BOR

Fall enrollment is down in the state’s public university system for a third year in a row, but Board of Regents leadership says it’s not all bad news.

The fall 2020 headcount for the state’s six public universities is down 2.8%. That’s a loss of 954 students system-wide from last year’s enrollment. It’s not the worst drop in recent memory, but the decrease continues a trend that started in 2018.

BOR executive director Brian Maher says there is some good news: 2019’s first-year students came back this fall at a higher rate than previous years.

The Board of Regents is implementing a policy for mask requirements on campuses this fall. The state’s six public universities will require masks in all public indoor spaces for at least the first month of the semester.

The protocol has four levels. Level one only requires masks in labs or other instructional settings that require close contact; level four requires masks both indoors and outdoors.

Faculty and students from five of the state’s six public universities have signed a letter urging the Board of Regents to reconsider its commitment to face-to-face teaching this fall. The BOR is meeting this afternoon to discuss the fall semester.

The letter asks that no one be required to attend class in person or be required to disclose medical information in order to teach or attend class online.  

U.S. colleges and universities are debating whether to require masks for students and faculty this fall. South Dakota’s public universities encourage masks on campus, and four of the state’s five private institutions will require masks in most indoor settings.

Augustana University, the University of Sioux Falls, Dakota Wesleyan University and Presentation College will require masks on campus. They say CDC guidelines and scientific consensus say masks help prevent transmission of COVID 19.

None of South Dakota’s public universities are planning to require masks in the fall semester. Instead, they’re strongly encouraging masks by setting an example through social media and other platforms. 

One of two bills banning collective bargaining for public university faculty is on its way to the governor’s desk. Governor Noem has said she supports the idea in the past.

Supporters of Senate Bill 147 say dues paying members account for less than 10% of eligible university faculty, while the negotiation process is estimated to cost the Board of Regents $285,000.

A bill to prohibit collective bargaining for employees of the state’s public universities is moving to the Senate floor.

Proponents argue it gives the Board of Regents more flexibility to stay competitive. Opponents say it sends a negative message to the state’s professors—and complicates the hiring process.

Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 147. She says the current contracting agreement for public university faculty is more than 100 pages of time-locked agreements that hinder institutional flexibility.

The South Dakota Board of Regents is pressing lawmakers to support needs-based scholarships for college students. Senate Bill 72 establishes the Dakota’s Promise scholarship for low-income students. It hasn’t yet reached committee, but a similar bill last year passed the Senate unanimously before failing on the House floor.

During an informational presentation to the Senate Education Committee, Board of Regents Executive Director Paul Beran says this year’s bill addresses some of the concerns raise last year.

Fall enrollment for full-time equivalent students at South Dakota’s six public universities is down three percent. That’s nearly a full percentage point lower than last fall. This is the fifth year in a row fall enrollment has shown a decrease in full-time students. 

The Board of Regents is the governing body over the state’s public universities. BOR Executive Director and CEO Paul Beran says the decline in students signals a strong job market that encourages some students to choose the workforce over education.