Monday Message, September 2
SDSU Community,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend and found time to rest and recharge with family and friends. As we return to campus this week, I want to thank everyone for your efforts and enthusiasm for a tremendous first week of the semester. Together, we saw a vibrant campus with students attending class, Jacks Bash 3 and an opening win for our football team against Sacramento State.
The sense of community and SDSU pride throughout the week was unmistakable, and I am grateful to all who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make these events a great success. I am also thankful for the Brookings community and the relationship we have with city leadership in helping and supporting these major events and weekends.
Football Saturdays also provide unique opportunities to bring key stakeholders to SDSU and last week was no exception. On Saturday morning, we were privileged to welcome U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson to campus to discuss the university鈥檚 precision agriculture program and how we are a leader in making technology accessible for farmers, not only in our state but around the world. It was a productive meeting, and I thank everyone who was involved in making it happen.
As we turn the page to this week, another exciting opportunity awaits. On Thursday, the SDSU Foundation will host , the university鈥檚 annual 24-hour challenge to celebrate the impact of philanthropy. This year鈥檚 goal is ambitious yet achievable: to engage 5,000 donors in just one day.
One Day for STATE has become a signature event for our university community. It highlights the generosity of Jackrabbits everywhere and demonstrates the far-reaching impact philanthropy has on our students, faculty, staff and programs. Scholarships are created, research is advanced, and new opportunities are made possible because of the commitment of donors who believe in SDSU鈥檚 mission.
I encourage everyone to participate in some way 鈥 whether through a gift, spreading the word, or attending one of the many activities scheduled throughout the day. Additional details, including events and participation opportunities, are included in the 鈥Around the University鈥 section of this message.
Another important step forward is the planning for our new Student Engagement Center, housed within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. As shared with campus last week, the center will bring together key departments with shared responsibilities to strengthen collaboration, enhance efficiency and, most importantly, elevate the services we provide our students.
Listening sessions will be held next week to gather ideas and feedback from across campus. I encourage you to participate if you are able. Your perspectives will help shape the direction of this initiative and ensure we are designing a center that truly meets the needs of our students. Information about dates and times for these sessions is included below.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and again, thank you for everything you do each day to help our students succeed and to strengthen our university. The opening week of the semester reminded us of the energy and pride that defines South 啵啵直播秀 State. This week offers another opportunity to celebrate who we are and what we can accomplish together.
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn
President
South 啵啵直播秀 State University
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of South 啵啵直播秀 State University employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place. This week鈥檚 Above and Beyond recognizes everyone from the College of Education and Human Sciences who planned, organized and carried out a recent summer camp for local adolescents with disabilities.
Roman Waldera, an instructor in SDSU鈥檚 physical education teacher education program, led the project.
Held Aug. 4-7 in DePuy Military Hall, the event鈥檚 goal was to increase experiential learning and interprofessional educational opportunities for SDSU preservice teachers in the College of Education and Human Sciences by working with adolescents with disabilities through an innovative on-campus summer camp.
A Level Up grant from the College of Education and Human Sciences funded the camp, with a goal of serving unique learners. The grant allowed the SDSU students to be compensated for their work, and the camp was held at no cost to families of the local middle- and high-schoolers who participated.
Seven SDSU students 鈥 invited from programs such as physical education teacher education, elementary education, nutrition and dietetics, exercise science and counseling 鈥 guided the campers in 90-minute daily sessions over the course of four days.
Six youth participated in the camp, allowing for a 1-1 student-to-teacher ratio to guarantee personal attention for everyone involved. Through both age-appropriate classroom lessons and modified gym activities, the campers had fun learning about daily physical activity, exercise science, emotions and nutrition. Brookings teachers also helped spread the word about the camp and volunteered on campus.
Thank you to all who took part in the camp for going Above and Beyond to strengthen SDSU鈥檚 relationship with the broader Brookings community, to expand wellness options for area youth, and to offer experiential learning opportunities for SDSU students.
The Monday Message appears weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer months and holiday breaks.
Information for the Monday Message, including nominations for Above and Beyond, can be submitted online.
One Day for STATE
The SDSU Foundation will host the ninth annual , a 24-hour challenge for Jackrabbits to celebrate SDSU and the impact made through philanthropy, Sept. 4.
