RAPID CITY- The University of South Dakota business school would get $100,000 to assemble two new reports on the effects of the state universities in the economy and the impacts from research and commercialization projects involving the campuses.
The state Board of Regents approved the spending Friday. An economic report was last prepared for the regents in 2010.
Regent Terry Baloun, of Sioux Falls, said it is important to show the public the significance of the universities.
"It's a good time, after that period of time, to refresh the numbers," Baloun said.
A retired banker, he asked the regents to consider suggestions to make the new report easier for citizens to understand.
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He asked for:
*Executive summaries as much as possible so an average person "can get to the heart of it," he said.
*More use of charts and graphs. "Make a picture story. That jumps out," he said.
*Document the sources of the data. "So it's beyond refute like our fact book is," Baloun said.
*Make a hand-out, a few pages long, for legislators and others.
Regent Harvey Jewett, of Aberdeen, added a suggestion. "It would be a good thing to take to your local newspaper."
Monte Kramer, vice president of finance and administration, said the regents did a tour last time, holding meetings on university campuses to release the information.
"It won't be done for a number of years again," Baloun said.
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Campus presidents will be asked for suggestions too, Kramer said.
