President's Page

DSU as Investment

2011-08-08T18:35:00.001-05:00

Dakota State University
Investments in the Campus, the Community and in the Future
Over the last few years, many in the region and the state have taken notice of the construction equipment and crews that have been on or around the DSU campus here in Madison. I have had many questions about all the activities and the improvements that are being made in the educational environment. As a president, it is easy to take great pride in the physical plant improvements that have been initiated and/or completed because they are so visible. These changes are a very real sign of the investments that are being made in our students, in the community of Madison and, thus, in the future of the region and the state. Let me outline some of the recent improvements and investments that have been made:
• All four of our major residence halls have been renovated and upgraded (In Fall 2011, we will likely be at maximum capacity in those halls.)
• New convenience store and coffee shop developed
• Habeger Science Center totally renovated
• Restorations and renovations in Beadle Hall including new windows, air-conditioning and new fire escape
• Total renovation of heating and air conditioning, ceiling and lighting systems throughout the Mundt Library
• New energy efficient lighting upgrades throughout the campus
• Renovations to classrooms and labs with electrical power at 90% of every classroom seat on campus
• Renovations to the Trojan Center (student center)
• Air-conditioning and lobby improvements in the Memorial Fieldhouse
• New visitor bleachers at Trojan Field (installed summer 2011)
• Up-grades to the Dakota Prairie Playhouse (outside and inside – in progress)
• New electrical system and heating system upgrades across the campus
• Investments in new infrastructure at the Community Center (DSU energy funds used to improve hot water and HVAC systems, as well as lighting systems)
• Continued improvements in the landscaping across the campus
• Investment in the establishment of the Kringen Alumni and Foundation Center

While this is not a total list, it should provide a very good picture of the types of physical plant investments being made to support DSU’s mission as South Dakota’s lead institution in the area of information technology. These investments have been funded by students, by dollars provided by the state, and by the hard work of faculty and staff that have written grants and/or positioned DSU for this development.

Unlike the physical improvements, advances that one does not so easily see are:
• New academic programs,
• Tremendous growth in our online and distance education offerings
• Development and delivery of a doctorate program that has far exceeded our enrollment projections
• New corporate partnerships
• Expansion of outreach in Sioux Falls (MBA and new student teaching initiatives)
• Training of 193 faculty/staff and student leaders in the Continuous Quality Improvement process
• Research and service activities in banking and finance information assurance and health information technology

In just the past two years, the university has brought in over $14 million in external funding (grants and contracts). Student, faculty and staff accomplishments and awards have been plentiful. DSU is truly a dynamic institution that continues to make incredible progress and has positioned itself for this unlimited and progressive future. More than anything else, DSU is being an outstanding steward of these investments, and the students that will be a part of this institution and this community will be our future.

End of Semester Ramblings

2010-12-09T15:11:00.001-06:00

Knowlton’s Notes
Trojan Times
December 7, 2010
Ramblings
It is the end of another semester and it seems like there are many thoughts about the year so far at DSU and about “things” in general. With our record enrollment and our 5th year in a row honor from US News it felt like the semester was off to a great start. The visit from Ben Franklin, opening of the renovated Science Center, beautiful weather for homecoming and no cancellations for snow were wonderful highlights of the semester. ( I know the snow is a president’s thing)
The holiday break at the end of the first semester brings many memories. That first time going back home for a prolonged period of time always meant some adjustment with regard to new independence and then suddenly back under parental supervision. There was the sense of exhaustion with the end of the semester and finals etc. I also remember going through a period of time when I questioned whether I had made the right decision when I picked the University of Denver. Then there is the end of holiday break and the feeling that I was more than ready to go back and yes I had made the right decision.
Passwords – I have such a difficult time with passwords. I have different passwords for banking, special sites issues at work, logging on to the network, personal passwords for shopping from my home computer. I know that I do not do this well as I have some stuck on my computer on yellow sticky notes or in my desk drawer or on small pieces of paper in my wallet. There has got to be a better way and if anybody has a suggestion please email me – douglas.knowlton@dsu.edu and I will get the message – if I can remember my password that day.
Coffee – Man I love coffee and having Myxers directly across from my office is a definite asset. Caribou Coffee in SF is my favorite place although the new coffee place on Louise Ave. (Coffea?) is also great place to stop along with our own Mochavinos here in Madison. We have one of those Keurig coffee makers at work so there is an endless supply of different types and flavors of coffee. Yesterday I had one of the Keurig cups that was labeled Jet Fuel – the office was really nervous but didn’t seem to have any mind altering impact on me. So just to let you in on a secret – yes I love having people come talk to me during my weekly coffee hours but I also do it just so I can sit there and savor the coffee.
Christmas ties – I know friends that have two dozen Christmas ties they wear all during the season. I have basically 3 and I am determined to find some additional ones. So far my search has not been successful but I think I have time to go online to see if I can’t order a couple.
Google or Bing or Whatever – Is there any topic, subject, product or thing that one cannot find when searching the internet these days. It just amazes me that I can search for something like “TV Christmas Specials” and sure enough there is a whole world of information. I am truly in awe of this technology and get giddy about the applications – actually getting giddy over information technology is the subject of my commencement welcome scheduled for this Saturday. So with that commencement thought - farewell Fall Semester 2010. Wonder what kind of ramblings 2011 will bring.

Technology - YES

2010-11-26T07:46:00.001-06:00

November 10, 2010

A Celebration of Technology Inventiveness (even if it doesn’t make sense)

This past week end a copy of the magazine “Men’s Health” was laying on the counter top at our home and I caught a headline on the front cover. IOO of the Latest Technology Toys for Men” I wasn’t exactly sure why these toys were being directed to the masculine gender, but given that it was a “Mens” magazine I guess that was appropriate. Being an absolute sucker for anything that is labeled “new technology” I decided to check it out.
After wading through a few dozen pages of advertisements I found the section. Now here is where I get intimidated and a little depressed. Of the 100 items, I think I actually had a understanding of the technology listed for only 50 % of the items highlighted. There were a number of new style computers and some adaptations for I PODs etc, An amazing looking surround sound home theater system for about $15,000. I did understand the price tags on all of them. As I said, the first glance was a blow to my techno savy ego, but once I got over that assault I took it as a dare to read futher and challenge myself to understand the actual utility of the technology being promoted.
It is in this position of technology exploration that I find myself entirely in awe of the world we live in. The development and the creative energy going into this new world of technology and information technology facilitated communication and productivity is beyond comprehension. I have been so giddy about the fact that I have a vascular scanner to get into my office and now that 2-3 year old technology is beginning to look rather mundane. Yes I need a new technology fix.
DSU was so excited this fall to discover the use of the QR bar codes. I had no knowledge of them and without hesitation hooked on to this as DSU’s “new thing”. We put them on lapel pins that could take the person scanning the barcode to a u tube video of me explaining the technology and the clear fact that DSU was the place to come if the person who was watching the U tube knew anything about our mission. We put a large one on the side of a building to take the scanner to the press release on DSU being named the highest ranked public college in the Midwest for the 5th straight year. I began wearing my lapel pin and at meeting after meeting was demonstrating this technology and reinforcing the fact that DSU was once again out in front!
Within a few weeks I have now seen a large billboard in the Denver Airport with three large barcodes that will allow the scanner to down load whole books – Treasure Island or Moby Dick. FAR OUT – okay that expression dated me just a bit. I saw one in an ad in a Time magazine and during my last journey to Best Buy find that they are all over most of the products in the store. YES – SO SO Cool I love this stuff and love that it spreads so fast. I want a droid now because it scans so much faster than my blackberry!
This morning I read an article on the “10 gadgets that take tech too far”. Can one really take tech too far – cmon? So first thing was an alarm clock that will roll away from you if you try and shut it off before you get out of bed. Sleepy college students chasing their alarm clocks down the hallway in the residence hall is an image I think clearly warrants some study. There is a toilet that that measures your blood pressure and your insulin level, among a variety of other health related items and reports them to your PC. Why not? A toilet just seems like an item that could be so much more. And lastly, my favorite, a toilet paper holder that has an I POD speaker system attached. Hey we are going to get rid of all this paper waste why not find something better than a magazine!

There are those that think I have gone off the deep end by my obsession with technology (including my wife) but could I be the president of a more perfect place. I am in technology nirvana at DSU and I belong here.

Reflection

2010-11-25T13:09:00.000-06:00

Reflection is the Key to Effective Educational Experience
Doug Knowlton
November 25, 2010

A couple of hours ago I woke at my lake place (my get away place for the Thanksgiving holiday) and began a review of the activities for my day. As I lay half awake and half asleep I began to think through the things that I have been engaged in during the past few days. This is a type of reflection because it wasn’t just recalling those events, it was a time for “thinking about” what those activities meant and how they impacted me. I began the process of integrating what I had thought and learned into an understanding of the world – the ultimate educational goal.
During the past week I had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Collaboration for Learning. This is a regional organization that supports faculty development at colleges and universities throughout the upper Midwest. The keynote speaker at this meeting was Dr. George Kuh, one of the most prominent authorities on higher education in the United States. He provided intriguing information and data about the kinds of activities that help students be successful at universities in the United States. This is a subject of major concern here at DSU and throughout the US as we continue to fall behind other countries with regard to the educational attainment of our citizens.
While I have been very familiar with Dr. Kuh’s work and his ideas, there was one new activity that I found to hold significant promise for Dakota State. The concept he presented centered on the higher success rate of students who engage in “high impact” activities while they are engaged in their education. This has traditionally meant being engaged in clubs, organizations, service activities, intercollegiate and intramural athletics. The new possibility that was presented was the opportunity to turn “work” activities of students into a “high impact” learning experience. The hypothesis presented is that this experience could facilitate learning at a higher level and at the same time promote more success (retention and graduation). A small pilot study was completed at the University of Iowa that found very significant positive impact on student’s perception of their work and the educational value when there was a “high impact” component of this work activity.
What could turn the everyday work activities of students – workstudy positions, on campus work, work at athletic events, and off-campus work into an activity that has the possibility of increasing their success? The process that has this tremendous potential is something we know with certainty increases a student’s learning. Reflection on the activity! A student who is encouraged and supported to think somewhat more deeply about what they are doing at work will use that experience more effectively. A supervisor who would have a brief but structured conversation about the work experience – “What have they learned about working with people? What organizational or time management practices have they engaged in? What specific skills have they developed?” could have an impact on the possibility the student would graduate! WOW – now there is a concept!
So as I lay warm half asleep, the motivation to take action and the integration of this concept started to take shape. Reflection- yes the simple process of thinking about and analyzing an experience is the key to making any activity one that educates and informs. So I am committed to beginning a conversation at DSU that could provide this exceptional and meaningful way to increase their reflective activity and thus their exceptional success. This is particularly relevant because recent studies have documented that DSU students spend more time “working” than students at any other campus in the SD system. Please let me know if you have thoughts or ideas that might facilitate our progress on such an initiative.

Leadership and committment

2009-08-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

This past week the 17 members of the Dakota State Planning Council spent an entire day at a lodge near Howard, SD planning and thinking seriously about directions for DSU. We discussed our own leadership interactions and the needs for additional leadership education on the campus. This discussion also lead us to a point of determining 4 priority areas for the next year that will address our accreditation process (AQIP) and also our strategic plan. I will post more to my blog later about the four priority areas.

We also made a committment to more specifically define the continuous improvement process we want to incorporate into our decision making for the university. A recent review of our many activities on campus indicated that we needed to be clearer about the processes we use to define our priorities, set goals and accomplish tasks. Once we have outlined this process we will begin to apply it to the newly established priority areas for the year.

In addition, we had a chance to discuss our current budget situation and think about how this will be presented to the campus at our opening session for all faculty and staff on Aug. 24th.

Another part of our "retreat" was the examination of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement that DSU participates in every two years or so. Our data does give DSU some areas to be very proud of and some areas that we need to address. I have to point out that on the measures of student engagement DSU achieves a positive ranking relative to the other 5 regental institutions in SD on more areas than any of the other 5. We surpass national norms or score well in areas the are associated with collaborative learning opportunities and a supportive campus. Our areas of challenge (and our focus) center on academic challenge. As we examined this area we did realize that many of the questions that measure academic challenge are not so relevant to DSU due to the movement to more electronic means of communicating and learning. The Survey clearly is lagging behind the processes of learning that many institutions are adopting.

In 2007 we established our new Strategic Plan with 7 areas of focus. At the retreat we examined data relevant to our progress on these 7 areas. On many of the 7 we have made good or exceptional progres and on others we need to reevaluate the goals and the work we are doing to accomplish the targets we set. At the all university opening session in a week I will present this data to the campus and then post it here to my blog. (keep checking)

At the end of the retreat we discussed three additional areas of concern or focus. These were technology, athletics and leadership. We learned that there are many improvements to our technology infrastructure that students will experience this fall. We will also focus on a reevaluation of the directions and values that we established during the implementation of our WMCI (Wireless Mobile Computing Initiative) with the probable establishment of a Technology Committee to look at processes and new directions. Athletics is an area of focus this year and we examined data regarding student numbers, scholarship needs, recruiting practices and our committments to providing student athletes a supportive environment. Lastly, we looked at our own membership and determined that some additional members including a student member might positively impact our work together.

This was an extraordinarily candid and productive meeting and has clearly made me even more excited to start this new academic year. Many might not understand how much energy, hard work and thought go into making DSU an institution that is continually and fervently striving to be better and to provide students the extraordinary learning environment that is our goal.

As always comments and questions are welcomed here on the blog or in person.

Getting ready

2009-08-02T11:18:00.002-05:00

It is amazing how fast a summer can go. Seems like just a few weeks ago we had commencement and now we are in the final stages of getting ready for the start of a new academic year. I spent some time walking around campus this past week and there are alot of things to get done before we welcome back the faculty/staff on the 24th and new student move in on the 30th. The residence hall projects (Emry and Zimmermann this summer) seems to have gone more smoothly and we are all confident that the major renovations will be completed although lots of clean up etc. There are some new sidewalks that have been installed - a constant update and we will have some new lights up around campus. Of course the major project we are preparing for is the total renovation of the Science Center. Everyone has been busy moving out and throwing out the accumulation of some 40 years. We will open bids for the project on Aug 13th and the actual work should start around Sept 1 with total completion of the project to take approximately one year. We are doing some work in Heston Hall - elevator retrofit or something like that. The student services center in the Trojan Center has been renovated and up dated and yes even the VP for Academic Affairs and the President's office are being painted and updated.

