Monday Message, August 14

SDSU Community –

It’s an exciting week on campus. Faculty are returning to get ready for the fall semester and move-in for a large percentage of our students will begin Friday. As a reminder, we still need people to volunteer to help with move-in on Friday. Thank you in advance for going the extra mile to help our students get settled into their new homes on campus!

It will be great to have everyone back, and activity on campus is certainly beginning to grow with the return of our residence hall staff and others who play important roles on our campus during the year. I am looking forward to an exciting year.

The year is also beginning with a great deal of momentum around the SDSU Foundation and our Bold and Blue campaign. There will be some major announcements in the coming weeks pertaining to the overall campaign, but the foundation did announce last week the establishment of the 50th and 51st endowed positions at SDSU. This is a monumental accomplishment as we had only 17 endowed positions at the beginning of the campaign in 2017.

One other important announcement pertaining to the new semester was made last week about the new location for the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center. The center has relocated to Wagner Hall, providing a location for student support services in the center of campus. The administrative office, the Academic Success and Recovery program and the center’s coordinator will be located in Wagner 251 on the second floor. The First-Year Advising Center and tutoring services will be located on the first floor in Wagner 121.

Finally, I do want to remind our faculty and staff about a couple of important professional development opportunities. All of you should have received an email about the SafeColleges online training for Title IX and active shooter. The Title IX training is mandatory while the active shooter training is suggested. I do recommend completing both if you have not already.

Additionally, our own Emergency Management office and University Police Department conduct in-person active shooter training throughout the semester. Dates and times, in addition to an RSVP link, are available on InsideState. I also encourage everyone to attend.

Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a premier university. Let’s have a wonderful and successful fall semester.

Go Jacks!

Sincerely,

Barry H. Dunn, President

Above and Beyond

Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of SDSU employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place. This week’s Above and Beyond recognizes the SDSU staff, faculty and other partners of SDSU who helped with the move into newly renovated spaces on campus this summer, especially in Lincoln, Berg Agricultural and Pierson halls.

Lincoln Hall underwent major renovations from November 2021 to this August. The former library and music hall is now home to the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of American and Global Studies and includes offices, classrooms, seminar rooms and collaboration spaces.

Major renovations to the first and second floors of Berg Agricultural Hall spanned from December 2021 to May of this year. The building houses College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences offices, laboratories and classrooms.

Pierson Hall is also reopening to student residents this month after an extensive renovation spanned from June 2022 to this summer.

For academic buildings, much of the final set-up and move-in is accomplished by Facilities and Services teams, including general services, maintenance, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, engineering and custodial. Information technology also assisted in getting technology operating for employees and instructional spaces.

A local partner in all the office and lab moves was Perkins Storage and Transfer, which was hired to help relocate office furniture and boxes. In Pierson Hall, Residential Life staff and their vendors brought in new furniture and mattresses for student rooms and lounges. Facilities and Services teams were also involved in getting the spaces ready with card access.

Thank you all for going Above and Beyond to ensure that newly renovated spaces on campus are ready as students return to campus for a new academic year.

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The SDSU Foundation will host the seventh annual One Day for STATE, Sept. 7. One Day for STATE is a 24-hour challenge for Jackrabbits, celebrating SDSU and the impact of philanthropy.

This year’s goals include reaching 5,000 donors in 24 hours to unlock $700,000 from challenge donors. There are chances to support more than 110 different opportunities, including scholarships, academic programming, athletics and more.

Last year One Date for STATE raised more than $2.4 million from 6,825 gifts.

Faculty and staff who have gently used professional dress clothing are encouraged to donate and help our students. Donations can be made to the Office of Career Development and will be available to students for free following the Sept. 5 career fashion show in the University Student Union Market.

Donations including suits, shirts, ties, dress pants, dresses, pant suits and dress shoes can be brought to Room 136 of the University Student Union during normal business hours or by calling Becky Pistulka at 605-688-5242 to schedule pickup. Deadline to submit clothing is Sept. 1.

The 2023-24 Woodbine Productions schedule is now available, and tickets can be purchased online. Woodbine Productions has been bringing the finest performers to SDSU since 2006 with the intent of inspiring students and providing the Brookings community premier performances at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

The Office of Continuing and Distance Education has launched a new online tutoring service from Tutor.com, available to SDSU students. There is no cost to the students.

Tutor.com connects students with expert online tutors who can help with a wide variety of course subjects.

Students also have access to educational tools and study resources such as:

Study tools and lessons
Drop-off writing review
Diagnostic quizzes
Instructional videos

Students can access Tutor.com via their D2L course shell under “Help” on the course menu bar.

All SDSU students have up to 15 hours per semester allocated to them for utilizing Tutor.com, and we can provide additional hours on a case-by-case basis for students who may need additional support. While all students enrolled in an SDSU course may be able to access and utilize Tutor.com through their D2L course shells, our promotion of the service will be primarily to our online and distance learners.

Additional information for students is available on the CDE webpage and in the SDSU Virtual Student Union.

The IDS fall training schedule is available on InsideState. The eLearning applications refresher workshops and weekly webinars prepare faculty for a successful semester. Classroom tours can be requested individually to IDS. All SDSU faculty, staff and graduate teaching assistants are encouraged to attend these trainings.

Please direct your individual questions or any requests to IDS.

The Miller Wellness Center is holding a food drive for Jack's Cupboard during the month of August.

For each donation, participants receive 1% off the total price of a membership, personal training, group swim lessons or outdoor gear rentals. Each person may donate up to 15 items, and donations needed include rice, noodles, canned meats, gluten-free items, canned fruits, cereal and Hamburger Helper meals.

Items can be brought directly to the Miller Wellness Center.

Miller Wellness Center will host its first Jackrabbit Open Pickleball Tournament on Aug. 25-27.

Events to be offered include men's and women's singles, 60-plus open doubles, men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles, and 12U open doubles in 3.0 and under, 3.5 and 4.0-plus skill divisions.

Registration is $35 for the first event and $15 for each additional event. Participants are guaranteed three games for each event in which they register. Registration will close Wednesday.

Please contact Kyle Dawson by email or at 605-688-5294 with any questions.

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.