Chapter Four

Contents
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Introduction
DSU’s Planning Efforts from 1990- 2000
SD Board of Regents Planning Efforts
DSU’s Current Planning Efforts:  An Analysis of
    the DSU Strategic Statement
     Core Statement and Strategic Vision Statement
     Strategic Initiatives
     Strategic Initiative 1 – Academic Programs
          Progress to Date – Emphasis on Computer
             Technology in All Disciplines
          Progress to Date – Master’s Programs in Select
             Disciplines
          Progress to Date – Center of Excellence in Computer
              Information Systems
          Progress to Date – Quality Instruction
          Figure 6:  Spring 2000 Campus Quality Survey, DSU’s
             Smallest Performance Gaps
          Progress to Date – Distance Education
          Table 15:  Summary of Distance Education
             Summer Grant Activities
          Progress to Date – Life-Long Learning
          Progress to Date – Applied Research and Development
          Progress to Date – Interdisciplinary Curriculum
             Experimentation
     Strategic Initiative 2 – Computer Technology
          Progress to Date – Computer Technology Infrastructure
          Progress to Date – Integration of Computer Technology
     Strategic Initiative 3 – Faculty Development
          Progress to Date – Faculty Development
          Table 16: Expenditures in I&PD Fund, 1990-2000
          Table 17:  Governor’s Awards to DSU Faculty
    Strategic Initiative 4 – University Promotions
          Progress to Date – Marketing
          Table 18:  Application and Enrollment 
             Statistics, 1996 – 2000
          Progress to Date – Develop External Funding
             and Partnerships
     Strategic Initiative 5 – Student Life
          Progress to Date – Activities and Organizations
          Progress to Date – Career Services and Placement
          Figure 7:  Job Placement Statistics, 1990 – 2000
          Progress to Date – Auxiliary Enterprises
          Progress to Date – Student Growth and Development
     Strategic Initiative 6 – Campus Support
          Progress to Date – Campus Support
     Strategic Initiative 7 – Diversity
          Progress to Date – Diversity
Assessment Processes that Support Institutional Planning
     National Trends
     State Trends
Campus-Wide Planning for 2002 and Beyond            Summary of Institutional Strengths and Concerns Relative to
   Criterion 4

Chapter Four

Criterion 4

The institution can continue to accomplish its purposes
and strengthen its educational effectiveness

Introduction

This chapter provides evidence that the administration, faculty, and staff members of Dakota State University have worked together effectively to plan for the future role of the institution. Since the institution's last comprehensive visit, DSU has used long-range planning in a variety of contexts and formats to ensure its continued improvement and effectiveness. Planning has been broadly participatory with goals set to address areas of concern. Dakota State has also coordinated its university planning efforts so that its strategic planning efforts dovetail with the plans and objectives that the South Dakota Board of Regents has developed for the state system of higher education. Chapter 2 provides evidence that the institution's resource base _ financial, physical, and human _ is appropriate to meet current and future institutional needs. Chapter 3 provides evidence that the institution's resources have been organized and allocated to support its current educational and other purposes as well as the plans the institution has made for the future. This chapter demonstrates the progress DSU has made toward attaining the strategic initiatives the institution adopted in Fall 1997. The chapter begins with a summary of planning activities that occurred within DSU and within the Board of Regents between 1990 and 2000 and then discusses Dakota State University's Strategic Statement (the collective title given to the strategic vision statement and the seven strategic initiatives) and the progress that's been made toward accomplishing those strategic initiatives in recent years. The chapter concludes with a forecast of the institution's ability to continue to accomplish its educational and other purposes and to strengthen its educational effectiveness in the future. 
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DSU's Planning Efforts From 1990 to 2000

Dakota State University has undergone numerous changes during its long history. The most dramatic change, by far, occurred in 1984 with the passage of House Bill 1357, which changed the institution's mission and its future. That forward-looking legislation demanded a complete transformation of the

Since the institution's last comprehensive visit,
DSU has used long-range planning in a variety of contexts and formats to ensure its continued improvement and effectiveness.

institution and change of a magnitude almost unheard of in higher education. With the hard work and dedication of the faculty, students, and staff, DSU has experienced considerable success in the 16 years since that legislation. The institution has built a solid reputation for quality curricula and for producing graduates who are leaders in using computer technology in their profession. Dakota State University has a long tradition of involving faculty, staff, and students in campus-wide planning. The institution has always used faculty, staff, and student governance groups, the campus committee structure, and single-issue task forces to involve a diverse group of people in its planning efforts. One of the hallmarks for all the institution's planning, accrediting, and assessment activities has been the very open and public nature of the process. The inclusiveness of the institution's planning processes is evidenced by the "DSU-All Staff" e-mails and by the in-progress documents posted to web sites where anyone can see, read, and participate in the development of the plan and the final document governing that activity, whatever it might be. As an example, the entire NCA self-study process has been very publicly played out on the NCA web site (http://www.departments.dsu.edu/nca ).

During the 1990s, planning efforts at DSU were guided by the institution's very focused mission (provided in Chapter 1); by faculty, staff, and student input; by assessment data, trends, and forecasts; and by a series of long-range planning documents. The first was adopted in 1989 and then updated in 1992. In 1996, the institution began a more formal strategic planning process, with a formal strategic statement (containing a strategic vision statement and seven strategic initiatives) adopted by the institution in 1997. The current strategic statement is used to guide the institution's planning and budgetary processes. And, the Executive Council has just begun to establish a timetable for the re-evaluation and renewal of that plan in 2002. (A copy of the institution's strategic statement _ which includes the current strategic vision statement and seven strategic initiatives — will be available in the documents room.) The strategic vision statement and seven strategic initiatives in that planning document provide evidence that DSU has developed a strategic vision for the institution that includes on-going, effective planning processes necessary to the institution's continuance.

The institution's strategic vision statement indicates that DSU intends to continually redefine the university experience for its students by creatively

The institution has always used faculty, staff, and student governance groups, the campus committee structure, and single-issue task forces to involve a diverse group of people in its planning efforts.

integrating new computer/information systems technologies with selected disciplines to serve diverse populations. To achieve this vision, the campus-wide planning process links the core University mission to the mission and goals of its individual colleges, departments, and programs. The University's vision, values, mission, and goals provide guidance for long-term planning within the institution's functional units. However, the institution and its programs are also affected by and guided by the requirements of external agencies such as the South Dakota Department of Education and Cultural Affairs (DECA) and South Dakota Board of Regents (most predominantly), as well as other accrediting bodies and by federal and state statutes.

All DSU's academic programs are reviewed on a regular, seven-year cycle as mandated by the South Dakota Board of Regents. Each program review includes a self-study report and feedback from external reviewers with recommendations and suggestions for improvement. The program reviews, supplemented by the results of various other assessment activities, strengthen the educational effectiveness of Dakota State University's programs. (Copies of the program review documents _ self-study reports and the reports filed by the external reviewers _ completed since the 1990 NCA accreditation visit will be available for team review in the documents room.) Individual courses and programs are also reviewed on a regular basis by faculty. Curricular changes are often initiated because of feedback from internal and external assessment mechanisms (particularly employer and graduate surveys and assessment data from nationally normed exams). Just as often, individual faculty members request changes based on their knowledge of the field and its expectations. All curricular changes are briefly reviewed by the Academic Council before moving on to the DSU Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee is an interdisciplinary committee that carefully reviews and discusses all curricular changes, from minor course modifications to new program proposals. To accomplish this task, the committee meets once a week from November through April. As part of their approval process, the committee discusses the impact the proposed changes might have on other institutional courses and programs. Before giving final approval to any curricular change, the committee circulates the change for campus-wide review. Then, at the end of the committee's deliberations, the general faculty is asked to approve both the process and the curricular changes that have been

made as a result of that process. Only then are the changes submitted for system review. (A flowchart describing the internal and external review process for curriculum will be available in the documents room. Copies of the curricular changes submitted for system-wide review in 1999-2000 will also be available in the documents room.)

