SDSU Community –
As we begin the second week of classes, we see the excitement build for the fall semester. September will be a busy month as noted by the number of inclusions in the Monday Message. Please take a moment to review all the opportunities to get involved in the drop-down section below.
We will host a Thursday night football game as the Jackrabbits begin the 2023 season against Western Oregon at 7 p.m. The game will have some impact on campus, and information has been sent about parking and other adjustments needed to make hosting the game possible.
As a reminder, all SDSU faculty and staff may reserve up to four complimentary tickets to the Aug. 31 football game. To access your tickets, please visit GoJacks.com/PromoCode and use the offer code FACSTAFF23 (must be in all caps). If you need additional tickets beyond the four complimentary, you may purchase discounted $10 tickets in the same area.
I am excited to announce SDSU Cricket Club will host the Asia Cup on campus over the next two weeks. I look forward to watching some of the matches and am very appreciative of the club's efforts to bring this exciting event to our campus. More information regarding match dates, times and location can be found below.
Congratulations to our women’s soccer team for its 2-1 victory over Iowa State Sunday to make 4-0 on the season. Volleyball began its season in Laramie, Wyoming, and finished the weekend 1-2 with a win over Winthrop. The fall sports seasons are underway, and I want to wish all our teams well as they compete for conference championships.
Tomorrow we will kick off this year's Common Read at 6 p.m. in Club 71. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the campus and community together through reading. I hope to see you there!
Next week the SDSU Foundation will host the seventh annual One Day for STATE. This is a wonderful opportunity for Jackrabbits and friends to celebrate all the wonderful things we love about SDSU. I encourage each department to get involved in this 24-hour giving day through spreading the word on social media and participating in the day's activities.
I also want to let the campus community know Facilities and Services will work with CO-OP Architecture and the DLR Group to develop a comprehensive campus master plan. The plan will serve as a strategic framework to guide future development and advancement of the university while aligning with Pathway to Premier 2030 and reinforcing the identity of SDSU.
The most recent campus master plan, the 2025 Design and Master Plan, was developed in September 2012. It served as an important road map for many of the projects completed in the past decade. The new plan will expand on that plan and provide us new opportunities and direction for the expansion and development of campus.
The plan is anticipated to take 18 months to complete, and the process of building the plan will begin this fall. As part of the discovery and data collection phase of the process, Facilities and Services will gather information from all colleges and departments across campus. There will also be multiple engagement opportunities with the campus community. Additional updates and information will be provided. I look forward to working with Barry Mielke and his team as the plan develops.
I want to remind you again to mark your calendars for the State of the University on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall. I look forward to sharing with everyone the excitement of our new strategic plan and all the great things happening at SDSU.
Lastly, I want to extend another thank you to everyone who helped with Meet State activities. I asked for volunteers many times, and we had one-third of our employees participate this year. This is an incredible turnout that meant so much to me and our students. See below for a great story from the weekend's events.
Please have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you around campus soon.
Thank you for everything.
Go Jacks!
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
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 to celebrate SDSU and the impact made through philanthropy.
This year’s goal is 5,000 donors in 24 hours. Gifts of all sizes made during One Day for STATE help unlock the more than $700,000 in additional funds, thanks to generous challenge donors.
Jack’s Journey will take place the night before on Sept. 6. Jack will depart from the SDSU Foundation at 6 p.m. and start his trip around Brookings.
A patio party will be hosted during One Day for STATE outside of the union from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., including giveaways, yard games and music.
The Yellow and Blue Block Party will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 7 on the Alumni Green. The event will include performances from The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band and the SDSU dance and cheer teams, along with food trucks, free SDSU ice cream, the Bummobile and kids’ activities.
To keep our guests safe during the celebration, parking lot 139 will close at 4 p.m. and Medary Avenue (from Eighth Street to 11th Street) will be closed from 4:30-8 p.m. on Sept. 7. Detour signs will direct traffic around the road closure.
The campus and community Common Read kicks off tomorrow! Join us on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. in Club 71 for an examination of the book "An Immense World" by Ed Yong and the chosen theme "Sensing 'Our' World." A resource fair will follow the program where students, faculty and staff can connect with members of SDSU’s Student Success NETwork.
