REGENTS REPORT

South Dakota Higher Education: Good Investment. Great Future. NO. 75, 06/27/97

Centers of Excellence
One Part of Reinvestment Through Efficiencies

In response to 1995 Senate Concurrent Resolutions 1 and 2, the Board of Regents adopted the Reinvestment Through Efficiencies Plan which included detailed efficiency reviews of university operations and academic programs. As part of the Plan, seven goals were identified to enhance the educational quality and service provided by South Dakota’s public universities. The seventh goal calls for the development of Centers of Excellence on each campus to make selected academic programs of regional and/or national quality. This report outlines the Centers of Excellence at the University of South Dakota. A review of the Centers at South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University, and Northern State University appeared in previous Regents Reports, other university proposals will appear in the next issue.

Center of Excellence in Civic Leadership at USD

What It Will Do

The Center of Excellence In Civic Leadership will develop undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in leadership; conduct a conference on civic leadership; develop scholar and leaders in residence programs; provide technical assistance to South Dakota communities and organizations; and conduct applied research. This last component of the Center’s educational program is especially important to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students in a variety of disciplines. In addition, the leader and scholars in residence will enable students to learn about civic leadership from successful practitioners and thinkers in public life. The Center will also emphasize the use of technology to deliver educational outreach services to people across South Dakota.

Why It Is Important to South Dakota

The movement to devolve power from the federal government to the state and local levels, combined with public apathy and distrust of government has created an acute need for the Center’s services to develop proactive skills in civic responsibility and leadership. These skills can play an important role in many facets of public life such as government, economic development, and environmental protection. In addition, there are many vital community organizations that require the volunteer and professional leadership of its members such as service organizations, churches, school boards, county and city commissions, the state Legislature, chambers of commerce, development boards, and more. Consider the following:

In South Dakota, civic leadership is particularly important to address the special challenges faced by our rural communities, such as responding to depopulation, resolving state/tribal government issues, and balancing economic development with environmental protection. Urban solutions cannot easily be applied to rural South Dakota and the Center will be instrumental in developing able homegrown civic leaders.

525 copies of this document were produced by the South Dakota Board of Regents at an approximate cost of $0.03 per copy.
For more information contact Zachary Ainsworth at (605) 773-3455 or E-mail at zacha@bor.state.sd.us.

Center of Excellence in Disaster Mental Health at USD

What It Will Do

The Center of Excellence in Disaster Mental Health will develop a minor in disaster response; a disaster response concentration within the psychology major; a graduate certificate in disaster mental health; a specialty track within the Ph.D. program; provide continuing education and support for mental health professionals and first responders; provide consulting services; and conduct applied research. The Center will help to prepare communities in South Dakota and across the nation in disaster preparedness from the mental health perspective. The Disaster Mental Health Institute has already provided substantial service to South Dakota and the nation and received considerable recognition for being on the forefront of using psychological principles to assist disaster victims, family members, and relief workers in coping with the stress of natural and human-made disasters. The Center of Excellence will build upon this expertise by offering more opportunities for educational outreach and consulting for mental health workers, law enforcement and emergency service personnel, and local and state governments.

Why It Is Important to South Dakota

Recent blizzards and floods have demonstrated the importance of comprehensive responses to disasters including ways to address the psychological needs of victims and helpers. The Center’s programs will increase the number of professionals in South Dakota with the necessary skills to respond to the mental health demands of victims and response volunteers in the aftermath of disasters. In addition, the Center will train undergraduates in general disaster response. Currently, there is a shortage of such trained professionals in South Dakota and the nation. In addition, the Center’s consulting and outreach services will better enable communities to prepare for disasters before they happen by helping to develop comprehensive mental health preparedness plans for communities, and county and state agencies. And of course, the Center’s students and faculty will be able to provide assistance in time of disaster. Below are some of the disasters that faculty and students have responded to:

E-mail us at: info@bor.state.sd.us

Conclusion

The Centers of Excellence will bring regional and national recognition to South Dakota’s programs and students by developing an academic discipline of superior quality through the intentional investment of resources. In addition to their educational opportunities, the Centers will have economic and social impact on life in South Dakota. The Centers of Excellence are just one component of Reinvestment Through Efficiencies which also is bringing many new investments in technology to the universities to improve educational opportunities throughout the state.