SDSU Community –
Today’s Monday Message greets campus on the first day back from spring break. I hope everyone had a wonderful week, and if you were able to get away from campus, I certainly hope it was relaxing.
Just a reminder that we are starting the push toward graduation and our commencement ceremonies that will be held at the Dacotah Bank Center for one more year while we complete the renovation of First Bank & Trust Arena. The information for faculty is below, and I hope to see many of you at the ceremonies.
Congratulations to our men’s and women’s basketball teams for their selection into the NCAA basketball championship tournaments. The men will face Iowa State, Thursday at 6:35 p.m. in Omaha, while the women will play Saturday night at 9 p.m. in Spokane, Washington, against Utah. The men’s game will be broadcast on truTV, while the women’s game will be shown on ESPNU. Best of luck to both teams as it is exciting time during March Madness.
Finally, just a note about the number of events and activities taking place on campus between now and the end of the academic year. Spring becomes a very busy time for many people who plan and attend the events, banquets, lectures and many other activities. There is a lot of information included in today’s Monday Message about a number of different events.
I encourage everyone to attend something of interest as it benefits our campus community when we are involved and participate as schedules allow. The Professional Staff Annual Meeting and Awards will take place May 7, and details are below. It is an opportunity for professional staff members to engage in conversation and recognize others for their work and dedication to SDSU.
Similarly, the International World Fair this Sunday will showcase many cultures through displays and food in the University Student Union. It is a wonderful time to meet some of our students from other countries and learn about their stories and what brought them to South Dakota.
The School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies continues to host its Community Read events through this month and will welcome bestselling author David Grann to campus April 5. It is another example of the great work of many, but also the impact SDSU has on the community, region and state through hundreds of different events that bring people from all over the country and world to Brookings.
In addition to the Monday Message, the university’s event calendar is the central place to find information about all the events on our campus.
Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a premier land-grant university. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
Go Jacks!
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
Above and Beyond
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of South Dakota State University 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 SDSU staff and community leaders for their efforts in establishing the Work Ready Bootcamp for SDSU students.
In a partnership between the SDSU Office of Career Development and the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, the Work Ready Bootcamp is a free program for SDSU juniors, seniors and graduate students looking to prepare themselves for the workforce.
Participating students will learn about the community of Brookings, professional communication, financial literacy and career preparation.
This program merges the Brookings Chamber goals of retaining SDSU students in the Brookings workforce beyond graduation and the Office of Career Development’s goals of preparing students for their future careers.
Students completing the program will have a stronger sense of connection to Brookings, more knowledge of the community offerings and a better sense of how they fit.
In each session, participants get to meet different community members and learn about their work. Participants who attend all four sessions also receive a ticket to the chamber's annual celebration, Taste of Brookings.
This is the first year of the Work Ready Bootcamp with 12 SDSU students participating.
Thank you to the SDSU Office of Career Development and the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce for your collaboration in implementing this program.
Additionally, thank you to SDSU’s Kevin Fullerton, Tina Birgen and Nate Bylander and to chamber staff and committee members Casey Stickland, Kelsey Doom, Nolan Hansen and Kesmond Willert.
Graduation planning is underway for the Class of 2024 ceremonies that will be held May 4 at the Dacotah Bank Center, formerly the Swiftel Center. Faculty, please note the following deadlines:
Regalia Rentals: All rental orders need to be placed by March 22.Please place rental orders online.
RSVP: Faculty planning to participate in the processional must RSVP by April 26. Seating is limited, and an RSVP must be completed for attendance.
Faculty wishing to attend graduation ceremonies but not participate in the processional will need a ticket for entrance. Further information regarding this process will be available later in the spring semester.
For further information regarding graduation, please visit sdstate.edu. Information for faculty will be updated on this page.
The Professional Staff Advisory Council will host its annual meeting and awards, May 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the SDSU Alumni Center.
The event will include an all-staff social with the program and awards beginning at 3 p.m. A Zoom link will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
The program will include updates from the council and the announcements of the Rising Star Award and the Presidential Award of Excellence.
