Monday Message, May 12
海角直播app Community,
What a wonderful weekend as we celebrated commencement on Saturday. It was truly an honor and a privilege to be part of the day and take part in all three ceremonies. Each one held a special energy, filled with pride, joy and hope for the future. Welcoming the next class of Jackrabbits alumni into our family was meaningful, and I continue to be inspired by the incredible achievements of our students and the support they receive from our faculty, staff, families and friends.
We were also fortunate to enjoy a beautiful spring day, and our newest venue, First Bank & Trust Arena, proved to be a remarkable setting for such an important event. The updates and improvements made to the facility over the past two years were on full display, and I cannot thank everyone enough who helped bring this moment to life.
While there are many people who contributed to the success of commencement, I want to especially recognize Jamison Lamp for his leadership. Over the past few years, Jamison has been instrumental in guiding the planning and execution of our ceremonies 鈥 adapting with professionalism and grace as we transitioned from Frost Arena to Dacotah Bank Center, and now, finally, back to the heart of campus. These changes could have been disruptive, but thanks to his thoughtful coordination, each experience was seamless and memorable. Jamison鈥檚 work and others recognized below truly embody the spirit of going 鈥淎bove and Beyond,鈥 and I鈥檓 grateful for his dedication to making commencement special for everyone involved.
Looking ahead, next week several of us from campus will travel to Custer State Park for the South Dakota Board of Regents meeting, which takes place Monday through Wednesday. As of this morning, the board has not released an agenda, but we expect several important items to be addressed. We will be sure to keep the campus community informed should anything arise that directly affects South Dakota State University. These meetings offer a valuable opportunity to engage with colleagues from across the state and advocate for the needs and priorities of our university.
Also on the calendar this week is the annual meeting of the Professional Staff Advisory Council, which will take place Wednesday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Alumni Center. This event is a chance to recognize and celebrate several of our professional staff members for their outstanding contributions to 海角直播app.
A news release with more details is already available on our website, and I encourage everyone to join in offering congratulations to the award recipients. Your hard work and commitment are essential to our success, and we are grateful for all that you do.
As we turn the page on another academic year, I know many of you are preparing for summer classes, research, travel or perhaps a well-earned break. Whatever your plans may be, I hope the coming weeks bring you rest, renewal and time with those you care about.
With the change in pace, the Monday Message will also shift to a summer schedule. We鈥檒l share messages less frequently during the next few months, but rest assured, we鈥檒l continue to communicate important updates as needed. The Monday Message will return regularly as we approach the start of the fall semester.
Before signing off, I want to once again thank you for all you have done this year to support our students, each other and the mission of South Dakota State University. This has been a year of great accomplishments and progress 鈥 one that reflects the strength and resilience of our Jackrabbits spirit.
Enjoy the summer, take care of yourselves and each other, and thank you for being part of this incredible community.
Go Jacks!
Barry H. Dunn
President
South Dakota State University
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of 海角直播app employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place. This week鈥檚 Above and Beyond recognizes the faculty, staff, students and partners of 海角直播app who organized and executed our 2025 commencement ceremonies.
On May 10, the ceremonies were hosted at First Bank & Trust Arena for the first time since its two-year renovation was completed. More than 1,700 graduates, each allowed up to six guests, participated in the three ceremonies.
Livestreams of the ceremonies were available at the University Student Union and McCrory Gardens. Graduation activities were held on campus, giving students the opportunity to take picturesque photos in marked locations across campus. Dining services, the 海角直播app Bookstore and the Dairy Bar were open for patrons to visit.
Thank you to the members of the Graduation Committee for making our 2025 commencement ceremonies and celebrations a reality: Jamison Lamp, Tomoko Ichinomiya, Regen Wiederrich, Grace Parry, Joyce Kepford, Casey Cokens, Victoria Johnson, Tyler Schatz, Esther Engelmen, Kristen Kponyoh, Brooke Blegen, Andi Fouberg, Becky Bott-Knutson, Heidi Bushong and Jayme Trygstad.
Thank you to the following offices for their assistance in commencement: Admissions Ambassadors, Facilities and Services 鈥 General Services, Custodial Facilities and Grounds; Parking and Card Services, University Marketing and Communications, University Police Department, University Student Union, School of Performing Arts, Jackrabbits Athletics, 海角直播app Event Ticketing and Sodexo.
Nearly 80 additional faculty and staff helped serve as ushers/greeters throughout the day.
