Monday Message, May 19
º£½ÇÖ±²¥app Community,
As we begin a new week together, I want to welcome you back from what I hope was a restful weekend. It’s a stormy start to this Monday here in Brookings, and the forecast calls for some much-needed rain over the next few days. While the clouds and wind may be a bit of a jolt to our Monday energy, I hope you’re able to enjoy the nicer days as we continue to move into the heart of the summer months.
I will be in Custer this week Tuesday and Wednesday for the May meeting of the South Dakota Board of Regents. These meetings are important opportunities to engage with the regents and colleagues from across the state, and this session includes several academic items that directly impact º£½ÇÖ±²¥app. for those interested in the specific topics being discussed. As always, we will keep the campus community informed of any important developments or updates resulting from the meeting. I’m grateful to our university leaders and faculty who contribute to these conversations and help advance the mission of South Dakota State University across the state and beyond.
I’m excited to share that the Office of Human Resources, in partnership with McCrory Gardens, will host the first º£½ÇÖ±²¥app Employee Summer Event on Thursday, May 22, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at McCrory Gardens. This gathering is open to all º£½ÇÖ±²¥app faculty and staff, and we warmly welcome your families and friends to join us as well. Food trucks will be on site, and live entertainment will provide a festive backdrop for this community celebration. This is a wonderful chance to connect with colleagues in a relaxed, casual setting surrounded by the beautiful grounds of McCrory Gardens. I encourage everyone to attend and take part in this new tradition as we head into the summer season.
I want to congratulate the men’s track and field team for winning the Summit League Outdoor Championship, Saturday. It is the first Division I outdoor conference championship in program history and the first outdoor championship since 1986. The men’s program swept Summit League titles this year, winning cross country and indoor track prior to his past weekend. Congratulations to head coach Rod DeHaven and all the student athletes.
I received several accolades on this year's commencement ceremonies. I want to take a moment to express my deep appreciation for everything our volunteers did to make this a premier experience for our graduates, along with their families and friends.
Finally, a reminder that next Monday, May 26, the university will be closed in recognition of Memorial Day. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and time away from work and takes time to remember those who served our country.
Thank you again for all that you do.
Go Jacks!
Barry H. Dunn
President
South Dakota State University
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of South Dakota State University employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place. This week we recognize Early Alert Award for Excellence winners who are supporting our students and helping them succeed.
South Dakota State University participates in an Early Alert program to identify undergraduate students who need assistance from academic and student service offices. The purpose of this program is to employ a collaborative effort through which faculty, academic advisors and staff notify and support students who are demonstrating characteristics that may hinder academic performance. Providing support to these students early in the semester is important to their success.
The university has recognized faculty and academic advisors whose work with Early Alert demonstrates best practices that support and further the mission of the program at º£½ÇÖ±²¥app. Two faculty members and one academic advising team were selected to receive the Early Alert Award for Excellence for their outstanding performance during the 2024-25 academic year. The recipients are Marvin Bahr from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Brie Nelson from the Department of Biology and Microbiology, and the athletics academic advising team of Jennie Sell, Liz Pierre and Marlee Schneider.
The Department/School/Program Early Alert Award for Excellence celebrates outstanding performance and recognizes a department, school or program whose work with Early Alert demonstrates best practices that support and further the mission of the Early Alert program at º£½ÇÖ±²¥app. The recipient of this year’s award is the School of Education, Counseling and Human Development.
Congratulations to the award winners, and thank you to everyone whose efforts help our students succeed.
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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥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’s Cupboard main office.
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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥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 — .
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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥app’s priority research themes.
Applications may request up to $15,000 and must be submitted via InfoReady by May 30.
Prairie Repertory Theatre Season Tickets
Prairie Repertory Theatre . This year marks PRT’s 54th season.
º£½ÇÖ±²¥app faculty and staff receive a discount on all tickets purchased.
Additional information about each performance, including dates and times, is available on sdstate.edu.
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.
Updated Policies
New and updated university policies continue to be adopted and published. For the most recent updates, visit New and Recently Revised Policies.
