For Immediate Release 5 May 2000

Vermillion-- Today at its regular business meeting, held on the University of South Dakota campus, the Board of Regents approved the fiscal year 2001 allocations to programs designed to make the universities operate more efficiently. The Reinvestment Through Efficiencies program, in its fifth year of operation, redirects university resources to achieve seven goals established by the Regents in 1996.

"The Reinvestment Through Efficiencies Plan is the result of resolutions adopted by the 1995 legislature that encouraged the Regents to develop a long-term plan to support efficiencies at all institutions under the Board control. The Board worked with the universities to identify both financial and human resources to be redirected to achieve goals that are important to South Dakota," said Regents President Harvey C. Jewett.

The seven goals identified under the Reinvestment Plan are:

• technology infrastructure
• redesign of the university curriculum
• protection of assests
• economic development
• linkages to K-12 communities
• investment in change
• centers of excellence

The single largest allocation is to the operation of the nine Reinvestment centers of excellence. The objective of each center is to gain national or international recognition for excellence in education, research, and service in a particular field. The centers are:

• Black Hills State University- Mathematics and Science Education
• Dakota State University- Computer Information Systems
• Northern State University- International Business
• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology- Advanced Manufacturing and Production
• South Dakota State University- Engineering Technology; Biostress
• University of South Dakota- Civic Leadership; Disaster Mental Health

"Each Center has its own unique mission that benefits South Dakota. Education and research within the Centers of Excellence is dedicated to issues that affect South Dakota's economy," said Jewett.

The Center of Excellence at SDSU, Biostress, will aid in the development of professionals to promote economic vitality and development, sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and an improved quality of life for the people of South Dakota, the region and beyond. Graduates will have advanced skills in the use of technology to access and interpret relevant information and will have the ability to integrate course and technical materials in order to develop an economically feasible and culturally sensitive plan for a given set of resources and concerns.

Much of the focus of the Reinvestment spending will be on technology. System wide almost 40% of the money has been dedicated to technology enhancement. Under the plan objectives technology infrastructure, curriculum redesign and the centers of excellence money has been dedicated to improve technology on the campuses ensuring students will be prepared for life and work in the 21^st century, said Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry.

Reinvestment Objective System

Reinvestment FTE 156.00

At Black Hills State University money from the Reinvestment plan will be used to add more campus presentation classrooms and upgrade current campus technology and videoconferencing classrooms. Money designated to redesign of the university curriculum will be used to develop distance education courses and to incorporate more technology into the traditional classrooms. The other campuses have very similar plans.

"A major emphasis has been placed on curriculum redesign. The universities want to ensure that their students are working with state of the art technology in the classroom. Students exposed to this technology now will be more capable workers when they enter the workforce. The influence of technology in the classroom not only enhances the learning process, but it also provides a sort of hands on technical training. Students will be learning the technology through routine. They will be seeing their instructors use it in their classroom lectures and will be using it in their own presentations and assignments," said Perry.

The spending plans approved by the Board go into effect for the 2000-2001 academic year.

For more information about the Reinvestment Through Efficiencies program: contact: Dr. Robert T. Tad Perry, Executive Director, or Paul Gough, Director of Policy and Planning (605) 773-3455.