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Brookings Advocates for Small Business (BASB) is a group of local citizens and business owners who work to promote a strong Brookings by advocating for a fair and private local business environment.

Of current concern to this group is a project first presented by South Dakota State University (SDSU) in October of 2009 known as the North West Quadrant Project. The current administration at SDSU has been moving forward with development based on a document called the Northwest Quadrant Mixed Use Development Feasibility Study.

While a strong SDSU is vital to the growth and success of Brookings, a strong and vibrant private business community is also critical. The project in full form calls for housing, retail, convention center, hotel, C-store, coffee shop, fitness center - and more. All components will be built on tax exempt state land and will compete with existing taxpaying Brookings businesses. This creates an unequal playing field as well as competition between government and private business. We believe this will alter the business and economic landscape in Brookings in irreversible ways.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Not Business As Usual



The SDSU NW Quadrant proposal may sound like business as usual for the University, but the fact is that a public/private student housing project as currently proposed for the NW Quadrant has NEVER been used at SDSU or in the State of South Dakota for that matter.   By that fact alone we should all take a minute to consider a new project like the NW quad and what the impacts might be (both positive and negative).
According to the SDSU Residential Life and Dining Services master Plan (p.33), In 2010 SDSU provided housing for 32.1% of its total enrollment which was the 2nd highest among its peer group of 15 institutions.   By contrast the University of Minnesota provided housing for 12% of its total enrollment.

Peer Institutions include:

·         Colorado State University                             
·         Kansas State University                                                
·         Montana State University                           
·         New Mexico State University                    
·         Oklahoma State University                           
·         Southern Illinois University—Carbondale               
·         University of Idaho
·         University of Montana
·         University of North Dakota
·         University of Wyoming                 
·         Utah State University
·         North Dakota State University  
·         University of South Dakota         
·         University of Nebraska – Lincoln
·         University of Minnesota – Twin Cities 


According to the SDSU Residential Life and Dining Services master Plan (p.33) Of SDSU’s 15 peer institutions only SDSU and 1 other school require both freshmen and sophomores to live on campus.  8 peers require only freshmen to live on campus and 6 have no residency requirements at all.

SDSU enrollment has decreased slightly:  According to SD Board of Regents Factbooks (2010 – 2013).  SDSU’s total unduplicated head count in Fall 2010 was 12,816; Fall 2011 was 12,725; and Fall 2012 was 12583.

 


According to the SDSU supplement document for the NW Quad RFP (p.1)  SDSU is projecting enrollment growth of  383 students by 2015.  Of that 383 student increase, 265 are projected to be freshmen/sophomores.

In the Fall of 2010 SDSU’s housing capacity was 3581.  By the Fall of 2013 with the completion of Jackrabbit grove (800 beds) SDSU’s housing capacity will be somewhere around 4757  (This does not include the possible NW quadrant).  That is an increase of 32.8% in housing capacity in just 3 years.

This means that SDSU is projecting an increase of 383 students on the main campus by 2015, but they are already increasing their housing capacity by 1176 beds by Fall 2013, not including the possible NW quadrant. 

Summary:
·         SDSU is projecting enrollment growth through 2015 of 383 students.
·         Actual total enrollment has decreased for the last 2 years .
·         SDSU is 1 of only two universities in their 15 member peer group that require both freshmen and sophomores to live on campus. Others have less residency requirements.
·         In 2010 SDSU provided housing for a larger percentage of its student population than all but one of its peer institutions.
·         Between 2010 and 2013 SDSU will have constructed 1176 new beds, a 32.8% increase in housing capacity from 2010.  (The NW quadrant would be 300 more beds on top of this)

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