South Dakota Board of Regents
For immediate release: Friday, May 13, 2005
For more information: Janelle Toman, 605-773-3455

New Certificate Programs at USD Approved 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – New certificate programs offered by The University of South Dakota will provide specialized instruction in long-term care management and state government leadership.

The South Dakota Board of Regents Friday approved the new certificate programs starting this fall. 

The primary audience for the long-term care management certificate, consisting of 12 graduate-level credit hours, will be administrators, nurses, and social workers who work in long-term care settings. “The demand will continue to be strong for people educated in long-term care management, as our population ages and life expectancy increases,” said Regents President Harvey C. Jewett. 

A new certificate program also will be available to state government employees, beginning with Bureau of Personnel staff this fall. USD will offer 15 credit hours of study in organizational leadership and communication, including graduate-level courses on team building, organizational change, and managerial communication.

“At the request of the Bureau of Personnel, the State Government Leadership Excellence Certificate has been designed to meet a series of desired competencies for state government managers,” Jewett said. “The courses will be offered via the Digital Dakota Network, online, and in face-to-face settings.”

Although the first group of students taking the leadership certificate courses will be from the state’s personnel agency, USD officials anticipate making the certificate available to other state employees in the future.

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