A bill seeking the combination of two state university administrations has morphed into something bigger.
The bill now seeks a review of “program and administrative efficiencies” at all six state universities in South Dakota.
Last month, the bill began as an attempt to consolidate the administrations at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City and Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
That proposal sparked reactions and conversations, said its sponsor, state Sen. Ryan Maher, R-Isabel.
So, he agreed to amend the bill.
“I think it’s for the better,” he said. “We’ve come kind of full circle, and we’re looking to do some major improvements with our university system.”
The amended legislation directs the Board of Regents to assemble a task force and file a report by November 2021.
Maher said the report’s topics would include “looking at possible combining of administrations at all levels of their operations, combining operations and functions across multiple institutions, reviewing duplications of programs, reviewing all academic majors and low enrollments and low numbers of graduates.”
Maher said he’s concerned about falling enrollments at some universities and rising costs across the system. He said there’s precedent for a statewide review in the so-called Gibb Report, from 1969. Its ideas included closing a state university in Springfield, which ultimately happened in 1984.
Board of Regents Executive Director Paul Beran opposes the bill. He’s willing to undertake a review of the state’s universities, but he said the bill is too limiting and won’t produce the comprehensive report that’s needed.
“Those of us in leadership positions and especially the Board of Regents stand ready to take this task on,” Beran said. “I ask you however to not fetter us to a bill that defines in advance what this inquiry will be.”
The bill cleared its first hurdle Tuesday when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved it 8-0.
