SD Regents approve tuition freeze, new programs, policy changes

The South Dakota Board of Regents officially moved forward with a tuition freeze for the 2024-2025 school year on Thursday.

This means tuition and mandatory fees will remain at the same rate they did last year. This is the third year in a row the Legislature ended the session with a base funding increase for the SDBOR to cover the salary policy costs for tuition-funded employees, so the state's college system doesn’t have to raise tuition. A total of $5.7 million was allocated for the tuition freeze.

SDBOR Executive Director Nathan Lukkes stated in a press release this is the fifth consecutive year the SDBOR has kept tuition and fees nearly flat.

“We understand the financial challenges that many students face, and we are determined to mitigate those challenges by keeping the cost of attendance low, predictable and manageable,” he said.

SDBOR President Tim Rave stated in a press release this effort is part of a goal to keep highly-educated people in South Dakota.

“It's important to recognize that achieving a milestone like maintaining virtually flat tuition and fee rates for half a decade is not the work of one or two individuals,” he said. “It's a collective effort and proof of the commitment of hundreds of people who share a common goal: providing our South Dakota students an excellent education at a fair, competitive price.”

The only exception is a 2.6% increase to the computer lease fee for DSU.

However, residence hall rates will increase by 5% to help cover the salary policy, increases to building insurance and inflation on maintenance and repair funding. Food service plans will also increase by 3.1% on average for resident undergraduates across the SDBOR system.

Tuition rates for nonresident students at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will increase by 2.6% this year.

Regents approve 3 new programs

The SDBOR also announced the launch of three new academic programs Thursday: a master’s of science in artificial intelligence at Dakota State University; a bachelor’s of business administration in agribusiness leadership at the University of South Dakota; and, a master’s of science in strategic innovation and leadership at Northern State University.

Lukkes stated the new programs reflect the SDBOR’s commitment to meeting the needs of South Dakota’s workforce and economy.

DSU recognized a trend of increasing reliance on technology and demand for skilled AI professionals, and developed its new MSAI program to equip students with knowledge and skills to excel in the field.

USD’s new program combines business, agribusiness, leadership and AI-informed business analytics classes “to produce professionals and entrepreneurs with the knowledge to drive decisions with data, understand the agribusiness environment, and lead organizations in the challenging and dynamic world of agriculture,” according to a press release.

NSU’s new program will see students study leadership theories, design thinking, creativity, decision-making, communications, and team dynamics, according to a press release. It will “equip students to lead organizational change, drive business growth, and add customer value,” according to the release.

Policy changes to comply with ‘obscene live conduct’ bill

The SDBOR also revised several policies following the passage of House Bill 1178 this session.

That bill states that the SDBOR and any institution under its control may not authorize the use of any state-owned facility or property to develop, implement, facilitate, host or promote any obscene live conduct, or expend any public money in support of obscene live conduct.

This led the SDBOR to revise portions of its “minors on campus,” “recognition and funding of student organizations,” “facility use by private parties,” and “use of institutional facilities and grounds for expressive activity by student organizations, students, employees and their guests” policies.

In the background portion of the agenda item changing the policies, the SDBOR stated “in recent legislative sessions, there have been multiple bills attempting to regulate performances that may occur or be supported on college campuses.”

Board staff also isn’t aware of any existing issues or occurrences in which obscene live conduct has taken place on institutional premises, and therefore, there are no existing operations that require significant overhaul, according to the agenda item.

While sponsors of HB 1178 said it had nothing to do with drag shows on campus, HB 1178 mirrors two similar bills from 2023, House Bill 1116 and House Bill 1125, which were an attempt to prevent events such as the student-led drag show on campus at South Dakota State University in November 2022 from happening ever again.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Regents approve tuition freeze, new programs, policy changes