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Knowlton Tapped as Dakota State's Next President

Douglas D. Knowlton, vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of
Minnesota, Crookston, will become the 21st president of Dakota State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents announced Monday.

Knowlton assumes leadership of the Madison campus on Jan. 5, 2004. He replaces Jerald Tunheim, who has been president at Dakota State since 1987 and is retiring later this year.

"Dr. Knowlton comes to us from a higher education institution with a comparable focus on technology to Dakota State's," said Regent James O. Hansen, chair of the Regents' presidential search. His senior-level administrative experience at Minnesota-Crookston will be a real asset to DSU, with its mission focused on computer and information systems technology."

Knowlton has been at the Crookston campus since 1997, where he is a tenured professor in addition to his administrative duties. Prior to that, he held positions at the University of North Dakota for 17 years, including director of a pediatric rehabilitation program, a faculty member in the College of Education and Human Development, and a charter member of UND's Conflict Resolution Center. He also maintained a part-time private practice as a clinical psychologist at the Family Institute in Grand Forks, N.D.

"I want to express my thanks to the South Dakota Board of Regents and all the members of the DSU community that participated in the search process for this expression of confidence," Knowlton said. "Clearly, President Tunheim has helped shape a culture at DSU that is innovative and eager to embrace the very distinct technology integrated mission of the campus.

"DSU's team of faculty and staff are quite extraordinary and I am very excited to be joining that team," he said. "Higher education can and should playa major role in creating a vital economy in South Dakota. Because of its mission and the team that the Regents and President Tunheim has assembled, DSU will, without a doubt, be a key player in any successful development plan."

The new DSU president has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and a master's degree in psychology, both from the University of North Dakota. He received his B.A. degree in psychology at the University of Denver. Dr. Knowlton completed an internship and post-doctoral education at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.

He served as a member and president of the Minnesota State Board of Technical Colleges, and later was appointed to the first Board of Trustees for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. He also has been a consultant and evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission o the North Central Association.

He and his' wife, Sharon, are natives of Sioux Falls. "It is good to have the Knowltons return home to South Dakota," Regent Hansen said. "Dr. Knowlton has lived and worked in this region-his higher education experience in Minnesota and North Dakota will be invaluable to us."

Douglas Knowlton- Dakota State University President Acceptance Remarks

Before I mention a number of thank-you’s and make a few comments I want to introduce you to my wife Sharon. Many individuals that know us would apply the term “better half” when referring to Sharon. As this community gets to know her I can assure you that she will without a doubt fit the description of “better” and clearly be more than “half”. I want to publicly thank her for being a part of this journey. The two of us share a driving commitment to education, view ourselves as teachers and are now feeling very honored to be associated with the first teacher education institution in the Dakotas.

President Jewett, Chair of the Search Committee Hansen, Executive Director Perry and all the members of the South Dakota Board of Regents, I want to express my gratitude for this expression of confidence in my ability to lead Dakota State University.

To all the search committee members, the numerous staff, faculty, students and members of the DSU community that participated in this process, I want you to know that your hospitality, enthusiasm, and responsiveness provided an exceedingly positive impression of DSU and a remarkable interview experience. My personal thank you to all of you.
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To Mary Turman with the BOR thank you for the incredible organization and personal care that went into this process and also a thank you to Linda here at DSU for the coordination that she provided here on campus.

Finally, let me thank President Tunheim and Nancy for their gracious welcome and their offers of support. President Tunheim has helped create an environment at DSU that should serve as a model for any campus that is striving to be innovative and dynamic. With his leadership DSU has developed a statewide, regional and national reputation as a technology rich learning environment and the BOR has affirmed the distinct technology mission of this campus. To say that it is humbling to follow Jerry Tunheim as the next president is a huge understatement. I look forward to learning from him and working closely with him through this transition. Jerry’s continued involvement and support will be a tremendous asset to DSU.

It is with a sincere sense of eagerness, confidence and humility that I accept this offer to become the 21st President of Dakota State University. I promise that I will strive everyday to inspire, support and challenge this institution to reach even higher levels of excellence. I must admit that I did not know a lot about DSU before starting this interview process but what I have learned and what I have seen has been incredibly impressive. It is clear that there is an extraordinary team here at DSU and I am looking forward to joining that team. As I stated several times during the interview, “on a college campus there is never an I – but it is always a “We” if we are to be truly successful” This “We” or “Team” is what will allow us to continue the creation of an Ecology of Learning here at DSU that will move students to new levels of knowledge and learning. This team can create an atmosphere that promotes active not passive learning, critical thinking and problem solving and a place that supports student achievement even beyond the students own expectations.
Sharon and I both feel strongly about community involvement and we look forward to working side by side with new friends in this community. I look forward to traveling the state and region getting to know our alumni and friends. We have come back to South Dakota hopeful that our presence will be an asset to the mission and vision of a vital rural economy and eager to contribute to the quality of life in SD.

Emily Dickinson wrote “We never know how tall we are till we are called to rise and then, if we are true to plan, our statures touch the sky”.

There is a lot of sky in South Dakota and I know that if we are true to plan that DSU will in fact touch that sky. Thank you for this opportunity, this challenge and this honor.