Before the start of the academic year we will also have newly designed banners up around campus with a new athletic logo unveiled. A new TROJAN mascot will be on the banners around the athletic complex. There will also be new billboards going up on Interstate 29 and a new lighted sign on HWY 34 is now welcoming visitors to Madison - Home of Dakota State University.

Our enrollment projections look very good for this fall with enrollment of new first year students and transfers up 11% compared to a year ago. I am confident that we will set a new overall enrollment record again this fall.

We are reinvigorating our DSU 2.0 Capital Campaign and will be spending a great deal of time working on establishing relationships and asking for investments in the university. I am also committing myself to more regular blogging!

Reflections

2009-04-26T21:26:00.001-05:00

Reflection and New Beginnings

Every year about this time I go through a period of very serious reflection on what the past academic year has brought to Dakota State University. When students arrived last fall we were still in the last stages of some major construction projects – the finishing touches to the renovations of Higbee and Richardson Halls. While there were many adjustments and last minute “fixes” that needed to be made this improvement was certainly a positive addition to the campus. The new Myxers coffee place and convenience store was not quite ready but shortly after the beginning of fall semester it became a part of the campus experience. Other renovation projects included the new mailbox room in the Trojan Center and the refurbishing and renovating of the conference rooms in the TC. Beadle Hall also received a “face lift” with all new windows and window blinds etc. The admissions office in Heston Hall had a major up-grade with a new “high tech” look to reflect “who we are” when students first visit here.

Students had other adjustments to be made including our conversion to the D2L course management system and the use of a new tablet computer “the Fujitsu” in place of many of our Gateways.

While there is no way to capture all the highlights of this past year let me explore just a few.

· DSU was awarded a 2 million dollar grant to establish the National Center for the Protection of the Financial Infrastructure. Over the next few years this center will bring faculty/researchers that will work with graduate students and others on campus to advance our research agenda in the area of banking and finance information security.
· For the third year in a row, US News announced that DSU was the highest ranked public baccalaureate college in the Midwest region
· The Board of Regents approved a new Master’s degree in Health Informatics and approved the establishment of a Center for the Advancement of Health Information Technology here at Dakota State
· One of our students, Justin Kulm, was named the first student from DSU to be the student commander of the AFROTC unit based at SDSU
· We set a record enrollment number of 2780 head count
· Admitted our first students to the Computer Game Design major
· Launched a new look to our web site
· President launched his highly successful and stimulating “Coffee with the President” on Thursday mornings
· We welcomed a new Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students – Jesse Wise
· Hired a new Vice President for Advancement – Judy Payne

It is always gratifying and amazing to think about all that happens here over the course of the year at a university that is as dynamic as Dakota State.

At this time, I also enjoy thinking about the changes that will take place this next year and new parts of the DSU experience that will wait for students who will be returning in the fall

· DSU will complete the renovation projects for our residence halls with Emry and Zimmerman receiving the same type of improvements that Higbee and Richardson received last year.
· We will begin a year - long total renovation of the Science Center. This will refurbish almost every area in the building and will bring a very technology rich experience to our science and math classes.
· There will likely be more Fujitsu computers on campus.
· A new audio production studio will be located in the TCB and will support the Digital Arts and Design curriculum
· We will unveil a new athletic logo with new banners hanging on the campus
· We will have new head coaches in Football, Volleyball and Men’s Basketball.

In the next couple of weeks we will also experience a couple of “Firsts” at the university. At our Spring 09 Commencement we will award our first ever doctoral degree. This is a hall mark event for this university and will make all of us reflect on how far DSU has come.

On the more celebratory and fun side of the next couple of weeks, I will host the first annual evening before commencement picnic for all our graduates at the new president’s residence. All the graduating student will be invited to attend a brief outdoor picnic following the commencement rehearsal on Friday, May 8th.

It has been an “awesome” year and more is still to come!!!

March Newsletter

2009-03-02T15:38:00.000-06:00

March 1, 2009

To the DSU Community:

It has been awhile since I have had a chance to write to all of you about some of the happenings and activities here at Dakota State. Since I have last written, Sharon and I have moved into the new Stahl-Phillips House at 1022 NE 9th St. Most of you probably know that because of some structural issues with the Girton House and through a partial gift from Gene and Margie Phillips the DSU Foundation made the decision to buy this home as an investment and as a new home for Sharon and I and our future presidents. It is a wonderful home that is totally accessible (a problem with the Girton House) and has the kind of space that will allow for larger functions. On Saturday evening we entertained over 100 people as a part of the Madison Area Kick-Off of the DSU Capital Campaign. Later this spring we will be hosting an open house at the new home for all the DSU faculty and staff.

We are moving forward with the capital campaign to raise 37 million dollars to support scholarships, initiatives and two new buildings. At the kick off of the Madison area part of the campaign we were able to announce that we have already achieved 8 million dollars in pledged cash gifts and deferred gifts. I was also so pleased that our National Campaign chair was able to tell the gathering that our gifts to-date from our own faculty and staff has topped one million dollars with a goal of three million dollars. Thanks to all of you that have pledged or are considering pledging to the campaign. Members of the foundation staff will be visiting with everyone on campus to answer their questions and ask for their support. This is a five year campaign so we are just at the beginning stages. I have been meeting with donors and alumni both here in Madison and around the country to tell the DSU story and to ask for their investment in the university.

As most of you know the legislature is in session and I have been to Pierre twice to appear before the Appropriations Committee. At the end of January, VP Wittmayer, VP Krusemark and I made our annual report on Dakota State. We received very few questions and had many positive reactions to our report.

This past week the appropriations committee had a hearing on the 2010 Research Centers that the state is supporting. DSU was recently awarded 2 million dollars in funding to support our 2010 Research Center – The National Center for the Protection of the Financial Infrastructure. The president of SDSU, VP from SDSMT and I testified to the panel about the impact of these research centers on our campuses. It was very gratifying that DSU was received so positively and it was great to be at that table talking about this important educational and economic niche for the state. As a part of our ongoing development of the Center, I accompanied Kevin Streff to Washington, D.C. and participated in meetings with staff from the Department of Homeland Security, National Security Agency and the Department of Treasury. Be watching for more positive news about the center in the future. (The university is working with the Lake Area Improvement Corporation to locate the research center in the Heartland Technology Building north of the campus).

Here is a summary of a few issues and activities that have commended my attention over the past few weeks.
· We are actively recruiting new coaches in the Athletic Department and just named a new head football coach, Josh Anderson – former DSU student and Madison High School graduate. He will be joining us some time in March.
· Approximately two weeks ago the external reviewer for our Master’s in Health Informatics was on campus. This professor from Northeastern University in Boston had many positive observations and gave us an excellent review. We are hoping that this 4th Master’s degree will be finally approved by the Board of Regents in April
· The new University Center classroom building was opened this month in Sioux Falls and so we have faculty and staff utilizing that facility. The official grand opening is later this month. I have been working with the USD President, the SDSU President and the Executive Director of the Board of Regents to outline governance and determine appropriate management for the Graduate Education and Applied Research Center (GEAR) that is a part of the new UC development.
· Look for a new version of the DSU athletic logo/image to be revealed in next couple of weeks
· Our application numbers are looking very good for next fall with our first year and transfer applications up about 11% compared to a year ago at this time.
· Our bids for the 2nd phase of the residence hall renovations came through in such a way that we should be able to do all of the upgrades that we had hoped. This 2nd share of the 5.2 million dollar project is about 2.2 million. Emry Hall and Zimmermann Hall are included in the project that will take place this summer.
· We are in the final design stages for the Science Center Renovation that will begin this summer. Bids for this project should come in sometime in April. This will be a major improvement for the campus and the science center.

We have been having a good time meeting for coffee at my President’s Coffee Hour each Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the new Myxers coffee shop and convenience store. As a result of discussions we have a new clock in Myxers, some new lighting going into Myxers for evening events and more hot water in Emry. Other more serious topics have included our weapons policy review and the use of D2L as our course management system. Come join this group of students and faculty. There is always some type of special if you should want some coffee or other treats.

Tomorrow is our All University Convocation and I am exceptionally excited about our main speaker. Dan Schoepf is an amazing young man who is a graduate of DSU. He does training for corporate staff and other organizations and has written two books. He will be sharing thoughts about goal setting and the title of his talk is “You Against You”. The Convocation is scheduled from 11-Noon in the DPP.

It is starting to warm up out there and I am confident that spring is just around the corner!!

Douglas D. Knowlton, Ph.D.
President-Dakota State University
820 N Washington
Madison, South Dakota 57042
605 256-5112
douglas.knowlton@dsu.edu

Education, Spirituality and Religion

2009-02-05T11:50:00.001-06:00

Knowlton’s Notes: Education, Spirituality and Religion
Submitted to Trojan Times – February 4, 2009
As I write this article for the next issue of the Trojan Times. I am also preparing to give a talk at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast here in Madison tomorrow morning. As the president of the university I am rarely at a loss for words and I am not particularly anxious about public speaking, but this particular presentation has been more perplexing and challenging. When asked for a title for my speech I came up with the idea of discussing spirituality and education and thus the title “The Coexistence of Two Journeys: Spiritual and Education” was developed. The challenge that has presented itself is the fact that there are those who might think these two concepts are not compatible. In significant circles in the academy (the very formal word for faculty within the broader university community) there would be a debate about the appropriateness of integrating religion and education. This is particularly problematic in public universities where the courts have found that public school sponsorship of religious practices to be inconsistent with the first amendment to our constitution.
There are organizations that have been developed to explore and attempt to understand the whole concept of Spirituality in Higher Education. Large national studies have been completed looking at the trends, patterns and principles of spirituality and religiousness among college students. For example, there was a study of 3,680 undergraduate students completed in 2003 and here are some of the more interesting findings from that study of first year and third year students at large and small and public and private colleges and universities.
* 58% of the students placed a high value on “integrating spirituality” in their lives,
*71% indicating they “gain spiritual strength by trusting in a higher power”.
* Among the third year students or juniors, three in four report that they pray, that religion is personally helpful to them and that they discuss religion and spirituality with friends.
*Although students report a high level of spirituality and even religiousness, they are very tolerant of non-religious people. Seven in ten agree that most people can grow spiritually without being religious and 88% say that non-religious people can lead lives that are just as moral as religious believers.
*Three fourths (76%) have “struggled to understand evil, suffering and death” and nearly half (46%) have at least occasionally “felt angry with God”.
When the students were asked about the interaction of students and faculty when it came to issues of spirituality and education, more than half (56%) say that their professors never provide opportunities to discuss the meaning and purpose of life. Nearly two-thirds of the students say professors never encourage discussions of spiritual or religious matter (62%).
Over half (52%) of the sample reported attending religious services frequently the year before they entered college, but less than one-third (29%) attend frequently by their junior year.
I find some of this data and the findings to be very interesting. I have questions about the role of the university in supporting the journey to find a sense of spirituality and or even religious “fit” in the context of exploration that is necessary in almost all educational environments. At DSU we are faced with educating students to utilize technology in educational settings, creative settings, pure IT settings and in business. There are ethical and moral questions that accompany the use of technology in almost all settings and how does the university facilitate questions of ethics and not touch on moral issues that are often connected to spirtitual or religious thought. I am going to reprint this brief article on my blog and would invite discussion of this issue by submitting a comment to my blog. Maybe I will even get some individuals to come to my new coffee hours (Thursdays at 10:30 AM in the Myxers lounge). Let me know your reactions to this data or your view on the subject.

DSU leads Wireless Mobile Computing Initiative

2009-01-01T22:00:00.003-06:00

I had this letter published in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader to counter information in the paper that made it appear that the SD Board of Regents was abandoning the Wireless Mobile Computing Initiatives on all the campuses.
Madison
Recently, the Argus Leader printed an article about the South Dakota Board of Regent's decision to defer their initiative to provide a wireless mobile computing environment on all the public university campuses. A follow-up editorial also applauded the Board of Regents for that decision.I am writing to clarify the fact that there currently are two campuses in the South Dakota higher education system that already have integrated this environment: Dakota State University in Madison and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City.
DSU, as South Dakota's designated information technology university, was the first to adopt this approach to teaching and learning. During the past five years, every student at Dakota State has been issued a wireless tablet computer and virtually all spaces on the campus have wireless access. This technology has been infused into the educational experience of our students in all majors on the campus. In addition, students in DSU's College of Education graduate with the coursework needed for an educational technology endorsement.Dakota State also has been the coordinating unit for professional development in the school districts that have adopted the state-supported initiative to put wireless computing devices in the hands of high school students.The purpose of this letter is to clarify that there are two public higher education campuses that already have and will continue to advance this 21st century approach to teaching and learning.
Speaking for DSU, we are committed to bringing the best practices in computer-facilitated learning to our students and to providing support to other education entities that are also pursuing this approach.