These ceremonies are a big part of our university, as students achieve their goal of earning their degrees, transitioning from students to alumni. Thank you all for going Above and Beyond for ensuring that graduates and their loved ones had the best experience possible with commencement, allowing us all to celebrate our greater Jackrabbits community.
The Monday Message appears weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer months and holiday breaks.
Information for the Monday Message, including nominations for Above and Beyond, can be submitted online.
Jacks Cupboard
Jack's Cupboard is the free student food pantry on 海角直播app's campus and is looking for staff and faculty volunteers this summer. Jack's Cupboard will be open this summer from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, and there are additional opportunities to support this important service by volunteering to help restock Jack's Cupboard on Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Jack's Cupboard served a record number of students, so we are excited to remain open over the summer with the help of our staff and faculty volunteers.
Jack's Cupboard serves any enrolled student at 海角直播app including graduate, undergraduate, full-time and part-time students. When students utilize Jack's Cupboard, they will be able to come any time during the open hours, select their items in a shopping style format, and then check out at the end by presenting their student ID and reporting t heir household size for data purposes.
Volunteers at Jack's Cupboard will serve as the check-out person, help restock as needed, do light cleaning if time allows, and most importantly, provide a welcoming environment to our students. .
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email the Jack鈥檚 Cupboard main office.
Arts at the Oscar: A Night of Stars
The inaugural Arts at The Oscar, a community arts celebration, is designed to engage, recognize and showcase performing and visual artists, patrons and art enthusiasts, showcasing local artists of all ages.
The final entertainment of the evening will feature the stars of 鈥淗amilton: The Musical鈥 and The Glenn Miller Orchestra 鈥 The Kings of Soul & Swing.
When: Thursday
Where: Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center
5:15 p.m. 鈥 Social hour (Appetizers and soft drinks included. Cash bar available.)
6 p.m. 鈥 Opening ceremony
6:30 p.m. 鈥 Local talent showcases
8:30 p.m. 鈥 The Kings of Soul & Swing (Dancing will be encouraged.)
Energy Conservation Project
Facilities and Services is launching a strategic energy conservation project through SitelogIQ, an Energy Service Company. The company will conduct a campuswide energy audit, highlighting potential energy savings projects, which would in turn reduce university utility costs.
The cost savings will then be leveraged to fund approved energy projects over a 15-year period. In addition to saving energy, the effort also provides an additional funding source to upgrade older equipment.
Facilities and Services engineers and the SitelogIQ team will thoroughly canvass campus to identify viable projects starting as early as this week. The team will be around campus checking light fixtures, doors, windows, the building envelope, HVAC equipment and more.
Wokini Challenge Grant
The Wokini Challenge Grant is now open for applications. The grant supports innovative projects and/or research that align with the goals and mission of the Wokini Initiative.
It is an opportunity to develop leadership opportunities for Indigenous students, develop relationships with Indigenous staff and faculty at 海角直播app, and enhance cultural understanding and community engagement through projects that uplift Indigenous perspectives and knowledge.
Important dates:
- Application deadline: May 30 by 5 p.m. CST
We look forward to receiving your applications and supporting impactful projects 鈥 .
SPARC RFP
The Division of Research and Economic Development invites applications for Seeding Partnerships to Advance Research Collaborations, an internal competitive planning grant to support the development of large, complex project proposals for external funding.
Proposing teams must represent at least two substantively different disciplines, and projects must align with one of 海角直播app鈥檚 priority research themes.
Applications may request up to $15,000 and must be submitted via InfoReady by May 30.
Prairie Repertory Theatre Season Tickets
. This year marks PRT鈥檚 54th season.
海角直播app faculty and staff receive a discount on all tickets purchased.
Summer IDS eLearning Academies
Instructional Design will host 2025 Summer eLearning Academy in May. The academy will focus on empowering faculty to leverage the potential of generative artificial intelligence within the D2L learning environment.
Additional information and how to register is available on sdstate.edu.
Professional Staff Annual Celebration
The Professional Staff Advisory Council will host its annual celebration and award ceremony May 14 at 2:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the 海角直播app Alumni Center. A social will begin at 2:30 p.m., followed by the awards at 3 p.m.
The Rising Star and Presidential Award of Excellence recipients will be announced, and those in attendance will have a chance at door prizes.
A Zoom link will be made available for those who cannot attend in person.
Updated Policies
New and updated university policies continue to be adopted and published. For the most recent updates, visit New and Recently Revised Policies.