The SDSU Mental Wellbeing Team has released the State of Wellbeing Podcast. State of Wellbeing is a holistic well-being podcast to support the SDSU community as we strive to be a growing, high-performing and healthy university. This directly connects to Pathway to Premier 2030 and the university’s goals for employee and student success. Episodes will feature meaningful conversations with valuable insights, practical tips and helpful resources to improve health and well-being.
Podcast episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Spotify. New episodes will be released every two weeks.
South Dakota State University’s marketing firm of record, Click Rain Inc., hosted a webinar — “Marketing Today’s Prospective Students” — on Feb. 21. The recording is available online.
Click Rain shared insights on marketing fundamentals, the recruitment marketing funnel, partnerships and looked at how digital marketing can align with the specific marketing needs of colleges and departments.
The International Relations Council will host the International World Fair Sunday from 5-8 p.m. at the Volstorff Ballroom in the University Student Union. The fair features booths from different countries representing their cultural heritage, including food samples. A dinner will be made available during performances.
The School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies is hosting Community Read events featuring the bestselling book — and now major motion picture — “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann.
A series of events and activities will culminate on April 5, when Grann will visit campus for a lecture titled “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Arc of Justice.” All events are sponsored by the South Dakota Humanities Council and the School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Tickets for the lecture are available:
- SDSU students and employees: In-person at Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center box office from 1-4 p.m. March 27. SDSU ID required. Max two tickets per person.
- General public: In-person at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center box office from 1-4 p.m. March 28 and April 2. Max two tickets per person.
- General public: Wednesday, April 3, Thursday, April 4, and Friday, April 5, in-person at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center box office from 1-4 p.m. April 4 and April 5, and online. Max two tickets per person.
All tickets are free of charge. The lecture is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 5 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.
A screening of the Oscar-nominated film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” directed by Martin Scorsese, will be held at 5 p.m. March 27. Tickets to this event are free and are available at the Cinema 8 box office. Tickets will be limited to two per person.
The Graduate School will host its second annual Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day, April 23.
The day will begin at 2 p.m. with a featured graduate student speaker, Manisha Guha, followed by the graduate student poster show at 3 p.m. and culminating with the Graduate School Recognition Event at 5 p.m. All events will take place in the Volstorff Ballroom at the University Student Union. Additional information is available on sdstate.edu.
Author Achut Deng shares her story of survival, resiliency and hope based on her personal journey as a refugee born in South Sudan and coming to America at age 16. Her recently published memoir, "Don't Look Back," has captured her experience, and now she will share her story with us.
Deng’s talk will take place April 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Pheasant/Crest Room (253) in the University Student Union. Additional information is available on sdstate.edu.
Applications for SDSU Admissions Ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year are now available. Admissions Ambassadors are hired to represent and promote SDSU to prospective students and their families, as well as the general public. Ambassadors are critical to the successful recruitment of students to SDSU.
The online application, full job description and requirements can be found on sdstate.edu. Application screenings will begin today, and interviews will be conducted Wednesday and Thursday. Questions can be directed to Ryan Vande Kieft or Ashley Haar.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility is hosting its next CommUNITY Meeting Wednesday that will include interventional training to empower attendees to advocate for others by being equipped with skills to safely and realistically disrupt situations involving discrimination.
The meeting will be held in the University Student Union, room 262 from 3-4:30 p.m. or 6-7:30 p.m.
The Eastern South Dakota Science and Engineering Fair is currently looking for judges to assist with the competition March 26. Judging primarily takes place between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in Club 71 at the Dana J. Dykhouse Football Stadium. Judges in all areas and levels of experience are needed.
Students from sixth grade through high school will come to campus and are excited to show off the research projects they have been working on both inside and outside of the classroom.
Anyone interested in volunteering my sign up on sdstate.edu.
The SDSU Alumni Association, along with the Jackrabbit Central, will host a Jacks Gear Drive to benefit Jack’s Cupboard. Any donated, gently used Jacks gear can be dropped off through April 11 at either the SDSU Alumni Center or Jackrabbit Central during normal business hours. Jackrabbit Central will give anyone who donates an item to the drive a 15% off coupon to use during the week of #JacksGiveBack, April 21-27.
