South Dakota Board of Regents Executive Director Nathan Lukkes addressed a full room at the Student Union last Thursday, offering insight into recent tuition changes, legislative decisions and the broader future of higher education in the state.

Lukkes, an SDSU alum and South Dakota National Guard veteran, opened the forum by encouraging feedback.

“My hope is that there are a lot of questions,” Lukkes said.

Tuition on the rise after years of stability

A key point of discussion was the recent cost of tuition increase across South Dakota’s public universities. Lukkes said that while the system had effectively frozen tuition for five years, with only a one-time $100 increase, campuses could no longer absorb the rising operational costs and inflation.

“We’ve seen unprecedented inflation,” Lukkes said. “Campuses have had to absorb, cut, reallocate, do their part in freezing tuition and fees.”

The average student will see a cost increase of roughly $443 annually, which Lukkes framed as “a manageable, reasonable increase” in the broader context of rising consumer costs. 

“Nobody wants to pay more,” Lukkes said, “but I think when you look at what your groceries have done, what your insurance has done and everything else that you’re buying, we hope students will view that as a reasonable increase.”

Campus carry law raises safety concerns

Lukkes addressed the newly passed law allowing individuals with enhanced concealed carry permits to bring firearms onto university campuses.

 “We’re not anti-gun, we’re not anti-Second Amendment,” he said, “but our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our campus communities.”

He noted that the board worked to limit the law’s impact by negotiating restrictions in certain areas and requiring firearms to be stored in locked containers when not in use. 

“Not ideal, not perfect, but we were happy that we were able to get some concessions that I think will drastically minimize the operational impact,” Lukkes said.

SDSU President Barry Dunn added context to the scope of the change. There are only 113 18-to 21-year-olds in South Dakota with that permit. Dunn emphasized that safety is a shared priority. 

“It’s not any of our responsibilities or other students’ responsibilities to manage this,” Dunn said. “If there’s a problem, it needs to be referred to law enforcement.”

Student access and inclusion

The discussion also addressed a new state law requiring that multi-occupancy bathrooms and dormitories be designated by biological sex. Lukkes said the university is working to comply with the law while maintaining a welcoming environment.

 “We want every student on campus to feel safe, welcome and included,” he said. “This legislation doesn’t change that commitment.”

Lukkes also shared concerns about increasing visa enforcement and federal changes that have affected some international students. 

“There’s a very real impact to those students that are having the rug pulled out from under them,” Lukkes said, referencing students forced to leave the country with little notice. “We’re trying to help minimize the disruption to their educational pursuits.”

Planning for the future

Lukkes stressed that South Dakota’s higher education system remains in a strong position compared to other states but must continue to plan ahead. 

“SDSU is knocking it out of the park with an 83.8% retention rate,” Lukkes said “and you’re doing it at a fraction of the cost of your competitors.”

He explained that SDSU spends roughly $9,000 less per student than peer institutions but warned against overreliance on efficiency alone. 

“We can’t become complacent,” Lukkes said.

He reaffirmed the board’s support for SDSU’s R1 research aspirations and praised new doctoral offerings, including a Ph.D. in social sciences. 

“That effort is critically important to diversifying and driving our state’s economy for the decades to come,” he said.

Closing

Lukkes concluded by encouraging attendees to share the success stories of SDSU and the broader public university system. 

“The best advocates for us are our graduates,” he said. “Push us to tell more stories. The more we tell our story, the better off we are.”

“Keep doing what you do,” Lukkes said. “It’s critically important for the state, for SDSU, and for Brookings. You are truly leading by example.”