Campaign Priorities

More Jobs. Greater Opportunities. A better quality of life.

When Dakota State University opened its doors in the late 19th century, the university brought all of these assets to the Madison community. Founded in 1881 as a teacher training institute, DSU:

• Provides hundreds of jobs for residents of Madison and surrounding communities as the city's largest employer
• Attracts talented professionals from all over the country to live and work in Madison
• Draws businesses and industrial enterprises to operate in the Madison community
• Enhances the intellectual and cultural quality of life in Madison through research, specialized programs and entertainment options

Today, DSU continues to enrich the Madison community through 41 undergraduate and graduate degree offerings that in 2010, enrolled 3,101 students from South Dakota, the United States and all over the world. As leaders look to the future, they are committed to enhancing and improving their programs for the benefit of DSU and everyone who resides in Lake County.

"To reach the level of excellence that is the potential of Dakota State, we need this capital campaign to succeed. It's probably one of the most important things in the history of this institution."
Dr. Jerald Tunheim, DSU President, 1987-2004

Dakota State University's mission change in 1984 was the beginning of a dynamic new role for the school. Our information technology expertise has fueled significant growth.

To attract the region's top talent, students, and faculty, DSU must offer top-notch facilities. We must offer academic and athletic scholarships, recruitment and research opportunities to faculty and a high quality infrastructure.

With DSU 2.0 we are, for the first time, addressing the funding of the mission change. We have an extraordinary opportunity to take advantage of our growing momentum, vision and leadership by obtaining the resources to fulfill our mission.