07 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE - South Dakota State University Athletics

South Dakota State University
You Can Go Anywhere e From Here
e
Early History
An act of the Territorial
Legislature, approved on February 21,
1881, provided that “an Agriculture College for the Territor
y of
Dakota to be established in Brookings.”
In 1884, the school opened despite allocating falling short
of the actual cost. To
ensure the doors would open on time
George Lilley, the first president, advanced $500 - one-third of
his salary - to finish three rooms in the new Central Building.
What later became known as “Old Central,” the Central
Building joined South (1885) and North (1887), forming the
nucleus of the campus for a decade and a half.
During the first year of operation, the college only held
prepatory classes. College classes started in 1885 with five
teachers, 17 freshmen and 61 prepatory students. Growth
stayed slow and erratic for many years but by the turn of the
20th century 242 students were enrolled. Today
, the university
is home to over 11,000 undergraduate and graduate
students.
Evolution of a University
The structure of the college became more complex as
enrollment increased.
The first nine chairs of instruction, established in 1884,
included
agriculture, science, mathematics, English, modern
languages, ges, military tactics, veterinary science, practical
business, political and domestic economy, and music.
By 1907, the year the name of the institution changed
to South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts, there were 22 departments on campus. In 1923 SDSU’s
instructional program was organized under five divisions
under President Charles W. Pugsley. When “State College”
became South Dakota State University in 1964, the school
included
six colleges. Today
, SDSU offers degrees through
eight colleges including:
w Agricultural and Biological Sciences
w Arts and Science
w Education and Counseling
w Engineering
w Family and Consumer Sciences
w General Registration
w Nursing
w Pharmacy
w Graduate School
SDSU Today
Students at South Dakota State University can choose from
more than 200 majors, minors and options, with more than
2,500 different course offerings.
The university also offers over 40 master’s degrees, with
doctorates tes available in 11 fields.
SDSU also offers degree programs through the University
Center in Sioux Falls. The Office of Academic Affairs and
Outreach also coordinates evening, RDTN, Internet and off-
campus courses.
The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary
Schools accredit South Dakota State University, and numerous
departments on campus hold accreditations from various
agencies.
In 2006, SDSU celebrated its 125th anniversary with a
yearlong event that culminated with the 2006 Hobo Day
football game.
Growing Education
Since its inception in 1881, SDSU has grown from a campus
of 80 acres to a 271-acre campus with facilities worth more
than $220 million.
The university owns or leases another 15,000 acres for
research throughout the state.
—The clock tower sits in front
of the Tompkins
Alumni Center on the west side of campus. The
alumni center is host to many university and alumni functions
throughout the year.
The Coughlin Campanile (left and previous page) is considered
South Dakota State University’s most recognizable landmark. The
campanile’s cornerstone was laid on June 10, 1929, by Charles
Coughlin and its chimes have called students to classes with its
famous Westminster peals ever since.
In 2000, the Printing and Journalism Building, now named the
Anson and Ada May Yea
ger Hall, reopened following a $2.4
million expansion and renovation project.
Other recent construction projects across the campus
include a $7 million expansion to Crothers Engineering Hall,
a renovation of Solberg hall, and the building of a $9 million
performing arts center that was opened in the fall of 2002.
The newest residence hall (Caldwell Hall) and the
University Student Union expansion and renovation were
completed in 2005, and the Enterprise Institute, located on
the southwest corner of campus, opened in 2004.
Currently, SDSU has two educational building projects
under way; a $48 million, 144,000-square-foot Integrated
Sciences Complex and Harding Hall South, a 30,000-squarefoot
building that will house an expansion within the College
of Engineering.
Research
SDSU has the highest percentage of undergraduates involved
in research of any South Dakota public university. South
Dakota State University is large enough to offer competitive
research opportunities but small enough to foster studentfaculty
learning opportunities.
In 2006, SDSU was recognized by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
as the state’s
52
2007 South Dakota State Women
’s Soccer Media Guide