In recent years, curricular changes have also been externally driven. For example, during 1998-99, the South Dakota Board of Regents initiated a major system-wide review of the general education course requirements. During that review period, members of the Assessment Coordinating Committee participated in system-wide discussions and facilitated campus-wide discussions. Since its adoption in 1999, the two-tiered approach to general education mandated by the BOR (and explained in detail in Chapter 3) has become an accepted part of the DSU curriculum and the assessment process.

Two master's programs _ an M.S. in information systems and an M.S. Ed. in computer education and technology — were approved by the South Dakota Board of Regents, after a very prescribed and lengthy review process at the system level involving two sets of external reviewers and reviews by several state-wide councils and committees. NCA evaluation teams visited campus in 1999 and approved the delivery of both programs. (Copies of the self-study documents and the reports filed by the NCA review teams will be available in the documents room.)

The long-range planning process on DSU's campus is both centralized and decentralized. The central initiatives, as outlined in the institution's strategic statement, are intended to serve as mandates and priorities for the future. They are university-wide in scope and fall under the purview of the institution's vice presidents. These central initiatives also serve as the framework upon which all functional units within the institution build their annual strategic initiative plans. The strategic initiatives adopted by each functional unit represent decentralized planning at its best, though the expectation is that each unit's strategic planning will be conducted within the broader parameters of the institution. The FY00 strategic initiatives for academic affairs, business affairs, and student affairs are included in Appendix A, B, and C of this document. Some of the progress-to-date on each of the seven, campus-wide strategic initiatives is reported later in this chapter.

(Each year, the annual evaluation reports filed by the institution's functional units are compiled into a single evaluation document. These annual reports provide a more comprehensive view of the progress made by the various functional units toward the attainment of their annual strategic initiatives. Copies of the evaluation documents from FY99 and FY00 will be available in the documents room. The documents are also available electronically at (http://www.intranet.dsu.edu ), under the "Strategic Initiatives" button.)
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South Dakota Board of Regents Planning Efforts

Dakota State University's participation in the system-wide reporting and planning processes mandated by the Board of Regents results in an annual compendium of data called the South Dakota Board of Regents Fact Book, which is distributed to external constituencies across the state. (Copies of the BOR fact books for the last ten years will be available in the documents room.) The South Dakota Board of Regents operates under the principle that South Dakota's system of public higher education must be accountable to the people of the state. In 1997, the South Dakota Board of Regents adopted nine system-wide goal statements for the regental universities:

• Access for all South Dakotans,

• Enrollment in economic growth programs,

• Improvement in academic performance,

• Attraction and retention of qualified professionals,

• Development of faculty professionals,

• Collaboration among the universities,

• Enhancement of current technology infrastructure,

• Maintenance of current facilities and equipment and

• Generation of external funds.

These goals are intended to emphasize to external constituencies that the state's system of public higher education manages its resources carefully and delivers education effectively, at the same time that it provides access broadly across the state. As an indication of the commitment the BOR has to public accountability, five of the nine goal statements are tied to annual incentive funds for the institutions. Each university's performance relative to the targets determines whether or not it earns money from an incentive funding pool to which it has contributed. In FY99 and FY00, DSU met and exceeded nearly

In FY99 and FY00,
DSU met and exceeded nearly all its incentive targets, resulting in a funding increase for the institution. 

all its incentive targets, resulting in a funding increase for the institution. (The BOR incentive funding process is discussed in more detail in the section on financial resources in Chapter 2 of this document. Additional documentation will be available in the documents room.)

In recent years, the BOR has implemented several other funding reallocation plans. These reallocation plans have provided funds to enhance faculty salaries for individual performance, market demands, and institutional priorities as one means of attracting and retaining quality instructors. The BOR has also used the reallocation funds to make substantial investments in technology hardware, software, training, and support. (The BOR reallocation plans to improve faculty salaries and fund technology are discussed in more detail in the section on allocation of financial resources to academic affairs—particularly Table 11: Instructional Faculty FTE by College and its footnotes — in Chapter 2 of this document. Additional supporting documentation will be available in the documents room.) 
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DSU's Current Planning Efforts:
An Analysis Of the DSU Strategic Statement

As indicated earlier in this chapter, in 1997 the faculty and staff formally accepted DSU's Strategic Statement, a document that includes a core statement, a strategic vision statement, and seven strategic initiatives for the institution. This section of Chapter 4 provides a summary of those key elements of the strategic statement and an analysis of the institution's progress to date on the institution's seven strategic initiatives. This analysis is intended to provide evidence that DSU has organized and allocated its resources to support its plans for strengthening both the institution and its programs. 
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Core Statement and Strategic Vision Statement: The DSU Strategic Statement includes both a core statement and a strategic vision statement. These two statements are the institution's interpretation of the mission established for it by House Bill 1357.

Dakota State University Core Statement: Dakota State University is South Dakota's leader in applying computer and information systems technology to higher education. Dakota State's academic programs look to the future, emphasizing a high-quality, comprehensive, discipline-based education with the intense application of existing and emerging technologies.

The University's innovative curricula involve a variety of educational media and settings, including the traditional on-campus classroom, advanced remote locations through distance education and off-campus, experience-rich internship alternatives, all enabled and enhanced by technology. Dakota State University cooperates and collaborates with educational, governmental, and corporate partners to deliver degree programs and individual courses while providing a foundation for lifelong learning to its students.

Dakota State University graduates are prepared with the mastery of technology necessary to move into rewarding careers in commerce, education, and government. Dakota State University has a strategic advantage: quality programs and an innovative faculty thriving in a technology-rich environment. 
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DSU Strategic Vision Statement: Dakota State University's strategic vision is to continually redefine the University experience by creatively integrating emerging computer / information systems technologies with selected disciplines to serve diverse populations.

• Redefine the University experience — Dakota State University is a responsive and flexible organization, which uses feedback from its various constituencies and advances in the disciplines to make changes in its professional programs. This ongoing process enhances creativity and results in high quality contemporary programs.

• Integrate emerging computer information systems technologies — Computer information systems are the key to the unique curriculum at Dakota State University. The latest computer information systems technologies are integrated into all facets of the educational experience, and its application is mastered by all Dakota State students.

• Service diverse populations — Dakota State University will serve students of diverse ethnic groups, as well as traditional and non-traditional students, both on campus and at remote locations.

