³ÉÈËÊÓƵ Community –
Today’s Monday Message comes during a short week on campus as the university will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Jane and I hope that everyone will have a relaxing holiday weekend with family and friends.
When we return, it will be a little more than one week before finals begin for the fall semester. It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another semester. Commencement ceremonies will be here before we know it.
Next week we will also begin interviewing finalists for the dean position in the College of Natural Sciences. Additional information will be shared later this week about each finalist, in addition to opportunities for the campus community to participate in the process. These are important positions for our university, and I hope many of you can take part in the public forums and provide feedback. Thank you to everyone on the search committee and those involved in getting the search to this stage of the process.
A reminder that the F. O. Butler Awards for Excellence nomination packets are due to Muriel McLaughlin in my office by end of day Dec. 1. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to recognize a peer for their premier work. The program recognizes and rewards exceptional individual achievements among the faculty, professional, non-faculty exempt and career service staff at ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ. It was established in 1983 by the Trustees of the F. O. Butler Foundation. I encourage you to review the original email I sent on Sept. 3 and the reminder emails that were sent earlier this month.
Also next week will be the . My office sent the invitation to all employees on Nov. 15 asking anyone interested to , free of charge. Employees may bring up to six guests.
The invitation was also part of the email inviting employees to our annual Office of the President Holiday Party, Dec. 3 from 3-5:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ Alumni Center. Jane and I hope you can attend both events.
The women’s volleyball team will compete today at 4 p.m. against Denver in the semifinals of the . The women are the top seed in the tournament, and if they advance to the championship match, they will play tomorrow at 7 p.m. against the winner of South Dakota and Omaha. Good luck to the Jacks as they attempt to make their first NCAA tournament since 2007.
The Jackrabbits football team earned a share of its third consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference championship Saturday , sharing the title with South Dakota and North Dakota State. and will host the winner of Tennessee State and Montana, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. in Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Thank you for everything you do to make ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ such wonderful and successful university. The next couple of weeks are important to our students as they look to finish the semester strong. Let’s work together to help them achieve that success.
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
Faculty award nominations are now being accepted for numerous recognition opportunities. The awards are presented at the Celebration of Faculty Excellence during the spring semester.
University-level awards are coordinated by the Faculty Awards Subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee. .
The Brookings Area United Way supports nearly 50 programs and partners that serve Brookings County residents of every stage of life, including students attending ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ.
The United in Purpose campaign is aiming to raise more than $1 million to support various organizations in the community, including the food pantry, Habitat for Humanity, Mental Health Coalition, the Delta Dental Van Program, Brookings Backpack Project, Salvation Army and more.
³ÉÈËÊÓƵ employees have a strong history of supporting the United Way. Interested employees or consider a payroll deduction option by .
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The campaign continues through Dec. 31.
The College of Education and Human Sciences is asking employees to recognize and celebrate those teammates who make South Dakota State a premier land-grant university. Campus is full of bright and talented people working tirelessly to make students' and communities' experiences wonderful. Your words can make an impact and lift the spirits of others.
The program will close at 5 p.m. today. form.
Jackrabbit Central will host its annual sale Dec. 5 for faculty and staff and Dec. 6 for the public. Most items in the store will be 30% off. Some exclusions may apply.
The Office of Academic Affairs and the Division of Research and Economic Development jointly invite proposals to the RSCA Challenge Fund for FY26. This seed grant supports the growth of sponsored research, scholarship and creative activity (RSCA) at South Dakota State University. ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ faculty and professional staff are eligible to apply individually or in teams. The full request for applications is available on the RSCA Committee page on InsideState.
. Proposals are due Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. CST.
The South Dakota State University Alumni Association is holding a Jacks Virtual 5K T-shirt design contest. . The winner will receive a $100 gift card to Jackrabbit Central.
The deadline to enter is Dec. 16.
Effective today, faculty and staff are encouraged to seek guidance from the program director of research integrity and compliance when planning travel to comprehensively sanctioned countries, before completing the Out-of-State Travel Request Form.
This step is crucial to ensure compliance with federal law and to prevent involvement in activities or collaborations that may require an export or authorization from the Office of Foreign Asset Control.
Additional and important information can be found on the Export Compliance webpage on state.edu. Questions may be directed to Keiji Horikoshi, director of research integrity and compliance.
The South Dakota Art Museum Holiday Sale will begin in December with 10% discounts throughout the museum’s gift store, and 20% off for museum members. .
The ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ School of Performing Arts will present A Christmas Celebration Dance Concert Dec. 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. Performances will be held in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Ticket information can be found on sdstate.edu.
New and updated university policies continue to be adopted and published. For the most recent updates, visit the New and Recently Revised Policies page on sdstate.edu.
The Monday Message appears weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer months and holiday breaks.
Information for the Monday Message, including nominations for Above and Beyond, can be submitted online through the .