College Experience

2008-11-29T08:44:00.000-06:00

Knowlton’s Notes: The College Experience
Submitted to the Trojan Times – November 29, 2008

As a “maturing” college president I often think back and reflect on my own “college experiences”. I sometimes try and relate those experiences to the kinds of reactions that students here at Dakota State University might have today. There are a few decades and a world of changes between then and now and so it is difficult to draw direct connections. I am currently reading a book titled “Racing Odysseus: A College President Becomes a Freshman Again”, by Roger Martin. Yes, President Martin was slightly older than me when he decided to take this adventure but I am finding his reactions and experiences to be very thought provoking.
Martin takes a semester off from his job to move to another city and enter a small liberal arts college as a freshman student. He doesn’t hide the fact that he is a president (at age 61 it would have been difficult for him) but he engages in all (well not all) activities that are a part of the first semester experience of the students. He lives off campus and not in the residence hall. From registration frustration, embarrassment at being late to a class, lack of physical stamina in an intramural athletic activity and academic performance anxiety he is able to examine his own reactions. He engages in conversations with fellow students about their homesickness, their doubts about having picked the right university, their family turmoil, and their personal self doubts. Throughout the experience he is energized and inspired by the students engagement in their attempts to understand the subject matter they are exposed to.
As I sat reading this recounting of Martin’s journey I drifted back to so many of my own experiences and my attempts to connect currently with students here at DSU. When new students appear here at DSU I know that they experience some of the same anxieties and doubts as well as excitement that are a part of this new experience of college. As I walk through the Trojan Center or engage students in the new coffee shop I often ask “how things are going” and can usually judge the students current state of mind based on their response. So often, I have wished that I could take away all the anxiety, self doubt and lack of confidence so that all students could engage in learning without this “painful” part of the process of becoming independent. I also get such a positive feeling when engaging with a student who has “found themselves” or is at the end of their college career and are ready to take on the world. It is a process, a journey, an adventure and a path that so many have taken.
It is almost the end of the Fall 08 Academic Year. This can be a time of significant worry about projects that are due or finals to be taken. It can also be a time for thinking back over the semester. I know for some this was their first semester and for others their last. I hope for all students it has been a time of growth and for self reflection.
On another level this book by President Martin has made me pause to think about my journey as President of DSU, my current college experience. While the experience is so often exhilarating and rewarding there are some things I wish I could do better or differently. While it is not quite time for new year’s resolutions this reading has helped me look to the future-next semester. I miss teaching! I hope some time in the not too distant future to be engaged with students in this most meaningful part of the college experience. While I have been on the road doing major fundraising, I have grown to feel less connected to the campus and to what is happening here at DSU. I am going to find times next semester to visit classrooms, sit in the new coffee shop, have more lunches with students. I am going to care less about whether our athletic teams win or lose and care more about their experiences as student athletes. I will talk more with students so I can understand the differences between their experiences and mine. Let me know about your experiences here at DSU by writing me or commenting on my blog. Thanks Doug

Dare to Do

2008-09-14T11:49:00.001-05:00

DARE TO DO
Last year Dakota State University adopted a new “slogan” or “tagline” that is a quote from a wonderful writer named Eudora Welty. While the statement is short and to the point, it also encouraged discussion about what exactly it meant. So I would like to use my column in this issue of the Trojan Times to give my perspective on “dare to do” and point out a few examples of what this means in concrete terms.
There are many examples of how this university has dared to take on new programs and new initiatives. We have been absolutely in front of the mobile computing initiatives that the state (at the K-12 and university level) is adopting system wide. We have developed a new doctoral degree in information systems that has surpassed our expectations for enrollment. While these university wide activities are good examples, it is clearly individual student “dares” that are what “dare to do” is really about.
DARE to COMPETE:
Dakota State University student Ashley Podhradsky was named a recipient of the 2008 Google Anita Borg Scholarship. This $1000 scholarship was awarded to 50 women across the nation. Podhradsky is the only woman from South Dakota who is receiving the scholarship. Others schools represented include Berkley, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.
Dakota State University junior Jenny Grabinger was awarded the Sales & Marketing Executives Inc., of Sioux Falls (SME) scholarship. Grabinger competed against three finalists for the $4,000 scholarship. The competition consisted of an oral sales presentation, along with a formal application process.
Citibank awarded 30 scholarships, with 9 of them going to current Dakota State students and 3 to students transferring to DSU – double the number awarded to any other university in the state. The purpose of the scholarships is to address the teacher shortage in South Dakota, as well as encouraging the graduates to stay in the state. Current Dakota State students receiving scholarships included Michael Anderson, Sioux Falls; Kelsey Hoff, Watertown; Nicole Hoiten, Montrose; Jennifer Hove, Sioux Falls; Casey Krogman, Oldham; Abbey Rotter, Centerville; Katie Schultz, DeSmet; Amber Sherman, Goodwin; and Scott Sonne, Mount Vernon.

DARE to ACHIEVE
Dakota State University student Ryan Pries was awarded the best paper award at the 2008 International Conference on Communications (ICC) in Beijing, China. Pries’ paper was judged best by peer-reviewers and received the top recommendation from the symposium chairs. The ICC is the flagship international conference on communications.
DARE to LEAD
Dakota State University (DSU) senior Justin Kulm was selected to serve as Detachment 780 Cadet Wing Commander for the Air Force ROTC at SDSU. Kulm is the first DSU cadet to be chosen for this role. He assumed the responsibilities for leading the Cadet Corps on May 3 and will continue through the fall 2008 semester.

The South Dakota National Education Association/National Education Association (SDEA/NEA) recently recognized two Dakota State University students for their service to the organization and their local campuses. Kindra Bean Hofman was named 2008 Outstanding Student Leader for SDEA. Michael Anderson was named 2008 Outstanding State Student Leader for SDEA.

Appreciation and Dedication

2008-02-22T13:31:00.002-06:00

This past week I have been significantly aware of the amazing things that the faculty are doing on this campus to promote student learning. I had a chance to attend the Collaboration meeting in Minneapolis. I am on the board of directors for this regional faculty development consortium. DSU was wonderfully represented by 10 of our faculty members that presented 5 different sessions on various ways that technology is used to facilitate learning. This was the largest number of presentations by any one of the 90+ institutions that are represented in the Collaboration.

Earlier this week DSU had 18 students present poster sessions at the SD Universities Research forum at the Capital in Pierre. We also had a great contingent of faculty and staff accompany the students. This number is the second highest of any higher ed institution in the state. I have always been convinced that one of the primary ways to influence and impact student learning is to support an appreciation and participation in research activities.

On Monday of this week a group of faculty in our College of BIS put on an ethical hacking workshop for high school students from across the region. They also involved our own graduate students in the project. This is another example of the active and creative ways we are involving students and potential students.

PS As a side note. We are very excited that the SD Legislature seems to be moving to support the Board of Regents Science Lab bonding bill. After hearing testimony on the projects on Tuesday - the appropriations committee of the SD Senate voted 8-0 to support the bill. Now just the full Senate and we will see funds to improve the science labs across the state with 6 million slated for a total renovation of our Habeger Science Center at DSU.

Ramblings

2008-01-31T10:46:00.001-06:00

January 31, 2008

Knowlton’s Notes: Ramblings

While I have tried to have a theme to each of the articles I have recently written for the Trojan times this time is different. There are so many ideas, thoughts, and issues that make my life as president of this dynamic institution incredibly stimulating. So for this issue I have decided to briefly write about three thoughts running through my head.

Study Abroad
I have had the good fortune to travel abroad (Iceland, England, Scotland, France, Italy) and each time I have returned a different person. Any type of study abroad or just travel to a foreign country is a life changing experience. I wish that there was some way to subsidize more student travel or ways to convince students of the importance of these types of experiences. Not only are they life changing, but in this global economy, these experiences are resume builders. Employers are increasing looking for people that have had more global experiences and can function in this international workplace.

Dr. Nancy Moose and her husband Roger lead a fabulous study trip to England, Scotland and France. I had the opportunity along with my son to travel with them and a group of DSU students. They are incredible guides and facilitators of the experience. I would encourage students to contact Dr. Moose if you have any interest in expanding your resume, your experience and your perceptions of the world.

Responsibility for Learning – okay this is definitely a rant!
As the person of last resort when a student needs to appeal a suspension etc., I get a chance on rare occasions to visit with students who want to make a case for returning to the university. Each time I make a decision about the appeal very early in the process. If the student immediately launches into a litany of excuses for performance, noisy roommates, problems with boyfriend, computer problems the odds of getting a favorable appeal decision are just about zero! If the individual start to discuss with me their own responsibility for their performance and how they have developed a plan to improve, then I start listening.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in life is the need to take responsibility for one’s own life, particularly one’s own learning. It is not about the instructor, the book, the time of the class, the subject matter. It is all about me and my attitude. I have been in a situation of sitting through the most unbelievably boring lectures and or presentations. It was not until I really came to grips with my own drive to learn was I able to approach almost every situation and experience with the attitude “What can I learn from this”. Then I can focus my interest and my attention and even in these situations find something that is valuable in the presentation. When I was in graduate school I was required to take 4 semesters of statistics – math not being my favorite subject – I dreaded this requirement. But I learned to motivate myself and worked on my attitude. During those four semesters I got three A’s and a B. My greatest wish for students at DSU is that they find a way to have an attitude that generates excitement about every opportunity to learn!

Appreciating Diversity
I am clearly most comfortable when I am surrounded by people who are a lot like me. Yes – that is a fact and is probably true for most of us. I also know that there is richness in experiences that bring me into contact with people who are different from me. Whether that individual is of a different racial or ethnic background, younger or older, male or female, gay or straight, or from another area of the world, I know that I am better as a person when I have a chance for these interactions. In a world that is increasing diverse our appreciation of this diversity is a major asset. I hope students will seek out experiences that broaden their understanding of individuals they may perceive as different from themselves. As a result of that experience they will, without a doubt, become a kinder , smarter and much more successful person.

So maybe next edition I will get back on a theme – or was there a theme here?

January Newsletter

2008-01-25T10:11:00.000-06:00

January 25, 2008

To the DSU Community:

On January 4, 2008 I completed four years as the president here at DSU. It is hard to believe that four years could go this fast and that I feel like I am still learning and excited about “starting” this position. When I look back, I am proud of our many accomplishments over this time period but I also realize how many dreams and challenges we have ahead of us.

The start of this Spring (hard to call it spring with these below zero temps) Semester has taken me to Pierre on a couple of occasions. The annual “Madison Hosts the Legislature” event was held on January 15th and I accompanied a large group of individuals from Madison on the bus to Pierre. I was pleased that we had a good size group representing DSU. During the trip we met with our local legislators, met with the governor and hosted a reception for legislators and other state leaders. Once again our dynamic duo of Jona and Donna put up a wonderful display highlighting Dakota State. This display included a new banner with the “DARE TO DO” tagline prominently at the top. This gave us many opportunities to talk about the university and share our plans for the future. The governor was very complimentary of DSU and made a strong statement about why he felt that Dakota State was a place where things got done.

The first three days of this week were also spent in Pierre. Monday I attended a Council of Presidents meeting focused on tuition policy and then attended a Board of Regents meeting and a reception for Student Federation members. Tuesday and Wednesday were Board of Regents days to appear before the joint appropriations committee. In addition to a general presentation by the board, each of the public universities were given a time to present issues that they felt would be important to the committee. VP Wittmayer, VP Krusemark and I presented on Wednesday morning. Here is a link to the web site that we sent to the legislators in preparation for this presentation. This includes the basic outline of the material presented with additional links to supportive or supplemental information.

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

Next week we will hold an all campus meeting and go through the issues we presented to the legislature. There are a couple of very important initiatives for DSU including a bonding bill that would allow us to do a total renovation of our Science Center and a bill that would include the establishment of the statewide research cluster (data center) here on campus. We will keep you all informed as these legislative activities progress.

Upon returning from the legislature on Wednesday evening I had the chance to participate in a thank-a-thon event. Individuals from our planning council spent time on three consecutive nights calling individuals to thank them for their financial contributions to the university. It was great fun talking with alumni and donors. (I must say I didn’t enjoy all the calls to Florida and Arizona given that it was below zero here and we inevitably discussed the weather) We also got oriented to the new call system that the foundation has put in place that speeds up the calling and the record keeping.

Yesterday included a briefing with the regional president of a major bank in Sioux Falls. Dr. Kevin Streff and I are engaged in a process that has a goal of establishing a National Center for the Protection of the Financial Infrastructure here at DSU. The governor and the state office of economic development have provided some initial implementation funds. In addition to engaging local financial institutions we will be traveling to Washington D.C. the first week in February to speak with our congressional delegation and key people in a variety of federal agencies. I also hope to connect with some alumni and supporters who live in the D.C. area.

Here are some highlights from other activities that have kept things hoping during these first weeks of the semester.
· Our football program held their annual banquet this past Sunday. We had a chance to honor a number of players, their seniors and even a number of parents. It was a great evening. It ended at a time that would allow Coach Shea to watch his favorite team the Packers get beat in the playoff game (Okay I am a Vikings fan so I couldn’t resist)
· As a member of the board of directors of The Collaboration (a regional faculty development collaboration) I have been engaged in some activities preparing for the spring conference in Minneapolis. The theme for this conference is “Critical Thinking in the Age of the Internet”. I was really pleased to discover that members of our DSU faculty are presenting five different sessions – more than any other university at the meeting.
· One of the highlights of my spring semester over the past few years has been the chance to be a Junior Achievement instructor in one of the grade schools here in Madison. This year I am in Mrs. Sims’ 5th grade class. I get the chance to interact with these enthusiastic, energetic and delightful young kids for 5 Thursday mornings. If we could all just sustain some of their eagerness to learn thought out our lives it would be truly amazing. They energize me!
· We continue the search on campus for the next major Information Technology advance. We are mandated to “stay ahead of the curve” with regard to this technology. Last week I had the chance to hear from an “Apple” computer representative. Although I have not been a real apple fan it was interesting to hear about new developments and the possibility for a dual platform type of notebook computer.
· We continue to meet regularly with regard to recruiting new students. Our advertizing campaign, our discovery days and other activities are constantly being scrutinized to keep our feet to the fire with regard to recruitment. I am pleased that our new tagline “DARE TO DO” seems to have caught on and I have had a number of positive comments. It seems to be so applicable to many of the things we do at DSU.
· The foundation staff and I have been making presentations to groups of individuals regarding our planned comprehensive campaign. We are in the feasibility phase of the campaign and will be sharing more details about the campaign at a later date. We have now held two sessions in Sioux Falls, two in Madison and one in Rapid City with a session planned for Omaha. Last night we were in Sioux Falls and gathered much needed comments and suggestions as we put the final touches on our campaign materials etc.

This weekend brings another flurry of activities. Our men’s and women’s basketball teams will be hosting conference rivals on both Friday and Saturday night. I will be a attending a legislature information session in Sioux Falls on Saturday morning and will return to attend a special “DSU” wedding in the afternoon. Miles Rausch and Holli Gregg – two outstanding recent graduates will be married tomorrow here in Madison.

During one of my thank-a-thon calls the alum I was speaking with commented that he enjoyed reading my blogs but he wished that I made more entries --so my new year’s resolution is to post more comments to by blog. Hope you all have a good January weekend – yes it will warm up! Doug

Focus 7

2007-11-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

Knowlton’s Notes: Focus On Developing New Financial Resources
The last “focus” of the seven identified in the new Dakota State University strategic plan is on developing new financial resources. This focus is key if we are to make the kind of progress all of us would like to see here at DSU. To develop new programs, add more students and improve our facilities we will need new sources of revenue and support. To this end the university has identified these five activities as keys to realizing these much needed financial resources.

1.Support the DSU Foundation in its efforts to conduct a successful comprehensive campaign.
The university is at the beginning stages of a campaign to reach out to alumni and friends of the university to gain funds for building projects and for scholarship support. Over the next few years members of our development office (including me) will be on the road and working to connect these individuals to our vision and to the mission of DSU.

2.Expand corporate partnerships to support campus endeavors.
With the increasing number of corporations and businesses looking to hire students from DSU and our tie to industries in the region (financial, health care, etc.) we will initiate a special campaign to reach out to these groups.