Today, Dakota State University has begun to make major advances in fulfilling the mission statement as it is written and the total spirit of that mission, as reflected in the institution's core statement and strategic vision statement. Higher education today is increasingly competitive, with institutions vying for students, state resources, grants, private gifts, and quality faculty. The public today also demands greater accountability, is focused on the cost of higher education, and supports universities that prepare students to meet the workplace demands of the future. To maintain an accountable and successful enterprise, Dakota State University must continue to emphasize the basic tenets of a DSU education: quality discipline-based education and the

Dakota State University must continue to emphasize the basic tenets of a DSU education: quality discipline-based education and the mastery of computer technology. 

mastery of computer technology. The curriculum must balance the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake and the pursuit of practical knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace and in society. A university, like any competitive enterprise, requires the development of a strategic vision in order to move confidently into the future. The vision must be valid for today and tomorrow, must distinguish the institution from its competitors, and must convey a distinct direction for institutional development. DSU's core statement and its strategic vision statement clearly indicate how the institution plans to strengthen its education programs. 
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Strategic Initiatives: To ensure that Dakota State University will grow, prosper, and meet the vision for the institution that is embodied in its core and strategic vision statements, the institution developed a set of seven strategic initiatives or areas of emphasis:

• Academic Programs,

• Computer Technology,

• Faculty Development,

• University Promotion,

• Student Life,

• Campus Support and

• Diversity.

It is the institution's intention to innovate and change. As in the past, some change will be radical, though most change will be incremental. The institution's seven strategic initiatives do not disregard Dakota State's history, but rather embrace it, learn from it, and build upon it. Dakota State University freely undertook its challenging mission change 16 years ago, recognizing that it had to embrace radical change to lay the strategic groundwork that would allow the institution to exploit the new opportunities that the radical change would bring. Since the mission change (and because of it), Dakota State University has become a strong institution and, with its competitive strategic vision, fully intends to gain new strength and prominence on the higher education landscape.

In this section of the report, each of the seven strategic statements are restated, with each strategic initiative followed by a report on some of the institution's progress to date on meeting that initiative. The progress reported

Since the mission change (and because of it), Dakota State University has become a strong institution and, with its competitive strategic vision, fully intends to gain new strength and prominence on the higher education landscape. 

in this section is not intended to be exhaustive but to provide positive evidence and demonstrate that Dakota State University has effectively positioned itself for the future and has developed effective decision-making processes, with the tested capability of responding effectively to both anticipated and unanticipated challenges to the institution. Further, this section of Chapter 4 is intended to provide positive evidence that the institution has a current resource base — financial, physical and human — that positions it for the future. Much of the information contained in this section was collected from the annual reports prepared by each functional unit on campus and submitted to the President's Office. These annual summary reports explain how each unit has attained or is working toward attaining its own strategic initiatives relative to the institution's over-arching strategic initiatives. (The annual summary reports from each of the institution's functional units are compiled into a single annual report. The most recent annual reports will be available in the documents room.) 
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Strategic Initiative 1 — Academic Programs: The strategic initiative related to academic programs includes eight areas of emphasis:

• Emphasis on computer technology in all disciplines,

• Master's programs in select disciplines,

• Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems,

• Quality institution,

• Distance education,

• Life-long learning,

• Applied research and development and

• Interdisciplinary curriculum experimentation.

Progress to Date _ Emphasis on Computer Technology in All Disciplines: The institution's academic initiative related to computer technology is:

Each college will continue to develop and implement changes in curriculum and program delivery which will build most effectively on the present and future Dakota State computer information systems environment to enhance the teaching and learning process in all disciplines. Not only will the computer information systems environment continue to expand new possibilities in the teaching/learning environment, but innovations developed are expected to direct and accelerate advances needed in the computer information systems environment. It is also expected that development and implementation

of new approaches to teaching, learning, and computer information systems use will lead to increased inter-disciplinary cooperation.

This strategic statement is key to the Dakota State University mission. In all of its external reviews, including the most recent NCA focused evaluation of the master of science in education degree program in computer education and technology, Dakota State University has been recognized as "walking the talk" of campus-wide integration of computer technology into the disciplines. Factors pointing to evidence of computer integration include:

• For the past three years, DSU has been named to Yahoo Magazine's list of "Top Ten Most Wired Campuses" _ ranked 12^th in 1998, 10^th in 1999, and 9^th in 2000.

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' overall computer knowledge. 
     • Employer survey: 4.2 on 5-point scale 
     • Graduate survey: 3.9 on 5-point scale

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' ability to use computer software on the job. 
     • Employer survey: 4.4 on 5-point scale 
     • Graduate survey: 4.4 on 5-point scale

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' ability to adapt to changes in computing technology in their profession. 
     • Employer survey: 4.4 on 5-point scale 
     • Graduate survey: 4.0 on 5-point scale

• The governor turned to DSU's faculty to create the curriculum for and deliver the first Technology for Teaching and Learning (TTL) and Distance Technology for Teaching and Learning (DTL) academies. The curriculum developed by DSU for the TTL academies is currently being used at the TTL academies now being offered on other regental campuses.

• Comments from external reviewers inevitably focus on the success the institution has had emphasizing computer technology in all disciplines.

• The institution has added two, computer technology-intensive undergraduate degree programs within the last two years - B.S. in electronic commerce (offered in the College of Business and Information Systems) and a B.S. in multimedia / web development (offered in the College of Liberal Arts).

• The unusual, collaborative nature of these two new undergraduate degree programs underscores the institution's commitment to

Dakota State University has been
recognized as "walking the talk"
of campus-wide integration of computer technology into the
disciplines. 

The governor turned to DSU's faculty to create the curriculum for and deliver the first Technology for Teaching and Learning (TTL) Distance Technology for Teaching and Learning (DTL) academies. 

cooperation and maximizing the return on its resources. For example, some of the courses required in one degree program are taught by faculty in the other college, and vice versa.

• Many of the courses in both master's programs are currently delivered via technology. 

Progress to Date _ Master's Programs in Select Disciplines: The institution's academic initiative related to master's programs is:

In establishing master's level programs, Dakota State University will move into a more select arena which, like its undergraduate programs, will emphasize computer information systems. Specifically, DSU will proceed, with approval of the Board of Regents, to develop a Master of Science in Information Systems under the guidance of the College of Business and Information Systems. The College of Education will work with the University of South Dakota to develop cooperatively a Master of Science in Education in Computer Education and Technology.

Other universities in the Regents Unified System of Higher Education will be provided the opportunity to contribute in the development and implementation of these programs.

This long-held goal of the institution has been successfully met with NCA accreditation of both the master of science degree program in information systems and the master of science in education degree program in computer education and technology. Delivery of the first courses for these programs began in the 1999-2000 academic year.

The master of science degree program in information systems (MSIS) is delivered by the College of Business and Information Systems. The master of science in education degree program in computer education and technology (MSCET) is a collaborative program between the College of Education at DSU and the College of Education at the University of South Dakota. For the collaborative degree program, a coordinating committee of representatives from both universities has been formed and meets regularly to oversee and facilitate successful implementation of the program. Enrollment statistics in these graduate programs include:

• 16 students admitted to the MSCET program.

• 70 students admitted to the MSIS program, representing six countries in addition to the U.S.

• 5 students are scheduled to graduate from the MSIS program in December 2000.

• To date, 4 courses have been offered by DSU in the MSCET program.

• To date, 10 courses have been offered by DSU in the MSIS program.

