More higher education cuts?

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Lets see how this goes over at the Madison Chamber meeting. The reality of closing any of the six will not happen without a fight of some sort. There are jobs and business in Madison that depend on DSU with open doors, and not closed and collecting dust. Closing NSU would really produces screams and yelling beyond comprehension. It looks very easy on paper but even Governor Duggy will not take the bait on that move.

Agreed. I don't think it will happen. But I could see DSU closing in the next 20 years.

[Yote53]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Just trying to provoke conversation on that topic. I realize Madison would take a big hit, as would Aberdeen if NSU closed. Those closures would have catastrophic effects to those communities. But what if a phase out plan was considered to lessen the blow and allow afffected communities to prepare and recover?

Again, I believe education should be funded, and higher ed has taken more than its share of cuts in the past few years. I just look at larger states with more resources that have less campuses than SD does and have to ask if there is a way we could be more efficient.

As a parent, I do not fear cuts in K-12 education. It is ultimately my responsibilty to make sure my child is educated and if the school starts to fail him I will make sure that I don't.

There are other areas of government to look at first for cuts. I believe we should look into those areas first and use a scalpel instead of a hatchet.

[Nidaros]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Just trying to provoke conversation on that topic. I realize Madison would take a big hit, as would Aberdeen if NSU closed. Those closures would have catastrophic effects to those communities. But what if a phase out plan was considered to lessen the blow and allow afffected communities to prepare and recover?

Again, I believe education should be funded, and higher ed has taken more than its share of cuts in the past few years. I just look at larger states with more resources that have less campuses than SD does and have to ask if there is a way we could be more efficient.

As a parent, I do not fear cuts in K-12 education. It is ultimately my responsibilty to make sure my child is educated and if the school starts to fail him I will make sure that I don't.

There are other areas of government to look at first for cuts. I believe we should look into those areas first and use a scalpel instead of a hatchet.

Our orignal four normal school were I believe set up to serve regions of the state and I think this regional concept will keep the door open for decades in the future. Orignally these schools were designed to train teachers for one room schools. The elementry education majors at the three remaining are much different than at the turn of the century. Also Southern or USD-Springfield added some trades such as body shop repair, somewhere in the mid 1950's and I once thought that would have been a good field to enter. Now Springfield is a prison, and whether Janklows move on this is good or bad, it will be hard to tell.

One other thing that might give strenght to the regional concept is future increases in economic bases and population and the needs for higher education, but traveling to Brookings and Vermillion for night classes might not be workable. Online classes could be the solution.

Do you suppose that Governor Daugaard thought about having politcal support from Madison, Aberdeen and Spearfish on other issues? He seems to be a very pragmatic man.

I think his popularity would have gone down the sewer by picking one of these institutions for closing. Politics and political parties are about compromise and working to a common goal and maybe the legislature will be feeling pressure to do something else. Who knows.

[filbert]

Re: More higher education cuts?

I can't see any Governor absolutely throw away any hope of getting votes in Aberdeen by trying to close Northern, so my guess is that NSU is probably more or less safe.

Madison is small enough to be another story, but it would be really, really ugly to try to outright close DSU. More likely would be some kind of administrative merger with SDSU (possibly as a junior college), or gradual movement of DSU's programs to Sioux Falls and/or Brookings over the next couple of decades, essentially letting DSU die on the vine.

IMHO the best bet for DSU's long-term survival would probably be to become a junior college, quite honestly.

(Note that I am a notoriously bad political prognosticator, so be careful taking enough grains of salt with this post . . . don't want your blood pressure to spike . . .)

[JimmyJack]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Filbert has hit the nail on the head. An administrative merger would save some money while keeping the campus in Madison. There are good people there and a useful physical facility. USD already administers University Center with just a single executive dean on site. Surely a similar arrangement with SDSU overseeing DSU could be worked out.


One more thing: Whatever you believe is the answer here, be sure to talk to your legislators about it. They need to hear from all of us in South Dakota. I know they take note when they get polite, thoughtful input from constituents. So whether you think the cuts are fine or want some other solution, go to a Saturday legislative coffee or email your legislators.

[Nidaros]

Re: More higher education cuts?

I bought a car in Madison and other than that, I have no ties to this community except I live maybe 23 miles away.

What really seems to keep DSU on the map is all those information system and computer system majors that Gov Janklow added to get Citibank to come to SF. Granted most Citibank employees are in SF, so moving that instruction down the road to SF might help, but I am sure the adminstrative folks at DSU would really toot their horn about these majors and their importance to higher ed in South Dakota.

An adminstrative merger is not out of the question, but I believe the current president is a ways away from retirement. It certainly is a workable solution especally with information systems.