On April 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the SDSU Alumni Association will hold a sale of all the donated items. All proceeds from the sale will go toward Jack’s Cupboard. Jack’s Cupboard combats food insecurity by ensuring students who struggle to purchase food are provided with this free resource supported by students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. It is available to all students with a student ID and a bag to collect food items.
For questions, please call the Alumni Office at 605-697-5198 or contact the office by email.
The SDSU Alumni Association will hold its seventh annual #JacksGiveBack the week of April 21-27. During the week, Jackrabbits are encouraged to volunteer in their community at a nonprofit, organize a food drive or cleanup project, make a monetary donation or find any project that has a positive impact.
Volunteers are asked to share their #JacksGiveBack stories, photos and projects on social media by using the #JacksGiveBack or by emailing the SDSU Alumni Association.
To make sure photos can be shared:
- Set your post’s privacy settings to “public.”
- Tag the SDSU Alumni Association.
- Use the #JacksGiveBack.
Additional information and how to register can be found on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
The South Dakota Alumni Association is seeking nominations for its Legends and Leaders recognitions. Information about the awards and how to nominate someone is available on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
Nominations are due May 1.
SDSU students, alumni and friends are invited to join the SDSU Alumni Association for Jumpstart Your Wellness Seminar. The seminar will be held April 11 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the SDSU Alumni Center. Information about the speaker and how to register can be found on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
LeadState is a semester-long program for sophomore students that will take place during the fall 2024 semester. The program helps students identify and build on their leadership strengths, identify and lead with values, be a catalyst for social change, connect with campus and community leaders, and engage in community service.
Faculty and staff from across campus coordinate the program. Each student who participates will work with a group of peers throughout the semester alongside professionals from the facilitation team, developing their leadership capacity while working on a shared service project.
Any student who will be a second-year student during the 2024-2025 academic year is eligible for the program. Faculty and staff are encouraged to identify current first-year students (traditional students or nontraditional students) who they think would be benefit from this leadership development program.
If you have students you would like to nominate for LeadState, please send each student’s name, student ID number and email address to Seth Daughters by April 4.
Additional information about LeadState can be found on sdstate.edu.
LeadState is a semester-long leadership development program designed for college sophomores. Students are nominated to participate by faculty and staff from across campus and can also self-nominate by sending an email to the LeadState account indicating their interest in the program. Around 50 students take part in LeadState each semester, and over 1,200 students have completed the program since its inaugural year in 2009.
The LeadState facilitation team is comprised of professional staff, faculty and administrators from across campus. Members organize leadership events, coordinate service opportunities, present leadership workshops and serve as leadership coaches who meet with students several times throughout the semester.
If you are interested in joining the LeadState team or would like additional information on one of SDSU’s signature leadership development programs, please contact Nathan Bylander. Additional information about LeadState can also be found online.
SDSU faculty and staff have access to Nature Masterclasses On-demand courses. The professional development courses are comprised of a range of topics including writing and publishing research papers, networking and collaboration, peer review, persuasive grant writing and data analysis.
The university has an institutional subscription to the on-demand courses through Jan. 30, 2025. This gives SDSU faculty and staff access to all available content on the platform (use SDSU single sign-on credentials). Visit the Division of Research’s Events and Training page for the list of courses and links to the platform.
The Coughlin Campanile will undergo a restoration process starting this spring. Work will include repair of the limestone, tuckpointing the brick masonry, and painting doors and window frames.
The last time this process occurred was in 2001. The project has gone to bid, and the area around the Campanile will be roped off to limit pedestrian traffic immediately adjacent to the structure. The goal is to complete the work this fall, but the progress will be monitored, and the campus community will be updated as the schedule evolves.
Instructional Design Services will host its 2024 Summer eLearning Academy aimed to create, connect and support student success through online communities, fostering a positive and student success-centered eLearning environment.
The central theme of the academy is to emphasize the importance of creating a strong sense of presence and community in the online learning environment. By fostering high engagement with course content, peers, success resources and tutors, we can support and enhance the online learning experience for our learners.
The academy will take place May 9-10 via Zoom and offer two sessions each day from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Participants need to register by May 3. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional information about the academy is available on sdstate.edu.
The Division of Research and Economic Development is hosting a training series to highlight 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 started in February and run monthly into April. Dates, times and locations are available on sdstate.edu.
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.