Amy Poppinga And Brandon Van Westen

The Board of Regents’ plan to require all students at South Dakota’s public universities to rent or buy a mobile computer has been deferred.

Robert T. Tad Perry, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents, announced via e-mail on Dec. 15 that he would recommend that the BOR defer action on the Mobile Computing Initiative.

Perry said after the Dec. 18 Board of Regents meeting that the initiative is “still going to happen,” but the funding plan, which included state appropriations, student fees and the revenue from a pay date change, is not practical at this time.

Prior to the announcement, Students’ Association President Chris Daugaard had been working to change the Regents’ Mobile Computing Initiative and its effect on SDSU.

“It was a huge relief for us but really we were like, ‘Alright, what now?'” said Daugaard. “I’m excited with the possibility of putting something together that fits SDSU better.”

Although the BOR has delayed its mobile computing plans, the SDSU Office of Academic Affairs is forming a committee to look at the university’s wireless needs.

The Board of Regents does not have a timeline for future action on the initiative.