SDSU Community –
I want to thank everyone who attended and participated in our Campus Conversations last week. It was very informative and an opportunity to communicate critical updates about our university and what is taking place. If you were unable to attend, you may watch the recording of the event online.
Next week will be an important and historic time for us as the SDSU Foundation will host a celebration to reveal the final fundraising total of Bold and Blue. There are additional details about the event below, but I certainly hope everyone can join us for the special event. The more than $500 million raised during the campaign is the margin of excellence that has propelled SDSU into being a premier land-grant university.
Capital campaigns like Bold and Blue are what gives universities a margin of excellence. It has allowed us to attract quality faculty through endowed positions, support student learning and outcomes, and embrace the many traditions of our university. I hope everyone can celebrate with us as we all had a part in making this university a special place to where thousands of generous donors are willing to invest.
Finally, it is hard to believe that we are less than three weeks away from graduation and the close of another academic year. It has been a wonderful year, and I hope many of the faculty are able to join us during the commencement ceremonies. Please note much of the information below and how to RSVP to participate in the ceremonies.
Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a wonderful place. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
Go Jacks!
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
Above and Beyond
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of South Dakota State University employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place. This week we recognize partners in the new Mike Huether Public Service Academy at SDSU.
The Mike Huether Public Service Academy will be a program located within the School of American and Global Studies aiming to develop leaders and professionals who are committed to improving the lives of individuals, communities and society.
This program will host up to 50 students in a two-year cohort in a program blending academic rigor with real-world experiences. The curriculum will include ethics, government, public administration and cross-cultural competence as part of the coursework.
The academy will be available to students of any background or academic program.
Participating students will also engage in service-learning internships and study abroad opportunities to create a practical understanding of the academic components. An annual Mike Huether Public Service Academy Conference and a Passion in Action Challenge will further develop and connect students with public service.
The namesake for the program is attributed to Huether, a 1984 SDSU graduate who served as the mayor or Sioux Falls from 2010-2018.
This is an exciting addition to SDSU’s academic and intracurricular offerings in serving our land-grant mission.
Thank you to Mike and Cindy Huether and T. Denny Sanford for your vision and support of this important initiative.
Additionally, thank you to Christine Garst-Santos, director of the School of American and Global Studies; Provost Dennis Hedge; Lynn Sargeant, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Rebecca Bott, dean of the Van. D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College; and all other SDSU leaders and SDSU Foundation staff who helped make this idea a reality.
Graduation planning is underway for the Class of 2024 ceremonies that will be held May 4 at the Dacotah Bank Center, formerly the Swiftel Center. Faculty, please note the following deadlines:
RSVP: Faculty planning to participate in the processional must RSVP by April 26. Seating is limited, and an RSVP must be completed for attendance.
Faculty wishing to attend graduation ceremonies but not participate in the processional will need a ticket for entrance. Further information regarding this process will be available later in the spring semester.
For further information regarding graduation, please visit sdstate.edu. Information for faculty will be updated on this page.
The Professional Staff Advisory Council will host its annual meeting and awards May 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the SDSU Alumni Center.
The event will include an all-staff social with the program and awards beginning at 3 p.m. A Zoom link will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
The program will include updates from the council and the announcements of the Rising Star Award and the Presidential Awards of Excellence.
The SDSU Foundation will host a celebration to reveal the final fundraising total of Bold and Blue, the largest comprehensive campaign in South Dakota history.
The April 25 event will be held at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, starting at 6:30 p.m. The evening’s lineup will include a live band, complimentary food and beverages, and a special performance by members of the SDSU Concert Choir and The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band. More details will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
The entire yellow and blue community has helped the university to surpass the ambitious goal to raise $500 million and transform SDSU for generations to come. The celebration is a chance to recognize the indelible impact Jackrabbit Nation has made.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend. Please RSVP online.
The 2024 Campus and Community Common Read will be revealed April 24 at 4 p.m. Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to join the Common Read Committee at the Briggs Library for light refreshments. The book will be revealed along with a brief overview of themes and future engagement opportunities.
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment is hosting a training series on the use of institutional dashboards. The Dashboard Lightning Talks are short Zoom sessions that will provide an overview of the data within each dashboard and how to utilize that data. Please share with other colleagues that are interested in learning what data is currently available to the campus in a visual format.
The following session will be held during the spring semester:
- April 23, 12:30-1 p.m. – Credit Hours Generated
The following topics will be covered in the lightning talk session:
- Location of dashboard.
- Glossary and definitions.
- What can the dashboard data be used for.
- Overview of data in the dashboard.
- Filters/parameters/comparisons – How to use them and how they change the data displayed.
- We will run through three to five sample questions and how to use the dashboard to answer them.
