six universities under one roof

[el_presidente]

Re: six universities under one roof

I went to Round's 2010E press conference this morning in Beresford. I publicly asked him how USDU fit into the 2010 Education plan. He focused heavily on nontraditional students in his response. That is good for the state and the mission of USDSU I/students support. I also talked to Dr. Perry the executive director afterwards and asked him several questions. Things seem like they will be ok. However, it is the legislature 10 or 15 years from now that concerns me. Especially with 263 acres. I would worry more about a residence hall before a football stadium. It is cheaper to build and establishes a place for traditional 18 year old students to leave Brookings and live at the Sioux Falls campus. I asked them sarcastically to name USDSU's residence hall after me and I was told directly that "no residence hall will be built."

Matt Hammer the USD student body president also attended the meeting with me along with two SDSU senators. You don't usually see any students at a press conference so to have 4 of us there turned some heads. It also made the point that between USD and SDSU we represent 2/3 of the university system.

As long as the mission stays consistent with nontraditional students (95% of the current USDSU) then we will be ok.

[22jack]

Re: six universities under one roof

Does anybody see USDSU turning into the next IUPUI?

http://www.iupui.edu/about/

They even have their own athletic teams.

[el_presidente]

Re: six universities under one roof

USDSU wouldn't even need to build athletic facilities to have sports teams. They could use the arena, howard wood, etc and start a sports program relatively quickly if they wanted too.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: six universities under one roof

USDSU wouldn't even need to build athletic facilities to have sports teams. They could use the arena, howard wood, etc and start a sports program relatively quickly if they wanted too.

Go USDSU Fighting Jacktroyotes! Trojackoyotes? Rabboyotes? Coytrojabits?

[filbert]

Re: six universities under one roof

Go USDSU Fighting Jacktroyotes! Trojackoyotes? Rabboyotes? Coytrojabits?

Fightin' Pheasants

[Jacks_Backer]

Re: six universities under one roof

From KELO land

Six Universities Under One Roof
All of South Dakota's state run universities will come under one roof in Sioux Falls if Governor Rounds has his way.

Right now if a person wants to attend theSouth Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City or Black Hills State University in Spearfish or Northern State University in Aberdeen, you'd have to live in those respective communities or take classes online.

But soon, with the legislature's blessing, you'll be able to earn a degree from one of those institutions while attending class right here in Sioux Falls.

USDS is made up of three state schools. But today the governor and members of the board of regents announced plans to relocate the campus and expand its services.

"This is not a 7th university, this campus will not grant individual degrees," said Harvey Jewett, President of the Board of Regents.

Instead, a person will be able to earn a college degree from one of six state run universities. Something governor Rounds says will meet a growing demand and help this area.

"The bottom line when we get down to it is that public higher education is critical to Sioux Falls and South Dakota in terms of economic success and viability," said Rounds.

The new campus will be built on 263 acres along Interstate 29 and 60th Street north.
The extra space means more opportunities.

"We think there maybe 15 to 20 additional courses that could be offered here today if we had the room," said Jewett.

USDSU has seen a 65 percent jump in enrollment over the past five years and officials say that will only grow as Sioux Falls and the metro area grows.

"We have to meet that demand and we have to respond to the need."

The state will use a gift of 5.8 million dollars to buy the land and begin building an instructional classroom.

Governor Rounds will also ask the legislature for another 8 million to build additional classroom space.

According to the way this reads you would be able to earn a degree from one of the six state universities by attending the Sioux Falls campus.

If we have the same degree as one of the other universities, I would think it would be more beneficial if the person that is enrolled would specify that they wanted there degree from the only D-1 School in the state. This could be a benefit and could raise the amount of graduates from SDSU.

Would like to here comments in case I am reading this the wrong way.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: six universities under one roof

I think USDSU will become a full fledged university some day. Most likely not in our lifetime, but I think it will happen.

[filbert]

Re: six universities under one roof

Does anybody see USDSU turning into the next IUPUI?

http://www.iupui.edu/about/

They even have their own athletic teams.

Yup, 10 or 20 years down the road, when all of today's assurances are forgotten, the SF school will be a full-fledged university.

And, along the line somewhere, the Medical School gets transferred from USD to this new institution. After all, it doesn't make any sense to have two Regents institutions in the same city, does it? USD's other professional schools also slowly migrate north until they have larger faculties in Sioux Falls than they do in Vermillion.

At some point, the Sioux Falls campus gets named USD-SF.

Pretty soon, the Legislature is asking the Regents why there have been thirty years of steady enrollment decline in Vermillion. The Sioux Falls campus supplants the Vermillion campus as the main USD campus.

The move of USD from Vermillon to Sioux Falls will be complete.

How's that for another nightmare scenario?