3.Increase campus efficiencies by “going green”.
While raising additional revenue is important, it is also important that we are good stewards of this campus. We can find ways to reduce energy costs by becoming more environmentally conscious and by initiating more “green” practices on the campus.

4.Obtain funding to support facilities and campus infrastructure improvements.
Through grants and through legislatively funded projects we hope to make improvements to the campus. For example we are in the first stages of a request to the legislature that would provide funds for renovation our Science Center.

5. Increase financial support from alumni and other benefactors.
Through regular publications, our improved telethon system, and as a part of our foundation’s comprehensive campaign we have increased goals for annual giving and endowment support.

We have set some significant and challenging goals for our fundraising efforts.
By 2012, the DSU Foundation net assets will reach $10 million, the annual phonathon will reach $150,000 in pledges, and the University will have new resources in place to support new academic programs and initiatives. Current assets are approximately 6 million dollars and our telethon raised approximately 75 thousand dollars last year.

This last issue of the Trojan Times for 2007 concludes my series on the new DSU strategic plan. I have posted some of these articles to my blog http://presidentspage.blogspot.com/ and would welcome any comments or additional ideas.
As a part of this effort we will be reaching out to our alumni, the local community, corporations, families, faculty and staff and even students to help us meet these important goals.

Experiences

2007-11-15T08:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to host three individuals from China at the president's home here at DSU. One of the individuals is a student in our MIS graduate program and the other two are visiting faculty from East China Normal University in Shainghi. As I sat at the dinner table and as we conversed about China, the US, Madison, DSU etc I couldn't help but be struck by how wonderful it is when cultures come together. When individuals from other sides of the world can share their views and their knowledge. This is particularly striking when one thinks about how a very short time ago the interaction with individuals from China was so restricted because of our political and governmental differences. All three of these individuals are from large cities (14 and `13 million people) - what an interesting contrast Madison, SD must be. When asked about the differences one of the visitors replied about how quiet it was here. This was not a negative comment and anyone who has spent time in a large metropolitan city would understand this observation.

I so sincerely hope that students and faculty here at DSU will find opportunities to interact with these wonderful individuals and will find the time to really communicate with them while they are a part of our DSU campus. This is so much a part of what it means to be in a university experience. Doug

Veteran's Day

2007-11-12T08:41:00.001-06:00

In the fall of 1972 I was drafted into the US Army. This was a turbulent time and Vietnam was still an issue. I remember sitting in the draft office in Denver Colorado taking some type of literacy test. There were young peiople all around me who wanted to do well on the test as they saw the military as a positive experience for their life. I on the other hand was still caught in the fear, guilt, anger and self deprecation that accompanied the decision to be a part of a military that was involved in a very negative war in Southeast Asia. In the end I spent two years stationed in Virginia and became part of a special unit developing the latest self paced education activities using slides and cassette tapes! Yes I am a veteran but can't escape the mix of feelings everytime veterans are recognized or asked to stand at a public event. Two years ago I spoke at a veteran's day event at the local high school - may have been the first time I actually acknowleded in a public way my military service. I wonder how many Vietnam era vets still have the same feelings that I do. Doug

Writing

2007-11-09T16:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Thursday - November 8, 2007 I had the chance to welcome some faculty from around the region to the Great Plains Alliance for Computers and Writing. It was a very intriquing meeting and it also gave me the chance to reflect on my own journey as a writer. I don't think of myself as a writer and yet when I think about my position and my daily work I know that I spend a great amount of time writing - emails, letters, newsletters and other correspondance.

As most individuals my age I started out writing with a pencil and paper and then in that shared experience I learned to type in a room with 40 students and manual typewriters. It was not a pleasant experience. Yes I am that old - no word processing. When I left for college I had a small portable manual typewriter. I did not use it to write I used it to type after I had written out what I wanted to type. When I went to graduate school I was still typing but using an electric typewriter and "White Out". Then when I got my first job in a medical setting virtually all my "writing" was done with a hand held dictaphone that someone else then transcribed. I thought the writing - cognitively I was processing grammar and punctuation. Transition to faculty member and now composing and writing at a desk top computer. Now all my writing is with my computer and I can edit and compose almost simultaneously. What a different experience or journey this must be for our current students. What does it mean to insert IM language, icons, U tube videos etc.? Not better - not worse just different and I think perhaps more experiential. Hmmmm wonder if the voice recognition will become so sophisticated that this whole keyboard thing will just disappear. Then I will be back to the dictaphone thing!

2007-11-09T11:26:00.001-06:00

November 9, 2007

To the DSU Community:

This past couple of weeks has been full of interesting activities that make life on a college campus so rich and rewarding. Even though it is not all inclusive, I hope this newsletter will give you a quick glimpse of the diverse activities going on at Dakota State.

Last Friday I was able to briefly welcome a group of over 80 individuals who were attending an “Invention to Venture (I2V)” conference sponsored by the National Association of College Inventors and Innovators. Dakota State was the site for the South Dakota offering of the workshop. Josh Pauli and the new Center for Technoentrepreneurism (CT@DSU) organized the event that featured speakers from other universities (Creighton University etc.) and was keynoted by Dr. Al Kurtenbach, founder of Daktronics.

Yesterday I heard a few presentations and welcomed a group of individuals from around the region (Iowa State University, Minnesota State-Mankato, NDSU and others) to the Great Plains Alliance for Computers and Writing Conference. Lots of energy and interest in the work being done here at DSU and other places to incorporate new technologies into the writing experience of student. It helped me reflect on my own writing journey. A journey that included handwriting, an old portable grey typewriter, hand held and desk top Dictaphones, and now different levels of word processing. It also inspired me to get back to my blogging activity – thanks to Dan Weinstein!

On Monday evening I held a reception (free food) for a small group of my Presidential Scholar students. We held the reception in the DSU Art Gallery. I was very pleased that Alan Montgomery and his assistant Newt Anderson were willing to give some background on the gallery and the artist currently on display. The other “very cool” part of the presentation included the use of some new social networking software to connect directly to the artist. Thus, the students and I were able to see and communicate with him while learning about his work. I hope to do other activities with the scholars group that will expose them to different activities and opportunities available on campus.

Earlier in the week I had another opportunity to walk through a small house that the DSU Foundation has bought directly south of the campus. The house formerly belonged to Martin Gienapp and through a donation by his family of part of the cost of the house we are planning on turning it into the Gienapp International House. There we will be able to house a small group of international students and use it as a gathering place as well as a place to provide more programming regarding international experiences. We have already received some donations of furniture for the house. We need to do some renovations, but very soon it will be a focal point for our international students (Yes - Lynn Ryan is giddy about it – I was going to comment about getting giddy at this age but thought better of it!)
Here is a brief synopsis of some other meetings and activities that have made my life so full this past couple of weeks.
· During the fall of each year the foundation sponsors a series of dinners that are meant to be “thank you” events for individuals who have supported the university in a variety of ways. Sharon and I host the events at the Girton House and they are always filled with lively conversation. We concluded our series of dinners this past week. Next week we will host a dinner welcoming our visiting faculty from China.
· There are a few new people who will be arriving on campus or have arrived to take crucial positions on our staff. I welcomed our new help desk person Stephanie Baatz and I had a chance to participate in the interviews for a new Sponsored Programs director- Dr. Michele Kreidler from Ohio has accepted that position.
· On Tuesday I attended a South Dakota Chamber of Commerce sponsored symposium on the economic status of South Dakota. This meeting included a presentation on the economic and the demographic projections for the state.
· Also on Tuesday, Cecelia Wittmayer and I met with a group of consultants who are helping to plan the activities and direction for the new Science and Technology Park that will be a part of the University Center development in Sioux Falls. I am confident that DSU will have a very central and important role to play in that activity.
· Being in Sioux Falls on Tuesday also allowed me the chance to attend our regular “First Tuesday” alumni gathering at Shenanigans. This has grown to be a great way to connect with many alumni in Sioux Falls. There was a focus on our Health Information alumni this week and I had a chance to meet some of the key people in positions in the health information offices in both the major health providers in SF.
· Last night I traveled to Platte, SD to attend one of the Board or Regents Town Hall meetings. The Regents will be holding 19 of these meetings in communities and legislative districts across the state. This gives the regents a chance to tell the story and to help both legislators and citizens understand some of the exciting initiatives taking place on the campuses. Individuals in these communities seem so grateful that we are willing to travel to them to tell these stories. I have or will be attending meetings in Brookings, Mitchell, Platte and Watertown. I was able to share several pieces of information about DSU, particularly the fact that our education students are the only ones currently being prepared to teach in schools that have adopted the wireless mobile computing initiative.
· I have spent some time this week working with a PR firm in Sioux Falls. This firm is putting the final touches on our new ad campaign. This campaign should hit the TV and radio stations within a couple of days. It will also feature some electronic and static billboards focused on the greater Sioux Falls region. We will unveil our new tagline - “DARE TO DO” at DSU. Look for some new lapel pins and other opportunities to promote that theme in the near future.
· Wednesday night I cheered (stood and clapped appropriately to the DSU fight song) while our nationally ranked Lady T’s basketball team defeated Morningside. This was the second nationally ranked team that they defeated in a week and now have a record of 3 wins and no losses. One of our young players had an outstanding night going 10 for 10 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free throw line – Laura Tewes probably set a record with that performance.
· Our foundation office continues to do a huge amount of work on the starting activities associated with our comprehensive campaign. We held one focus/feasibility group in Rapid City recently and have scheduled meetings in Sioux Falls and Madison later this month. Plans are to also hold events in Omaha, Twin Cities, and probably Arizona. After the first of the year we will be holding information meetings for staff and faculty from the campus.
· I have started a series of meetings with the different colleges, our CSA staff and our students regarding the new DSU Strategic Plan. I met with the College of Education this past week and will meet with the College of Business and Information Systems this afternoon.
It is a little quiet around campus. Yesterday was assessment day and Monday is a holiday so many students will be spending the three day weekend at home (laundry, sleep and home cooking). I am planning to attend the open house this afternoon at Great Western bank (from 2-4 PM) for our men’s basketball team. I am looking forward to watching them play Hastings tonight at 7 and Dana tomorrow night at 6. Hope everyone has a good weekend and also that we all find an opportunity this weekend to think about the Veterans that have served this country. Doug

Applied Research

2007-11-01T09:06:00.001-05:00

Knowlton’s Notes: Applied Research.
Many undergraduate students may wonder or question the impact of research activities on their education experience. Therefore I would like to use this next column in my series on the new Dakota State strategic plan to provide some insight into the impact of research on a campus like DSU. Our 4th “Focus” of the strategic plan is on “Advancing Applied Research”. While DSU has had some significant current successes in applied research and the development of innovative applications of technology, there is a need for DSU to play an even more important role in an overall statewide initiative. Over the last few years the state of South Dakota has identified and started to support the economic development missions of our universities. With Dakota State’s unique and focused mission in the arena of information technology it is imperative that we continue to provide leadership to this emerging field.
To advance and expand this leadership role five initiatives have been initially identified for this “Focus”.
Promote and support a research culture across all graduate and undergraduate programs.
Develop the Doctor of Science degree program in Information Systems into a leading, nationally recognized program with an emphasis on applied scholarship and multi-disciplinary research.
Recruit and retain a cohort of research faculty through competitive compensation, appropriate workloads and course schedules, and support of grant-writing, publishing, and involvement indiscipline specific professional organizations.
Use stipends and assistantships to promote an active research agenda for graduate students.
Develop and implement undergraduate research experiences to attract high-caliber students and to prepare them for post-graduate endeavors.
While there is significant emphasis here on our new doctoral program and the research activities of our graduate students, undergraduate research will be a part of our overall focus. Recently, the Center of Excellence awarded research grants to a number of undergraduate students who are working on projects with DSU faculty. These projects will provide students the opportunity to learn more about the specific field or discipline they are pursuing. It will also help students learn the process of research and the critical thinking that goes into this type of inquiry.
Another significant impact on the overall learning experience of our DSU students is achieved through the active research programs of our faculty members. As faculty members study and initiate research or other development activities, they expand their individual knowledge. This knowledge will then be applied in their teaching and impact the learning of their students.
Research activity leads to applications for grants that can financially support research assistants and provide new equipment. The university has established goals for achieving additional grant funding and sponsored programs. Faculty here at DSU have recently received funding from the National Science Foundation and six of our faculty have received “seed” grants that will allow them to begin their active research programs. This applied research focus of our strategic plan will potentially enhance all activities here at Dakota State.

March Newsletter

2007-03-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

March 15, 2006

To the DSU Community:

I have just returned from two journeys out of South Dakota that have given me a chance to connect with alumni and also to learn about another higher education institution.

During the first part of March I had the opportunity to travel with our Athletic Director and our Development Director to Arizona. The trip was a bit delayed when we were stranded in Sioux Falls due to the significant blizzard that closed the airport. After finally arriving and getting our luggage at 1:30 AM and a very brief night of sleep we proceeded to Lake Havasu for a luncheon gathering of several alumni and friends of the university. We were also able to connect with alumni that live in Arizona permanently or just during the winter months.

While on our trip to Arizona we were able to catch a DSU Trojan’s baseball game in Chandler and a couple of our softball team’s games in Tucson. Both teams had terrific records while in Arizona. Our baseball team won all of their games and now has a record of 18-0 and is rated #17 nationally. The softball women went 8-4 while on their southern trip. This also gave me an opportunity to host both of these teams for dinner and a great chance to get to know these student athletes a bit more personally. What terrific representatives of our university.

My second trip took me to Denver. While in Colorado I made the journey to Windsor to visit with a alumni who graduated in 1962 and originally did his teacher education activities at the old Beadle school that was located on campus. I spent the rest of my time in Denver participating on a Higher Learning Commission accreditation visit to Metropolitan State University. These visits are a great opportunity to learn about different approaches to issues faced by all higher education institutions and to interact with education leaders from across the country.

It is great to be back home and out of hotel rooms and airports. I returned home to some very good news. DSU will host the SD Chamber of Commerce Youth Business Adventure during the period of 2008-2010. This means that over 100 of South Dakota’s best and brightest high school juniors will be on campus for a week during the three summers to study about business practices. This will give us the chance to highlight the university and our ACBSP accredited business programs. This is a big opportunity to host a program that has typically been hosted by USD.

While spring break started a bit earlier than anticipated (classes cancelled and the campus closed the Thursday and Friday before spring break due to the blizzard) not all students got to leave and I was very proud of our food service, our residence hall staff and our facilities staff for keeping our students comfortable while they “rode out” the storm. The students are back and are right in the middle of midterms.

