SDSU Community –
A busy week on campus begins with more warm temperatures and spring-like weather. It has certainly been a much better winter from a year ago when we had to close campus multiple times for the snow and cold temperatures.
I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the Sioux Falls School District in-service visit today. We welcomed nearly 70 teachers and administrators to campus from the Sioux Falls School District to engage in conversation and learn a little more about SDSU, while taking the opportunity to better understand the needs of the largest public school district in our state.
The group spent the morning learning about areas of interest that included aviation, hospitality management, physics, robotics, chemistry and health careers. There was a lunch with the academic deans, and the program ended with panel discussion that included several support areas from the university.
This was an important event for our institution as it is a way to connect our land-grant mission of providing access to the benefits of higher education, not only to future students but those in critical roles that are impacting the business leaders, nurses, engineers, teachers, pharmacists and many other professionals of tomorrow.
Thank you for your great work and effort to bring this important group to Brookings.
Also, one more reminder about our annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence event that will take place Feb. 20, beginning at 3 p.m. with the David Fee Memorial Lecture and 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 state. Additional information on the Celebration of Faculty Excellence is available on sdstate.edu.
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 all of you can attend and take part in this campus update.
Speaking of the campus master plan, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the most recent planning session. I was able to attend one of them, and it was a great conversation that included many wonderful ideas about how we can transform our campus for future generations. Campus planners and members of Facilities and Services have worked hard to provide the campus community opportunities to take part in this process. Thank you for your efforts.
Please have a wonderful week and enjoy this great weather. I hope to see you around campus.
Go Jacks!
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
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.
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. Feb. 15 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.
Jackrabbit Central will hold a clearance sale through Friday at its stores in the University Student Union and downtown Brookings, in addition to online sales. All items will be 50% off their lowest price.
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 photo and times to the Alumni Association accounts.
The South Dakota Art Museum Store will hold its SweetArt Valentine’s Sale Feb. 8-10. The store includes a curated collection of jewelry, heartwarming gifts and enchanting surprises.
Items will be 10% off storewide for the public and 20% for museum members. Items purchased at the store can also be wrapped with a personal message and delivered by museum staff anywhere in the Brookings city limits on Valentine’s Day.
The Museum Store will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Online orders are available as well.
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 annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence event will take place Feb. 20, beginning at 3 p.m. with the David Fee Memorial Lecture and 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 state.
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.