Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight
SIOUX FALLS — The South Dakota Board of Regents introduced proposed changes to the public university system’s housing and meal plan policy at its meeting Thursday, in response to failed legislation to remove on-campus living requirements.
The board created a workgroup of students and staff in April to “understand what the issues were,” said Heather Forney, vice president of finance and administration for the Board of Regents. The group reviewed existing policy and data, and surveyed students across the university system.
“We heard them last legislative session when they were kind of voicing their concerns,” Forney said.
Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, introduced a bill in January to remove what he called the system’s “impoverishing” and “unnecessary” housing and meal plan policies requiring students to live on campus and purchase a meal plan for their first two years of enrollment. The bill failed in the House of Representatives.
Forney told lawmakers the legislation, if passed, would have caused the system to lose up to $87 million annually and default on about $263 million in building bonds.
The changes presented on Thursday are a result of the 5,000 responses to the survey. Regent Student Representative Griffin Petersen said the work and changes are a “testament” to the effort.
“The policy we have before us is responsive to some of the concerns that we heard but still ensures that we’re able to meet our financial obligations,” Petersen said.
Levi Taglioli, a University of South Dakota student who testified in support of Jensen’s bill, told South Dakota Searchlight that the proposed changes don’t address the “freedom that students should have” to decide where to live and eat as legal adults. He said, at minimum, the system could switch to a one-year housing and meal plan requirement.
“I appreciate that they made an effort, but it definitely isn’t far enough,” Taglioli said.
The proposed policy revisions expand eligibility for housing waivers to military service members, people with disabilities, students approved for off-campus internships or professional development programs, and students experiencing “financial hardship.” Financial hardship will be verified through federal and university financial aid information.
Students who are married, live with children, live with their parents near the university, live in Greek housing, use medical marijuana, or aren’t seeking a degree are still eligible for the waiver. Universities can also grant waivers if dorms are overcrowded.
The meal plan policy revisions set a standard that universities will “attempt accommodations” for medical and religious dietary needs before granting waivers. Students can receive a waiver “based on documented need or individual circumstances.”
The change also attempts to better accommodate students who choose to live on campus during school breaks, aside from summer break. Students have been charged a daily fee for staying on campus over break, Forney said. The revised policy would allow them to stay without extra costs if they notify the university by submitting a request.
“We heard through the survey that students didn’t like that,” Forney said. “They felt like they already paid for the service.”
Forney expects to make further “tweaks” to the policy — specifically the staying-over-break policy — before the board’s April meeting, where members will vote to finalize the change.