Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
South Dakota State University. Council of Deans
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Administrative Council was established in 1942 as the successor to the Council of Deans, which had originated in 1923 as the Committee of Deans. The earlier body was composed of the deans of academic areas, including the colleges and the Deans of Men and Women. It handled decisions related to campus regulations, student requests to exceed course loads, absences, disciplinary matters, vocational course implementation, and adjustments to course credits. It also approved candidates for degrees and set the academic calendar. Although the president’s name appears frequently in the minutes, it is not clear whether he attended all meetings.
The renaming to Administrative Council did not involve a change in function, and its responsibilities and discussion topics remained consistent. By the mid-1950s, membership expanded to include faculty representatives from the Faculty Association.
By 1955, the Faculty Handbook described the Administrative Council as meeting weekly with the president to address matters of administration and policy raised either by the president or by council members. Although not formally defined as a decision-making body, it continued to carry out such functions. The university president served as chair. This description remained in the handbook until 1970, when the newly formed Academic Senate assumed the Council’s policy-making and decision-making responsibilities.