South Dakota

2 SDPB August 2011

One key tohigher educationis collaborationSouth Dakota’s academic institutions are finding ways tomeet student needs by cooperatively developing programsand sharing both facilities and instructors as necessary.

Yankton’s Mount Marty College (MMC) established a formal collaborativerelationship for use of facilities with Watertown’s Lake Area Technical Institute(LATI) in 1998.

“Mount Marty had been located at Harmony Hill in Watertown in 1972,” Dr. LindaSchurmann, Director of Mount Marty College Watertown Campus, says. “Our motivefor moving was space and accessibility without a huge investment in facilities. Lake Areahad computer labs, classrooms, library and science labs that were mostly vacant in theafternoon and evening. The partnership we developed worked well for both of us.”

Among the challenges the partnership posed to MMC was reduced visibility. Often,the public perceived MMC as a part of LATI.

“We were really just renters,” Schurmann says. “We developed 2+2 programs sostudents could complete an Associate degree with LATI and go on to a Bachelor’s

2 One key to highereducation iscollaborationSouth Dakota’s academic institutionsare finding ways to meet student needsby cooperatively developing programsand sharing both facilities andinstructors as necessary

5 Agriculture’sopportunitieshighlighted; AgAmbassador recognizedSouth Dakota’s farmers, ranchers,business leaders, elected officials andother industry professionals gathered inSioux Falls this week to discuss theopportunities in agriculture and ruralSouth Dakota

6 Family businessdevelops newwine varietiesIt’s likely that Leif Nygaard’s great-greatgrandfather would be pleased to knowthat Leif is continuing the Nygaardfamily’s long held winemaking traditionthat began in their ancestral home inNorway. Nygaard recently garnered hisfirst international awards after creatingtwo new wine varieties being soldthrough his family’s wineries inVermillion, SD and Hill City, SD

8 Lake Area Tech rankedas top 10 percent incountryIn its first step to identify the nation’sbest community colleges and award $1million in prize money, the AspenInstitute College Excellence Programhas ranked Lake Area TechnicalInstitute, Watertown, SD, as one of thenation’s 120 best community colleges,challenging them to compete for thePrize funds (to be announced inDecember 2011) by insisting on highstandards for learning, collegecompletion without delay, and servingas a training ground for jobs that paycompetitive wages

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jamie Kerr, Bachelor of Arts in InformationTechnology graduate. (Photo courtesy of Mount Marty College)

4 SDPB August 2011

program with us if they chose to. Sharing the facility madeit easy for students to make the transition to a BAprogram. Many graduates wouldn’t have completed the BAwithout the partnership.”

Having access to LATI’s facility meant MMC couldprovide students with top notch technology, science labs,classroom equipment, etc.

“LATI has been a wonderful partner for Mount MartyCollege and we believe we enhance their educationaldelivery as well,” Schurmann says. “Our 2+2 program hasbeen continually updated over the years. Recently, as part ofthat program, we’ve added LATI’s wind energy and severalother new LATI programs to our BA in Applied TechnologyManagement.We’re planning our next partnership innursing, which will make Bachelor of Science in Nursingdegrees available to graduates of LATI’s LPN program in a1+3 format on our Watertown campus.”

Dean of Continuing and Extended Education at SouthDakota State University (SDSU), Gail Tidemann, says theUniversity established a multi-state alliance of researchuniversities in 1994. It was dubbed the Great PlainsInteractive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA) andincluded collaborative agreements with South DakotaState University and nine other institutions includingNorth Dakota State University, Kansas State University,Iowa State University, Montana State University, and theUniversity of Nebraska.

“At the time GPIDEA was formed, SDSU was justbeginning to look at online classes,” Tidemann says.“Several Deans of Human Sciences from the regiongathered to discuss how to proceed. We knew we didn’thave the faculty we needed to offer a full degree online. Wewere also interested in making Master’s degrees available.We knew that no one state would have huge numbers ofstudents. Still there was a need for that kind of program.”

Through detailed discussions, the universities realizedthey could bring together the region’s best faculty tocollaborate in developing curriculum and making theonline courses available. Students are now able to completedegrees, minors and some certificate programs online.

“We’ve recently worked with military officials toprovide programs suited to military families whoexperience a move and find they can’t continue degreeplans on a campus,” Tidemann says. “We’re also developinga Family Financial Planning program to serve militaryfamilies and reviewing an Early Childhood undergraduatedegree that would benefit military families.”

