Identifier

UA 19

Dates

1915-2013

Extent

5.0 linear feet (5 records center boxes)

Abstract

The Division of Student Affairs at SDSU enriches the students' overall educational experiences through the delivery of quality services and programs as well as by providing intentional learning experiences in diversity, global awareness, leadership, and social responsibility. The collection is composed of annual and biennial reports as well as publications, material related to TRiO Programs, and materials from the Student Affairs Council and other committees and taskforces that work with Student Affairs.

Historical Note

In February of 1942, the Regents of Education of South Dakota adopted a plan for the college organization to be changed to from a Junior and Senior College Division. The functions of the Junior College Division included student personnel services, Senior College preparatory curricula, and terminal curricula. Raymond Y. Chapman was employed as the Director of this Division. In 1949, the Junior College organization was abandoned as such and the Division of Student Personnel Services was organized with Chapman as Dean. As the college grew and administrations changed, the responsibilities of the Division of Student Personnel Services increasingly enlarged and the several student personnel services on the campus were centralized in the Division of Student Personnel Services. This centralization was an apparent effort to reduce the number of individual departments reporting directly to the president of the college and place certain responsibilities in a more limited number of offices and officials. In 1969, an Associate Dean of Student Personnel Services was appointed in order to prepare for the retirement of R.Y. Chapman, who had been Dean since the Division was established in 1949. Plans also began for the reorganization of the Division into a comprehensive Student Services Division. New programs and revised procedures were initiated during 1970. The Division was again reorganized in 1986 and the name was changed to Student Affairs Division. This name remains today.

Until 1958, the Dean of the Division of Student Personnel Services was primarily responsible for determination of administrative policy and program direction of the division and was advised by the president of the college and the Administrative Council together with the actions and recommendations by the faculty and department heads. The Committee on Student Personnel Services also advised the dean. This committee, which was appointed by the president, was chaired by the dean and consisted of the Dean of Women, Dean of Men, Director of Student Activities, Director of Housing, Director of Food Services, the college nurse, and student personnel. This committee served as a policy-recommending group and on a consulting basis until the 1958-60 biennium when the committee was abandoned. Beginning in 1958, staff meetings including representatives of all phases of Student Personnel Services were initiated to facilitate communications within the division.

The Student Affairs Division provides services and activities, which are designed to help the student gain the greatest benefit from their university education. This purpose has been reflected in the annual and biennial reports throughout the years.

Many functions are controlled within the framework of the Student Affairs Division. These functions are: testing services, student counseling services, orientation of new students, administration of the General Registration program, terminal course program, in-service training of faculty counselors, educational research and measurement, teaching of counselor practicum course, veterans records, loans and scholarships, and placement of students (part- and full-time). Responsibilities of the Student Affairs Division that have been handled primarily by the dean over the years are freshman and New Student Week, Student Personnel Records, General Registration, and Terminal Curricula.

Some functions are controlled cooperatively within the framework of the Student Affairs Division and outside agencies. These functions are student health services, student housing, student activities, food services, admissions and records activities, and high school relations activities.

Content Notes

Composed of annual and biennial reports from the Junior College, Division of Student Personnel Services, Student Personnel Division, and Student Affairs Division. These were presented to the President of the college.

Annual reports were not always called for by the President's office and were submitted only at the request of the President of the college. The annual reports are not in the same detail as the biennial report but cover the basic outline as applied to a non-academic division. These reports do not include a historical background, budget recommendations or allotment requests, or resignation and replacement information. These reports generally did include departmental reports within the framework of the Student Affairs Division and previous divisions.

Biennial reports were submitted biennially to the President of the University. These reports generally included a historical background, budget recommendations and allotment requests, resignation and replacement information, and goals for the next biennium. These reports also included departmental reports submitted within the framework of the division. These included reports from Student Health, Student Housing, Dean of Women, Dean of Men, Student Activities, Veterans Affairs, Educational Research and Measurement, Placement, Loans and Scholarships, Student Personnel Records, Machine Records, General Registration and Terminal Courses. They also included reports on the counseling of students, pro-college counseling, counseling for special groups, and freshman orientation. The biennial report also included financial statement and lists of scholarships awarded.

SDSU Archives and Special Collections

Follow this link for more information:

https://www.sdstate.edu/sdsu-archives-and-special-collections/university-archives

Language

English

Publisher

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, South Dakota.

Rights

Copyright restrictions apply in different ways to different materials. Many of the documents and other historical materials in the Archives are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. There are other materials in the Archive carrying a copyright interest and must be used according to the provisions of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The Archive issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. Although the copyright law is under constant redefinition in the courts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the researcher to properly use copyrighted material.

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