South Dakota State University

This document outlines 'Impact 2018', a new 5-year strategic plan for South Dakota State University, focused on institutional transformation. The plan aligns resources across four key areas: enhancing student success through academic excellence and increased enrollment, fostering purpose-driven research for innovation and economic development, strengthening engagement with communities through various outreach programs, and building an effective and efficient university by supporting talented faculty and staff. The overarching goal is to create a brighter future, become a higher-performing institution, and provide a gateway to opportunity for its stakeholders.

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.