To aid in the development and delivery of these two graduate programs, the institution has established a Graduate Programs Office. A director has been hired to manage the day-to-day operation of the office and to support the functions and responsibilities of the Graduate Council, the graduate admission committees within the two colleges offering the graduate programs, and the graduate faculty teaching the courses in those programs. Policies and procedures for graduate program administration have been developed and are in place, as are the appropriate forms and application materials. Membership and responsibilities of the Graduate Council (an institutional committee that previously existed to approve the graduate courses offered by the institution) have been modified to reflect the existence of the graduate degree programs and graduate faculty. Graduate committees have been established in both colleges. These committees are composed of the college's graduate faculty, with the college dean and the director of the Graduate Programs Office serving as non-voting members. They are responsible for monitoring the program curriculum, ensuring the continuous improvement of the graduate program within their college, and for making program admission decisions. All curriculum decisions are referred to the Graduate Council for final approval. 
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Progress to Date — Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems: The institution's academic initiative related to the Center of Excellence is:

The Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems will include faculty, staff, and students who have both a very high level of information systems skills and expertise in a traditional discipline. The primary goal of the Center is to provide graduates who can take the lead in both development and application of information technology tools for a wide variety of uses in business, industry, government, and education. A secondary purpose is to provide training and technical assistance throughout the State of South Dakota in computer and information management technology. Students admitted into the Center via a rigorous admissions process will complete a core of technical coursework, an internship experience, and a professional exit exam.

The state telecommunications plan developed by the South Dakota Governor's Office will enable South Dakota to attract and develop companies that are based on information management. Dakota State University, through its Center of Excellence in Information Systems (CECIS), can provide the pool of graduates needed to attract those industries and meet their various needs for information systems expertise. Research and development conducted through the Center will focus on assisting these industries in utilizing the latest technology and information management methods. Results of this research will be disseminated through various means such as an annual conference, listservs, and electronic conferencing.

The Center of Excellence in Information Systems (CECIS) was formed using Redesign the Curriculum funds in FY98. A director and a part-time secretary were hired in the first year and the first students were admitted to the Center's program. Although Center students are enrolled in degree programs across campus, they share an interest in expanding their already strong background in information technology. Enrollment statistics for the Center include:

• In academic year 1998-1999, 10 students (ranging from freshmen to seniors) were admitted to the Center. The freshmen had an average composite ACT score of 30. Center students earned an average grade point average of 3.78 and received scholarships of $500 in addition to their other membership benefits. In its first year, the Center also graduated four students. These students received job offers that ranged from a $42,000 salary and a $1,500 signing bonus to a $32,000 salary and an $8,000 stock incentive to be awarded after 12 months.

• In academic year 1999-2000, 10 students (some new freshmen, some continuing Center students) were admitted to the Center. The freshmen had an average composite ACT score of 26.4. Center students earned an average grade point average of 3.80. Students received an average scholarship of $1,000 in addition to their other membership benefits. In 1999-2000, the Center graduated three students. These students received job offers that ranged from $32,000 to $42,000.

• For academic year 2000-2001, 23 students (16 freshmen and 7 continuing students) were admitted to the Center. The freshmen have an average composite ACT score of 29. These students will receive an average scholarship of $1,000 in addition to their other membership benefits. In 2000-2001, two Center students are scheduled to graduate.

• The Center's minor in computer information systems was approved by the campus curriculum process in Fall 2000 and by the BOR executive director in February 2000. (The curriculum for the minor is included in the 2000-2001 academic catalog, which will be available in the documents room.)

Although Center students are enrolled in degree programs across campus, they share an interest in expanding their already strong background in information technology. 

The Center has also successfully encouraged faculty publications and student research presentations.

• Dr. Kai Koong, the Center's first director, and Dr. Lai Liu provided the CECIS with its first peer-refereed international journal publication in 1999.

• Dr. Koong, Dr. Liu, Dr. Bruce White, Dr. Ronghua Shan (Center faculty) and other DSU faculty presented papers at the Second Annual Computing Excellence in the Workforce Symposium and Exposition in April 1999.

• Three Center students submitted projects and were selected for inclusion in the Undergraduate Research Poster Session hosted by the Board of Regents in Pierre in February 1999. At the poster session, the students' research was reviewed by members of the South Dakota legislature, BOR members, and the general public.

• Nine Center faculty published and /or presented15 papers at conferences or in refereed journals in academic year 1999-2000.

Reaching out to deliver service excellence to the public and private sectors is another of the functions of the CECIS. To help accomplish that goal, the Center has sponsored an annual symposium:

• Approximately 100 people attended the first annual symposium in March 1998. The focus of the inaugural symposium was on-line education.

• Approximately 60 persons attended a technical seminar, which focused on Y2K issues for small business owners, in January 1999. That seminar was sponsored in collaboration with the Madison Chamber of Commerce Education Subcommittee.

• Dr. Rick Christoph, a Center faculty member, was featured in a South Dakota Public Television video on Y2K issues. The video was also aired nationally on public television.

• Approximately 80 persons attended the sessions and 10 vendors participated in the second annual symposium and exposition in April 1999. At the symposium, 34 peer-reviewed papers from authors in Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, and Virginia were presented. Six state legislators and the governor attended the keynote banquet.

• Approximately 260 people attended the third annual symposium on electronic commerce in April 2000. Papers were presented by representatives from five technology-intensive corporations, from two Center faculty members, and three Center students. Schwans Enterprises was the major corporate sponsor of the event.

Progress to Date - Quality Institution: The institution's academic initiative related to institutional quality is:

Dakota State University encourages and facilitates effective teaching, research, and service within a dynamic learning environment. The University acknowledges and rewards the presence of quality and innovation in all phases of university life. Dakota State will assess all programs to ensure that they meet or exceed standards of accrediting agencies and learned societies. The assessment process will be used to continually improve academic programs and to allocate resources to make curriculum changes appropriate to the mission of the University. The faculty and staff, with its combined disciplinary expertise and wide range of computer technology skills, will prepare students for success in the technologically enhanced jobs of the next century.

The institution has a structured assessment process that is continuous, that involves a variety of institutional constituencies, and that provides meaningful and useful information to the planning process, as well as to students, faculty, and administration. At DSU, assessment data is consistently used to evaluate the quality of the academic curriculum and degree programs delivered by the institution. As mentioned in Chapter 3, the institution uses a three-tiered assessment program (entry-level, general education, and major-field assessment) to ensure that all degree programs meet or exceed standards set by the faculty, accrediting agencies, learned societies, and the Board of Regents. The institution collects assessment data relative to each of the three assessment programs and publishes annual summary reports that are shared with both internal and external constituencies. Some highlights from 1999-2000 assessment data that support the institution's claim of excellence in its academic programs include:

• On the 1999 Employer Survey, respondents rated: 

• DSU graduates' knowledge of their academic area as 4.2 on a 5-point scale.
• DSU graduates' ability to solve work-related problems as 4.1 on a 5-point scale.
• Their overall satisfaction with DSU graduates as 4.4 on a 5-point scale.

 • On the 1999 Graduate Survey, respondents rated: 

• Their knowledge of their academic area as 4.2 on a 5-point scale. 
• Their ability to solve work-related problems as 4.2 on a 5-point scale. 
• Their overall satisfaction with their professional capabilities as 4.3 on a 5-point scale.

• On the 1999 Student Satisfaction Inventory, respondents gave the statement, "There is a commitment to academic excellence on this campus" an average rating of 5.37 compared to a national average of 5.05.

At DSU, assessment data is consistently used to evaluate the quality of the academic curriculum and degree programs delivered by the institution.

