South Dakota State University
PA-3: Inclusive and Participatory Governance

The Students' Association Senate serves as a representative body to bring the voice of SDSU students to university administration, faculty, staff, state legislators and the South Dakota Board of Regents of Higher Education. The Students' Association also allocates student fee funds to support various campus entities, facilities and many student organizations.

The Civil Service Advisory Council is an elected body through which the Civil Service employees express their concern for the welfare of the University community, develops and disseminates ideas for University improvement, stimulates communication, contributes to the formation of general University policy, and performs those duties and functions especially allocated to or
assumed by the Civil Service employees, subject to the limitation imposed by the laws of South Dakota and the rules of the Board of Regents.
The objectives of this Council shall be to improve communication between Civil Service Employees and South Dakota State University administrative divisions; to discuss and make recommendations to the President on conditions of employment, fringe benefits, and other policies; to discuss issues and concerns of the Civil Service employees; and to offer the
opportunity for administrative staff to explain and interpret rules, regulations, and policies of governmental units which have an impact on Civil Service employees.

The Professional Staff Advisory Council represents all South Dakota State University professional staff members (non-faculty exempt) as a function of the shared governance principles of SDSU.
Role of the Advisory Council:
-establish a forum for the collegial exchange of ideas about campus issues of interest to professional staff
-provide a recognized avenue for offering advice and counsel to senior administration
-develop and disseminates ideas for university enhancement
-assure that matters of concern to professional staff are shared, thereby enhancing morale and productivity
-provide recognition of the contributions and achievements of professional staff​
The Advisory Council offers a unified voice to professional staff employees and in doing so provides an opportunity for active involvement in the governance of SDSU. It consists of elected representatives and three members-at-large.

The Faculty Senate is an elected body that develops and disseminates ideas for University improvement, engages in ongoing communication with the SDSU administration, contributes to the formation of general University policy, and performs those duties and functions especially allocated to or assumed by the faculty, subject to the limitations imposed by the laws of the State of South Dakota and the rules of the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR).

Information on the SD Board of Regents website is for current members. Data for this report is from FY22 (July 2021-June 2022). The last meeting agenda of 2021 and first meeting agenda of 2022 were used to assess the number of board members.