SDSU Community –
Another sunny day greets our campus as we begin the second full week of February. I know many of us watched the Super Bowl last night, certainly one of the most exciting in history. Former Jackrabbit Chris Oladokun is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs roster, and the victory marked the third consecutive year a former Jackrabbit has been a member of the Super Bowl winning team.
Just a reminder that the campus climate survey closes Thursday. Please take time to complete the survey if you have not already. The information gained from is critical to helping form the strategic direction and initiatives of the university. Information about how to complete the survey is located below.
Next week we will host our annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence event on Feb 20 with the David Fee Memorial Lecture at 3 p.m., followed by the Sewrey Colloquium at 4 p.m. Both events will take place in the Hobo Day Gallery in the University Student Union.
The day will end with the Faculty Showcase and reception at 4:30 p.m. and the awards program set to begin at 6 p.m. in the Volstorff Ballroom. I hope many of you can join us for the day and help celebrate the many wonderful achievements by our faculty and staff.
Additional information about the day and how to RSVP for the event is located on sdstate.edu.
February also means that a few of our intercollegiate athletic teams are getting close to finishing their regular seasons before turning their attention to postseason tournaments and NCAA championships.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams sit atop the Summit League standings with six games remaining. This year’s Summit League Tournament will be held in Sioux Falls again, March 8-12.
The Jackrabbits wrestling team continues to have a strong season and will host two more home meets against Missouri, Feb. 18, and North Dakota State, Feb. 25, before competing in the Big 12 Wrestling Championship March 9-10 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Also, the university released information about the 2024 commencement ceremonies that will be held at the Dacotah Bank Center for the second consecutive year. The ceremonies are being held off campus due to the continued construction of First Bank & Trust Arena. We will host three separate graduations at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Additional information will be shared as we get closer to graduation, but it will certainly be here before we know it.
Finally, just another reminder to please mark your calendars for April 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. for our next Campus Conversation. It will be held in Woster Celebration Hall, and we will provide updates on the legislative session, budget and enrollment, the campus master plan, our work on R1 Our Way and many other important items impacting our university.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Please remember our campus will be closed next Monday in recognition of the President's Day holiday.
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 we recognize the campus partners involved in the successful effort to bring nearly 70 teachers and administrators from the Sioux Falls School District to campus Feb. 5.
During the Sioux Falls School District’s in-service day, educators explored academic resources available across campus. Teachers made connections to utilize in their classrooms and give a firsthand account of educational options available to students considering their future plans.
Educators met with faculty and staff in the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and College of Nursing and programs including medical laboratory science, respiratory care, chemistry, physics, aviation, food science, hospitality, tourism and event management and more.
This event was a great opportunity to showcase the educational resources available at SDSU for both prospective students and professionals across the state.
Thank you to Vernon Brown, associate vice president for external affairs, and Regen Wiederrich, SDSU Connect coordinator, for your leadership in planning this event.
Additionally, thank you to the campus partners who spent time with these educators through panels and conversations, including:
- Dennis Hedge, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
- Shawn Helmbolt, assistant vice president for enrollment management.
- J.R. LaPlante, associate vice president – Wokini Initiative.
- Mary Anne Krogh, dean of the College of Nursing.
- Evan Ortlieb, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences.
- Charlene Wolf-Hall, dean of the College of Natural Sciences.
- Sanjeev Kumar, Jerome J. Lohr Endowed Dean of the Lohr College of Engineering.
- Rebecca Bott-Knutson, dean of the Van D. and Barbra B. Fishback Honors College.
- James Clem, associate dean for student services in the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.
- Jody Owen, senior director of the Student Success and Opportunity Center.
- Shelly Bayer, director of multicultural affairs and accessibility.
- Kevin Fullerton, director of career development.
- Seth Conley, coordinator of Sioux Falls recruitment.
Every two years South Dakota State University participates in a national survey designed to assess the overall campus climate at postsecondary institutions. This survey collects information on the campus culture and SDSU’s core values — people-centered, creativity, integrity, diversity and excellence — and is designed for all SDSU employees and students no matter their location.
On Jan. 22, all students, staff and faculty received an email invitation from wess@webebi.com with a unique link for the Skyfactor Benchworks Campus Climate, Safety and Sexual Assault Survey. Please look for this email and complete this important survey.
This survey not only provides all SDSU employees and students an opportunity to voice their experiences and perceptions of the university environment, but also serves as a conduit for feedback to help direct university initiatives and develop strategic priorities. The information collected will inform policies, programs and practices that enhance the campus environment for all who interact with the SDSU community, including students (current and future), alumni, visitors, faculty, staff and stakeholders.
Your feedback is important to us, and we hope you participate in this effort. Additional information about the survey can be found on InsideState.
South Dakota State University’s marketing firm of record, Click Rain Inc., will host a webinar — “Marketing Today’s Prospective Students” — from noon-1 p.m. on Feb. 21.
All faculty and staff are invited to attend the presentation in the Lewis & Clark Room (262A) of the University Student Union, or virtually using the Zoom link with the following meeting ID (841 4043 1408) and passcode (779655).
