said the new bingo program at the Wellness Center is a great way for members and students to hold themselves accountable to […]
USD Study Abroad program on pause
USD’s study abroad program doesn’t have a clear view of what summer 2021 will look like. Travel has been restricted due to the pandemic. Virginija Wilcox is the director of the USD program located in the Gallagher Center. International travel affiliated with USD is suspended. Decisions on summer 2021 for traveling are indefinite, Wilcox said. “Once […]
Duo to be required by all BOR schools
Students may not know it, but hackers and scammers try to steal university credentials every day. This, IT security officer Joe Reynoldson said, is why the Board of Regents (BOR) is requiring all students to enroll in Duo Security by Jan. 27, 2021. About half of all active students have Duo, and new students are […]
USD develops updated plan for spring semester
Many changes have come due to the pandemic, including changes to education systems among schools and universities nationwide. However, in the upcoming semester, students, staff and faculty will begin to see some of those changes being reversed. Last month, the South Dakota Board of Regents gave universities a new schedule for spring semester operations. This […]
USD professors evaluate fall semester, look ahead to spring
This semester, the entire USD community implemented and adapted to the changes in place due to COVID-19. From wearing masks across campus to getting used to hybrid and online learning, the fall semester was much different than years past. While students had to adjust to new schedules and campus operations, USD professors had to alter […]
USD asks students to move to remote learning
In an email sent to USD staff and faculty, the university is following CDC recommendations and asking students who feel comfortable with remote learning to quarantine and learn remotely for the remainder of the semester. A similar email was sent to students. The email said that they feel confident that the classrooms are safe for […]
Residence hall director’s dog makes Burgess-Norton feel like home
For residence hall directors like Tyler Pichen, work is more than a full-time job. RHDs are required to live on-campus in the residence halls to assist with anything that might come up. Pichen has been an RHD at Burgess-Norton for three years but has lived in housing since he started as a resident assistant eight […]
Patriot Week honors USD Veterans, inspires students
Veteran’s Day is a national holiday set to honor veterans across the United States. This year, USD is making the celebration a full week with their first-ever Patriot Week. The week-long celebration is being put on by USD’s ROTC unit and the Veteran’s Resource Center. Patriot Week began on Monday with a virtual 5k run […]
USD graduate student examines sustainability practices on campus
A few months after finishing her undergraduate degree at Oberlin College, Anna Moore came to USD this past spring to be a sustainability coordinator and do research as a graduate student. One of Moore’s research projects included conducting a Zero Waste Assessment (ZWA) of the university’s waste management program over the summer. The assessment evaluates […]