• DSU student organizations have received recognition at the regental level: 

     • In 1999 the Math/Science Club received the SD Board of Regents Award for Academic Excellence and the Phi Beta Lambda Business Club received the Award for Organizational Leadership.

• The Math/Science Club has been recognized by the BOR for Academic Excellence eight of the past ten years.

Assessment data is also used to evaluate the quality of the institution as a whole and to ensure that the faculty and staff (and the budgetary process) support institutional decision-making. Based on data collected from the February 2000 Campus Quality Survey:

• 85 percent of the employee respondents rated their overall impression of the quality of the institution as "excellent" or "good" compared to 62 percent at the national level.

• 76 percent of the respondents indicated they were "very satisfied" (22%) or "satisfied" (54%) with their current job. According to the Performance Horizons Consulting Group, the company which developed the survey used at DSU, these job satisfaction ratings were quite high.

On the survey, employees used a five-point rating scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) to indicate "How It Is Now" at DSU. (See Figure 6: Spring 2000 Campus Quality Survey DSU Smallest Performance Gaps. The performance gap is the difference between the employees' responses to "how it is now" and "how it should be" on the survey.) 
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Figure 6:  Spring 2000 Campus Quality Survey 
Dakota State University’s Smallest Performance Gaps

Survey items rated highest (smallest performance gaps) by the respondents were, in order:

• Computer technology is integrated in Dakota State's academic program. (4.540)

• Dakota State's computing environment provides a competitive advantage in higher education. (4.464)

• Dakota State has user-friendly computer systems to support personnel. (4.218)

• Efforts to improve quality are paying off at Dakota State. (4.065)

Performance Horizons Consulting Group also compared DSU's rating with the average ratings for all other institutions in their national database. Dakota State ratings were higher in all eight of the quality improvement categories. Similarly, Dakota State average ratings were higher than those from all other 4-year universities.

Most impressive were the increases in the 2000 average ratings when compared with the results from the 1998 survey. Results from the February 2000 survey suggest that steps the institution had taken in that intervening time period to correct areas of employee concern had been successful. Ratings improved in every quality improvement category, with the most improvement in Strategic Planning, Customer Focus, Measurement and Analysis, and Top Management Leadership and Support.

Employees responsible for the five service areas receiving the highest ratings were commended for their commitment to providing quality customer service to students and employees: Karl E. Mundt Library, Computing Services, the Trojan Center Bookstore, Media, Audio-Visual, & Technology Services, and Payroll Services.

The February 2000 survey results did indicate a need for enhanced employee recognition, employee training, and employee communication. While DSU is looking at ways to address these areas of concern, it should be noted here that even these low scoring categories were often ranked higher than the national average. (Copies of both the November 1998 and February 2000 survey reports will be available in the documents room.) 
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Progress to Date _ Distance Education: The institution's academic initiative related to distance education is:

Similarly, Dakota State average ratings were higher than those from all other 4-year universities. 

Distance Education redefines the University experience for students by providing a flexible learning environment that is not directly linked to the traditional classroom. Through this innovation in technology, applied to the academic programs at Dakota State University, the Office of Distance Education will deliver programs to the state, the nation, and the world.

The Office of Distance Education, working with all units of the campus, will coordinate the delivery of high quality, focused academic programs and will foster the ideals of continual lifelong learning. The Office of Distance Education will provide faculty development in the areas of teaching and use of technology in distance education and will seek to develop external funding and partnerships.

The Office of Distance Education was established in FY97, using Redesign the Curriculum funds. A director, secretary, and instructional technologist were hired to assist faculty with distance course development and delivery. Since that time, effective marketing and quality course offerings have ensured the continued growth in the institution's distance courses. Enrollment statistics related to the institution's distance programs includes:

• In FY97, the Office of Distance Education garnered 172 enrollments.

• In FY98, the course enrollments dramatically exceeded projections. The director projected an enrollment increase of 25 percent but actually achieved 370 course enrollments, an actual enrollment increase of 115 percent.

• In FY99, distance courses generated 462 enrollments, a 25 percent increase over FY98 enrollments.

• In FY00, distance courses generated 500 enrollments, an 8 percent increase over FY99.

• The head count for distance students increased 33 percent from FY98 to FY99, with a 35 percent increase in South Dakota students.

Assessment data collected specifically from distance-delivered courses in 1999-2000 suggests that the services provided by the professional staff contributed to the quality of education these distance students received:

• Distance students rated the professional staff's responsiveness to their questions and needs as 3.87 on a 5-point scale

• Distance students rated the helpfulness and informativeness of the Office of Distance Education web pages as 3.87 on a 5-point scale.

In recent years, the Office of Distance Education has revised both its on-line student guide and its office procedures to coincide with the operational

Assessment data collected specifically from distance-delivered courses in 1999-2000 suggests that the services provided by the professional staff contributed to the quality of education these distance students received. 

procedures dictated by Colleague, the system's new student information system. To facilitate communication between the professional staff and the faculty teaching via distance, a distance education newsletter has been established.

A summer grant program has also been established to encourage course development by faculty. As Table 15: Summary of Distance Education Summer Grant Activities (below) indicates in the last three summers, 73 grants (totaling $185,257) have been awarded.

These grants have resulted in:

• Development of 36 on-line courses.

• Revision of 26 on-line courses.

• Revision of 21 on-campus courses for alternative delivery.

• Completion of 11 distance education projects. One project resulted in the installation of a proxy server to authenticate distance students. As a result, distance students have access to DSU services, particularly the Library, in a seamless fashion.

The professional staff in the Office of Distance Education has also taken on the responsibility of representing the institution on many system-wide committees:

• During FY98 and FY99, the director served on the statewide Articulation Task Force (a group of faculty and administrators from the regental system and the state's technical institutes), helping reach consensus on an articulation program for coursework offered by technical institutes. (A summary of that articulation agreement will be available in the documents room.)

• The professional staff also worked closely with DSU's Health Information Management (HIM) faculty and staff to prepare the program proposal and self-study document so the Health

Table 15:  Summary of Distance Education
Summer Grant Activities

Information Administration (HIA) program could be approved for distance delivery. Since approval, the director has worked with the HIM director and with community colleges that offer 2-year programs in health information technology to develop articulation agreements for admission into DSU`s 4-year program in HIA.

Dakota State University and the professional staff in the Office of Distance Education have also been an active partner in the newest venture developed by the South Dakota Board of Regents called the Electronic University Consortium (EUC), with the director serving as DSU's representative on the system-wide steering committee. It is the BOR's intention that the EUC will leverage state technology investments and make effective use of the unique strengths of each university by coordinating and marketing the courses and programs already being offered by regental institutions. The EUC will establish a web-based contact point for potential students and will provide access to electronic information and campus-free education to students anywhere. It is creating a convenient, integrated "one-stop" statewide student service system for admissions, registration to multiple institutions, single billing and payment, student technical support, library access, and automatic credit transfer among the universities. Services will include a live, extended-hour call center for student assistance. The EUC intends to manage BOR investment in course and program development and delivery, thereby maximizing resources and eliminating duplication costs. The EUC will also ensure off-campus educational quality through course and program review. It will coordinate delivery of current, off-campus degrees and will identify and develop new programs and certificates for personal and economic development. When it is fully implemented, the EUC should provide increased information, service, and educational access for K-12 students, teachers, and administrators; for business and industry; for government; and for time- or place-bound individuals, including those with disabilities. 
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Progress to Date _ Life-Long Learning: The institution's academic initiative related to life-long learning is:

Life-long learning for students is the passion for exploring new ideas and the capacity for expanding and adapting the conception of the self and world. In-depth exploration of a discipline and acquisition of broad-based knowledge from study and experiential activities

establish models of learning and involvement that can be applied to new areas of interest throughout a lifetime. It is a goal of Dakota State to initiate a strategy for developing this passion and capacity in its graduates. It is also a goal to provide experience-based opportunities through the development and delivery of short courses and workshops that emphasize the use of technology for businesses, schools and individuals.

