Three of South Dakota’s Public Universities are teaming up to provide the first community college in the state. The Community College for Sioux Falls officially opened Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony on campus and statements from university and city officials.
The presidents of the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, and Dakota State University were all seated next to each other at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Community College for Sioux Falls.
The universities have all worked together to transition the former University Center into a community college.
Paul Beran is the executive director for the South Dakota Board of Regents. He says the transition to a community college will provide a closer relationship between the school and students.
“As a former professor in a community college for a number of years and an administrator, I can tell you that a professor of a community college, when asked what they teach, will always answer, “I teach people,” because the subject that they teach will always be secondary to the people that they teach," says Beran. "That’s what distinguishes a community college.”
One of the goals of the new college is to expand the outreach of education in the Sioux Falls area.
Carmen Simone leads USD’s presence as vice-president and Dean of the community college. She hopes this school provides a pathway for students who otherwise can’t attend a four-year university.
“We know that many of our local high school graduates stop pursuing further education for a multitude of reasons," says Simone. "We are here to help turn that around, and as a community college, we provide access to degrees to all students, and we’re especially interested in serving students who face multiple barriers. We’re going to continue to contribute to the 65% attainment goal here in South Dakota, we’re going to enhance our local workforce, and enrich the lives of our citizens.”
Students at the new community college can receive transferable credits from one of the three universities.