SDSU Community –
The last full week of April is also the last week of classes for the academic year. Finals begin next Monday, and commencement ceremonies are less than two weeks away. I look forward to those ceremonies and congratulating more than 2,000 Jackrabbits who have earned a degree from SDSU and are prepared to make a difference in today’s complex and challenging world.
Just a reminder to faculty that you have until this Friday to RSVP if you plan to march in the processional. Additional information is below. I hope many of you will take the opportunity to participate in commencement and help celebrate this year's graduates!
However, before we get to graduation, this week will be a historic time for the university as the SDSU Foundation concludes its Bold and Blue campaign. The campaign began with an ambitious goal of $500 million that has already been surpassed. The final number will represent the largest capital campaign for higher education in South Dakota.
Capital campaigns provide the margin of excellence for a university. Bold and Blue focused on critical areas that allowed us to endow positions that attract the best and brightest faculty members, invest in facilities where new research and scholarly activities take place and support some of our oldest and most important traditions. I cannot thank everyone who helped support this campaign enough.
I hope many of you can join us for the celebration on Thursday night. The information and how to RSVP is located below. It will truly be a historic night and a celebration of our great university and everyone who is part of the Jackrabbits family.
I also want to recognize the hard work of many and the generosity of Avera to make the SDSU Metro Center a reality. In case you missed last week’s announcement, Avera made a generous gift to our university of its property at 33rd Street and Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls. The building will be another home to the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and the College of Nursing, expanding our connections and presence in the Sioux Falls metro area. It is certainly a transformational gift for SDSU.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week and are able to join or participate in some of the wonderful events that are still happening this semester. #JacksGiveBack is taking place this week, as is the Common Read reveal. There will also be the Professional Staff Advisory Council annual meeting and awards in early May. These are all very important events and opportunities to engage with co-works and peers around campus.
Thank you for everything you do.
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 the Population Health Evaluation Center at SDSU for its recent South Dakota Department of Health honor.
The Population Health Evaluation Center, housed in the College of Nursing, was honored by South Dakota Secretary of Health Melissa Magstadt on March 19 with this year’s outstanding Partner in Health award.
The center partners with clients to strengthen the services provided in public health, well-being and/or education in communities throughout South Dakota. The team specializes in providing program evaluation and assessment services through gathering and interpreting data to help organizations understand the impact of their work and realize new opportunities to improve their quality of service and expand their reach.
The center works with clients such as state agencies, heath organizations, community-based organizations and school districts providing a variety of services to support public health initiatives.
Being recognized for their hard work by the state of South Dakota is a special honor and reaffirms the great work of this center.
Thank you to Jennifer Kerkvliet, director of the center, for your leadership.
Additionally, thank you to Beth Walstrom, Jenna Cowan, Callie Jodozi-Molengraaf, Elizabeth Roden, Roxanne Lucchesi, Karen Eidem, Howard Wey, Michael Dunn, MaryJo Benton Lee, Tingting He and Courtney Valencia for your commitment to this important work.
Student project assistants also contribute to the success of this center. Thank you to McKensey Bultje, Shawna Rumpza, Grace Schroeder, Kiara Schilling, Aidan Moran and Samantha Fischer for your efforts.
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 Friday. 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.
For further information regarding graduation, please visit sdstate.edu. Information for faculty can be found in the FAQ section of the graduation webpage on sdstate.edu.
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 this Thursday 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.
The evening’s lineup will include:
- 6:30 p.m.: Food trucks, a pork sandwich buffet and beverage stations open;
- 7 p.m.: Outdoor concert featuring the Johnny Holm Band;
- 8:30 p.m.: Special performance with members of The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band and SDSU Concert Choir;
- Finale: Historic reveal of Bold and Blue’s fundraising total.
The event will take place outdoors. In the case of inclement weather, the event will move inside.
Parking, road closures and additional details can be the SDSU Foundation’s Facebook page.
This celebration is a chance to recognize the impact Jackrabbit Nation has made in transforming SDSU for generations to come. Students, faculty, staff and their families are invited to attend. Please RSVP online.
The 2024 Campus and Community Common Read will be revealed Wednesday at 4 p.m. Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to join the Common Read Committee at Briggs Library for light refreshments. The book will be revealed along with a brief overview of themes and future engagement opportunities.
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 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 SDSU Alumni Association is holding it seventh annual #JacksGiveBack this week. 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.