Information is expanding at an unprecedented rate, as is the impact of technology on our society. Dakota State recognizes that life-long learning is critical to remaining up-to-date and will seek to offer alumni and others opportunities for continued learning of new technologies to promote economic independence and quality of life.

The assessment of graduate outcomes in lifelong learning is extremely complicated and often anecdotal. A review of the annual assessment reports (available in the documents room) provides strong support that Dakota State University is preparing its graduates to be lifelong learners. For example, on the 1999 Graduate Survey:

• Over 80% of the respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with their commitment to lifelong learning.

• Graduates rated their commitment to life-long learning as a 4.2 on a 5-point scale.

• Graduates rated DSU's contribution to this ability as a 3.7 on a 5-point scale.

• Over 95 percent of the respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with their ability to learn on the job.

• Graduates rated their ability to adapt to changes in the computing environment as a 4.0 on a 5-point scale.

Assessment data from employers also provide strong evidence that DSU is producing graduates who have a commitment to life-long learning. On the 1999 Employer survey:

• Employers rated DSU's graduates' ability to learn on the job as a 4.4 on a 5-point scale.

• Employers rated DSU's graduates' ability to adapt to changes in the computing environment as a 4.4 on a 5-point scale.

Because of its expanding on-line course offerings and participation in the SD Electronic University Consortium (EUC), DSU graduates have had increased opportunities to participate in short courses and workshops that emphasize the use of technology for businesses, schools, and individuals while they were students and have had increased access to that training as graduates. For example, the College of Business and Information Systems

Over 80% of the respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with their commitment to lifelong learning.

sponsors an annual, re-tooling seminar / workshop for graduates in the region.

Because of DSU's technology-focused mission and degree programs, DSU was selected by the governor to develop the curriculum for the Technology in Teaching and Learning (TTL) academy in partnership with the Office of Technology in Education (TIE). The purpose of the TTL academies has been to establish a cadre of highly trained K-12 educators across the state who will actively change teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms through the integration of technology, especially telecommunications technology, into curriculum. These specially trained K-12 teachers are also expected to model effective teaching practices using technology for their peers with the goal of enhancing the teaching/learning processes for all K-12 students. It has been an extremely effective and successful project, with many DSU students serving as lab instructors for the academy. (More information can be obtained from its website at www.ttl.dsu.edu .)

Dr. Mel Ustad of the Business and Education Institute has been notified that his grant application for training of information technology workers will be funded this fall by the National Science Foundation. This five-year project will develop and implement a model IT-education/training/economic development program for rural areas utilizing distance education and telecommunications technologies for education and employment of IT-workers. The project will (1) train adult IT-workers, (2) facilitate expansion of IT-employment opportunities to rural areas, (3) encourage K-12 students to pursue IT-careers in their community, and (4) evaluate the education, economic and social impact of the IT-education/training/economic development program. 
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Progress to Date _ Applied Research and Development: The institution's academic initiative related to applied research and development is:

Dakota State University participates in applied research and development activities to complement other strategic initiatives of the University. Dakota State views teaching and research, scholarship, and artistic creativity as mutually complementary activities. The University will work to cooperate and collaborate in research and development activities with other South Dakota Board of Regents Universities, other post-secondary educational institutions, K-12 schools, and other relevant professional societies.

Dakota State University will encourage faculty consulting; develop partnerships with businesses and school districts; develop community

service integral to university endeavors; encourage and support student organizations; provide continuing education opportunities for stakeholders; and encourage faculty, staff, and students to become involved in professional associations.

The institution, as a whole, has made a commitment to applied research and development activities. Examples include:

• Many faculty members serve as consultants to K-12 schools,
businesses, and libraries and provide for-credit courses or non-credit, in-service workshops for employees or K-12 teachers. (A summary of the consulting activities of faculty will be available in the documents room.)

• The institution has formed partnerships with many governmental agencies, including the Lake Central School District, the city of Madison, the Madison Area Arts Council, the Mundt Foundation and others. (Details of these partnerships will be available in the documents room.)

• In 1995, the Council on University Relations conducted research to study the impact the regental university system had on the state of South Dakota. Each university was asked to supply information on faculty and administrative efforts in their respective universities. Dakota State University had several submissions for each county. (A copy of the entire study can be found at http://www.ris.sdbor.edu/publication/ Advocacy%20Network/ADNET.HTM.)

• Faculty members have developed strong ties to community organizations and serve on many local boards and organizations. (A summary of the service efforts that individual faculty members provide to external constituencies will be available in the documents room.)

• The TTL and DTL academies hosted by DSU (and using curricula developed by DSU faculty) have provided continuing education opportunities for K-12 teachers. DSU faculty serve as instructors at these academies; DSU students serve as lab assistants.

• DSU faculty members are active advisors who encourage and support the research efforts of students or student groups who are recognized by external evaluators for their research excellence. Examples include:

• Center of Excellence students were selected to present their
research at the Undergraduate Research Poster Session hosted by the Board of Regents in Pierre in February 1999.

• Business Club / Phi Beta Lambda students regularly win honors at the state and national conventions for their performance on group and individual competitive events.

• At the Spring 1999 state leadership conference, DSU students competed against 100 other students. DSU

students took home five first-place, two second-place and two third-place honors in the individual competition. Two chapter projects were submitted and both won first place. Students also presented a one-hour technology workshop at the conference.

• At the Summer 1999 national leadership conference, students attended leadership workshops and competed against 100 other students in individual and team events. DSU's Susan Dunn took ninth-place in Information Management. DSU's web site project took third-place (of 50 submissions). The Business Club's award-winning web site is available at http://www.clubs.dsu.edu/pbl  and includes a complete list of winners.

• At the Spring 2000 state convention, DSU students competed against more than 100 other students. DSU students won four first-place, five second-place and three third-place honors in competition with other chapters, including a first- and second-place sweep in Telecommunications. Seven people placed in the top 3 in at least one event and have earned the right to compete at the national conference this summer. In addition, the chapter won the web site competition for the second year in a row. A DSU student was named state parliamentarian. DSU was also the only chapter to present an hour-long technology workshop.

• Six students attended the 2000 national conference. They competed against 100 other students and won fourth-place in information management and ninth-place in  telecommunications events. One DSU student also graduated with honors from the leadership institute.

As mentioned in Chapter 3, the institution makes an annual commitment to the instructional and professional development of its faculty. The Instructional and Professional Development fund controlled by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Table 14: Instructional and Professional Development Travel Funds: Guidelines for Fund Dispersement) funds faculty travel for a wide range of professional activities. (A summary of the expenditures in that account for the last several years will be available in the documents room.)

