For Release June 27

Regents Give Final Approval to Reinvestment Priorities Action to Begin in July

BROOKINGS--The Board of Regents, meeting today in Brookings, approved the final plans for the Reinvestment Through Efficiencies Plan, enabling the universities to pursue redirection of funds to their identified prioritized needs. The universities will begin action in July to redirect funds to a range of critical needs areas.

The universities' reinvestment spending plans exemplify institutional leadership at its best, said Board of Regents Executive Director Dr. Robert T. Tad Perry. Board of Regents President Karl Wegner of Sioux Falls was not reluctant to give credit for the universities efforts, stating, "I join the Board in applauding the presidents and institutional leadership for an outstanding job as stewards of the state's resources and of preparing for the future." Wegner continued, "They have shown sound business management in making difficult choices consistent with the reinvestment initiative for self-directed change within their institutions."

The Board of Regents initiative known as Reinvestment Through Efficiencies was designed to achieve over $10 million in efficiency savings and involves a strategic plan to reinvest savings to serve students and the state more efficiently and effectively in the next century. Objectives for reinvesting savings include:

1. Building the technology infrastructure needed for 21st century education and management.
   
   
2. Providing faculty with resources necessary to redesign courses to meet changing requirements for course delivery through inter-institutional collaboration and technological delivery on- and off-campus.
   
   
3. Maintaining value of the investments in the system's equipment assets and to achieve compliance with state and federal regulations relating to health and safety standards and program accessibility regulations.
   
   
4. Investing in activities that will extend the contribution of the institutions to South Dakota's economic development.
   
   
5. Enhancing relationships between the state's universities and public school systems for the benefit of students.
   
   
6. Making investments in changing systems, practices, and /or structure in the conduct of higher education activities.
   
   
7. Providing resources for making selected academic program areas of national and/or international program quality.

The Board accepted the needs identified by the universities, which sets the stage for implementation of the reinvestments. Technology is an essential reinvestment area, and with Board approval, campuses will begin ambitious projects to bolster continuing efforts to better prepare students. Some campuses will expand internet resources and access, develop hardware and software capability to support and mentor students, develop utilization of multi-site courses with interactive video through computer-based linkages, upgrade computer hardware to current technology standards, and hire instructional technologists to work with faculty in developing new curricula and methods of delivery, as well as operation and maintenance of new multi-media resources.

Other reinvestments will address non-technology needs; including, modernization of laboratory equipment to industry standards to enhance the relevance of teaching and learning and enhancement of a professional center for educators. A collaborative effort will increase dual-credit university and other curriculum based offerings for high school students by investing in Advanced Placement programs and developing partnerships with high schools.

Developed over the past year, the Reinvestment Through Efficiencies Plan stems from the 1995 Senate Concurrent Resolutions 1 & 2 calling on the state's universities to develop a strategy for improving efficiency. Implementation of the plan will be complete by the end of Fiscal Year 1998.

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