In the middle of the trips out of state I helped host a President’s Summit on the topic of “Higher Education and Economic Development”. Together with the Forward Sioux Falls organization I was able to arrange a presentation by Dr. Richard Lester, from MIT. He is the nation’s foremost expert on how universities impact the economic development of the regions they serve. It was a very stimulating meeting of private and public institutions that serve the Sioux Falls region and representatives of the greater SF business community. Rob Oliver, the president of Augustana College and I will be following up to continue this initiative.

On February 28, Sharon and I hosted a dinner at the Girton House for three faculty and three students they invited. Each spring we have hosted a series of these dinners and they have been a great way to learn about our students and the kinds of faculty/student interactions that make DSU such a special place. Two of the students had transferred to DSU from other institutions and commented how much more friendly and personal our campus was when compared to these other universities.

Another highlight of the past couple weeks was our Spring Semester All Campus Convocation. Our DSU Student Senate organizes this event each semester and our theme for this convocation was “Rising Aspirations”. In addition to introducing students with academic accomplishments and our student athletes we also have a quest speaker. Our speaker this spring was a graduate of DSU, Jay Trenhaile. Dr. Trenhaile is currently the head of the counseling department at SDSU. He spoke about positive attitudes and how to use them to form appropriate career aspirations.

Earlier today I had the chance to attend a DSU symposium presentation on the topic of Global Warming that was delivered by a climatologist from SDSU. This was one topic in a series of presentations sponsored by our diversity office on campus.

I have to admit that while I am writing this newsletter I am listening to the Madison High School basketball team playing at the state tournament in Rapid City. As many of you know Sharon is the principal of the high school. If the Bulldogs win today I will be on my way to Rapid to join her tomorrow. Go Bulldogs! Go Trojans! So do I wear Maroon or Blue!

Enjoy the beginning of Spring in South Dakota.

Doug Knowlton

Reflections

2007-03-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

For Trojan Times
March 10, 2007

Knowlton’s Notes: Reflections

I am writing this piece sitting at a desk on the fifteenth floor of a hotel in Denver. The view out the window is of a large city with the mountains in the back ground. Denver is a special place for me due to the fact that I did my undergraduate work at the University of Denver. There are lots of memories and lots of new experience in this place. I am here to connect with some alumni from DSU and to be part of an accreditation team at Metropolitan State University.

This morning I drove 50 miles north ( through bumper to bumper traffic – yes there are some draw backs to a city) to visit with a gentleman who graduated from Dakota State (then General Beadle) over 40 years ago. More than four decades and yet he continues to feel a tie to this place in Madison, South Dakota. What is it about our college experience that makes such an impact that 30-40 years later we continue to be connected?

This alum of our university remembers where he stayed, the General Beadle statue, his student teaching and above all else the individual who was so kind to him and helped him get through college. I believe that these connections are so strong because they occur at a time in our life when we are defining ourselves and reaching out to others to support that growth and development.

For me this person was an English teacher. I had the most intense and probably meaningful conversation of my college years with this professor. I was trying to get her to cancel class so we could all attend a Vietnam War protest. I can tell you exactly where the conversation occurred and how I felt when she explained to me that she would never cancel class or support closing the university because the university was crucial to the critical exchange of opposing viewpoints and discussion. To cancel class meant so much more to her than simply the 50 minutes we would spend in that class – it was a symbol.

Recently DSU has had a controversy centered on the tablet computer. I certainly would not imply that the tablet computer dilemma is on the scale of the Vietnam War but it offered an opportunity for dialogue, argument and discussion. Interesting in this day and age some of that conversation has been carried out electronically. I posted a viewpoint on my president’s blog and I am very excited to say that a number of people commented. Some agreed with me and congratulated me others disagreed and pointed out several issues they are concerned about. Yes – the major function of a university.

I am intrigued to think that perhaps this hour long conversation between this 20 year old college student and his English professor might have influenced thinking that led to a career and a position in higher education.

Tomorrow I will reengage with old college friends and we will remember all the things we went through together. Okay yes we will discuss some fun times!

Tablet Issues

2007-02-24T11:41:00.000-06:00

Okay so this is my blog and I can be honest. I am getting a little weary of a lot of the misinformation, whining and lack of appreciation for what DSU is doing and has done in the area of technology integration. So to students and others this is my attempt to vent a little of my frustration and also get students better informed

Just a couple of things I want to remind you about. We made a decision to lease tablets because it was the cheapest alternative $275 semester when we started ( please note that this compares with $550 a semester at places like University of Minnesota Crookston and Winona State). What students also seem to misunderstand is that this fee is not just a "lease" fee for the tablet it also gives students the most wireless campus in the region, help desk support, software, and a faculty that are the most technologically engaged and sophisticated you will find anywhere. Also a public and employers that acknowledge that the level of technology experience on this campus is second to none. Now if you have no interest in technology this isn't the place for you to be but if you think that technology might have something to do with your future then you are exactly in the right place. There is a value added to your education here at DSU. You may not realize this until you go out there and try and find a job and you will see the respect currently afforded our graduates. You should also visit with students at such places as SDSU -( the ag school to our north) their student body is entirely frustrated by the lack of technology sophistication on that campus. I am planning on posting this section on my blog because I do think students need to think and understand what you are really getting here!! I invite comments and arguments. Doug

Jan Newsletter

2007-01-25T16:47:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-15T07:48:00.000-06:00

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.

Commencement

2006-12-18T09:24:00.000-06:00

From latest Trojan Times

November 29, 2006

Knowlton’s Notes

Commencement Reflections

One of the most important days in the life of any university is the day set aside for commencement. It is a day filled with mixed emotions. Most of us are proud and excited about our student’s accomplishments but we also experience the sadness of having to say goodbye to students who have become friends and associates. Dakota State is one of those places where students do get to know their teachers, their advisors and yes, even in many cases their president.

For DSU, our winter commencement is scheduled for Sunday, December 10 at 2 PM in the Fieldhouse. It is a ceremony filled with tradition (after all we have been doing this for over 120+ years), academic robes, the DSU Mace, singing of the Alma Mater (the traditional hymn that is a part of most major university ceremonies) the awarding of diplomas and the “hooding” of students getting graduate degrees. Throw into all that tradition a few family members and friends, photo ops, hugs and handshakes and you have the makings of a very special day.

For me it is extra special this year because it marks the culmination of our celebration of the 125th Anniversary of DSU. It has been a year filled with birthday parties, commemorative coca cola cans, visits from General Beadle, birthday cake contests, special lapel pins, a new history book and campus signs. I have felt very honored to be the president during this celebration year. This next year we will be moving on and finding ways to challenge ourselves to take the “Next Step” to become an even greater university with new opportunities to promote and enhance student learning. We are leaving behind some history and opening some exciting new doors.

So let me take this space to thank everyone who has been a part of our 125th celebrations. If you didn’t know it was happening – yeah get your head out of the sand! It was a great year!

Back to Commencement!

Congratulations to all the graduates who will be participating in the ceremony. I hope each of you will take it all in – relax – take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. Less than one in four individuals in our society complete a college degree – it is an accomplishment. You are graduating from a university whose star is clearly rising and a university gaining regional and national recognition for its excellence. Are we perfect? Not in a long shot! But I know one thing for sure. We are dedicated everyday to getting better and trying harder to understand how to help students meet their very best potential.

If you are graduating, please don’t lose contact. Stay in touch so you can help us improve. Let us know what you think we should be doing to make DSU an even greater place to go for a college level education. Visit our website regularly; e-mail me to let me know your thoughts about DSU or comment on my occasional blogs. Your experiences and your career opportunities after you leave here can help to inform us as we reshape and reinvent ourselves. I hope you will feel the pride in DSU that will make you want to continue your relationship with us.

This has been a little rambling, but that is basically the way I feel when I look out over that group of graduates at commencement – mixed emotions, a flood of memories and the excitement of knowing what potential we are about to launch on the world. For those of you not graduating in a few days – it is just around the corner – cherish and take advantage of every opportunity! See you – in 5 months, two years, three years or whenever!

Two Parts

2006-11-01T14:25:00.000-06:00

Here are both parts of a two part article I recently wrote for the DSU Trojan Times and I would welcome comments.

Reasons to be Proud – Challenges to Face

This will be the first of a two part “Notes” column. In this issue I would like to review some of the incredible reasons for us to celebrate and be proud of what we are accomplishing at Dakota State and in the following issue I will discuss what I see are some of our challenges.

This whole 125th Anniversary year has given us a chance to celebrate our history and the role that this university has played in the development of this region and the state of South Dakota. During the past couple of months we have also received a series of recognitions that are real causes for celebration. The recognition by US News as the top rated public comprehensive college in the Midwest was a major accomplishment and acknowledges the work of so many people associated with the university. The factors that go into this decision, including general reputation, graduation rates, etc are all important reasons to feel proud of DSU.

Our enrollment news was very positive. DSU had the highest percentage increase in headcount of any of the public institutions in South Dakota (4.72 percent). Our headcount enrollment is a new record for DSU and now ranks our enrollment ahead of two other regental institutions. This is a major accomplishment in the face of declining high school graduating classes. It is a function of a larger first year class and also due to increases in our programs in Sioux Falls and our distance programs.

Recently Citigroup Inc. one of the largest financial services based businesses in the United States announced a new program for development of information technology professionals. They named just 16 universities from across the country that were eligible to have students apply and where they will go to interview possible candidates. This list included Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California Berkley, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, Rennsalear Polytechnic Institute, U of Illinois, U of Florida and other “BIG” name universities. Guess what small, focused and dynamic university located in South Dakota was named - DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY!
Recruiters from Citigroup will be on campus some time in October. To see DSU on the same list with these other high powered, large, and prestigious universities is clearly a reason to be proud. It recognizes the accomplishments of our graduates and the clear national reputation that DSU is developing.

In the past week our two US senators from South Dakota, Sen. Tim Johnson and Sen. John Thune have been in Madison. I had the chance to meet with each of them. After meeting with them, each gave public speeches. Both identified the accomplishments and the activities at DSU as major pluses for South Dakota and Madison. Their endorsements and their recognitions are vital to even more advancement and potential funding for program development.

These are visible and significant recognitions for which we are understandably proud, but I want to offer two other examples of reasons that make me proud to be associated with Dakota State. First, while touring the public school complex in Flandreau I ran into one of our recent graduates that had just taken a teaching position there. After greeting her and after she walked away the superintendent indicated what a great job she was doing as a special ed teacher. Second, during a presentation at a Chamber of Commerce dinner here in Madison the speaker acknowledged that the special graphics etc. in the power point presentation were done by a DSU student. Now there are two of hundreds or thousands of reasons to be proud of what we are doing at DSU. Our graduates are doing great work and being recognized for their expertise and their special talents.

Yes I am truly proud of what is happening here at DSU. There are challenges that lay ahead of us and one of them is to not rest on our laurels. Next edition I will outline what I think our major “problems” will be in the future. Mean time I plan to relish and celebrate what we have all done together.

Part 2: Reasons to be Proud – Challenges to Face

In the first installment to this two part column I wrote about all the incredible reasons for us to celebrate the success we are experiencing at DSU. I have also written about the strategic planning process “The Next Step” that will be an integral part of this year at Dakota State. This article will focus on what I see as some of the challenges our campus and this university community will face in the next few years.

I believe that the number one challenge to our future is something we have considerable control over. How do we celebrate our successes and yet not become complacent or rest on our laurels? How do we keep ourselves energized and “hungry” as we look at these next few years? I know that it has taken a tremendous amount of “sweat and tears” to get us to this point and it would just be human nature to want to sit back and “relax a bit”. DSU is not a campus that can afford to “sit back”. We are all about innovation and dynamic change. Our mission directs us to be at the forefront of this information revolution and so we must find ways to push ourselves and stay “on the edge”.

In order to stay ahead of the game we need to find more and better ways to encourage and reward innovation, entrepreneurship, and even experimentation. We have to continually remind ourselves there are “no mistakes – just lessons to be learned”. We must encourage our students and all of our staff and faculty to challenge any process, procedure or attitude that hinders our “edgy” approach to the future.

The second challenge is our budgetary situation. I am convinced that many of our “new” approaches to education – off site and distance, are ahead of the means that our funding agencies have for providing financial bases for DSU. We will continue to work with the Board of Regents and others to find the means for recognizing this important part of our mission.

Another concern or challenge will be our continuing need to engage students in a conversation about what a Baccalaureate degree means and how they can embrace the breadth of academic experience that will broaden their academic backgrounds. I often talk about DSU as an institution that “educates technologists” not an institution that “trains technicians”. Our second vision statement reads – we will graduate students who have “Exceptionally creative problem solving skills”. One does not think creatively by being locked into one vision of the world. To be a “creative” problem solver, it is important to think (some times) like a mathematician, or a historian, or a sociologist, or a biologist or a thespian (now there is a term for everyone to look up). We must do a better job of helping students to understand why a strong general education background is so important.

Lastly, I am concerned that we will run out of “new students” who truly understand the technology edge that DSU can give them as a computer scientist, business person, or teacher. The numbers of American students interested in a career in engineering has continued to show a dramatic decline. I hope that this will not happen in the information technology field. As a campus, a state and as a nation we will need to encourage more students to pursue technology rich occupations so that we as a nation don’t lose means for true economic development in this “knowledge or information” based world we are living in. Right now the demand for our students is at an all time high and we need more graduates to fill the increasing demand for technology savvy professionals.
We will need to think creatively, not be afraid and find incentives to face these challenges. If there is any campus equipped to overcome these potential obstacles it is Dakota State University.

DAKOTA

2006-10-11T07:58:00.000-05:00

In case someone didn't read all the way to the bottom of my latest blog. I would really like to see if I could get some comments on this. Thanks

****A late night thought – Other campuses in the system use a short one word descriptor to identify their campus e.g. State, the U, Northern, Mines. What if we started referring to ourselves as DAKOTA. I would be interested in your reactions. *****

Strategic Planning

2006-10-11T07:56:00.000-05:00

Reprinted from the Trojan Times

Strategic Planning at DSU: The Next Step

In 2002, Dakota State University put together a strategic plan that was intended to guide the university to the year 2007. That plan included the following goals:
DSU will enrich the undergraduate experience and build the graduate experience.
DSU will increase enrollment through more focused recruitment strategies.
DSU will continually enhance its technology and facilities infrastructure
DSU will sustain and enhance the quality of its academic programs.
DSU will manage its resources with optimum efficiency and open communication.
DSU will expand its revenues from grants, contracts and private donations as a mechanism for supplementing institutions overall budget.