SDSU also has a presence in Pierre at the CapitalUniversity Center (CUC) there and at the UniversityCenter in Rapid City. CUC Academic ProgramCoordinator, Laura Hayden-Moreland, says CUC began asa private enterprise when local Pierre residents recognizeda need for local higher education opportunities.

”Those who developed the CUC Foundation realizedthey had citizens in Pierre who could contribute greatly tothe community with the ability to advance theireducation,” Hayden-Moreland says. “About seven years agothe Foundation merged with SDSU to continuedeveloping CUC.”

Hayden-Moreland helps students identify their mostsuitable degree path. Students have access to financial aid

resources, academic application advisement, and all theclass-related services they would find on a standard campus.

“Sometimes just that face-to-face communication helpsstudents work through the hurdles they face in returningto college,” Hayden-Moreland says. “If someone is unsurewhether or not they want to commit to returning tocollege or completing a degree, they can try a few classes

and determine if that’s the right way for them to proceed.”CUC also makes lifelong learning opportunities

available in the Pierre community. Classes are developedbased on community needs and/or interest. Some aredaylong or for an evening. Topics can be as simple as howto properly build a retaining wall.

“Since CUC was established, similar centers have beenorganized in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, using Pierre’s centeras a model,”Hayden-Moreland says. “The originalFoundation members were determined to find a way to offereducational opportunities here. They kept working at it andthinking outside the box as to how to make it happen.”

Recent degree developments include an Associate andBachelor’s degree of general studies, which allows studentswho changed majors or for some reason have completed 64or more credit hours to complete a degree. The GeneralStudies degree allows students to select classes from avariety of focus areas in order to complete their degree.

Tidemann believes collaborative programs andalternatives to standard campus settings will continue togrow and develop in an effort to offer the education andtraining workers need to take to the workplace.

“At SDSU, we have the highest enrollment ever oncampus,” Tidemann says. “Our student body hascontinued to grow over the years. However, if you comparethe growth in numbers of online students to the growth ofour face-to-face students, the online growth percentagehas increased more rapidly. In nearly every aspect of theworkplace, you see a growing need for workers to have theability to understand and utilize technology that’s essentialto their job. In this region we are seeing a higherpercentage of people obtaining their Bachelor’s andMaster’s degree. We’re also seeing new types of jobs, suchas those in bio-energy and sustainable technology. There’sa growing demand for workers who really understandscience and the principles associated with those types ofhigh tech jobs.”

More information about the programs available atMMC, GPIDEA and CUC is available at www.mtmc.edu,www.sdstate.edu/cee/distance/gpidea.cfm andwww.cucpierre.com. SDPB

Loretta Sorensen, Owner, Prairie Hearth Publishing,LLC. sorensenlms@gmail.com.

South Dakota

DIDYOUKNOW:

Agricultural landvalues are

booming again inSouth Dakota,

charting a

16.5percentincrease

in

2010-2011,the third-largest

since SouthDakota StateUniversityeconomists

began trackingthe farm realestate market

in 1991.

”Those who developed the CUCFoundation realized they had citizensin Pierre who could contribute greatlyto the community with the ability to

advance their education,”

SDPB 5

South Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, business leaders, elected officials and other industryprofessionals gathered in Sioux Falls to discuss the opportunities in agriculture and ruralSouth Dakota.The Governor’s Ag Development Summit fostered unconventional thinking and generated new

ideas for agricultural development in the state.“Agriculture is our No. 1 industry,” said South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Walt Bones. “It

truly is the backbone of our state economy, and it will take our continued determination,cooperation of resources, and collaborations of thought to drive our industry forward for the goodof all South Dakotans.”

At a banquet following the Ag Summit, Dr. Dan Gee was presented with the first-ever SouthDakota Ag Ambassador Award. The award was given to Dr. Gee for his contributions to SouthDakota’s agriculture industry, including a 30-year career at South Dakota State University as a

professor and coach of the livestock judging team.Upon retirement from SDSU, Dr. Gee became the

Executive Director of the South Dakota Ag and RuralLeadership program. He developed the organization andtrained a number of leaders for South Dakota’s mostimportant industry.

“Dan has developed not only a number of leaders invarious organizations, but he’s reshaped the way ag businessesare actually working,” noted Bones.

