Monday Message, July 10

SDSU Community –

Welcome back from the Fourth of July holiday week. Jane and I hope you had a wonderful holiday and spent time with family and friends. We are also just about seven weeks away from move-in weekend and welcoming another class of Jackrabbits to SDSU. The academic year will be here very soon.

Prior to the holiday, the South Dakota Board of Regents held its June meeting. SDSU leadership presented our goals and objectives for FY24 as part of the informal budget hearings during the meeting, signifying the start of the budget process for higher education in South Dakota that concludes in March during the legislative session.

Also on the agenda was our university’s next strategic plan, “Pathway to Premier – 2030.” The plan was developed as part of the process to refresh Imagine 2023, and it will serve as the catalyst for the next seven years as we pursue big ideas and initiatives.

The plan follows Imagine 2023 in that our core values remain, and our goals are similar around academic quality, community engagement, research and scholarly activity and being a high-performing university. The objectives within each of those goals are outlined and will be the driver of our path forward.

The next step in the plan’s development and launch is to identify the goals and strategic initiatives within those objectives, as well as how we define success through key performance indicators. University leaders have been engaging in that process with Rose Group International, and that work continues to progress.

In the coming weeks we will share more information about the plan. I encourage you to put Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. on your calendar as that will be the date of the State of the University where we will officially launch the plan and share the strategic initiatives that will guide our university into the future.

I would also like to invite you to the faculty and staff picnic that will be held Aug. 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Club 71 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Please be sure to submit your RSVP via the link. It will be a wonderful opportunity to welcome everyone back as well as briefly share updates about our strategic plan. I hope you can attend both of these important events.

Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a special place. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week.

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 faculty, staff, students and partners of SDSU who organize and execute New Student Orientation on campus each spring and summer.

New Student Orientation is designed to help students and their families prepare for life at South Dakota State University—from academics to extracurriculars and everything in between—whether they're brand new to the college experience or transferring or returning to SDSU.
More than 2,100 students registered across the course of 12 New Student Orientation sessions on campus in May and June. New Jackrabbits are coming to SDSU from 33 different states and counting.
Thank you to the dozens of people who are directly involved in making New Student Orientation happen. More than 80 faculty, advisers and staff are involved in implementation of the program, and over 30 campus partner offices provide content.

The NSO Advisory Committee meets monthly to guide program planning and includes SDSU faculty, advisers and staff members Mary Christensen, Jessica Lewis, Kayte Haggerty, Chanda Walter, Matt Badura, Suzette Burckhard, Ashley McConnell, Laura Jacobs, Asha Hertler, Michelle Kuebler, Hanna Holmquist, Nathan Bylander, Becky Peterson, Kirsten Linke and Jennie Sell.

The Orientation Leader team includes 23 current students who completed more than 60 hours of training to prepare for NSO. Orientation leaders and student coordinators include Abby Morse, Cat Bauer, Rylin Yerdon, Averie Cavallero, Joey Daly, Josh Valenzuela, Dirk Lieser, Carley Landmark, Hannah Sprecher, Katie Cunningham, Tori Morris, John Akujobi, Alison Marshall, Austin Barber, Megan Nelson, Joslyn Russell, Madison Higbee, Victoria Vazquez, Taryn Starr, Colton Schamber, Sham K. Biradar, Emma Stalboerger and Mia Thoennes.

Thank you all for going Above and Beyond to ensure that new, transferring and returning SDSU students have a warm welcome to campus before the new academic year begins.

Above and Beyond

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The South Dakota Art Museum will host free concerts, Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. The series will begin tomorrow and also be held July 18 and July 25. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets, in addition to food items. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. The art museum auditorium will be used in the event of inclement weather.

The concert lineup includes:

Tuesday – Eliza Blue (timeless music with folk and blues roots).
July 18 – Alma Andina (traditional instruments from South America with Latin rhythms such as cumbia, salsa, folk, guajira, Latin rock, reggae and other danceable styles).
July 25 – JAS Quintet (original jazz music and standards throughout the Jazz Age).

The museum will be open extended hours on Tuesdays in July from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and regular hours on other weekdays from 10 a.m.-5 pm, Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from noon-4 p.m.

The fourth annual SDSU Veterans Affairs Golf Tournament will be held July 22 at Edgebrook Golf Course. The tournament is a four-person scramble with a fee of $75 per golfer. The cost includes registration, a meal, use of a golf cart and giveaways.

Proceeds from the tournament support the Veterans Retreat held each year in January. The SDSU Veterans Affairs Office takes 24 veterans to Deadwood for eco-therapy to support mental and physical health.

Anyone interested in participating in the golf tournament should contact the Veterans Affairs Office.

Faculty and staff will receive notice to complete the annual Title IX and equal opportunity online training. Federal guidance and SDBOR policy require post-secondary institutions to provide annual training to all employees. More importantly, the training supports SDSU’s core values and retention efforts.

The SDBOR has contracted with a vendor, SafeColleges, for this online training program. The required training for the 2023-24 academic year is “Title IX and Sexual Harassment Prevention for Employees” (28 minutes). In addition, information is provided regarding equal opportunity regulations including new federal legislation titled Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The training must be completed no later than Sept. 29.

Employees will receive a message via their sdstate email accounts inviting them to complete the trainings. The email will be titled “SafeColleges Online Training” and will include instructions on how to access and complete the trainings.

If you experience concerns while operating the trainings, please email Michelle Johnson.

The 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 Aug. 9.

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

Jack’s Cupboard, the student food pantry on campus, is in need of a couple more volunteers over the summer since many of our student volunteers are away from campus during the break. Jack’s Cupboard’s operating hours are Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. If you are interested in volunteering, sign up online in an available slot.

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum is hosting its annual Summertime Food Trucks and Fun series. Each event will run from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and the food truck, tables, chairs and musician will be set up north of the museum.

Parking is available in the lot north of the museum. In case of inclement weather, check the museum’s social media pages for any changes. The event includes:

Wednesday: Cheezy Noodlez Gourmet Mac & Cheeze food truck and music by Kyle Knutson
July 26: Shorty's Hot Box food truck and music by Kyle Knutson.

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.