Given that 2007 is just around the corner, it is now time for DSU to once again look to the future and formulate plans, dreams, and directions that will take us through the next five years. Over the next few months a special committee that I have appointed will be guiding the development of the new plan. Dr. Tom Hawley, Dean of the College of Education and Ms. Ethelle Bean, Director of the Library and Associate VP for Special Projects have agreed to co-chair the committee. Representatives from faculty, staff, students and alumni will compose a ten member steering committee.

So what is a strategic plan and why is it so important to an organization like DSU? John Bryson, in a 1995 publication defined strategic planning as “a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it”. Others have indicated that strategic planning:
Is a process to establish major directions for the organization, department or group
Maximizes benefits to stakeholders
Defines “why we exist”
Anticipates the future
Is a process to insure budget dollars are driven by the plan and not vice versa

Planning can also incorporate other approaches such as the one cited by McConkey in 1981 – the essence of strategy is differentiation-defining a unique-niche- targeting resources toward a limited set of targets and abandoning those things that could be or should be done by others. For me, one of the keys for a strategic plan to be effective is that the plan is action oriented. This is not something that is put on the shelf and looks good to evaluators or the Board of Regents. It must be a document that gets to the core of the institution and directly impacts decisions made at all levels of the university.

As we proceed with the development of our “Next Step” approach to a strategic plan it is very clear that for the plan to be an effective tool, all DSU stakeholders must be engaged in the dynamic and thoughtful generation of ideas and insights that will impact the plan. Thus students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, legislators, the Board of Regents and members of the Madison and greater Sioux Falls communities need to be incorporated in the process. I would encourage everyone who has an interest in the future of Dakota State University to begin to think about how they might be actively involved. We will be reaching out through public meetings and also electronically to solicit everyone’s ideas.

****A late night thought – Other campuses in the system use a short one word descriptor to identify their campus e.g. State, the U, Northern, Mines. What if we started referring to ourselves as DAKOTA. I would be interested in your reactions. *****

September Newsletter

2006-09-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

To the DSU Community:

As someone “gently” reminded me this week, it has been some time since I have written a newsletter to the campus. Clearly it has been a busy time with the start of our new academic year. Once again we had a couple of beautiful days to help new students move into the residence halls. I am so pleased with the turn out of our staff and alumni that helped serve students and their family members a “hot dog” lunch during these move in times. I am also grateful to the Student Orientation Leaders, our Resident Hall Assistants and Directors, the women’s volleyball team and some members of the football team (as well as Joe Walwik, a DSU professor – seen carrying several refrigerators up four floors – oh to be young and in shape) who helped our new students carry their belongings into the halls.

On Saturday afternoon of “move in” day we started our new student orientation program. This activity has really become a major focus of our retention efforts. We know getting these students off on a good start is so important to their long term success here at DSU. Mandy P and her team of Orientation Leaders did a great job of mentoring, shepherding and supporting these young students through these first few days. I also hear from several faculty who are leading our first year seminars that these students seem to have really responded positively as they share their experiences and prepare themselves for the start of their university experience.

In addition to all the greetings and activities that are a part of our start of a new academic year we have also been involved in promoting DSU in a number of ways. This week a group of DSU staff, a student representative and a member of the Madison community traveled to Brookings to participate in an open hearing conducted by a Legislative Review Committee. This committee is conducting their regular review of the Board of Regents. We were able to share several thoughts about DSU, our collaborations with other campuses, our role in economic development, and student experiences.

Then on Wednesday, I attended a full day meeting of this committee in Pierre. This meeting focused on two basic questions – “How well are our schools preparing students to enter college?” and “Are our graduates ready to enter the workplace?” One of the highlights of this meeting was the testimony of the Executive Director of the South Dakota Banker’s Association who described DSU’s programs and the essential function we are providing in information assurance.

During this beginning of the new semester I am spending a considerable amount of time positioning the campus to develop our new strategic plan. The theme we have set for this year is “The Next Step”. We will be using this theme to frame discussions on and off campus on the strategic activities that should be a part of the next 5 year future of DSU. Within the next week or two I will announce the strategic planning committee that will guide us through this process.

Another exciting development, that has come to fruition during this past couple of weeks, is the partnership with Great Western Bank and our DSU Foundation. This partnership has led to the purchase of the former Security Bank building located just a few blocks south of campus at the busiest corner in Madison. Plans at this time are to locate our foundation office, the alumni office and our university relations activities in this building. The visibility, the status and the overall impact of having this building be the hub for these activities will have a tremendous positive impact on the future of our foundation and overall development.

Here is a brief summary of some other activities that have been a part of my life over last couple of weeks.

We started up our monthly “First Tuesday” alumni event at Shenanigans in Sioux Falls. Our football Coach Nate Holtz made an appearance and we once again had a good turn out. If you are ever in SF on the first Tuesday of the month please try and stop by between 5-7 PM. Good reasons for a trip to the Mall.
I had a chance to see our women’s volleyball team win a match against Grand View College at a triangular tournament in SF. It was fun to watch them play again. We also had a great crowd at our opening football game against Waldorf here at Trojan Field. One of the largest crowds I have seen at a DSU game. Both of our teams are on the road this weekend.
The Madison Chamber of Commerce held its annual reception for educators in the community and I had a chance to introduce our new faculty members and give a brief review of events on campus.
We have started a process for providing a more systematic orientation and welcome for transfer students and I greeted them and welcomed them to DSU. It is great to see the number of students who find their way to DSU and how positive their response is to their reception here.
I continue to be an active member of the Lake Area Improvement Corporation. The LAIC is launching a fundraising campaign and I had the opportunity to sit in on one of their first strategy meetings. Of course, DSU and our graduates are a big part of bringing new and expanding businesses here in the Madison community. This is a great partnership between the university and the community.
Along with a committee of foundation members I have been meeting with some consultants who have proposals to help us take our first steps in a comprehensive (capital) campaign. These have been very stimulating meetings that help us understand the next steps we must take to get ready for such a campaign.

There are many activities I am looking forward to in the next week or so. We will charter our first honor society for first year students Phi Eta Sigma. We have 33 initial members of this honor society and we are excited to welcome this organization to campus. I will also have the chance to host a luncheon for our first learning community – a group of young women and their advisors who are together as a group of women going into technology.

In some ways I have left the best for last. Most of you should know by now that Dakota State University was the highest ranked Comprehensive College (US News Classification) in the Midwest. We have been number 2 for the past two years and we are very excited to have been placed in the #1 ranking. We will be finding various ways to promote and celebrate this wonderful accomplishment. This really is a team effort that is dependent on our staff, faculty, students, alumni, supporters and leadership and we can all be proud of this accomplishment. This “Next Step” is off to a great start.

Technology Addiction or "Extraordinary Responsiveness"

2006-09-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

Technology Addiction or “Extraordinary Responsiveness”

submitted to the Trojan Times

Recently I was reviewing some material from one of my favorite books, “Thriving on Chaos” by Tom Peters. (I think I like the title more than anything else). One of the chapters is titled, “Achieve Extraordinary Responsiveness”. The content of the chapter focuses on how a business can get ahead of their competitors by being more responsive and spectacularly service oriented. The key was the speed of the response to customer demand.

This past summer I received a new Motorola Q – the latest light-weight, do-everything PDA. It is fantastic and I have been responding to e-mail with lightning speed. Okay, so my wife chastised me when I pulled it out in church and she commented loudly when I tried to respond to an email while driving down 41st street in Sioux Falls. But when it vibrates to tell me I have a new message there is just this irresistible urge to “respond”.

The last incident that sparked my thinking about all this connectedness and responsiveness came last week as I was watching an early morning news show on TV and the topic was “Technology Addiction”. Yes, my wife did look at me with that – see what I mean – kind of look. Addicted? Me? No. No. No. Just extraordinarily responsive!

As many have heard me state in a variety of speeches, I believe the keys to success in any field remotely tied to our information economy are one’s abilities in four areas. The abilities to access, organize, analyze and present information. I am also a believer that for a business or a university (yeah I know a university is not a business) to stay ahead of the competition it must perform better in these four areas. So how does DSU, with our very focused mission that puts us out as a model for technology infusion, incorporate this drive to excel in these areas keep from opening a “technology addiction” clinic? Hmmmmm a new service!

While I understand the need not to be consumed by the technology or overwhelmed by the amount of information coming to us, I am also convinced that our abilities to manage this environment effectively are a key to success. I know there are some individuals who only answer their e-mail at certain times of the day and those that basically ignore it for periods of time. We are human beings who are learning about our own individual tolerance for this new world. One of the real strengths of DSU is our commitment to examine our own responses to this technology enriched campus and to gain some insights on how this all impacts our work and our private lives. Examination and insight – isn’t that what a university should be about?

Well I need to answer my Q because it is vibrating at me and I see there are 15 new emails waiting since I started writing this column. I can’t wait to see who is writing and how many ways I can be responsive.

New Academic Year

2006-08-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

It is officially the "2nd" day of classes for the 06-07 academic year here at Dakota State although we have been up and running for the last few days. For me, this is the most exciting and invigorating time of the year. New students, new faculty, some new additions to the campus and the promise of bigger and better things for DSU. We will begin the "Next Step" process of developing a new strategic plan for the university with a goal of finishing it by March 2007. This will be a time of self examination, assessment and hopefully a time of dreaming of what the future can be for our university.
This is a campus that must continually look for the new development, the new program, a new direction and a way to be "on the edge". Even though we are extraordinarily proud of the fact that US News just announced that we are the number 1 ranked public comprehensive college in the midwest, we cannot afford to sit on these laurels and we will use all this new enegy to move us toward this next step! I have resolved to take more time to post thoughts to this blog and will look forward to comments and thoughts from the readers.

July Newsletter

2006-07-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

July 20, 2006

To the DSU Community:

I know that most of us feel that summer is flying by much too quickly and, as we head into the home stretch preparing for the new academic year to start, it certainly feels that way here at Dakota State. We are about 3 weeks away from the first arrival of students for the fall (football and volleyball teams). We continue to host groups on the campus and this past week saw the Chautauqua event (tent in the middle of campus) attract a few hundred individuals to a week long schedule of presentations. Many members of our community and particularly John Nelson, a DSU professor, put in many hours of time to bring this event to Madison. It was a very nice addition to the many events associated with our 125th anniversary.

For approximately two days this week our DSU Planning Committee was away from the campus working on developing a plan to create a new Strategic Plan for the university. (I am attaching a picture of the planning session just so everyone can see how hard we were working) Our current strategic plan is due to end in 2007 and thus we are beginning the process to outline the activities and initiatives that will project us into the next five years. This coming fall semester will see the naming of a strategic planning group and several activities that will allow the entire DSU community the opportunity to impact the next strategic plan. One of the most interesting conversations during our retreat centered on the issue of “What is the ‘NEXT STEP” for DSU?”. I would encourage everyone to think about this provocative question.

As a part of the planning activity we had Dr. Tad Perry, Executive Director for the South Dakota Board of Regents join us for dinner and provide some insight regarding directions of the board that might impact our planning. We also held a small reception for some alumni in the Chamberlain area of South Dakota. As a part of the trip three of us had a wonderful opportunity to visit with a woman (alum from DSU) who continues to support our scholarship program and has committed future resources to provide this support. She is a wonderful example of someone who continues to use her resources to support the students at DSU and recognizes the stewardship role of helping others gain an education that was so precious to her.

In addition to attending the Chautauqua event on Tuesday night and helping to take the tent down, here are a few other activities and events that have been a part of my life over the past few weeks.

There is a group of citizens in Madison that are advocating the development of Hwy 34 (road into Madison from the interstate) into a 4 lane highway and I attended a Department of Transportation hearing here in Madison. I provided some verbal and written support for this project.
We have had some new board of regents staff on campus and last week we hosted the system Vice President for Academic Affairs. We continue discussions about new degree programs that can incorporate our information systems mission in creative ways and the BOR support is crucial.
Our consultant from Noel-Levitz was on campus helping us organize and energize our work in the areas of retention and recruitment. We continue to examine the activities we are using for attracting new students. He indicated that 50-60% of new students locate and apply to DSU by visiting our web site. This electronic side of our recruitment activity continues to demand more and more attention. He was also very complimentary of the many activities that have been put in place to help our DSU students be successful while they are here.
Last week eight of our planning council members spent a couple of hours on two evenings making “Thank you” calls to individuals who had donated to our annual campaign over the past year. These calls are a real treat to make and I thoroughly enjoy the surprise in the voice of so many donors when they realize I am just calling to say thank you and not asking for more money. We continue to look to staff and faculty for help in making these kinds of calls of appreciation.
I am serving as the system president representative to the search committee for a new president at our sister institution, South Dakota State University. It is an interesting process and I am looking forward to meeting and working with a new president at the SDSU campus. While making some reference calls during this process I had one reference indicate that the candidate I was calling about understood that “When there is a rising tide – all boats go up” . I thought this was a wonderful way to look at what is happening with the SD Public University system. I will need to provide several days of attention to this activity in the next couple of months.
Last week I attended a Legislative roundtable in Sioux Falls. Legislators from the area come together for these roundtables to discuss with the Board of Regents and others the issues facing higher education in the state. Discussions centered on competing with other states for the best and brightest students, scholarship programs, teacher education and the increased attention to research and development.
DSU is an institution that is striving to become a more “data driven” institution. This means that we will look at information and data as we make decisions regarding planning, budget, and setting priorities. One of the new systems for incorporating this data into our operations is the use of a “dashboard” system that allows for administrators and others to have data readily available through a web based system. This week I had the first opportunity to get the President’s dashboard set up and I am looking forward to learning more about how I can incorporate this tool in my work.

I continue to hope that this newsletter (I am also posting it to my blog) is a good vehicle for communicating with so many of you that are dedicated to DSU.

Later this morning I am going to meet with our local economic development director and I have the opportunity to meet and greet an alum that is a very significant contributor to our scholarship fund. After those activities I am off for a three day weekend at our lake cabin. Sharon has been spending the month of July at the cabin and so will get to see her and my two sons for a few days. Next weekend is our big DSU Dakota Jam and I hope to see many of you at that fun event.

June Newsletter

2006-06-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

June 23, 2006

To the DSU Community:

I just returned from the Board of Regents meeting in Brookings. I have actually been in Brookings four days this week. On Tuesday we presented our DSU “informal” budget requests to the board. On Wednesday, I participated in the USDSU budget presentation in the morning and then attended the SDSU presidential search committee in the afternoon. Thursday the board and board committees met all day and this morning the board held another open meeting. All of these interactions with the board, staff of the board and the other management teams from the SD campuses are important as DSU continues to be an institution that is growing in so many ways.

