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This collection is composed of original records of the Dakota Agricultural College Board of Regents, documenting foundational governance activity between 1884 and 1895. It includes a ledger of official minutes detailing key decisions and organizational structures during the college's formative years. Topics covered include the selection of the first president, establishment of committees to oversee academic programs, finances, building construction, land management, and admissions. The ledger also records the development of early budgetary and curricular frameworks, with later entries incorporating presidential reports. A notation at the conclusion references a second volume of minutes, but its location is currently unknown.

Additionally, the collection contains a petition signed by students, requesting the dismissal of an English/History professor—offering early evidence of student engagement with faculty performance and governance.

These records offer critical insight into the early administrative and academic formation of South Dakota State University during its era as Dakota Agricultural College. The materials illustrate the priorities and challenges of a newly established land-grant institution in the late 19th century, highlighting student activism, governance practices, and institutional planning. The collection is especially significant for scholars interested in the history of higher education in South Dakota, land-grant college governance, and student-faculty relations in early American universities.

This collection is composed of the official minutes, agendas, and publications generated by the South Dakota Board of Regents, spanning from 1923 to 2006. Materials were collected by the Office of the President and various departments at South Dakota State University for institutional reference. The minutes document the proceedings and decisions of the Board across multiple decades and include indexes with subject notations in later volumes, enhancing accessibility to specific topics discussed. Supporting documents include fiscal reports, policy updates, meeting agendas, and committee materials from the Board’s work on academic affairs, student affairs, finance, and governance. A significant portion of the publications consists of formal policy guides, faculty leave and tenure documents, athletic rules, and union agreements, such as the University Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement (2005–2008). Of particular note are unique items such as correspondence from SDSU President Carol Peterson and honorary degree documentation for Robert T. Wagner.

The collection demonstrates the administrative structure, decision-making processes, and evolving governance of South Dakota’s public higher education system. It is an essential resource for understanding the history and policy shifts within the South Dakota Regental System, particularly as they affected South Dakota State University. Its breadth of coverage offers insight into system-wide coordination, budget planning, faculty relations, and academic policy formation throughout the 20th century and into the early 2000s.