Agriculture is South Dakota's No. 1 industry, generatingnearly $21 billion in annual economic activity and employingover 143,000 South Dakotans. SDPB

AGRICULTURE’S OPPORTUNITIES HIGHLIGHTED; AG AMBASSADOR RECOGNIZED

Ag banking panel discussion.(Photo courtesy of SD Department of Agriculture)

Dr. Dan Gee (left) receives Ag Ambassador Award.(Photo courtesy of SD Department of Agriculture)

South Dakota News

RAPID CITY REGIONAL HOSPITAL NAMESMICKELSON AWARD FOR NURSING WINNERVernal Trove has been named the recipient of the 2010 George S.Mickelson Award for Nursing Excellence at Rapid City RegionalHospital (RCRH.) Trove works as a Hospital Coordinator and hasbeen employed at the hospital for 22 years.

Trove is recognized for her performance, professionalcontributions, commitment to self-improvement and commitmentto providing excellent care to patients. She is described as “beingable to handle any difficult situation with the patient as her focus.”

RCRH managers nominate nurses to receive this honor. Allnurses, except nursing administrators and managers, are eligible toreceive the award. The award was established in honor of Gov.George S.Mickelson and seven other distinguished South Dakotanswho died in a plane crash April 19, 1993. Following Mickelson’sdeath, RCRH asked the governor’s wife, Linda, for permission toestablish a nursing award in herhusband’s honor to which sheagreed. Each year thereafter, ahospital committee has selected anRCRH nurse to receive the George S.Mickelson Award for NursingExcellence.

Trove was honored at anemployee celebration May 13. Alsohonored during the event wereemployees who have served five, 10,15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years withRapid City Regional Hospital. SDPB Vernal Trove

6 SDPB August 2011

South Dakota

Family business developsnew wine varieties

It’s likely that Leif Nygaard’s great-great grandfather would be pleased to know that Leif is continuing theNygaard family’s long held winemaking tradition that began in their ancestral home in Norway.

Nygaard recently garnered his firstinternational awards after creating two newwine varieties being sold through his family’s

wineries in Vermillion, SD and Hill City, SD.The son of Valiant Vineyards and Stone Faces

wineries developers Eldon and Sherry Nygaard, Leifreceived a Gold Medal for his “Buck Naked” rosewine and a Bronze Medal for “Full Throttle,” a tablewine. Both wine varieties were entered in the 11thAnnual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition(FLIWC) in Rochester, NY. A panel of 60 judges fromseveral different countries selected competitionwinners.

“This was my first major awards competition,”Nygaard says. “I was very happy with the results. OurBuck Naked label is pretty unique, somewhat risquéand I had some concerns about how it might beperceived by the judges. We were thinking aboutmarketing and branding when we developed thename. We wanted names for the wines that were boldand iconic. That can often make a difference inwhether or not consumers pick up your product.”

Full Throttle’s label is also non-traditional,featuring a skull that seems to have connected to theaudience the Nygaard’s were considering when theydeveloped the wine.

“It’s a pirate-style image,” Nygaard explains. “Wehad it designed with the Full Throttle Saloon atSturgis in mind. It’s the biggest biker bar in theworld. We’ve been selling some of our wines thereand doing pretty well with that market. We expectthis wine to be pretty popular during this year’sSturgis rally.”

Branding savvy is one of the skills Nygaard hasdeveloped since he began working with his family tobuild their wineries. His interest began in high schoolas he studied organic chemistry and beganunderstanding the wine-making process.

“It’s pretty fascinating to learn how hydrocarbonsand substitute hydrocarbons work to form alcoholicbeverages,” he states. “Blending that knowledge withsome good math skills and a sense for blending fruitand sugar flavors is what it takes to start creating newwine varieties.”

Understanding consumer preferences and needs is

key to creating wine flavors and names that appeal tospecific market segments. As he’s worked with hisfamily and developed his own wine preferences,Nygaard has cultivated a knowledge of the marketdemands that exist in South Dakota and thesurrounding region.

“Consumers in this area often like wines thatremind them of the German style wines their familyused and was familiar with,” Nygaard says. “We’vefound that they like slightly sweet, slightly darkwines. I made Dragon Meade using sour cherries andhoney, which was quite successful. The following yearwe harvested a lot of black currants. I used the sameapproach, the honey and fruit, which resulted in awine that’s both sweet and tart.”

Even in sparsely populated South Dakota, winemarkets continually change and evolve. The mostrecent market developments Nygaard has seen isemergence of a college-age consumer and motorcycleenthusiasts.