When we presented our informal budget requests, the focus was on some areas that were mandated by the board, e.g. technology needs, facility and infrastructure needs, and utility issues and then we had some latitude to present issues we felt were important for the board to know. One of our major requests involved asking the board to up our major project request for infrastructure improvements from 3 million dollars to 6 or 7 million dollars. When we first were asked to develop a capital request we thought 3 million would be adequate to upgrade our campus infrastructure. After a thorough evaluation by an outside company this estimate came closer to 6 million and thus we are asking for this change from the board. We also discussed our plans for future programs and the rationale for additional funds for the library (127,000), science lab upgrades ($250,000) and funding for a full grants and contracts office ($166,00). In addition we discussed the possibility of DSU hosting the e-mail system for the whole regental system (Similar to our K-12 data center). This hosting function could possibly provide some cost savings for the state.

During the regular board meeting the only issue specific to DSU was the board’s permission to negotiate a lease for the new tablet computers we will bring on campus. With approximately 350 more tablets being leased this fall, it will bring our total of tablet computers on the campus to approximately 1650. This is no small management issue and our computer support department is doing a great job. Other issues that we are interested in include the plan to bring high bandwidth networking to the state. This is a crucial issue to the state if we are to proceed with our research initiatives and DSU should play a major role in these plans.

I am serving as the sitting president on the SDSU search committee as they look for a new president for the Brooking’s campus. Having been through a search conducted by the Board of Regents I can testify to the diligence and care they put into this process and I am appreciating the experience from the other side. They have a very good pool of candidates and it should facilitate an excellent president and colleague at SDSU.

It has been some time since I have had the opportunity to write about my activities and some of the things happening here at DSU. Earlier this summer I accompanied our DSU Summer Study program on their trip to London, Paris and Scotland. It was a great opportunity to get to know some of our students better. Nancy and Roger Moose led the study tour and they are really remarkable “teachers and guides”. They have led this tour on numerous occasions and their expertise and know-how really made the trip enjoyable.
We were up and out of the hotel early every morning touring castles, museums, cathedrals, theaters and even an occasional pub. It once again reaffirmed how strongly I feel about the positive impact when students gain a study abroad kind of experience.

Last week I was the keynote speaker at a conference on the role of technology in college recruiting sponsored by the James Tower Company. I had the chance to speak about some of the decisions that went into our new web presence and the need to look in new directions. The title of my speech was “When Same Old Just Doesn’t Work Anymore”. As you may know DSU and James Tower won some national awards for the design of our recruitment publications and web site. During the conference we heard about several different uses of technology and also different approaches to recruiting carried out on other campuses. As a part of the conference the company sponsored a dinner cruise on Lake Minnetonka (not the same cruise so widely reported by the Minnesota Vikings I can assure you).

Over the last couple of weeks I have visited with a couple more corporate sponsors for our 125th Anniversary President’s Corporate Scholarship campaign. We are now up to $410 thousand pledged. I have a lot of work ahead to achieve this million dollar goal but we will be hitting the road soon to visit with a few more corporations who have a vested interest in our graduates.

Some other miscellaneous meetings over the last few weeks have included:

A review of our current Champions Scholarship levels with a decision to remain at the current level for the next year. $2150 to students with ACT’s above 27, $1650 to students with 24-27 and $500 for students with 21-23. We made some adjustments to the requirements. Our incoming class will have several more students with higher ACTs so we are feeling that this structure is having a positive impact but it will mean a major commitment to raise more funds for these scholarships.
Several meetings related to DSU’s budget have been held during the past few weeks as we finalized our budget for next year. I wish there was better news, but we will have to hold our 10% cut in Operating Expenditures and we were not able to fund several requests. In addition a $15,000 cut in GAF funding (from our student fees) meant reductions in many on campus activities. Our overall academic credit generated numbers were not as high as we had hoped and so we will need to focus on even more aggressive recruiting activities if we are to be in a better financial situation.
The Lake Area Improvement Corporation is exploring a number of ways to promote more business location and entrepreneurial activities in the community and I have attended a few meetings representing DSU’s very important role in this planning.
We had the grand opening of the Madison Technology Center now named the Royce Heuners Technology Park and the Heartland Building. This is an exciting achievement for the community and we will be looking for many of our future students and alumni to be employed in that building.
Individuals on the staff and I continue to participate in many planning meetings at USDSU. We are planning for the building of a new facility that was funded by the legislature and also the building of a new Graduate Education and Applied Research building in which DSU will have a stake.
Very soon DSU will release our new Residential Life master plan that will help guide us to the development of some new housing opportunities for our students. While no major new construction is planned, we are looking at ways to facilitate the upgrading and expansion of some different options for students. We will release more information in the near future.

This summer is very busy here on campus. At a recent Rotary meeting here in Madison, Donna Fawbush our coordinator of summer conferences revealed that we are expecting some 1200 attendees at various meetings and workshops. When you add in all the athletic campers, attendees at banquets and the major attraction of the Chautauqua event on July 14-18, we can expect over 3000 visitors to DSU this summer. One of the really enjoyable activities for my summer is the chance to welcome and greet many of these visitor, in a formal setting or while they are wandering through the campus.

This weekend DSU is sponsoring the University of South Dakota’s production of Forever Plaid at our Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Sharon and I will be attending tonight (Friday) and hosting a reception for the cast and crew at the Girton House following the production. Other performances are at 8 on Saturday evening and 2 PM on Sunday. This is a wonderful show and I hope many will get a chance to see it.

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer weather and that you will all get a chance to stroll through the beautiful DSU campus some time soon.

P.S. If you see me walking around and it looks like I am talking to myself it is really just my way of staying connected through my voice activated Bluetooth Motorola Q PDA device. How cool!

Newsletter May 11

2006-05-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

May 10, 2006

To the DSU Community:

Each time I sit down to write a newsletter I review what has happened in the last couple weeks and I do have to say this has been a rather eventful time on the campus.

First, DSU got statewide attention for being the first campus to get a case of the mumps. Not only did we get this distinction but we also got the privilege to be the campus to “pilot” all the directives from the South Dakota Health Department and the Board of Regents. Despite all the information and “guidance” that came flying our way, DSU again demonstrated that it is the campus that is the most resilient, flexible and dynamic in the system. We pulled off a campus wide process for identifying students, as well as faculty and staff that might be at risk, provided a clinic here on campus, provided documentation of everyone’s immunization status, all in about 3 days. As a result we have had only one case to date and we have not had to systematically exclude anyone from the campus. Other campuses are now facing the problems we dealt with two weeks ago. I am again so proud of our efforts. At the Board of Regents meeting in Aberdeen this week, Executive Director Tad Perry commended DSU for their response to this situation.

Last Friday our DSU Foundation Board had a day long meeting on the campus. Through some extraordinary organizational and coordination efforts by our board staff, it was a highly productive day. With over 30 board members this organization is now fully in a position to support Dakota States goals for scholarship offerings and new initiatives. They also had a unique opportunity to take in the Eric Johnson Endowment fundraiser – car show while they were here. I understand that one of our foundation board members generously provided the last contribution so the scholarship fund can be endowed.

On Friday evening the Foundation sponsored our First Annual Legends and Legacy donor recognition and awards event. It was a first class dinner – again incredibly well orchestrated by the board staff. Many individuals and groups were given recognition for their annual and ongoing financial contributions to the foundation. We were honored that former President Richard Gowen and his wife, Nancy attended, as well as Regent Richard Bellati and his wife, Marilyn, and Mayor Gene Hexom, (AKA General Beadle) and his wife, Marilyn attended the dinner. Over 100 individuals attended the event that also included the announcement of the following faculty awards:

Dr. Dan Weinstein – The D.J. Cline Faculty Award for excellence in teaching

Dr. Don Wiken – The Alexander “Sandy” Davidson Faculty Award for excellence in advising

Dr. Judy Dittman – The DeWayne Mork Faculty Award for excellence in service

Dr. Mark Hawkes – The Merrill Hunter Faculty Award for excellence in research

More information about these recipients will be sent out to the press at a later time.

The Foundation also presented a “Professional Achievement” award to Mr. Dan Kern. Dan lives in California and has become a very committed member of the board.

Last Saturday, DSU then hosted the KSFY/Touchstone Energy Scholars luncheon for over 100 young high school seniors and their family and friends. These young people are seen through out the year as the student of the week on the KSFY television station and then brought together to be honored at this event. This is the second year we have hosted the event on campus and this year I had the opportunity to give the keynote at the luncheon. It was just an honor to be in the presence of some of the brightest, most creative and most dedicated young people in the state.

Sunday I was on the road to Aberdeen to attend the Board of Regents meetings on Monday and Tuesday. The meetings went very well for DSU with several new minors, program sites and program redesigns approved by the board. Not only did we receive a commendation on our response to the mumps outbreak, we also had several positive comments about the efficacy of our technology integration activities on the campus. One of our DSU students presently serves as the vice president of the South Dakota Student Federation, Kris Beck. At the informal budget hearings that will come up in June we will have to address specific needs for health and safety infrastructure deferred maintenance funding and our library budget needs.

Here is a quick run down on some of my other activities or issues important to the campus.

We had a chance for photo opportunities and accepted contributions to our 125th Anniversary President’s Corporate Scholarship campaign. We received lead gifts from First Premier Bank - $125,000 and from Avera-McKennan - $150,000. The goal of the campaign is to raise one million dollars to add to our endowment scholarship fund. At the First Premier event, thirty of our DSU alumni who work for First Premier were able to attend, as well as Dana Dykhouse, President of First Premier Bank and Miles Beacom (our own DSU Grad) President of First Premier Bankcard.
We had another “First Tuesday” Alumni gathering at Shenanigans in Sioux Falls. I am so pleased with the turn outs we are getting. Each of these events has offered new opportunities to connect with alumni from different eras.
We hosted over 30 South Dakota Catholic school administrators for a day long meeting and technology demonstrations. I had a chance to visit with them about the impact of infusing technology in the teaching and learning experience of students.
Last week was also the Health Information Management banquet. They meet each spring to honor their graduates. It was fun evening, meeting some of them for the first time and listening to Keith Bundy inspire them. (One of his jokes did earn him a severe reprimand from yours truly – obviously Mr. Bundy needs a little more mentoring when it comes to making fun of the president!) HIM is a program that has seen significant growth with close to 90 students and distance students from twenty-two different states in the country. With the explosion of health information and the development of electronic medical records, we would anticipate even further growth.
Early this week I attended a very warm and touching event – Linda Venekamp’s retirement celebration. It was incredibly interesting learning about Linda’s long and significant history with our teacher education programs. Once again I was in awe of the contributions our faculty have made to the preparation of students in so many fields. One of the most memorable quotes from the night came from Zeno Van Erdewyk when he cited Dr. Seuss “ Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened”.
After the Venekamp dinner I helped a crew from our Student Services group serve hundreds of DSU students a late night pancake supper. It is such a fun event with so many grateful students showing up at 10 PM. This is a tradition on this campus, as a way to provide a little sustenance and support during finals week.
One afternoon last week we hosted, at the Girton House, a reception for the many clubs and organizations that received Merit Awards for their activities during the year and that same evening had a pizza event for the new DSU student senate members.
Tonight I had a chance to attend the Resident Hall Assistants picnic and recognition event. I was given the opportunity to thank them for all their hard work, mentoring, patience, parenting, counseling and the variety of roles they fill for our student in the residence halls.
We are clearly in the middle of planning and completing tasks associated with our commencement ceremony that is scheduled for this coming Saturday at 10:30 AM. Not only are we very excited that Senator Tim Johnson will be the speaker, we are also anticipating our first use of live video on the big screen in the field house.

As I watched many students and families packing up their belongings to leave for the summer I can’t help but feel a little sad that it will once again be a little too quiet for me on the campus. But then I reviewed the list of activities and events that will be occurring at DSU this summer and I realized it will not be quiet very long.

Yes we will say good bye to a number of seniors this Saturday, but we have already enrolled more first year students than we had enrolled at this time a year ago so ---- it will all start over again. Only this next year they will be more technologically savvy and brighter than ever before! YES!!!!

PS I am going to be away from the campus for two weeks accompanying the DSU Study trip to London, Scotland and Paris. This will be another opportunity to get to know some of our students and also bond with my 21 year old son who will be on the trip with me. It is clear that Nancy and Roger Moose, who are leading the trip, are going to keep us very busy. I was a little worried about being away for this long and then I remembered Linda Brozik will be here so no need to worry!

International Experience

2006-05-10T07:47:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a guest on the DSU campus who is currently an Associate Vice President for International Programs at the University of Minnesota. He did a day long workshop for three of the regental campuses in South Dakota on the topic of internationalizing the curriculum. I had gotten to know him while at the Unviversity of Minnesota, Crookston. He has an incredible range of knowledge and dedication to the topics of global studies and internationalizing the curriculum. It has renewed my dedication to looking for opportunities for students to travel and study abroad. We will be looking at collaborative partnerships with other universities to offer more opportunities for our students.

I will be leaving Monday to accompany our London study tour group and will be gone from the campus for two weeks. We will be in London, Scotland and in Paris. I am convinced that study abroad experiences are life transforming for many students. I would love to hear about experiences related to study abroad or travel abroad that have provided these transformative moments for students or others in the community.

Rebuttal on Notebook issues

2006-04-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

Okay I totally disagree about the non use of the tablets. I have seen several demonstrations of incredibly creative uses of the tablet technology by faculty at DSU. I also know that our implementation of this technology has been overwhelmingly accepted by the majority of students and faculty at DSU.

Annonymous might also want to check out the cost of tablet requirements at other universities - Winona State University - same notebook $500 per semester
University of Minnesota, Crookston laptop $500 per semester
SD School of Mines and Technology is following DSU's lead but will charge $350 for same notebook.

Remember for the 320 at DSU you also recieve the software, use of a wireless network, security, printing and other benefits. Hmmmmmm wonder how DSU can do it so cheaply!!!!!

Newsletter April 3

2006-04-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

April 3, 2006

To the DSU Community:

I would like to start this newsletter with a brief review of the SD Board of Regents’ actions at their recent meeting in Sioux Falls. For the first time the BOR met at USD’s Sanford Medical School facility. This is the time of year that the board grapples with any changes in tuition and fees. The board approved an approximate increase in tuition and fees of 5.9%. This recommendation did include an increase in our tablet computer fee to $320.00 per semester. This increase of 13.9% will allow us to cover the cost of licensing for the Office Suite through Microsoft Academic Alliance program and to cover some replacement costs of batteries etc.

