Board of Regents Meeting

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

I don't disagree with you but wish to remind you of the stance many influential USD admin and alumni took with respect to SDSU's move to DI. That was just as obstructionist if not more so. What comes around sometimes goes around.

I've contacted multiple state legislators about the topic of athletic vs academic fund raising at the university level and the response is almost universal. Most believe donations to athletics jeopardize donations to academics and therefore are opposed to promoting the concept. It would appear the member of the BoR share that same opinion.

Unbelievable.

Why would I want to move back to a state that isn't progressive at all?

[joeboo22]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

1 - no $100M stadium
2 - this is okaying a fifteen year master plan, not authorizing immediate construction of 100% of the work
3 - why not defer launch of the "It Starts With State" campaign?

Shoot. By extending this logic, SDSU should avoid announcing gifts, avoid announcing new projects, avoid announcing fund raising campaigns, and avoid soliciting donations because it would 'look bad.'

I agree with you, but even if its just an announcement of a planned stadium people hear what they want to hear.

many people on the educational side of things get very upset when they see their co-workers losing jobs at the same time the school is planning on building a new athletic building. Even if they have nothing to do with each other.

I'm playing the opposite side and just explaining their view. I don't like the BoR's system, it was amazing how when a select someone was on the board how Northern State got anything and everything approved even though their enrollment had gone down. Its amazing how few people actually know who is on this board, when they meet, and what their decisions are. Its amazing how the legislature and governor's office continues to strip the colleges of their funds, I saw a graph from last year that showed the % of funding that comes from the state and its gone down greatly in recent history.

All what I'm saying is that when the students are being told that they have to pay over 5% more in tuition next year after similar rates in previous years, faculty is not getting raises, some faculty are getting cut is it the best time to announce a plan for a multi million dollar project, especially if it doesn't involve education?

And I think that having good athletics really helps your school, Duke was a really good school before being a basketball school, but after becoming a basketball school they opened themselves up for people from across the country to go their.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

I agree with you, but even if its just an announcement of a planned stadium people hear what they want to hear.

Let them. They will be the ones that look like idiots.

[joeboo22]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

Let them. They will be the ones that look like idiots.

except a lot of people will agree with them.

If you want to win, contact the BoR members, the legislature and the Governors office. Ask why they haven't approved this, ask if there is anything they can do to change this law to make it so they don't need the BoR approval. But I'll say this, be polite, explain to them the benefits, one thing I've learned with elected officials (both parties) is common sense don't work, and you won't beat them with an argument.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

except a lot of people will agree with them.

And why should we care?

[HoboJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

except a lot of people will agree with them.

If you want to win, contact the BoR members, the legislature and the Governors office. Ask why they haven't approved this, ask if there is anything they can do to change this law to make it so they don't need the BoR approval. But I'll say this, be polite, explain to them the benefits, one thing I've learned with elected officials (both parties) is common sense don't work, and you won't beat them with an argument.

Has the BOR even heard the presentations? Kind of hard to approve them if they havn't.

Based on the budget cuts hitting the University, I'm sure the athletic facilities issues aren't very high on their priority list right now. My guess as to why this wasn't on the agenda for this mtg had less to do with the political implications than most people think. I think it has more to do with the fact that there are some higher priority items that need to be dealt with first i.e. how do we fund the universities next year as opposed to funding a facility at some random point in the future, and only a certain amount of time to meet.

[joeboo22]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

Has the BOR even heard the presentations? Kind of hard to approve them if they havn't.

Based on the budget cuts hitting the University, I'm sure the athletic facilities issues aren't very high on their priority list right now. My guess as to why this wasn't on the agenda for this mtg had less to do with the political implications than most people think. I think it has more to do with the fact that there are some higher priority items that need to be dealt with first i.e. how do we fund the universities next year as opposed to funding a facility at some random point in the future, and only a certain amount of time to meet.

I do believe they heard the initial proposals in October or whenever, the meeting was in Rapid City. I know Black Hills State gave a proposal about a new Residence Hall/campus apartment complex, and it was turned down and I believe it was the same day that SDSU and USD gave their proposals.

I do believe that this meeting they wanted to discuss the budget what to cut and what % increase to approve.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

And why should we care?

Because the Regents run a public education system that relies on the Legislature and Governor to set its budget. And they do so in a state that has shown hostility towards higher education for decades.

Again, I would say the Regents have done a very good job of trying to move this university system forward given the situation in South Dakota over the last few years. When they consider these kinds of proposals, they do so in the context of a much bigger picture and with a goal of trying to at least maintain the quality of higher education as a whole. I honestly believe that if the universities weren't about to fire a bunch of people and kill a bunch of programs, the Regents would have approved the athletic facilities. They have demonstrated to me (and as a Regental employee, I follow their work pretty closely) that they do have a progressive vision for higher education in the state. But they don't operate in a vacuum.

Basically, it isn't very fun to be part of this university system right now. And it can't be fun to be a Regent watching all the progress of the last decade or so going away. With most of the university system's budget in personnel, you can't cut millions of dollars without cutting good people and good programs. it's depressing.