[Alumguy]

Re: six universities under one roof

filbert ... you are dead on.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: six universities under one roof

Since we are in that "Name that School" mode, how about Sioux Falls State University. Sort of like Boise State. Fighting Pheasants seems proper for an urban institution.

[el_presidente]

Re: six universities under one roof

According to the way this reads you would be able to earn a degree from one of the six state universities by attending the Sioux Falls campus.  

If we have the same degree as one of the other universities, I would think it would be more beneficial if the person that is enrolled would specify that they wanted there degree from the only D-1 School in the state.  This could be a benefit and could raise the amount of graduates from SDSU.  

Would like to here comments in case I am reading this the wrong way.  

This is true. SDSU's enrollment would go up but that isn't what directly controls the university system (odd as that may sound).

1. It is driven by # of credit hours. Students at USDSU usually take 3 or 6 credits vs an SDSU student taking 15

2. Students may be SDSU Grads but they will have little connection to the university. USDSU students don't traditionally do things like attend athletic events or other activities that make us all attached to SDSU. They could be an SDSU graduate and never set a foot on the Brookings Campus.

3. The cost per credit hour fees that help run the university wouldn't be in Brookings. We just built a new residence hall. Maybe we should have built it in Sioux Falls. Other things, university support fees etc wouldn't be collected by SDSU. So, while enrollment may go up. Actual revenue could go down.

Those three things only become concerns if we develop USDSU to fill an undergraduate mission. Rounds said this morning that the mission is to educate nontraditional students. As long as the mission stays the same then we will be ok.

We are still keeping a close eye on this one.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: six universities under one roof

Call me crazy, but I think eventually (next 10-15 years) USDSU will eventually become a full fledged university. It will become DI within 5 years of gaining athletic programs. Athletic facilities would not have to be built, other than a joint effort between the university and city of SF (events center, anyone?). Dorms wouldn't even have to be built. Is it in the state constitution that students must live on campus at all? It will force the closure of DSU and NSU, and possibly USD. It will dramatically affect the future of SDSU, both athletically and academically.

This is a classic political bait and switch. First start by saying it will offer some classes for non-traditional students. Then progress by saying the demand is so great, we need to offer actual degrees. Finally, the demand has grown to unforeseen levels, and other universities are struggling. We have no choice but to make USDSU a full fledged university. Bait-lets offer higher learning in Sioux Falls. Switch-whoops, we have to actually have a university to offer the best educational experience.

All politicians want votes. Without getting too political, look where votes in SD come from. Who controls the most voting power in the Senate and House in Pierre? A Sioux Falls State University would be a windfall for all local politicians except those in the Brookings, Madison, and Aberdeen areas. West River voters wouldn't care too much as there would be no direct economic impact. It would also be a huge boost for the political party in power as Sioux Falls plays the biggest role in state-wide elections.

I think el presidente has it right by saying ”why is there no public plan for USDSU.” What institution does not have a plan? If there is a plan, why isn’t it public knowledge? The absence of a public plan confirms that SD’s politicians and the BOR are not being 100% honest about their intentions.

The main reason many students choose Augie or USF is precisely because it is in Sioux Falls. I think a university in Sioux Falls with a full experience would dramatically effect SDSU’s enrollment. Let’s see, should I attend a university in a small town with limited work opportunities, little entertainment options, and limited career opportunities? Or should I attend a university with the same cost in a city which has unlimited work opportunities, any entertainment I would desire, and unlimited career options?

Great idea for higher learning, bad idea for supporters of other state universities.

[el_presidente]

Re: six universities under one roof

Students are supposed to live on campus their freshman and sophomore year unless they live with in a 50 mile radius from the university with their parents/family. However, they could develop the land next to the USDSU land. Private companies could build apartments right off campus or on land sold to them by USDSU (since they have 263 acres).

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: six universities under one roof

I am very skeptical of the plans for this thus far. 263 acres?? It's a bit much for the purposes that have been "officially" discussed. I like the idea of USDSU, but don't like what may be 15 years down the road. As one of the artilces discussed, that's not going to happen now--that's for another regeants and another legislature to decide. I think most of us see the writing on the wall with this one, and it's telling us another regental university is coming to South Dakota :-/.

BTW, great job el_presidente.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: six universities under one roof

At the present time I cannot and will not support a 7th full fledged university. At the same time a lot of what the governor and the legislature do is planning for the future. I'm not sure how many acres were dedicated to the fine institution that has become SDSU back when it was founded. I would dare say that 2 or 3 acres would have been more than enough in its early years. However, the foresight of the founding fathers to acquire the acreage that exists now is a lot of what has made SDSU the wonderful campus and quality university that it is today.

In 100 years those who follow us might be singing the praises of Gov Rounds for his forsight in dedicating land to a Sioux Falls campus now when it is available. I don't know where to look for this statistic but I suspect that someone does; How many states in our nation do not have a degree granting four year university in their largest city? Is it appropriate that South Dakota does not?