For Release May 08
Board of Regents Launches Review of Higher Education Curriculum
Summer Study to Focus on Preparation for the Workforce
BROOKINGS—The Board of Regents, at its regular business meeting today on the campus of South Dakota State University, discussed preparation of college graduates for the State’s workforce. As part of the Board’s efforts to ensure that graduates of the state universities are adequately prepared to meet the expectations of South Dakota employers, the Board is launching a review of the curriculum offered in the universities under its control.
"We will be inviting state employers to participate in a summer study of our curriculum," said Regents President James O. Hansen. "The Regents are very interested in making sure that the curriculum we offer meets the requirements of our employers. If our students are not prepared in particular areas, we need to know that. With the business world changing so fast, we just want to be sure that we are tracking with them," he said.
Regents Executive Director Robert T. Tad Perry stated, "The Regents expect to learn if the Regental system is providing the right programs. Do South Dakotans feel they have access to the available programs? Do the programs focus on the needs of South Dakota? Is the academic quality of our programs right for the demands of our marketplace? These are the kinds of questions that should be asked periodically."
Focus/discussion groups will be conducted in four regions of the state. Within each region there will be three groups. One group will consist entirely of employers of education majors. The other two will consist of employers of majors in business, engineering and technology, health professions, and the liberal arts and humanities. Each group is expected to include approximately fifteen people.
Dennis Jones, President of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, will conduct the focus groups and report the results to the Board in August.