Jan Newsletter

January 24, 2007



Well, we are into the Spring Semester 07 and it is great to have students back on campus after a long break. When the students returned they found a couple of classrooms that have now been updated in the Kennedy Center. While we have done a great deal of work to improve the appearance of the external campus, we have now turned much of our attention to our internal classrooms, conference rooms and auditoriums. I certainly wish we could do this work more quickly but because of funding issues we will try and pick two or three projects each year for this improvement. Classrooms these days require tables and because of our technology focus we want electrical power and in some cases data ports at each seat.

This is the time of the year when the South Dakota Legislature is in session and all of the regental institutions prepare a brief presentation for the appropriations committee. Here is a web site with DSU data that is sent to the legislators and this data serves as the base for the presentation to the committee

http://www.dsu.edu/appropriationdoc/

During a presentation in February I will be reviewing this data with our faculty/staff and students here on campus.

One of the major activities for our campus this semester is the development of a new strategic plan for the university. Our strategic planning committee has been busy collecting information and views from all our constituents through an electronic survey process. Over 200 individuals have participated in this process. We will shortly move to engage the university community through some focus groups etc. Our goal is to have a draft plan to present to the university early this spring.

Last week I had the chance to attend our Madison day at the legislature. This is an annual event that is sponsored by the Madison Chamber of Commerce. During this trip I had the opportunity to present to Governor Rounds some of our Dakota State accomplishments and issues. That evening a reception for state legislators and officials gave us the chance to focus some additional attention on DSU. This is a wonderful event and clearly emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the community of Madison and the university.

Later in the week Bruce Smith, our university relations director and I traveled to Sioux Falls to meet with staff members from Senator Thune and Representative Herseth’s office. We discussed some of our research activities and the type of help they can offer when we seek federal support for the initiatives and research that DSU is engaged in.

I had the chance last week to participate in the announcement of the hiring of a new head coach for our football program. Tom Shea, previously coached at DSU and is a graduate of this institution. After he left Dakotat State Coach Shea went on to lead some very successful programs and even coached a national championship team at Peru State in Nebraska. We are very excited that he has chosen to return to his alma mater and I know that our student/athletes will have the chance for an even more competitive experience.

Recently we also hosted one of our Discover Days. With over 30 students and their parents on campus it gave us a chance to tell the exciting story that is Dakota State University. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate why DSU is the only higher education institution in the state to win the Governor’s Star award for service and hospitality.

Our Foundation, Alumni and University Relations offices have moved to the new building the foundation purchased a few blocks south of the campus. This is a very nice addition to the university. The prime location and visibility will provide an opportunity for members of the community, our alumni and other supporters to interact with the university.

So I have to admit that I am writing this newsletter while sitting in an appropriations committee meeting in Pierre. Even at this increasing age I can multi-task.

So we have now returned from our “adventure” in Pierre. Our presentation to the Appropriations Committee went well. We will watch what happens in the Legislature over the next few weeks. Nothing very specific to DSU but will support bills to increase some technology funds for the system.

We will have home basketball games this weekend so I know where I will be!

Doug Knowlton

Jan newsletter

January 11, 2007

To the DSU Community:

Yes it has been awhile since I have written a newsletter, so one of my new year’s resolutions is to be more regular in communicating this way. Since I last wrote a number of things have happened on campus including our Fall Commencement. I was very pleased that Dr. Perry, Executive Director for the Board of Regents was able to be here as our speaker. That commencement was the concluding event of our 125th Anniversary Celebration and we had the special opportunity to recognize some of our emeritus faculty that have been a part of the history of DSU.

This past anniversary year was special in so many ways and I have to thank all the people that participated in the committees, and attended the events that marked this occasion. I also owe a special thank you to Gene Hexom. Gene so graciously portrayed General Beadle at numerous events through out the year. He visited us one last time at our annual holiday open house and ceremoniously departed back into the archives.

So our 125th anniversary logo, pins and banners have now been replaced with the “ DSU #1” logo. This is in recognition and promotion of the US News ranking of DSU as the top comprehensive public college in the Midwest. For those of you who travel interstate 29 on a regular basis you will also soon see a wonderful billboard proclaiming that fact. The billboard is in place just south of the Dell Rapids exit and will soon be covered by a bright logo, picture and message. True to our,”lets just do it ourselves spirit”, our staff found the location and made the arrangements so the billboard in the long run will be very cost effective for us.

We are in the middle of preparing for Dakota State’s presentation to the Appropriations Committee of the SD Legislature and I am drafting an updated president’s report that will be included in the next Dakota State magazine. Listed below are some of the highlights of the past year that I will be including in my “Year in Review” section.

Dakota State University was approved and funded to deliver a Doctor of Science in Information Systems. As a result, two new faculty members were hired and 15 students initially were admitted to the program (Goal was 10 students).
During our 125th Anniversary year several events were scheduled including our gala birthday party, publication of the updated 125th commemorative history book, visits by General Beadle, thousands of coca-cola cans carried the DSU anniversary logo, a birthday cake contest, a corporate scholarship campaign, and the development of an awe inspiring time line (now a permanent feature of the library)
U.S. News named DSU the highest ranked public comprehensive college in the Midwest.
For the second year in a row DSU was the only educational institution to receive the South Dakota Star award for our service and hospitality.
Our Dakota State University Lady T’s basketball team made it to the Elite Eight level at the NAIA national championships.
Enrollment at DSU hit a record level of 2439 students (a 4.72% increase – the largest percentage increase in the SD Regental system).
The Daktronics signage project was completed that put new scoreboards and signage in all our athletic facilities, the Trojan Center, and in the community.
The Citigroup Corporation initiated a Technology Leadership program that set out to hire IT graduates into a management development program. Only 16 universities were selected nationwide and Dakota State was among them.
Dakota State became a completely wireless campus and all students were included in our Wireless Mobile Computing Initiative and thus received tablet computers to enhance their educational experience.
The Dakota State University Foundation purchased the former Security Bank building in Madison. This building will now house our foundation offices, the alumni association and our university relations office.

2007 promises to be a very interesting year for the campus as we develop and promote a new strategic plan. Our theme for the year and the planning is “The Next Step”. What will be the challenges and the opportunities for DSU in the next five years? We have a strategic planning committee that is gathering opinions and views from all the constituencies here at the university and in the community. Later this spring we will be discussing, sharing, modifying and then adopting a plan that will guide us as we move ahead with all the exciting possibilities that are in front of us.

Our foundation, alumni relations and university relations offices have completed their move to the new building, just a few blocks south of the main campus. This is an exciting “next step” for the university and I am very grateful to everyone who has supported and helped with this transition. We will be holding an open house etc. some time in the next month or so but don’t hesitate to stop by there to see what a great show case for DSU this is becoming.

We will be doing some rearranging in Heston Hall so that we can have more space and a more welcoming area for our admissions office. At this point our plan is to have the Institutional Effectiveness office and the Graduate Office move to 3rd floor, the Career Services Center to second floor and the admissions office across the hall with the entrance to our Admissions office to be developed through the Montgomery Room.

Within the next few weeks I will be on the road again to several different locations in the state meeting with alums and working to increase the resources available to the university. My pledge is to write at least once every two weeks so you are all responsible for keeping me true to my resolution.

Doug Knowlton

P.S. A sincere thank you to all the people who shared their thoughts and prayers with me following the loss of my father just before Christmas. I hope you know how comforting all your concern was to me and my family.