SDSU president Barry Dunn discussed federal changes to higher education funding at the first Students’ Association meeting of the year on Monday night.
Federal funding has been a topic of high debate over the last several months. Pell Grants for 2026 will remain the same as this year and TRIO will remain active for several years, Dunn said.
The work study program and Grad Plus loans are being reduced.
Pell grant support in Fiscal Year 2026 will be at the same level as in 2024, Dunn said.
Future SDSU construction projects were mentioned during Barry Dunn’s address. These future construction projects will be the remodeling of four dormitories: Matthews Hall, Binnewies Hall, Hansen Hall and Young Hall.
“We have to do that, to keep the campus relevant, but it’s challenging,” Dunn said. “It’s challenging for students; it’s challenging for everyone.”
These projects are planned to start in 2028.
Barry Dunn also talked about big changes coming to student engagement in the next month. Vice President Michaela Willis and Vice President Dennis Hedge are working on a new student engagement organization.
“We think it’ll be more effective,” Dunn said. “It’s going to cost the administration some more money, we think it’ll be a very, very high return on our investment.”
Dunn described the changes to student engagement as a Venn diagram with one circle being the Wintrode Student Success Center, and the other being “an equal student engagement center.” Willis and Hedge will host open informational sessions Sept. 11 and 12 from 9-10 a.m. in the University Student Union Dakota Room to talk about the new center.
President Barry Dunn discussed his stance on AI at the first Students’ Association meeting of the year on Monday night.
SDSU has established a committee led by Vice Provost for Graduation Education and Extended Studies, Victor Taylor to tackle AI usage on campus.
“It’s on everyone’s mind. It should be on yours,” Dunn said. “Our goal is to have everyone who graduates from SDSU aware of and comfortable with AI as a tool, and also aware of and working on these ethical and moral boundaries that need to be placed on it.”
Dunn also discussed ongoing tree vandalism in Brookings.
“One of the big issues in town is, between here (campus) and downtown, when homeowners put new trees up, somebody – I’m not sure it’s a student, I really don’t think it is, breaks young trees off,” Dunn said. “I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve had about that.”
“We just need students to know that, if it is students, if it isn’t, it’s still good to know that these trees are necessary for Brookings,” said SA president Sophie Spier.
In other News at Monday’s meeting:
SA is looking to increase the student promotion fund by $10,000 this year. The student promotional fund is co-operated by SA and the Brookings Chamber and Visitors Bureau. These funds are used to sponsor events to encourage students to stay at SDSU.
The Board of Regents is doing a student survey released on September 29th asking students to rate their housing and dining experience. The survey will have an incentive to improve engagement.
