Matthew Badura

This document details the strategic planning kickoff for South Dakota State University, outlining a collaborative process designed to engage the entire university community and external stakeholders. The plan, intended to provide university guidance for the next five years, emphasizes transparency, diverse ideas, collective ownership, and building community. The process involves various teams, data gathering, theme identification, and vision conferences to shape the institution's future in alignment with President Dunn's vision, focusing on themes such as people, place, altruism, achievement, access, and imagination.

The board discussed and took action on personnel matters during multiple executive sessions. A key agenda item was the selection and official appointment of the 20th president of South Dakota State University. The search committee chair provided a report on the search process and the committee's recommendation for the presidential position, which was subsequently approved by the board.

This document provides an update on the progress of South Dakota State University's strategic plan, "Impact 2018." The plan focuses on four main goals: promoting academic excellence through accredited programs and cross-curricular skills in diversity, inclusion, and equity; generating new knowledge and encouraging innovation by increasing research funding and supporting faculty; extending the university's reach and depth through strategic programs, collaborations, articulation agreements, and support for tribal colleges via the IGrow platform; and securing human and fiscal resources through endowed faculty positions, climate surveys, technology infrastructure, and strategic budget management. The university aims to address challenges such as flat enrollment and manage budget priorities including scholarships and land grant initiatives, while developing new internal college-level five-year plans for research to further institutional goals.

This document details the Climate Smart Commodities Research Project, an $80 million grant from the USDA NRCS. The project is built on three pillars: incentivizing producers to implement climate-smart practices, conducting research to measure and verify the impact of these practices, and developing market opportunities for climate-smart commodities. The initiative aims to advance conservation in South Dakota's rangelands and grasslands, positioning the state as a leader in sustainable agricultural practices.

This document, a 2024 State of the University Address, outlines South Dakota State University's progress and future trajectory under its "Pathway to Premiere" strategic plan. Key pillars include achieving excellence through transformative education, evidenced by record enrollment, high retention, and extensive academic accreditation. The university also prioritizes cultivating and strengthening community engagement through initiatives like SDSU Extension and its growing presence in Sioux Falls. A central focus is fostering innovation and increasing research, scholarship, and creative activity, with a clear objective of achieving R1 classification through significant research expenditures and doctoral student growth. The plan further emphasizes maintaining a growing, high-performing, and healthy university, supported by sound financial management, ongoing facility improvements, and a commitment to core values like integrity and diversity, significantly bolstered by successful fundraising campaigns such as "Bold and Blue."