Mission Statement
	Strategic Statement
	Campus Diversity Plan
	Dakota State University's History

     This catalog describes the academic programs and student services offered at Dakota State University, helps you select a degree program that suits your career plans and life-long interests, and provides the information you need to pursue a program of study at Dakota State University.

Mission Statement

The Legislature established Dakota State University as an institution specializing in programs in computer management, computer information systems, and other related undergraduate and graduate programs as outlined in SDCL 13-59-2.2. A special emphasis is the preparation of the elementary and secondary teachers with expertise in the use of computer technology and information processing in the teaching and learning process.

The Board implemented SDCL 13-59-2.2 by authorizing undergraduate and graduate programs that are technology-infused and promote excellence in teaching and learning. These programs support research, scholarly and creative activities and provide service to the State of South Dakota and the region. Dakota State University is a member of the South Dakota System of Higher Education.

Curriculum

Degrees are authorized at the associate, baccalaureate, and masters levels.

The following curriculum is approved for the university:

A.    Undergraduate Programs

• Associate degree programs are approved in allied health care, business, general studies, and information technology.

• Baccalaureate programs are approved in allied health care, business, education, information technology, mathematics, and sciences.

B.    Graduate Programs

• Masters degree programs are approved in education and information technology.

Strategic Statement

“DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY:  HIGH TECH, personal touch”

        In June 2003, the Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents released “South Dakota Opportunities”, a new vision statement for the Board.  The policy goals contained in the report include the following:

• Access: Every qualified South Dakotan shall have access to public postsecondary      education.
• Quality: South Dakota public universities and special schools shall provide a quality educational experience.
• State Wealth: South Dakota public universities shall engage in activities designed to enhance the state’s long-term economy.
• Efficiencies: South Dakota public universities and special schools shall continue to seek means for improving efficiency in the delivery of educational services.

A complete copy of “South Dakota Opportunities” is available on the Board of Regents website.

Strategic Planning 2002-07

Dakota State University views itself as a mission-driven institution that is a leader in the area of integrating technology into the academic disciplines of its curriculum.  The strategic planning process has uncovered a strong determination on the part of the administration, faculty, and staff to continue to improve the institution’s services, environment and curriculum to continue to provide a quality education designed for a twenty-first century world.  We view our campus as a safe, friendly, open, cooperative and collaborative environment.  We see ourselves as flexible, adaptable and accountable.  We are proud of our graduates and the high placement levels they achieve.  We have a quality and caring faculty and staff who are student-focused.  These are primary characteristics of the institution that we want to carry forward into our future.

In the process of planning, seven strong threads have been identified which all agree must be woven into the tapestry of DSU’s strategic planning goals and initiatives for the next several years.  They are Technology, Accountability, Recruitment, Retention,
E-Education, Fundraising, and Diversity. 

A copy of the 2002-2007 Strategic Plan is available on the DSU website at http://www.dsu.edu/strategic_plan.htm.

Campus Diversity Plan

Dakota State University is committed to providing an opportunity to learn in a rich environment free of intolerance and bigotry, one that teaches and honors the importance of the acceptance of differences in others. All members of the community have a responsibility to make DSU campuses and classrooms welcoming and respectful of each member’s differences and/or abilities. An investment in diversity is more than the act of recruiting diverse peoples to campus or celebrating ethnically themed events or holidays.

Diversity Mission Statement:

The Dakota State University community asserts these fundamental beliefs:

• Individuals who differ in age, creed, culture, exceptionalities, ethnicity, gender, race, sexuality, and socio-economic status all contribute to the diversity which we value in the university community.

• Respect for all individuals and interaction with people different from oneself are essential components of a university education.

• The university community pledges to promote an atmosphere, which encourages the development of potential and promotes the value of diversity.
               
  

Dakota State University's History  

Dakota State University has enjoyed a long and proud history of leadership and service since its founding in 1881 as the first teacher education institution in the Dakota Territory.

For most of its history, DSU has been identified with teacher preparation, first as a normal school and later as a four-year public college. The University has had several different names, among them Madison Normal, Eastern Normal, and General Beadle State College. The name, Dakota State College, was adopted in 1969. On July 1, 1989, Dakota State College became Dakota State University. The University title was conferred on the institution by the South Dakota Legislature in order to better reflect its purpose in the total scheme of the state’s higher education system. Prospective elementary and secondary teachers continue to be educated here. To this traditional emphasis, DSU added business and traditional arts and science programs in the 1960s and two health services programs, Health Information Management and Respiratory Care, in the late 1970s.

In 1984, the South Dakota Legislature and the South Dakota Board of Regents turned to Dakota State University to educate leaders for the information age. In response, Dakota State University developed leading-edge computer/information systems degree programs. The graduates of these programs enjoy enviable status in the national marketplace. As a leader in computer and information systems programs, DSU has pioneered the application of computer technology to traditional fields of academic endeavor. This thrust has led to the development of unique degree programs in biology, English, mathematics, and physical science.

Dakota State University continues to serve the needs of a changing society in its second century. In order to provide its academic programs to a broader audience, DSU has promoted the use of distance education to deliver academic courses and programs.

Dakota State has been recognized nationally for innovative curriculum. In Spring 2004, DSU was one of ten colleges in the country named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency. The university recently installed the first iris recognition system in the state of South Dakota as part of a biometrics initiative that is tied to academic programs in computer security. In Fall 2004, DSU will become the first university in the state and one of the few in the country to implement a wireless mobile computing initiative using the Gateway M275 Notebook. As society’s educational needs change, Dakota State University will continue to evolve to meet these needs with education, scholarship and service.