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
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
In the late 1960s, the South Dakota Legislature created the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and directed it to develop an Academic Master Plan to define the roles of the state’s public universities and improve efficiency. As part of this process, Committee D was charged with reviewing academic programs. In 1969, the committee recommended consolidating engineering education by transferring the South Dakota State University College of Engineering to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, citing anticipated cost savings.
The recommendation triggered intense opposition at SDSU and statewide. Faculty, students, alumni, and community members argued that eliminating engineering at SDSU would undermine the university’s land grant mission and long established academic strengths. The proposal generated extensive public debate, media coverage, and legislative activity, including efforts such as the Bibby Bill intended to preserve engineering education at SDSU. Between 1971 and 1972, the issue was widely discussed in Board of Regents meetings and the state legislature. Ultimately, the Board of Regents decided not to eliminate the College of Engineering at SDSU, making the controversy a defining episode that underscored institutional resilience and strong public support for maintaining engineering education in Brookings.