The institution also encourages collaborative service or research by its faculty members. Recent examples include DSU faculty membership on the system-wide discipline groups formed by the BOR in recent years:

• DSU faculty members were named to academic discipline councils in education, foreign language, and science.

DSU students competed against more than 100 other students. DSU students won four first-place, five second-place and three third-place honors in competition with other chapters, including a first and second place sweep in Telecommunications. 

• DSU faculty members are the chairs of the academic discipline councils in information systems, math, and English.

One of the tasks assigned to these discipline councils was to inventory the courses offered by the regental universities in that discipline and the expertise of the faculty teaching those courses. The councils used that inventory to develop collaborative approaches to meeting institutional and system needs within the discipline. As a result of the interaction generated by these discipline councils, DSU has begun these collaborative activities:

• Providing a certificate program in programming and systems development, offered in collaboration with South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

• Providing technology-based coursework via distance delivery to Northern State University and Black Hills State University so those institutions can offer associate degrees in network administration.

Each discipline council prepares an annual report of its activities. (Sample copies of discipline council reports to the South Dakota Board of Regents will be available in the documents room.) 
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Progress to Date _ Interdisciplinary Curriculum Experimentation: The institution's academic initiative related to interdisciplinary degree programs is:

Dakota State University will encourage curriculum experimentation and will expand efforts at interdisciplinary, student-centered active learning. This trend is the developing norm for teaching and learning in the University, building on earlier efforts by the faculty in the inclusion of computers and current pedagogy.

Dakota State University will investigate inter-linking among curricula. In curricular integration, there will be introduction of common courses across disciplines, which would promote interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. Faculty will be encouraged to collaborate to enhance student skills in oral and written communication, develop powers of observation and reasoning, and encourage interactive, collaborative learning within and among disciplines. The University will expand its use of web sites for information and instruction. It will also explore various means of providing interactive educational resources for use both by students at Dakota State and by other constituencies in education, government, and industry.

One of the institution's most notable forays into inter-linking curricula is the one that has been developed for the institution's two newest undergraduate degrees _ B.S. in electronic commerce (offered by the College of Business and Information Systems) and B.S. in multimedia / web development (offered by the College of Liberal Arts). As mentioned earlier in this chapter, course

One of the institution's most notable forays into inter-linking curricula is the one
that has been developed for the institution's two newest undergraduate degrees _ B.S. in electronic commerce (offered by the College of Business and Information Systems) and B.S. in multimedia / web development (offered by the College of Liberal Arts). 

requirements for the degree programs overlap and students will have to take major-field courses offered by faculty in both colleges to complete their degree requirements. This same, inter-linking relationship will exist between these two BOR-approved majors and a third major (a B.S. in computer multimedia) that is still in the planning stages. The institution's intent to plan received BOR approval in May 1995, but the institution put program development on hold to concentrate on the two new undergraduate majors and the two graduate programs. Now that those programs are established, the institution is ready to turn its attention back to the computer multimedia program.

An institutional committee, the Faculty Research Committee, has been charged with the task of mentoring faculty research, particularly among new faculty members. The committee, by its very nature, is interdisciplinary since it includes one representative from the Library and one representative from each of the four colleges. The five members of the committee consider the best ways to stimulate and encourage scholarship in all disciplines. In Fall 1999, the focus of the committee was on grant researching and grants writing. Although grants are more common and more appropriate in some disciplines than in others, grant research in all disciplines was emphasized. In Spring 2000, the focus of the committee was on research leading to publication and presentation at conferences. In particular, there was discussion about the costs of research in the various disciplines and the best means to fund research. As a result of committee discussions (which fanned out into general faculty discussions), the committee has taken responsibility for writing and submitting a planning grant to the Bush Foundation. That writing project has continued through the summer with the goal of submitting the planning grant in Fall 2000.

Faculty members who teach on-line are another interdisciplinary group who meet six times each academic year to discuss issues related to distance delivery. These meetings provide on-line faculty members with an opportunity to explore issues collaboratively and to discuss how to best provide interactive educational experiences for students. Most recently, the group decided to provide faculty development opportunities through an on-line discussion board to be established by the Office of Distance Education. The on-line faculty group also developed and recommended a policy on

faculty compensation (and other, non-salary forms of compensation) for those teaching via distance. The non-salary forms of compensation have been adopted (either via policy in the Office of Distance Education or in the institution's workload policy) and salary compensation has also been possible through the BOR's salary enhancement programs. However, the institution has not been able to include salary issues in the workload policy because similar discussions at the system level have been initiated with COHE (the faculty bargaining unit).

DSU's faculty is also very involved in the Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning. The Collaboration is a regional organization that supports and promotes outstanding college teaching at public, private, and tribal colleges and universities. DSU faculty currently serve on the Collaboration's board of directors and planning committees and regularly participate in the conferences and workshops provided by the Collaboration:

• During the 1999-2000 academic year, six faculty attended one or more faculty development conferences in Minneapolis.

• A team of faculty from the College of Natural Sciences and the Library gave a presentation on the use of computer technology in interdisciplinary teaching.

• Drawing on the experience and advice of colleagues at other
Collaboration member institutions, faculty at Dakota State have formed a faculty development committee that organized two campus-wide discussions of issues in college teaching in the spring semester. Both of these sessions were well attended and the committee is expanding its efforts for the 2000-2001 academic year.

• The Collaboration selects and facilitates a number of traveling workshops that are available to member institutions. Plans are being made to host a traveling workshop during the faculty orientation week in Fall 2000. The workshop will focus on strategies for engaging students in more effective learning and will be available to all Dakota State faculty. 
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Strategic Initiative 2 — Computer Technology: The strategic initiative related to computer technology includes two areas of emphasis:

• Computer Technology Infrastructure

• Integration of Computer Technology

Progress to Date _ Computer Technology Infrastructure: The institution's

computer technology initiative related to infrastructure is:

Dakota State University's computer technology infrastructure provides students, faculty, and staff with unmatched access to up-to-date hardware and software. Our students must leave the University with first-hand knowledge of and experience with the latest computer technology. We will concentrate on being among the institutions at the leading edge of the technology curve, and we will annually commit the investment needed to achieve this goal.

When deemed strategically advantageous, faculty and students will explore technologies that are beyond the leading edge. Investment of resources in these technologies, however, will not come at the expense of the strategic development of the campus-wide infrastructure.

The computer technology infrastructure (and how it is maintained and advanced) is a source of pride to all who work here. The allocation process is centrally controlled with annual recommendations on expenditures coming to the president from the Computing Resource Advisory Committee (CRAC). (Committee membership includes faculty, staff, and students and is explained in more detail in Chapters 2 and 3.) The committee maintains a strategic vision of computing and communications while annually developing a tactical plan that guides the institution's technology investments for that fiscal year. In any given year, this committee may make decisions on technology investments ranging from $350,000 to $650,000. The collegial approach adopted by the committee has resulted in the development of an environment in which all campus units can claim ownership. (A copy of the FY99, FY00, and FY01 technology allocations will be available in the documents room.)

The network, and the services accessible through the network, is an integral part of DSU's education resources. The campus network is currently based on a one-gigabit backbone with switched, 100-megabit services to the desktop. Technology enriched instruction and general access is provided through the instructional computing labs and the presentation classrooms. Students also have access through computers in the Karl E. Mundt Library, the Trojan Center, and the residence halls. (A diagram of the campus network and a summary of the current computer lab configurations are provided in Appendix D.) All academic software is available to students, faculty, and staff via the campus' local area network. Standard lab software is the MS Office Premium suite. Students, faculty, and staff members are provided with an e-mail account, web-space, and a home-directory on the server for storage.