The Campus and Community Common Read's 2023 signature event schedule is available on sdstate.edu.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to attend each event. This year’s Common Read is “An Immense World” by Ed Yong. The events are designed to provoke dialogue and conversation, generate questions, fuel curiosity and further apply what we learn to ourselves and the broader world we share with others, animal and human.
The SDSU Cricket Club is hosting Asia Cup 2023, providing a unique opportunity for students from various backgrounds to come together to celebrate the sport and support their favorite cricket teams. It is also an opportunity to introduce cricket to the SDSU campus.
Matches will be played on the Historic Green between the Avera Health and Science Center and the Campanile from 6-8 p.m. The remaining matches include:
- Thursday – Bangladesh vs. Pakistan
- Friday – India vs. Bangladesh
- Sept. 7 – India vs. Bangladesh
- Sept. 8 – India vs. Pakistan
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association will host China Night 2023, Sunday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. in the Volstorff Ballroom at the University Student Union. This year will mark the first time the event has been held in three years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional holiday celebrated by Chinese worldwide. Performances will include a lion dance, a fashion show, instrumental music, vocal selections and much more. Tickets will be available online.
The South Dakota Art Museum will host an artist talk to learn more from the artists who studied under Oscar Howe’s students. The event will be held Aug. 31 with a social and refreshments at 3:30 p.m. and a panel discussion at 4 p.m.
The panel will feature Virginia Poorman and Evans Flammond Sr., students of Bryan Akipa; Linus Woods, a student of Colleen Cutschall; and Jhon Goes in Center, a student of Herman Red Elk.
The acclaimed exhibit, “Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe,” is open at the South Dakota Art Museum until Sept. 17.
The Testing Center is now using RegisterBlast for submission of proctored exams or special accommodations exams. Faculty who have students taking exams at the Testing Center should complete their faculty profile in RegisterBlast.
Exam dates should be entered at the beginning of the semester so students can register for their specific exams in advance. The actual exam or exam password can be submitted closer to the exam date. Faculty can find instructions for use of RegisterBlast on InsideState.
The SDSU Student Health and Counseling Center will host the John Enke Memorial 5K, Sept. 16 at 8 a.m. The event will take place at McCrory Gardens and include guest speaker Angela Drake for the Fight Like a Ninja Foundation.
The Brookings Public Library, along with co-sponsors from the Brookings Inclusive Collaborative, Brookings Human Rights Commission, SDSU Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility and the Brookings Interfaith Council, is hosting a series of community intergroup dialogues. The dialogues are small groups led by trained facilitators who will meet over five weeks throughout September and October to communicate across differences and explore challenging topics affecting them and their community.
There will be a kickoff event on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Brookings Public Library. Individuals who are interested in participating can learn what to expect from the program at the kickoff, hear from keynote speaker Taneeza Islam and register to be in a dialogue group.
Groups will meet once a week during their scheduled time, ending with a wrap-up session on Oct. 24. The program is an important tool that allows participants to get to know one another both on a personal and group basis so that they can work toward grasping the complexities of issues that affect communities.
Interested participants in the kickoff event are asked to RSVP online.
The South Dakota Art Museum will host a free concert with ISANTI on the Anderson Plaza behind the museum. The concert will be Sept. 12, beginning at 7 p.m. Information about parking and what to bring can be found on sdstate.edu.
The Division of Research and Economic Development hosts a series of six training events starting in September and concluding in November. The sessions will cover funding, communications strategies, writing grant proposals and team building.
The Miller Wellness Center will host adult and pediatric CPR/AED/First Aid courses throughout the fall semester.
Courses will be held:
- Sept. 6 at 3p.m.,
- Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.,
- Oct. 2 at 3 p.m.,
- Nov. 2 at 3 p.m.,
- Nov. 14 at 6 p.m., and
- Nov. 29 at 3 p.m.
Participants can register through the Wellness Center Portal or by calling 605-688-5521. Registration closes one week prior to class.
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.
Free Access Day at the Miller Wellness Center will take place Sept. 16. In-person memberships purchased between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. will receive 10% off. Enjoy the kids’ zone, indoor pool, climbing wall and our group fitness classes.
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.
Parking Services is requesting your attention in regard to current processes of contact for any parking needs. If you have previously reached out to specific individuals for questions, concerns, purchases, etc., we ask that you update your procedures to contact the Parking Office at 605-688-7275 or use the main office email. Using these contact points help us to more efficiently serve our customers.
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.