Denise Ross over at The Hog House and Cory Heidelberger at the Madville Times both have well written and researched stories on one legislator’s proposed bill to shutter one of South Dakota’s state institutions of higher learning.

The theory is that if small K-12 schools need to close for economy sake, why not higher ed giving up some tenure?

Also, with the University Center (formerly USDSU) in Sioux Falls essentially becoming a seventh state university, is the state spreading its resources too thin?

My own thoughts on this is Rep. Mark Kirkeby (R-Rapid City) may (repeat MAY) have a good idea, but unless Gov. Mike Rounds is willing to expend a huge amount of political capital to close a school—which would likely be one of the smaller schools, such as Mines, BHSU, NSU, or DSU—it is not going to happen.

There are still plenty of people smarting over the closure of USD-Springfield in the early 1980s when Gov. Bill Janklow spent considerable time, effort, and political capital to turn the college into a prison.  I would argue that only someone of Janklow’s political skills, single-mindedness, and toughness could get a college closed.  I don’t see the current Governor wanting to take on such a battle—particularly if he has any inkling of running for the U.S. Senate this year or if he wants to spend the rest of his term mired in the nastiness of such a fight.

It was one thing to take on a small school like USDS in a small town like Springfield.  But take on Rapid City and Mines?  Fuggettaboutit!  Take on Spearfish over BHSU?  Nah.  Take on Aberdeen over NSU?  Nope.  Take on Madison over DSU?  Well, maybe, but doubtful.

Frankly, as higher education and technical education becomes even more important as our economy continues to change and grow, I think there is a good argument that our citizens—not just college aged citizens—need more, not less access to higher education.  Higher ed and technical education also draw research and economic development.  So, personally, I would hate to see any of the current colleges get axed.

But still, this Washburn University of Topeka and University of Houston graduate thinks it would be fun to ponder which school is the weak sister in the family of South Dakota higher education.

Here’s my school by school analysis in order of non-closeability:

1.  SDSU—No brainer.  Our only DI school that’s also a land grant college in an agricultural state.  Also, too many alums to let it happen.

2.  USD—No brainer.  A soon to be DI school with most of the state’s professional schools in business, law, and medicine.  Again, too many alums to screw with.

3.  University Center—No brainer.  The powers that be have made this happen.  Sioux Falls is a growing community that needs more (and cheaper) educational opportunities for a metropolitan area.  In ten years, this will be South Dakota’s largest university.

Now it gets tougher.

4.  SDSM&T—Perhaps a surprise.  But as Gov. Rounds pushes for more research, its proximity to SDUSEL, and its tremendous reputation as an engineering and scientific school, I think it is safe.  Or at least it should be.  If I were a smart kid who loved math and science, no matter where I was from, this is where I’d go to school.

5. DSU—A small school in a small town but it has an extremely focused mission that puts it in the forefront of today’s technology, use of computing, and integration of computing across all disciplines.  Also highly regarded for what it does nationally.  Also, Heidelberger would be forced to enter the real world and no one wants that.

6. NSU—The best thing it has going for it is that it provides higher education in the state’s third largest community.  The state would be stupid to leave that corner of the state without a college.  Plus, I’d hate to see Schaff and Blanchard have to find real jobs.

7. BHSU—This is not a knock on the school or its quality but it seems to have the least focus of any of the state’s colleges.  It’s programs could be moved to Rapid City at Mines and give Mines a college of Liberal Arts.  However, Spearfish is going to be a community that continues to grow.  It will likely be a place where the SDUSEL scientists and staffers live.  And those smarty-pants like college towns. 

Again, I would hate to see any of the schools close because more higher ed, not less, will make South Dakota and South Dakotans more competitive as well as smarter.

My guess is that the closure issue will get some debate but it will die well before the end of the 2008 session.

In the meantime, vote for which school you think should close if push comes to shove.

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