There is no established limit for web-space, but there is a 2-megabit limit for students' e-mail accounts and a 5-megabit limit for students' home-directories. In addition to personal web space in the homepages.dsu.edu domain, faculty members are also provided space in the courses.dsu.edu domain to present course-specific web materials.

The institution's exceptional technology infrastructure has placed the institution on Yahoo Magazine's list of "Top Ten Most Wired Campuses" for the last three years _ ranked 12^th in 1998, 10^th in 1999, and 9^th in 2000. 
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Progress to Date _ Integration of Computer Technology: The institution's technology initiative related to integration is:

The availability of advanced computer technology means little for DSU unless it remains the common thread running through all the academic programs. It is becoming recognized throughout higher education that the use of technology in all disciplines must be a part of the academic pursuit. At Dakota State, we do not seek simply to introduce or to promote the use of computer technology, but rather to thoroughly prepare graduates who have demonstrated mastery of the application of computer technology in a selected discipline.

Because of our mission and our stated goals, DSU has the responsibility to ensure that mastery of technology is truly representative of all our graduates. The assessment of skills and abilities in this area will be critical and will include proficiency testing and employer and graduate follow-up surveys.

The integration of the use of computer technology into the academic disciplines is central to DSU's mission. At each level of academic assessment, student proficiency with computer technology (and the integration of that technology into the academic discipline) is measured. (A detailed discussion of the institution's assessment plan and assessment activities in included in Chapter 3. Included in that Chapter 3 discussion are items related to the assessment of information technology / literacy. Syllabi, on file in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, highlight the ways in which DSU courses incorporate technology. In addition, a copy of the current assessment plan will be available in the documents room.) Other patterns of evidence related to the integration of technology include:

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' overall computer knowledge. 
     • Employer survey: 4.2 on a 5-point scale 

The institution's exceptional technology infrastructure has placed the institution on Yahoo Magazine's
list of "Top Ten Most Wired Campuses" for the last three years _
ranked 12^th in 1998, 10^th in 1999, and 9^th in 2000. 

     • Graduate survey: 3.9 on a 5-point scale

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' ability to use computer software on the job.
     • Employer survey: 4.4 on a 5-point scale
     • Graduate survey: 4.4 on a 5-point scale 

• Annual responses to the graduate and employer surveys indicate that both graduates and employers are satisfied / very satisfied with graduates' ability to adapt to changes in the computing environment. 
     • Employer survey: 4.4 on a 5-point scale 
     • Graduate survey: 4.0 on a 5-point scale 

• On the 1999 Student Satisfaction Inventory, respondents gave the statement, "Computer usage in courses reinforces and/or expands computer skills." an average rating of 5.84 on a 1-7 scale.

• On the 1999 Student Satisfaction Inventory, respondents gave "Ability to use the Internet as a research tool" an average rating of 6.20 on a 1-7 scale.

• 2000 Campus Quality Survey -  faculty and staff strongly agreed (4.54 on a 5-point scale) that "Computer technology is integrated into Dakota State's academic programs." This item received one of the smallest performance gaps on the survey.

• Student assessment data provides valuable feedback to faculty as they monitor and revise the curriculum. This assessment process also ensures that DSU continues to be a leader in information technology. In fact, requests for changes in the curriculum that are based on input received through the assessment process must include assessment data supporting / justifying the change.

(Copies of the 1999 Graduate Survey, 1999 Employer Survey, and 1999 Student Satisfaction Inventory annual reports will be available in the documents room.)

As mentioned earlier, a DSU hallmark is the institution's success in appropriately integrating computer technology into its academic programs. This successful integration has been validated by all of its external program and accreditation reviews:

• For the past three years, DSU has been named to Yahoo Magazine's list of "Top Ten Most Wired Campuses" - ranked
12^th in 1998, 10^th in 1999, and 9^th in 2000.

• Comments from program reviews.

• Comments from NCA focused visit reviews.

Strategic Initiative 3 — Faculty Development: The strategic initiative related to faculty development is:

A DSU hallmark is the institution's success in appropriately integrating computer technology into its academic programs. 

Dakota State University invests in continual faculty development in teaching and scholarly practice. Faculty development is required to foster and maintain the expertise that allows faculty to provide leadership in their disciplines, as well as in the areas of technology and information systems. Using this combined expertise, faculty can collaborate to prepare an academic curriculum that integrates current technology and pedagogy. Faculty development activities include the following areas: seminars, workshops, conferences, release time, research projects, grants, professional development programs, collaborative learning sessions, and professional retreats. Opportunities for sabbaticals, faculty exchanges, and fellowships are encouraged and supported when possible by funding, resource allocation, and scheduling. In addition, faculty development will include the development of a Dakota State Information Systems conference closely associated with the Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems. Dakota State will continue to recruit and retain a high quality faculty with strong academic backgrounds, interdisciplinary interests, and competence with technology.

Progress to Date -  Faculty Development: In recent years, the institution has consistently invested in faculty development activities, both on and off campus. Table 16: Expenditures in Instructional and Professional Development Fund, 1990- 2000 (below) presents the investment the institution has made through the I&PD fund, which is controlled by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. 
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Table 16: Expenditures in  I&PD Fund 1990- 2000 

This summary of expenditures from the I&PD fund does not include the portion paid by the colleges for faculty development (typically the registration fee) or the portion paid by the faculty member (typically 20 to 50 percent of the cost of the travel and any travel costs in excess of $1,000 per trip). The institutional policy on funding instructional and professional development is summarized in Chapter 3 (Table 14: Instructional

and Professional Development Travel Funds: Guidelines for Fund Dispersement).

Another indication of the institution's commitment to on-going faculty development was the hiring of an instructional technologist in FY99. Dr. Haomin Wang has been instrumental in developing and delivering technology workshops for campus faculty and staff on a regular basis throughout the academic year. Other institutional investments in on-going faculty development include:

• The summer grants program through the Office of Distance Education (described in more detail in the discussion relative to Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Programs — Distance Education.)

• The summer grants program through the Center of Excellence in Computer Information Systems, begun in Summer 2000 (2 grants totaling $7,300)

As part of an on-going faculty development effort, South Dakota Governor William Janklow provided $1,260,880 to 59 faculty members from the six regental universities for computer-based projects during Summer 2000 as part of his Teaching With Technology program. Now in its third year, the program encourages state university faculty to develop skills and methods to better use computer technology in their daily courses. The ultimate goal of the governor's program is to produce university students who are trained in modern technology; especially students in the education field who plan to become K-12 teachers. A complete description of the Governor's Grant Program along with grant recipients and past grant reports is available on the South Dakota Board of Regent's website at www.ris.sdbor.edu/GovernorsAwards/governor.htm .

Eighteen DSU faculty have received these governor's awards: 
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Strategic Initiative Four — University Promotion: A strategic challenge for the University is the broad area of university promotions. Since the mission change, DSU has developed the academic programs and computer support infrastructure that provides the University with a strategic competitive advantage. DSU is distinguished from the rest, not by the use of computer

Table 17:  Governor’s Awards to DSU Faculty