For Release October 25
University Presidents Address Criticism of Sioux Falls Center Facility Proposal
PIERRE-The presidents of the three state universities comprising the Sioux Falls Center for Public Higher Education today took on criticism of a proposal to build a single facility to house the Center's activities.
University of South Dakota Interim President Paul Olscamp, who chairs the committee overseeing the Center, stated that while he appreciates concerns surrounding the construction of a facility, he feels that there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation surrounding the issue.
"The universities have been in Sioux Falls for decades, and the Center for Public Higher Education has been operating for four years, so issues of how to serve students in Sioux Falls are not new. The Board of Regents, the universities, and others have spent more than two years trying to find the most efficient and effective way to provide adequate service to the more than 2,500 students who are now at the Center's doorstep, with the understanding that we cannot continue our present mode of operation," said Olscamp.
The Center for Public Higher Education, a joint venture of Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota, currently offers 23 programs ranging from the certificate to the master's level at nine borrowed and leased sites around Sioux Falls. The Bergeland Center, which currently houses Center offices and library and classroom space, is changing ownership and may have to be vacated as early as next summer.
President Robert Wagner of South Dakota State University added that fears of the development of a seventh university in South Dakota should be laid to rest. "This Center is an example of our universities working in partnership, which is far from creating another institution. The facility proposal currently on the table is nothing more than an attempt to address pressing needs in serving the state's largest metropolitan area. The Center has a very specific charge to focus on the place-bound, non-traditional student in Sioux Falls, and it is doing that, which does not take away from our universities. In fact, it offers the potential to strengthen them," Wagner remarked.
Dr. Jerald Tunheim, President of Dakota State University, spoke to concerns about interaction with other Sioux Falls institutions, stating, "Our universities already have a number of program agreements with private institutions in Sioux Falls, and I think we have made it clear that we want to continue to explore opportunities for increased collaboration. The Center offers a number of programs that are unique to Sioux Falls, and a number of the programs that we share with other Sioux Falls universities have a different focus. We have been in contact with a number of the private institutions in Sioux Falls regarding the Center and its facility needs, and have had a number of very productive discussions."
Issues related to financing the Center were tackled by Olscamp. "I think it is time to clear up this issue of facility funding in Sioux Falls and faculty salaries once and for all. The implication that the Regents would use faculty salary dollars to construct anything, including the Sioux Falls Center, is completely false. The funding source identified for the project is the Higher Education Facilities Fund, which by law may only be used for facility-related projects, not for salary enhancement or other non-facility ends," he stated.
Wagner summed up the statement, remarking, "Our universities have a responsibility to serve all the people of South Dakota, and we are not meeting that responsibility if we simply ignore the needs of an area that has one-fourth of the state's population. My fellow presidents and I honestly believe that the Center and this proposal for it will benefit the universities, the people of Sioux Falls, and the state as a whole."
The Board of Regents will discuss site issues related to the proposal at its December 12-13 meeting, and will present its plan to the Legislature in January for authorization.