[TransAmBison]

Re: More higher education cuts?

I take offense to your use of a sexual act to reference a different point of view. Its junior high humor, and it isn't clever.

Me thinks you doth protest too much.

[filbert]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Me thinks you doth protest too much.

My patience for humor of this sort on this thread approaches zero.

[goon]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Either way, what ever happens is going to be be a hard decision to make for the state. Does not seem like an easy way to go no matter which way you slice it.

[jackmd]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Resisting the urge to interject and plummet this thread into oblivion........

Success!

[TransAmBison]

Re: More higher education cuts?

My patience for humor of this sort on this thread approaches zero.

Let's just say I know a little bit about starting debate. Getting posts rolling. Sure, the previous post was a bit off color...but did it need moderation or the stepping in of a moderator? What fun is a message board when it is run with an iron fist? Seriously...why not only moderate when moderation is NEEDED. So a person was offended. From what I have gathered through PM's, there is a contingent of old fogies on this board that very well may have dentures older than I. I'm 36...not old except for in the eyes of a 21 year old or younger. Heck, those teeth are probably sitting next to the computer keyboard right now. Most of the people on the message board are men. Act like it. Men say off color things. Who wants to post if you are going to be put on a leash. I haven't been here very long so there may be a history that I don't know about...but so far people are very timid...except for those whining about this or that post has a condescending remark or it has some smack. Newsflash: Maybe somebody wants to liven up a remark.

Bisonville was not any busier than this a number of years ago. A number of people took it to the next level. You guys can too...but people have to be given some freedom to express themselves. Just look how many hits the Hitman Scam has received. I've got better planned. You can thank me later.

Now...let's put the ban button away. Let's even take the ban gun out of the holster and put it in the ban safe. Lock it up. Heck, even take the admin pants and put them on the hook.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Honestly though, if SD implemented a sales tax increase tonight and told no one about it, how many people would notice? No one. But if they implemented a sales tax increase and told everyone, people would FREAK OUT! Yet if they didn't know it had been increased, it would be unnoticeable.

This comment wins the thread.

[LakeJack]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Let's just say I know a little bit about starting debate. Getting posts rolling. Sure, the previous post was a bit off color...but did it need moderation or the stepping in of a moderator? What fun is a message board when it is run with an iron fist? Seriously...why not only moderate when moderation is NEEDED. So a person was offended. From what I have gathered through PM's, there is a contingent of old fogies on this board that very well may have dentures older than I. I'm 36...not old except for in the eyes of a 21 year old or younger. Heck, those teeth are probably sitting next to the computer keyboard right now. Most of the people on the message board are men. Act like it. Men say off color things. Who wants to post if you are going to be put on a leash. I haven't been here very long so there may be a history that I don't know about...but so far people are very timid...except for those whining about this or that post has a condescending remark or it has some smack. Newsflash: Maybe somebody wants to liven up a remark.

Bisonville was not any busier than this a number of years ago. A number of people took it to the next level. You guys can too...but people have to be given some freedom to express themselves. Just look how many hits the Hitman Scam has received. I've got better planned. You can thank me later.

Now...let's put the ban button away. Let's even take the ban gun out of the holster and put it in the ban safe. Lock it up. Heck, even take the admin pants and put them on the hook.

Mods, please please don't let us get like Bisonville.

[LakeJack]

Re: More higher education cuts?

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...0309/1001/news

[filbert]

Re: More higher education cuts?

Let's just say I know a little bit about starting debate. Getting posts rolling. Sure, the previous post was a bit off color...but did it need moderation or the stepping in of a moderator? What fun is a message board when it is run with an iron fist? Seriously...why not only moderate when moderation is NEEDED. So a person was offended. From what I have gathered through PM's, there is a contingent of old fogies on this board that very well may have dentures older than I. I'm 36...not old except for in the eyes of a 21 year old or younger. Heck, those teeth are probably sitting next to the computer keyboard right now. Most of the people on the message board are men. Act like it. Men say off color things. Who wants to post if you are going to be put on a leash. I haven't been here very long so there may be a history that I don't know about...but so far people are very timid...except for those whining about this or that post has a condescending remark or it has some smack. Newsflash: Maybe somebody wants to liven up a remark.

Bisonville was not any busier than this a number of years ago. A number of people took it to the next level. You guys can too...but people have to be given some freedom to express themselves. Just look how many hits the Hitman Scam has received. I've got better planned. You can thank me later.

Now...let's put the ban button away. Let's even take the ban gun out of the holster and put it in the ban safe. Lock it up. Heck, even take the admin pants and put them on the hook.

There are lots of threads where a comment like yours would have gone unremarked-on. This one isn't among them.

Why that is is left as an exercise for the reader.