“There’s a growing number of college studentswho aren’t into the binge drinking trend,” he says.“They’re choosing wines to go with a nice meal or todrink in a casual setting. The bikers coming toSturgis are typically doctors, lawyers, and uppermiddle class people who like to take a vacation thatallows them to kick back and enjoy life. That’s a fast-growing market. We’re seeing people purchase thewines we bottle just for the rally and take them homeas collectibles.”

Nygaard has also seen a growing interest in winein the general population. Numerous resources areavailable for consumers who desire to learn moreabout wine varieties and how to compliment mealswith appropriate wine varieties.

“There are also a growing number of consumerswho prefer to purchase wine made by a farm wineryrather than a company with a mass productionprocess,” he states. “They’re often looking for qualityand are more apt to purchase a product that wasproduced in the local area.”

While their wines have been well received inSouth Dakota, Eldon and Sherry Nygaard have alsolooked beyond local opportunities, establishing apresence in Europe several years ago. Most recently

Leif Nygaard netted internationalawards after creating two new winevarieties. (Photo by Loretta Sorensen)

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SDPB 7

they began exporting wine to China.“Full Throttle is just exploding across Europe,” Leif Nygaard states.

“Several years ago a Finnish motorcycle group poured a bottle of FullThrottle over the grave of a colleague as part of the funeral ceremony.That resulted in a huge demand for that variety.”

The Nygaard’s China connection came about following a tour therewhere they met and interacted with Chinese wine importers.

“There’s a new era of successful entrepreneurs in China,” EldonNygaard states. “We’ve organized a process for selling direct to endusers there. We’ll be making a trip to personally deliver some of thewine to the mayor of what they call one of their smaller cities there, apopulation of six million.”

The Nygaards are excited about the potential they see in domesticand foreign wine markets. Eldon Nygaard is pleased to play a role inhelping balance trade activities with China. Leif Nygaard expects tocontinue working with additional wine varieties and monitoringevolving market demands.

“Making wine is something I enjoy immensely, he says. “It’s apeaceful process. You need a lot of patience, it takes time. I’ve learnedthe process by working with my family here at the winery, a hands-onprocess. We see a trend for red wine so we’ll keep that in mind as wedevelop our varieties. We’ll continue to pay close attention to markettrends and do all we can to produce quality wines that meet consumerneeds.” SDPB

Loretta Sorensen, Owner, Prairie Hearth Publishing, LLC.sorensenlms@gmail.com.

8 SDPB August 2011

Lake Area Tech ranked astop 10 percent in country

Mitchell Tech of Mitchell, SD also made the list.Lake Area Tech and 119 other communitycolleges will be narrowed down to eight-to-

ten finalists in September based on how much studentslearn, how many complete their programs on time, andhow well students do in the job market after graduating.

The colleges are now eligible to submit applicationscontaining detailed data on these criteria. They mustdemonstrate that they deliver exceptional studentresults, use data to drive decisions, and use thatinformation to continually improve over time.

In addition, The Corporation for National andCommunity Service (CNCS) has selected Lake AreaTechnical Institute as a leader among institutions ofhigher education for their support of volunteering,service-learning, and civic engagement. Lake Area Techwas admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher EducationCommunity Service Honor Roll for engaging its

students, faculty and staff in meaningful service thatachieves measurable results in the community.

Deb Shephard, President of Lake Area Tech states, "Itgives such a great sense of pride in our staff andstudents to receive this highly respected national awardfor the third consecutive year. Social responsibility isone of the cornerstones that we instill in our students.Working on community service projects plays animportant role in the students’ overall personal growthand educational training. This past year, with allprojects combined, Lake Area Tech students and staffhave given over 13,000 hours back to the community.”

The Corporation for National and CommunityService, which has administered the Honor Roll since2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universitiesfor their impact on issues from literacy andneighborhood revitalization to supporting at-riskyouth. SDPB

In its first step to identify the nation’s best community colleges and award $1 million in prize money, the AspenInstitute College Excellence Program has ranked Lake Area Technical Institute, Watertown, SD, as one of thenation’s 120 best community colleges, challenging them to compete for the Prize funds (to be announced inDecember 2011) by insisting on high standards for learning, college completion without delay, and serving as atraining ground for jobs that pay competitive wages.

South Dakota

Did youKnow:

South Dakotastate governmentended the 2011

fiscal year onJune 30 with a

balanced budgetand without

using any statereserve funds.

Source: Office of the

Governor