This past weekend, students from across South Dakota congregated at the state capitol to connect with legislators and advocate for higher education.
Students for Higher Education Day (SHED) happens at the beginning of every calendar year and provides college students with an amazing opportunity to gain political experience and discuss issues that are important to them.
The SD Student Federation, a representative body for all South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) schools, helps organize and voice college students’ opinions, concerns and issues at SHED. The federation consists of members across the SDBOR schools and are in various student government organizations on their campuses.
Michael Garofalo, president of the SD Student Federation, is a student at South Dakota State and serves as the government affairs chair for the Students’ Association. Kayla Jensen, Northern State University, serves as the vice president and Josh Styskal, University of South Dakota, serves as the executive director. SDBOR campuses send representatives to SHED who voice their university students’ opinions, issues and ideas as well.
This year’s agenda mainly concerned GAF (General Admission Fee) since a school wanted to raise the fee.
GAF is a mandatory fee that supports students’ experiences on campus which includes student governments, a Student Union, a wellness center, athletics, organizations, activities, services and facility funding.
SDBOR sets the fee rates on behalf of the six state colleges and universities: BHSU, DSU, NSU, SDSMT, SDSU and USD. Each college’s Students’ Association develops a plan for the use of these fees and submits it to their University President. Then, their University President makes the final decision on the fee and rate recommendations and sends them to the SDBOR for approval.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will increase GAF by $1.20. SMSDT’s Students’ Association Student Affairs officer created and sent students a pie chart that showcased why the increase was needed and how the GAF money would be divided into athletics, counseling, wellness center, Rocker Days, Senate, student engagement, their student union and intramurals. After the SHED meeting, SDSMT students voted online or in person to increase their GAF. The vote passed with a significant majority.
SDSU’s GAF strategic plan will be presented to the Board of Regents in April.
Trinity Peterson and Hayden Bentz, SDSU representatives, discussed the closure of the Dairy Research and Training Facility that will happen at the end of June and the new travel policy for SDSU organizations at SHED.
With more than 80 people in attendance, SHED allowed SDBOR schools to discuss their issues and ideas with legislators and talk about the changes SDBOR schools have on their campuses.