To register for the any of the zoom sessions please visit the OIRA InsideState page.
The College of Nursing will host the Helen K. Grace and Nursing Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Volstorff Ballroom at the University Student Union.
This year’s lecture features Patricia Groves, Ph.D., RN, an associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa. Groves is a safety scholar who focuses on the intersections among safety culture, bedside nursing practice, patient safety engagement and patient safety outcomes, as well as factors such as implicit bias and leadership during COVID-19 that impact those relationships.
Groves’ lecture is free and open to the public.
The community building workgroup of the Mental Wellbeing Team is hosting the second fireside chat for the semester.
Nicole Lounsbery, Kevin Fullerton and Zane Reinert will discuss career transitions and preparing for the next steps tomorrow from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the in the Career Services Office of the University Student Union, room 136. They will discuss graduation and preparing for the next steps, transitioning from college to the professional workplace, and how to reduce stress when it comes to big career changes.
This fireside chat is intended to be an extension of the upcoming “Career Transitions” episode of the “State of Wellbeing” podcast and provides the campus community the opportunity to engage in conversation on the topic. The event is open to students, faculty and staff. It will also be held via Zoom.
The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering will host its 2024 Engineering Expo April 23. The Engineering Expo will include senior design projects. The public is welcome to attend at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center from 9-10 a.m. and noon-2:30 p.m. with an awards ceremony to follow the afternoon session.
The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering will host the National Summer Transportation Institute Summer Camp, June 2-8 and June 9-15. The camp will focus on transportation engineering, including planning, materials, transportation modes and other topics.
Participants must be entering grades 9-12 during the 2024-25 school year, have a cumulative GPA of 2.0, completed algebra and be interested in engineering, science or technology.
All selected students will receive scholarships to attend the camp. Scholarships will cover the cost of on-campus housing, food and workshops.
The School of Performing Arts will host “James and the Giant Peach,” a stage adaptation of the child’s tale by Roald Dahl.
“James and the Giant Peach” is told by James himself, along with the insect characters — Miss Spider, Old Green Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybird and Earthworm — about how they came to live in the giant peach stone in Central Park.
Performances will be held Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Oscar Larson Theatre of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available online.
The SDSU Mental Wellbeing Team has released the “State of Wellbeing” podcast. “State of Wellbeing” is a holistic well-being podcast to support the SDSU community as we strive to be a growing, high-performing and healthy university. This directly connects to Pathway to Premier 2030 and the university’s goals for employee and student success. Episodes will feature meaningful conversations with valuable insights, practical tips and helpful resources to improve health and well-being.
Podcast episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Spotify. New episodes will be released every two weeks.
The Graduate School will host its second annual Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day, April 23.
The day will begin at 2 p.m. with a featured graduate student speaker, Manisha Guha, followed by the graduate student poster show at 3 p.m. and culminating with the Graduate School Recognition Event at 5 p.m. All events will take place in the Volstorff Ballroom at the University Student Union. Additional information is available on sdstate.edu.
The SDSU Alumni Association will hold its seventh annual #JacksGiveBack starting Sunday. During the week, Jackrabbits are encouraged to volunteer in their community at a nonprofit, organize a food drive or cleanup project, make a monetary donation or find any project that has a positive impact.
Volunteers are asked to share their #JacksGiveBack stories, photos and projects on social media by using the #JacksGiveBack or by emailing the SDSU Alumni Association.
To make sure photos can be shared:
- Set your post’s privacy settings to “public.”
- Tag the SDSU Alumni Association.
- Use #JacksGiveBack.
Additional information and how to register can be found on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
The SDSU Alumni Association is seeking nominations for its Legends and Leaders recognitions. Information about the awards and how to nominate someone is available on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
Nominations are due May 1.
Instructional Design Services will host its 2024 Summer eLearning Academy aimed to create, connect and support student success through online communities, fostering a positive and student success-centered eLearning environment.
The central theme of the academy is to emphasize the importance of creating a strong sense of presence and community in the online learning environment. By fostering high engagement with course content, peers, success resources and tutors, we can support and enhance the online learning experience for our learners.
The academy will take place May 9-10 via Zoom and offer two sessions each day from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Participants need to register by May 3. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional information about the academy is available on sdstate.edu.
The Division of Research and Economic Development is hosting a training series to highlight some of the key federal funding agencies for research, scholarship and creative activity during the spring semester.
The informational sessions are to help faculty and staff learn more about the agencies and how to prepare for funding. Sessions started in February and run monthly into April. Dates, times and locations are available on sdstate.edu.
The Monday Message appears weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer months and holiday breaks.
Information for the Monday Message, including nominations for Above and Beyond, can be submitted online through the submission form.