Why Change the Fact Book?

For a number of years the Board of Regents has produced the Fact Book as a compilation of university and special schools data for citizens and policy makers. The presentation has followed the same general format during those years. Data have been displayed accurately but without particular focus. In order to make more sense of the information presented here, to show that the Regents are accountable for setting and achieving goals for the universities and special schools, we have opted to arrange the facts and figures for Fiscal Year 1999 according to a different structure.

In December 1997, the Board of Regents adopted nine state policy goals, which summarize its vision for the future of higher education in South Dakota. By articulating its vision in such a manner the Board not only sets out a plan; it also creates markers to measure its progress along the way. In setting its goals, the Board considered the students, the faculty, the physical plant and infrastructure of the institutions, the taxpayers, and the State of South Dakota.

For South Dakota, the Regents hope to achieve:

• Access for all qualified South Dakotans
• Enrollment in programs that will contribute to economic growth
• 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
• Generation of external funds.

At the foundation of these goals is the belief held by the Regents that any system of public higher education must be responsible to the citizens and policy makers. Such a system must provide quality teaching, research and service as it fulfills its mission. It must function as a unified system to encourage cooperation. Finally, a system must manage resources wisely.

It is not enough, the Regents believe, merely to report facts and figures. Rather the purpose necessarily is to inform. To do that, we must present information in a manner that is helpful to those who will use it.