One more thing that everybody seems to forget. Athletics will be getting a 10 percent cut lopped off the general funds portion of their budget (about $3 million, or a $300k budget cut, I think). Nobody is immune to this.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

One more thing that everybody seems to forget. Athletics will be getting a 10 percent cut lopped off the general funds portion of their budget (about $3 million, or a $300k budget cut, I think). Nobody is immune to this.

People better realize that when more budget cuts occur, the easiest place to save money at is on the athletic side of things (Think UNO cutting wrestling and football.) The days of a fans donations only being what they pay for season tickets should be coming to an end. If we, as fans, don't get off our butts and kick in more money we could see things change for the worse in the coming years.

[Nidaros]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

Because the Regents run a public education system that relies on the Legislature and Governor to set its budget. And they do so in a state that has shown hostility towards higher education for decades.

Again, I would say the Regents have done a very good job of trying to move this university system forward given the situation in South Dakota over the last few years. When they consider these kinds of proposals, they do so in the context of a much bigger picture and with a goal of trying to at least maintain the quality of higher education as a whole. I honestly believe that if the universities weren't about to fire a bunch of people and kill a bunch of programs, the Regents would have approved the athletic facilities. They have demonstrated to me (and as a Regental employee, I follow their work pretty closely) that they do have a progressive vision for higher education in the state. But they don't operate in a vacuum.

Basically, it isn't very fun to be part of this university system right now. And it can't be fun to be a Regent watching all the progress of the last decade or so going away. With most of the university system's budget in personnel, you can't cut millions of dollars without cutting good people and good programs. it's depressing.

One more thing that everybody seems to forget. Athletics will be getting a 10 percent cut lopped off the general funds portion of their budget (about $3 million, or a $300k budget cut, I think). Nobody is immune to this.

Well said Jimmy Jack the budget cuts are going to hurt in some fashion.


In the next election, maybe the unhappy folks that have contributed to this thread should look at their candidate for legislature. How does he feel about SDSU building a football staduim with private funds? And maybe a few more questions. Some of these candidates have not had challange for a long time and they do not have to listen to anyone in particular except to their anti-intellectual instincts.

Kicking in and giving more to the Jackrabbit club will not solve the problem. We have to start voting right on election day. Its getting so easy for the majority in Pierre to cut and cut and cut. That is their only solution. Eventually there will not be an SDSU.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

In the next election, maybe the unhappy folks that have contributed to this thread should look at their candidate for legislature. How does he feel about SDSU building a football staduim with private funds? And maybe a few more questions. Some of these candidates have not had challange for a long time and they do not have to listen to anyone in particular except to their anti-intellectual instincts. Well said Jimmy Jack the budget cuts are going to hurt in some fashion.

People still perceive that any construction on campus is somehow being funded by tax payers. Doesn't matter how much me scream from the trees that it is private, someone will still complain. The Regents are not is an enviable position. They hear us complaining that we don't get the funding or the approvals, and then they hear it from the legislature that they need to cut things.

I will gladly pay in increased sales tax or a state income tax to save our educational system at all levels. I don't have any kids, but I understand the importance of not cutting out our schools.

[LakeJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...news|text|Home

State's cuts to cost college students

Regents cite S.D. budget woes in approving tuition hike

[zooropa]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

I would say the Regents have done a very good job of trying to move this university system forward given the situation in South Dakota over the last few years.

As compared to what? The way they rolled over in the mid-90s?

Sorry, I do not agree with this statement at all.

Check out the BoR's press releases for the year:

http://www.sdbor.edu/mediapubs/pressreleases/2011.htm

What press releases on this list further the BoR narrative?

One highlights the Opportunity Scholarship, and is written terribly--with no link to the actual report.

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In this environment, the BoR needs to actively promote its interests, and it does not do that.

It also needs to stop negotiating against itself, which it does all too often (Warner's comments to the effect, "delaying a few months won't matter" is a classic 'negotiating against oneself' blunder.)

[JimmyJack]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

As compared to what? The way they rolled over in the mid-90s?

Sorry, I do not agree with this statement at all.

You're right that the bar was set very low in the 1990s (and the 1980s and 1970s, for that matter).

I wish I could see it entirely your way. My administrative philosophy, dulled, perhaps, by 15 years working in higher education, is to try to focus on what's in front of me, rather than how things should be. I can't get things done if I'm all tied up and frustrated about the failure of the system to live up to what it could be.

But your point is a good one. I wish more people thought that way.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Board of Regents Meeting

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...news|text|Home

State's cuts to cost college students

Regents cite S.D. budget woes in approving tuition hike

In other words, are they saying that if the budget wasn't cut, they wouldn't be raising tuition?

Am I the only one that finds this disingenuous? How many times in the last 20 years has there been a tuition increase?

When it comes to government agencies, it seems like when it is asked "how much money is needed", their answer is always "more."

That isn't governing responsibly, and I don't think I'm a nutjob for finding that irratating. I also think more and more people are starting to see the absurdity in it, which is why (IMO) the pendulum of politics and public opinion (and frankly reality) is starting to push the government to make cuts (or raise taxes), regardless of how responsible or forward looking it is.