Gestring Delivers State of the University Address, Highlights Enrollment, Academic Programs, and Facility Improvements
Last week, USD announced that, following a historic year for enrollment, the university continues to see strong growth. USD’s overall headcount is the second highest in university history, with 10,405 students enrolled. At USD – Sioux Falls, overall headcount is up 19.1% from last fall, with a noticeable increase in degree-seeking students.
As university enrollment grows, USD is simultaneously expanding the services and resources available to students. In response to student feedback, USD has strengthened wellbeing resources with enhanced initiatives like Charlie’s Cupboard and the expansion of the Wellness Center.
Students also expressed the need for a central place for career readiness, leading to the creation of the Center for Career Design, which prepares students for career success from the moment they set foot on campus. Likewise, an academic advising support app was also introduced, which allows students to set reminders, book advising appointments and connect with academic support resources in one central location.
To further support student success, USD continues to focus on providing state-of-the-art facilities for learning, teaching, research and community engagement. These modern spaces are tailored to support academic excellence and foster collaboration, innovation and real-world experiences that prepare students to thrive beyond the classroom.
“As we have planned our facilities initiatives, academic buildings have been a priority,” said President Gestring. “In the last five years, USD has invested 85 million dollars in building and renovating academic facilities, and more investments have been made over the last summer. This has been an incredible year for our work in this area. We have a lot to celebrate and look forward to.”
Recent projects include the October 2024 reopening of the South Dakota Union, now home to the Department of Psychology, the Psychological Services Center, the Disaster Mental Health Institute and the Advanced Visualization Library. Renovations are also underway at the Churchill-Haines Laboratories, alongside a $6.5 million remodel of the Knudson School of Law building. Looking ahead, USD fully intends to renovate East and Dakota Halls, reaffirming its commitment to modern learning spaces.
The President’s address also highlighted the recent announcement of the Sanford School of Medicine and its plans to move the first 18 months of the M.D. program—and the Division of Biomedical and Translational Sciences—to Sioux Falls. The current home of the medical school, the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building, will be renovated to house several programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, and will be a contemporary space for learning, teaching and collaborative research.
Transformation has been a defining theme for USD, marked by the grand opening of the USD Discovery District—a 50,000 square-foot research and office facility on the USD – Sioux Falls campus. Following suit was the Wellness Center & Natatorium in Vermillion, which adds 40,000 square feet, for public swimming events and large swimming competitions, providing new opportunities in water fitness and wellness for all age groups.
Rounding out a great year of major facility updates, USD announced a 20-million-dollar gift commitment, courtesy of Mr. Denny Sanford, which will help build a new, indoor fieldhouse. Pending board approval, this facility will be known as the Gassen Family Fieldhouse, in honor of the Bill and Jill Gassen family, who were track and field athletes at USD before going on to achieve incredible success in their careers.
“We are proud to celebrate their legacy and bring this state-of-the-art practice and competition facility to USD,” said Gestring.
Building on the momentum of campus growth, Gestring emphasized USD’s new and expanded programs and initiatives, developed to support students in reaching their full academic and career potential.
Highlighted programs include expanding the Beacom School of Business MBA program to Sioux Falls and launching a new Executive Master of Business Administration. In the School of Education, the Division of Teacher Residency and Education has grown its Bachelor of Science in Education in elementary education, bringing residency classes and onsite coursework directly to USD – Sioux Falls to meet rising community demand. Meanwhile, the Knudson School of Law has introduced a pilot program designed to strengthen the legal profession with an emphasis on hands-on public service, including a partnership with the Board of Bar Examiners and public service entities to create a new, rigorous pathway to licensure, the Public Service Pathway.
Another big milestone in programs includes the establishment of a dedicated emergency department at the Sanford School of Medicine, a newly accredited emergency medicine residency starting in July of 2026, with Sanford Health serving as a partner.
“USD is committed to providing relevant and modern programs to equip our students with the skills they need to become our future leaders,” said Gestring. “We continue to introduce new and innovative programs and expand the reach of existing programs to meet that need. This also includes expanding programs to other campus sites—complementing the work we are doing on our main campus and fueling our existing programs with more visibility, resources and connections."
Watch the full State of the University Address on YouTube.
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