BOR Seeks to Advance Technology Investments | 8/10/26
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR) is seeking funding for technology infrastructure and artificial intelligence in its FY28 budget requests as discussed during the July BOR Meeting. This request aims to enhance AI education across the state, improve cybersecurity, and update digital systems that serve over 35,000 students at South Dakota’s public universities.
The proposals include ongoing investments to maintain and replace critical systems and a one-time investment to launch the Future Ready Technology Initiative, a multi-year effort to modernize technology supporting learning, research, and operations across South Dakota’s public university system.
“Technology is no longer simply a support function for higher education; it is the foundation for teaching, research, and developing successful career-ready students,” said Dakota State University President John Ballard. “These investments will ensure our universities will continue to have the secure, modern infrastructure needed to responsibly integrate artificial intelligence, strengthen cybersecurity, and prepare graduates with the skills employers are demanding.”
The Board’s FY28 base budget request includes $4.5 million in ongoing funds for essential technology maintenance and repair. When combined with annual investments from the system’s dedicated technology tuition adjustment, these ongoing funds create a sustainable funding model. This approach enables the university system to regularly update aging technology, lower cybersecurity risks, modernize enterprise software, and avoid the expensive cycle of waiting for critical systems to fail before replacing them.
In addition, the Board is requesting a $20 million one-time investment to launch the Future Ready Technology Initiative. The initiative will modernize the digital backbone of the university system and create the infrastructure necessary to support artificial intelligence in classrooms, research laboratories, administrative operations, and student services.
The technology modernization initiative advances recent actions by the Board and lawmakers to enhance AI education, research, and innovation throughout the public university system, including a one-time $2.75 million state appropriation for cybersecurity, authorized during the previous legislative session. As institutions develop new programs, incorporate AI into teaching and research, enhance student services, and streamline administration, modern digital infrastructure will give students, faculty, and staff reliable, secure, future-ready technology. These investments will improve the system’s ability to serve students more effectively, boost operational efficiency, and support responsible AI adoption in higher education.
“Our goal is to be an efficient and effective system for tomorrow’s student. The Board of Regents intends to support AI integration while protecting institutional data and ensuring long-term sustainability, “ BOR President Jeff Partridge said. “By investing in AI advancements today, we’re enhancing our universities’ capacity to train the workforce of tomorrow and strengthen South Dakota’s economic competitiveness.”
If approved by the Legislature, the FY28 technology investments would provide the foundation for future phases of the Board’s technology modernization strategy while ensuring the public university system remains resilient, secure, and prepared to meet the evolving needs of students, faculty, employers, and the State of South Dakota.
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