Gifts of all sizes made during One Day for STATE help unlock more than $700,000 in additional funds, thanks to generous challenge donors. This year鈥檚 goal is to rally 5,000 donors in 24 hours.
- Jack鈥檚 Journey will kick off One Day for STATE the night before on Sept. 3. Jack the Jackrabbit will depart from the SDSU Foundation at 6 p.m. and start his trip around Brookings.
- A patio party will be hosted during One Day for STATE outside of the University Student Union at noon, including free SDSU ice cream and giveaways.
- The Yellow and Blue Block Party will be held from 5-8 p.m. Sept. 4 on the Alumni Green. The event will include performances from The Pride of the 啵啵直播秀s Marching Band and the SDSU dance and cheer teams, along with food trucks, free SDSU ice cream, the Bummobile and kids鈥 activities.
Support your college/department by becoming a #OneDayforSTATE social ambassador. The more you share on social media, the more funds are raised for your cause, and the more you climb the leaderboards to earn great prizes. .
One Day for STATE is the perfect opportunity to celebrate SDSU, make a bold impact and transform student lives. When we work together, there鈥檚 nothing the Jackrabbits family can鈥檛 do.
Follow the SDSU Foundation , and accounts for updates on the event and to be a part of the action on .
Student Engagement Center
As we begin the fall semester, university leadership wanted to share a change that has been in development throughout the summer, which aligns with shifting federal priorities.
Plans are underway to establish a new Student Engagement Center within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, bringing together key departments with similar responsibilities to strengthen collaboration and elevate service to students. The mission of the new center will be as follows:
鈥淭he student engagement center supports student success by creating connection and community that fosters academic, personal and professional growth. We proactively remove barriers and design pathways to ensure opportunity for all students to succeed.鈥
Departments that will transition to reporting within the new center include the American Indian Student Center, International Students and Scholars, Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility, and Veterans Affairs. The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility will transition into two departments, Student Connection and Engagement and Student Accessibility, and the Multicultural Center will become the Student Engagement Center. All departments will remain in their current location.
Shelly Bayer will provide leadership to the Student Engagement Center and will report to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Michaela Willis.
To lead the center effectively, we will charge a team to assist in implementation and communication of the new center. This team will work throughout the fall semester to launch the new center in a manner that furthers the SDSU and South 啵啵直播秀 Board of Regents goals and values of Opportunity for All and aligns within the university commitment to maintain student success as a foundational university priority.
Departments in the Student Engagement Center will be networked with the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center, creating a strong partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs and Enrollment Management to enhance student success.
We are hosting open sessions to share more information on the new Student Engagement Center and respond to questions. The following sessions will be hosted in the University Student Union 啵啵直播秀 Room (Room 250) and are open to all interested in learning more:
Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Student Session)
Thursday, Sept. 11, from 9-10 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, from 9-10 a.m.
We look forward to engaging with the university community as we implement the new Student Engagement Center.
John Enke Memorial 5K Run/Walk
The third annual John Enke Memoria 5K Run and Walk is a suicide prevention and awareness event held by SDSU Student Clinic and Counseling Services and HEROH at McCrory Gardens. Join others in our fight for suicide prevention and awareness and participate in this art show and 5K run/walk honoring the life of SDSU alum John Enke.
will be at McCrory Gardens, Sept. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. with an art exhibition intended to spark discussion around suicide prevention and awareness. Following the beginning of the exhibition at approximately 9:30 a.m., the 5K event will start. The race will start and end at McCrory Gardens. The event is open to the public and participation in the 5K is not required to attend.
AI Tutor Pro and AI Teaching Assistant Pro
Instructional Design Services has launched and , which are now available to all SDSU students and faculty. These two companion AI applications have been selected to provide innovations for the SDSU teaching and learning community. The AI applications were carefully reviewed and piloted last fall and spring. Neither AI application collects your personal or course data. Privacy is protected, and entered data is not used to train the AI models.
Applications may be accessed via D2L under the 鈥淪DSU Resources鈥 course menu in each D2L shell.
AI Tutor Pro is an interactive student-facing learning companion offering a 24/7 availability for self-paced learning environments. Students can 鈥渃heck鈥 their understanding of content via diagnostics or grow their knowledge using prompts and feedback tailored to their levels. The system supports multiple languages and can use additional OpenStax course-aligned open educational resources content without retaining any identifying data.