The board also approved DSU’s request to pursue the planning and design for construction of a Multipurpose Indoor Athletic Practice facility. Funding for the project will come from donations. Very preliminary plans indicate that it would be built just to the southeast of the present Trojan Field stands and would house a 200 meter indoor track. Our existing field house was constructed in 1958 at a time when we had a total student enrollment of 407 with 70 student athletes participating in sports. In fall 2005, DSU’s total enrollment stood at 2,329 with a total of 295 student athletes participating in 12 sports. This facility will provide indoor track competition facilities, practice facilities for baseball, softball, football on occasion, track and a weight training area with locker and office space. While no specific design and costs have been developed, the best cost estimate we have at this time is $4 million. We will now begin design development and the fundraising needed to build this facility.

During the board meeting Cecelia Wittmayer and Carrie Ahern provided a review and information session on the AQIP process that DSU will use for our accreditation activity for the Higher Learning Commission. DSU is the only university in the state to move to this more continuous improvement process and the board committee in charge of accreditation was very interested to hear about our pioneering efforts. Yeah we are always out in front of everyone!

As the last thing on the agenda for the board meeting, a search committee for the new president at SDSU was named. I will serve as the campus president on the committee. Our collaborative efforts with SDSU and other BOR institutions are very important to our future success so I will enjoy discussing these kinds of activities with the candidates.

This past week was full of activities associated with our 125th Anniversary. After returning from the board meeting on Friday, March 24th I had the pleasure of officially opening the DSU timeline which stretches around the entire expanse of the Mundt Library second floor. It is truly an amazing project led by Bonnie Olson and Karen Duffy with the Mundt foundation. I would encourage everyone associated with this campus to take some time to walk around the second floor to understand the history of the institution. It will be a permanent feature in the library.

Saturday night, March 25th was our big 125th Anniversary Gala at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. The event was a sell out with over 200 people attending. After a “spine tingling” murder mystery, a terrific meal in a very elegantly decorated ballroom, and a trumpet fanfare for the desert we took a moment to introduce special guests and think about the “historical” significance of this anniversary. One of the highlights of the evening was a standing ovation for Donna Fawbush, the primary organizer of this gala and chair of our 125th Anniversary committee.

DSU also got an “Anniversary/Birthday” present that night. I have set a personal goal of raising $1 million dollars during this year to endow 20-25 Presidential Champion Scholarships through the President’s Corporate Scholarship Campaign. On this “gala night” we announced two lead gifts to this fund. Avera-McKennan has pledged $150,000 and First Premier Bank has pledged $125,000. I have recently visited with five additional corporations – all are in the process of considering our request.

Here are some additional highlights from approximately the past two weeks.

· Sharon and I hosted another student/faculty dinner at the Girton House. These events are such a wonderful way to connect faculty and allow the students the opportunity to share their experiences here at DSU. The evening included a lively discussion of our “programming” requirement for all students and the exciting possibility of looking at other programming options such as Ruby or Python (actually I am IT name dropping as I just learned what Ruby and Python were).We are gradually working our way through a list that will bring each faculty member and a student guest to one of these events.
· Dan Weinstein had a fascinating presentation on “pod casting”. I am now in the market for an i River (okay name dropping again)
· Last Friday we had a great day hosting 65 Champion Scholars for a registration day. In 2005 this same event had 46 students attend – this is great news but also a challenge as we bring more and more academically accomplished students to campus our scholarship requirements increase. Great problem to have!
· I have been having a series of meetings to review salary recommendations for next year, work study allocations, and getting ready for the budget hearings that will begin this week.
· This past week I had a chance to visit with the CIO from the Martin Group company in Mitchell and actually had a chance to visit briefly with a couple of our recent grads. I also traveled to Mankato to meet the CEO of James Tower Co. This is the company that has helped us develop our recruitment publications, website and web based admissions processes. It was great fun seeing the big DSU logo on the wall of this corporation. They are considering future support for our scholarship program. I will be keynoting their client meeting in Minneapolis in June.
· This morning we began reviewing plans for remodeling our large auditorium classrooms and a conference room. Watch for more announcements as these plans proceed.
· Today I had a chance to review our support funding for faculty attendance at conferences and workshops. During the Fall 05 semester and to-date during the Spring 06 semester forty-four faculty received financial support for presenting at and/or attending seventy-eight conferences across the country in twenty-one different states. Of the seventy-eight meetings attended faculty presented at fifty-seven of the meetings. Additional information on the types of conferences and presentations will be released later.
· After traveling to Mankato I stopped in Sioux Falls to attend a retirement event for Regent Carole Pagones. Carole is retiring from Main Street Sioux Falls but will be continuing her work on the Board of Regents so we will get a chance to continue our relationship with this remarkable woman. She will be the Regent attending our Commencement in May.
· As a side note – we are very pleased that Senator Tim Johnson has accepted our invitation to be the commencement speaker in May.

Spring has definitely come to life today in Madison. Tulips, daffodils, and crocus are starting to poke through the ground – and actually look like they might bloom at the Science Center. Our baseball team played 4 games outdoors this weekend – winning 3 against Minot State – they are currently ranked 17th in the nation but look for them to go even higher this week. The softball team is also playing well and our Lady T’s hosted a special game for high school seniors at the DSU field house this past weekend. Our track team had a meet (a cold day) at Trojan field on Saturday.

Well enough news – I am off to watch March Madness come to an end. None of my teams made it to the final four. The rest of the week holds interviews for a variety of candidates interviewing on campus, a trip to EROS to discuss our relationship, attendance at DSU’s monthly “First Tuesday” event at Shenanigans in SF, budget hearings, a USDSU board meeting, SDSU presidential search committee meeting, residential master planning review, attendance at DSU’s theater production on Friday night and great coffee at Java City. Have a great spring transition!

2006-03-17T08:37:00.000-06:00

March 17, 2006

To the DSU Community:

After spending some time reviewing the past several days on my calendar I am again reminded what a great “job” I have. I get to do so many different things, meet so many interesting people and interact with so many individuals who are friends of this university. One of my activities during this past week was participating in a meeting and conference call with the Investment Committee of the DSU Foundation. I am very excited that this dedicated group of people is actively looking for ways to increase the resources available to the university. The meeting included individuals here in Madison and on conference phone from Nebraska, Arizona, California and Sioux Falls. Our foundation board has expanded significantly and is organized to be a major force as we move DSU forward.

During this past week I also had the opportunity to interact with some (hopefully future DSU students) young people. I concluded my Jr. Achievement teaching with a group of fifth graders here in Madison. I also got to greet a group of high school students from a technology class in Howard that was visiting the campus. I was impressed with how interested these students appeared to be with regard to the technology activities here on campus.

On Wednesday I talked the faculty group that discusses research projects into letting me present on a simple research project I had mentored with an undergraduate research assistant before coming to DSU. I was pleased that the discussion led to some good ideas about incorporating more support for undergraduate research projects and the possibility of DSU becoming involved with the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. I was also pleased that the group went easy on me as we discussed the methodological flaws of the study we conducted on the effect of a computer mediated game on learning.

So here is a run down on a few of those activities that were a part of my “spring break” and this past week.

We have a new student senate president. Craig Polkow will take over as the next president in April. I had a chance to have lunch with Craig to discuss how the senate can expand leadership opportunities for students and how I can be of support to their work.

We are heading into the budget process and I have been involved in meetings to set the agendas for our budget hearings, conducting evaluations of the staff that reports directly to me and working through issues that will impact our next years budget.

Jim Hockett, the announcer from KJAM that was the voice of the Trojans for a few years is leaving to go to Wyoming so we had a brief send off for him and I was able to present him with a DSU sweatshirt. I enjoyed listening to Jim and interacting with him over the two years I have been here.
Three of us from DSU were able to attend a Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce “mixer” one evening this past week. Every time I attend one of these mixers I meet someone else who has a connection to DSU or to Madison. Gives me a great opportunity to talk about DSU.

Our retention/recruitment consultant from Noel-Levitz was on campus this past week and I had a chance to meet with him as we discussed improvements to our web page and ideas for connecting with more potential students. He was very complimentary of all the processes we have put in place to increase the “persistence” or retention of our students and we reviewed some data that is beginning to show the impact of all these activities.

Yesterday I spent some time with the CEO of a “project management – technology consulting” company from the Twin Cities. They are looking to start a branch somewhere in Southeastern SD. It was fun visiting with him about trends and issues he sees for IT and I also had a chance to give him a tour of the new technology center north of campus.

Our monthly meeting of the CSA staff here at DSU was this past week and I had another opportunity to present an award to our CSA employee of the month. This group announces “cause for applause” recipients each month and it is great to listen to all the good work that is recognized this way.

Last Thursday Governor Rounds was in Sioux Falls to sign the legislation that will enable us to build a new building for USDSU. I was able to attend that ceremony and thank a number of people who helped facilitate that legislation. We are going to begin a series of meetings regarding the design of the building, the governance structure, a vision for the new approach to delivery in SF and even a new name for the facility.

Last night I got to watch a little March Madness and SD high school basketball while I wrote thank you notes to donors who have been making contributions through our annual calling campaign. Every week I get a list of individuals who have decided to contribute. Individuals from all over the country that still have a connection to the campus. It always reminds me that we have a great group of students that are making these calls almost every night from our call center in Lowry Hall. I need to stop by to thank them again!

Last week I took three trips to Sioux City to see our Lady T’s basketball team advance to the elite eight in the NAIA Division II women’s basketball championship. What a moment of pride for all of us as we watched our young student athletes compete with teams from Ohio, Kansas and Nebraska. I also followed with interest the amazing success of our baseball and softball teams as they “warmed up” with a series of games in Florida and Arizona over spring break. Please don’t pay attention to the coaches with the incredible tans – they should fade quickly.

We are in the process of preparing for some major events to celebrate our 125th Anniversary including our big GALA next weekend, the opening of the time line in the library and a host of other fun events to celebrate this exciting marker in our history. Watch for news about these events and for a few surprise birthday gifts.

I am off this afternoon with two of our faculty members to attend an IT discipline council meeting in Chamberlain. Have a great weekend!

After receiving a comment on my “blog” about not posting anything recently I have decided to post my newsletter to my blog also as a way of reaching another audience. You can see the blog at http://presidentspage.blogspot.com/ and you can also read all my past newsletter by visiting my website and clicking on documents.

General Education

2006-02-05T15:26:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of my first full year at DSU, after listening to alot of people associated with Dakota State for about 9 months, I formulated and presented to the campus a "vision" statement titled "A Journey Worth Taking". This journey identified four visions that we have for all our students. It stated that DSU graduates would have:
1. Unsurpassed information technology knowledge
2. Exceptionally creative problem solving skills
3. A passion for learning
4. A pride in the institution.

Recently I have been thinking about how we continue to enhance the learning of our students so to even more clearly achieve these goals. I specifically was thinking about it when an employer of several of our graduates was extolling the virtues of one of the grads that worked for him. He indicated that he was one of those individuals that you could assign any problem to and he would figure out a creative and imaginative solution. What an incredible statement!

Now, it could clearly be that this student entered DSU with all these skills but I have to believe that his educational experience helped shape and expand his capabilities. I am fond of saying in public forums that Dakota State University is not about the business of "training technicians - it is about educating technologists". Individuals who use technology to creativly solve problems and invent solutions.

When I am confronted by a student who wants an explanation about why he or she (being a computer science major) should have to take a science course, a history course, a math course etc., I look at them and say because I want you to be able to think like a scientist, think like a historian and when you need to think mathmatically. I firmly believe that our general education curriculum does contribute to the problem solving abilities of our students. I think we all have been somewhat negligent when it comes to being clear with students about the links of these disciplines to this creative problem solving process. It has been too long and maybe I just wasn't paying attention but I don't remember anyone helping me understand what an incredibly important class my required "Arts and Ideas" - general ed class was. I wouldn't want to be 18 again but I would love to take that class now!

Reactions

2006-02-05T15:16:00.000-06:00

After my first venture into the world of blogging I am surprized with the number of comments and the level to which it helped me think about several issues related to communication. Let me share a few of my reactions to all these comments.

First, I was really impressed that people read what I had posted and then reacted. This was a pleasant surprize and did reinforce my view of this new technology as another vehicle for communication. Second, I loved the fact that several people gave me advice on what other things I should do with my blog and I even got an offer to jazz my page up a bit and make it "edgier" - my favorite word. The third and most intriquing issue was related to the pressure to write another blog and to come up with something stimulating and challenging. When I shared this sense of pressure with a professor on campus his reaction really provided some insight. He said,"how wonderful - that is the way we want students to feel".

It is the way we want students to feel. How do I think about things deeply and then write about them in a way that communicates something!!!!! Yes! Exactly! The pressure isn't a bad thing it is a good thing - well now there is a novel thought.

I am still trying to figure out the RSS thing and how to link other bogs to mine but I will get there.

Communication

2006-02-02T09:09:00.000-06:00

Well this is my first effort to create a Blog. As the President of Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota I wanted to find another way to communicate thoughts that would allow for response from others in the DSU community or in a broader community. DSU is a campus that has unique mission - to be the information technology campus for the state and so finding new technologies and new ways to communicate is a part of what we are about.

With the help of Dan W here at DSU I am going to move into this blogging world to see what kind of possibilities it presents for increased communication. Another acquaintance of mine who is into blogging indicated that the best blogs are somewhat personal and incorporate a bit of humor so I will attempt both.

I have been thinking alot about how communication takes place in this new electronic, digital age. Certainly my life focuses around email, cell phone messages, web pages, etc. I find that I have quickly adopted a work life style that puts me in front of a screen at almost any time of the day. In-between meetings I quickly check my messages and attempt to respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. The level of communication has increased in so many ways. I know others who confine their email checking and responses to a specific time of day etc but this just doesn't seem to work for me. I am convinced that our students will quickly adopt this style of interaction. Does it make me more socially isolated - I don't believe so and find that those times when I am face to face with someone else has become even more engaging, but then I didn't grow up with instant messaging, blogging and email. I often wonder what the impact will be on this whole generation of students who have had this as part of their world and a part of their expectation.

The management team here at DSU is looking at a new PDA/Cell phone combination (Blackberry type) initiative for our group. I have joked with them that I am going to get these new earpieces that have wireless bluetooth connection and that we will walk around with them on all day so we can "communicate" ubiquitously (love that word). Who knows!

Hope to get comments or thoughts and others suggestions for communicating effectively.