Click Rain will share insights on marketing fundamentals, our recruitment marketing funnel and partnership, and a look at how digital marketing can align with the specific marketing needs of colleges and departments. Afterward, feel free to join Click Rain staff in the Lewis & Clark Room (262A) of the University Student Union from 1-1:45 p.m. to discuss opportunities or ask questions.
The 16th annual Summit League Food Fight will run from Feb. 15-28 this year. The event is a great opportunity for our student-athletes, campus community and fans to connect and compete in a competition among league member schools to collect monetary and food donations that will help feed those in need in our Jackrabbits and Brookings Community.
The monetary and food donations our SAAC collects this year will go to Jack's Cupboard, the Brookings County Food Pantry and to the Brookings Backpack Project. Our Jackrabbits SAAC takes pride in this competition each year and looks forward to helping restock the shelves of the food pantry and serve those in need in our community. A goal of $5,000 in monetary donations has been set for this year.
Chef Sean Sherman, also known as "The Sioux Chef," will host a virtual conversation about his activism and advocacy in helping reclaim and celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world. The livestream with Sherman at 7 p.m. Thursday can be viewed on location at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance.
Sherman founded North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by re-establishing Native foodways. NATIFS and its Indigenous Food Lab are working to build and support an Indigenous infrastructure that promotes the creation and maintenance of healthy food access throughout Indigenous communities.
The second annual MLK Rally and Marade has been rescheduled for Feb. 19. The event originally scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday was postponed due to weather. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and includes numerous speakers, including the Rev. France Davis, who marched with MLK, and a 1.1-mile marade (march plus parade).
In addition to his participation in the MLK Rally and Marade, the Rev. France Davis will also speak on campus Feb. 20 from 10:30 a.m.-noon in the Pheasant/Crest (SSU 253) rooms in the University Student Union.
Davis is a distinguished activist in the Civil Rights Movement and will speak about his personal experiences.
A web page for the campus master plan continues to be updated. The campus community is encouraged to continue along with its progress.
The SDSU Alumni Association will host the Jacks Virtual 5K during the month of April. The Jacks Virtual 5K is to benefit Jack’s Cupboard. A virtual 5K is a race that can be run or walked from any location, any day or any time that you choose during the month of April.
Participants can run, jog or walk on the road, on a trail or on a treadmill. A 5K race is 3.1 miles. Track your distance in whatever way works. There are many mobile apps to choose from. Map My Run is a good distance tracking app.
There will be no official times. However, participants are encouraged to share their photos and race time on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #JacksVirtual5K and/or #JacksGiveBack to show their support and encourage others to do the same. If they are not on social media, participants can also send photos and race times to the SDSU Alumni Association with permission to post photos and times to the Alumni Association accounts.
Deadline to register is Feb. 20.
The Division of Research and Economic Development is hosting a training series to learn about 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 start in February and run monthly into April. Dates, times and locations are available on sdstate.edu.
New Student Orientation is seeking students to become members of the 2024 Orientation Leader Team. The team is a vital part of the NSO program as orientation participants meet and connect with fellow Jackrabbits.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate outstanding students who might be successful in the role. Nominations can be submitted by email through Friday. Please include the nominees’ first and last names and any additional identifying information. Additional information is available online.
Los Angeles actor and playwright Deb Hiett will be in Brookings to celebrate the collegiate premier of her play “The Escape Thingy,” Feb. 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. in the Fishback Studio Theatre in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Public dialogue will take place with Hiett after Friday’s performance.
In “The Escape Thingy,” two very different couples meet in an escape room game night, each needing very different types of escapes. The clock is ticking as they attempt to solve the puzzles, distinguish facts from alternative facts and weigh the risks of unlocking the door to the dangerous world outside.
Tickets for the event are $22 for adults and $20 for seniors, military, SDSU employees and children. SDSU students are free with student ID. Tickets can be purchased anytime online. The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center box office will open for in-person sales one week prior to the opening performance. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 605-688-6045.
Graduate students have been added to the ConnectState platform and will be able to use ConnectState this spring. Information on InsideState provides details about plans for spring 2024 use, how to pull lists for only undergraduate or only graduate students, how academic information is presented in ConnectState profiles, login credentials and how to request access or report errors.
Questions can be sent via email or through the Help button on InsideState.
Applications are now open for select summer undergraduate research programs at SDSU. Students can submit one application for research support from a variety of different funding sources, including the Joseph F. Nelson Mentorship and the Honors College Undergraduate Research Fund.
Faculty and staff should encourage students from all disciplines to submit their research interests for possible funding. Awards will be competitive and based on the design of the proposed studies, quality of the application and potential for project success.
Completed applications, including a mentor assessment of the applicant, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. March 5. More information, including the application, can be found on sdstate.edu.
Faculty and staff should encourage senior undergraduate students from all disciplines to submit their scholarly or creative projects for consideration. Awards up to $2,500 per winning student will be awarded at the end of the academic year.
The deadline to submit a paper for the Schultz-Werth award is March 1.
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.