AI Teaching Assistant Pro helps faculty create instructional content more efficiently, from drafting quizzes, rubrics and syllabi to generating lesson plans and discussion ideas. This occurs within a public access webpage interface similar to Wikipedia. Faculty are invited to watch these two videos to start trying them out:
All SDSU faculty members are encouraged to explore both AI Tutor Pro and AI Teaching Assistant Pro and incorporate them into teaching activities this fall. These AI applications will enhance student engagement, increase instructional efficiency and uphold academic integrity in the challenging GenAI era. You can also attend one of these AI sessions to learn more at this fall鈥檚 conference and forthcoming 20th anniversary eLearning Conference on Sept. 29-30.
Worksite Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
SDSU Extension is offering a virtual Worksite Chronic Disease Self-Management Program exclusively for SDSU faculty and staff. This evidence-based program supports individuals living with or caring for someone with a chronic health condition.
Participants will learn practical skills for managing symptoms, improving communication with health care providers, handling stress and maintaining an active, fulfilling life 鈥 both at work and beyond.
Sessions will be held via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-noon CST, through October. There will be no sessions on Sept. 30 or Oct. 2. .
Emergency Management Training
Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in active threat and emergency management training every couple of years. The training is conducted by the University Police Department and emergency management staff. Training will be held on the following days during the upcoming academic year:
- Sept. 18
- Oct. 17
- Nov. 19
- Dec. 10
- Jan. 15
- Feb. 20
- March 11
- April 15
- May 14
In addition to the in-person training, the university has created an for faculty and staff to view.
The Office of Emergency Management prepares the SDSU community for emergencies and coordinates response and recovery by providing a campuswide, all-hazards integration from major threat events to local emergencies. The team also manages a complete, Federal Emergency Management Agency-aligned emergency management plan and the emergency operations center and utilizes response protocols from FEMA鈥檚 National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System.
The emergency management team also provides a strong connection with local and state emergency networks and fosters community resilience and leadership as part of the South 啵啵直播秀 Incident Management Assistance Team, which helps extend emergency readiness beyond campus.
The SDSU emergency management team works with the University Police Department, risk management, Facilities and Services, Athletics, Human Resources and many others on campus to foster a robust institutional support and infrastructure.
Fall 2025 RSCA Training Series
The fall Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity training series will be held throughout the fall semester. Topics include:
- Working with Industry: 3P (Public-Private Partnership) Agreements 鈥 Sept. 9, 10-11 a.m.
- Finding Funding: Overview of SPIN Plus Funding Search 鈥 Sept. 16, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
- NSF SBIR/STTR Translational Funding Opportunities 鈥 Sept. 23, 10-11 a.m.
- Establishing a Center or Institute at SDSU 鈥 Oct. 8, 11 a.m.-noon
- Cayuse: Proposal Routing, Submission and Human Subjects 鈥 Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-noon
- Working with Tribal Partners: Best Practices in Cultivating Successful Partnerships, Nov. 4, 4-5 p.m.
Additional information about location of the training series can be found on sdstate.edu.
QuestionPro
The university鈥檚 subscription to QuestionPro will end Sept. 30. All users must export their surveys and data by that date as access will no longer be available.
To prepare, and download any surveys or data you wish to keep. Identify any surveys that will need to be re-created or transferred to Qualtrics moving forward. If you do not yet have a Qualtrics account, you may request access by visiting this InsideState Qualtrics Support Page for account access, training resources and tutorials such as Basecamp training.
Fall 2025 IDS Training Schedule Now Available
. The training will focus on three key themes: virtual community engagement, accessibility in eLearning and innovative teaching strategies with AI.
Highlights also include newly added features in D2L to help engage students more effectively and the D2L Panorama accessibility checker. These tools, along with the regularly scheduled eLearning application workshops, weekly webinars and comprehensive Online Teaching Certification Program, are designed to help you prepare for a strong start to the semester.
For questions or individual assistance, please contact Instructional Design Services.
Wellness Center Employee Appreciation
The Miller Wellness Center will offer free access to South 啵啵直播秀 State University employees and their families Sept. 14-27. During that time, employees may receive 20% off a membership.
Updated Policies
New and updated university policies continue to be adopted and published. For the most recent updates, visit the New and Recently Revised Policies page on sdstate.edu.
