Campus Reform: USD President attacks legislators who vote on budget, Legislator notes “USD has a culture that opposes free speech and intellectual diversity”

Pat Powers

At the same time that USD President Sheila Gestring was attacking legislators and claimed she was “terrified that this is live-streamed,” it was being captured on video as she criticized the intellectual diversity/free speech law supported by the Governor and a Majority of State Legislators:

USD president Sheila Gestring said in a “free speech and intellectual diversity forum” that Democrat state Sen. Susan Wismer’s criticism of a letter by GOP lawmakers suggesting free speech and intellectual diversity policy changes was “brilliant.”

and..

At one point in the forum, Gestring said to the audience “I am terrified that this is live-streamed.”

and…

“The policies of USD were the reason the Campus Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity bill was passed. It had the support of the BOR and the Governor,” Stalzer said. “USD has 26 people at a cost of $3 million a year working on the diversity. The other State universities have a total of 6 between them.”

and…

“It is becoming obvious that USD has a culture that opposes free speech and intellectual diversity. [T]hat needs to change and the President appears to support that culture,” (State Senator) Stalzer concluded.

Read the entire story here.

A University president attacking a free speech measure that had the support of the Governor and State Legislators?

Well, I guess we know how those budget hearings are going to go next year.

85 thoughts on “Campus Reform: USD President attacks legislators who vote on budget, Legislator notes “USD has a culture that opposes free speech and intellectual diversity””

  1. jeez, the arrogance of the campus leadership is really stunning. We need a new set of presidents who will actually implement the intellectual diversity law. The current crop is just digging in and opposing reforms because they can’t stand the liberals not having a monopoly.

  2. The “diversity” offices on campus should be closed. All they do is promote left-wing hate. Start with USD, which is the worst one and is run by a commie activist from Texas

  3. yes, get rid of them. Save the money. I’m not surprised by her comments. But certainly disappointed.

  4. Gestring needs to go. This kind of rhetoric is over the line. She needs to take the new law seriously.

  5. Why can’t USD just hire some decent conservative intellectuals like the law requires and stop the hysterics?

    1. USD Ranked Highest of South Dakota Universities in ‘Best National Universities’ List
      Seal o the University of South Dakota
      USD ranked highest of all South Dakota universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s “Best National Universities” list.
      VERMILLION, S.D. – The University of South Dakota ranked the highest of all South Dakota universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s “Best National Universities” list.

      In the “Best Colleges 2020” guidebook released Monday, USD ranked #263 in the National Universities category. This is the 28th consecutive year USD has been ranked as one of the “Best National Universities” by U.S. News and World Report.

      USD also ranked the highest of South Dakota public universities in the “Top Public Schools” list, coming in at #128.

  6. It’s not smart for the president of USD to bash the Republican leadership in the legislature and then praise the “brilliance” of the Democratic candidate for governor. If she can’t understand the basics of how our state functions she should be terminated and replaced with a person who will implement this law. I’ll never give another dime to that place.

    1. So what you are saying is she should not be expressing her freedom of speech or she may be terminated? So what exactly is the problem?

  7. Budget people in Pierre say that there will be serious cuts to USD’s funding if Gestring doesn’t come forward with major reforms that seriously implement the intellectual diversity law. The universities handling of the implementation of this law has been embarassing at best. They need to drop all the liberal PC BS and teach some real classes on the American heritage and Western civilization or the pain will be real. It is clear USD is not getting it

    1. Can you point out what the University did. I have no idea what they are doing wrong. I don’t think they are going to be subservient to a bunch of politicians. Sounds like politics to me.

  8. She should be “terrified” that people would hear all the USD liberals conspiring to kill implementation of a law passed by large majorities in Pierre and promoted by the governor. She should be terrified because there will be consequences for illegally flouting the law. Time for new leadership at USD. This proves it

    1. Political propaganda……how about a debate with the President and the university students and professors. Get out the popcorn.

  9. Is that bill similar to the Riot Booster bill. lol. I thought freedom of speech is in the constitution.

  10. The BOR and the universities think they are above the law and they can do whatever they want. They are hurting students by letting the left run wild. I want our universities to be strong, but they can’t be liberal monocultures. Nobody will fund that. Please reform yourselves colleges!

    1. USD Ranked Highest of South Dakota Universities in ‘Best National Universities’ List
      Seal o the University of South Dakota
      USD ranked highest of all South Dakota universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s “Best National Universities” list.
      VERMILLION, S.D. – The University of South Dakota ranked the highest of all South Dakota universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s “Best National Universities” list.

      In the “Best Colleges 2020” guidebook released Monday, USD ranked #263 in the National Universities category. This is the 28th consecutive year USD has been ranked as one of the “Best National Universities” by U.S. News and World Report.

      USD also ranked the highest of South Dakota public universities in the “Top Public Schools” list, coming in at #128.

    2. “The BOR and the universities think they are above the law”

      Funny how that gets selectively applied. How many times has Noem been pulled over for speeding and blowing stop signs, again?

  11. I love how the universities keep “investigating” themselves and “studying” themselves and coming up with “results” that say how great they are doing! Dear voters, they think you are idiots. Agree, new leadership needed. They won’t reform themselves

  14. Pat, seems Tara thinks she runs this blog. Is it her place to respond to every comment? If not, please allow dialog without her ongoing squeaking.

  15. Got a problem with free speech Franklin……..This is an interesting topic…..so get involved. These guys are PO because Susan Wismer told them off and President Gestring agreed with her………“There was a hearing held and hopefully you had the opportunity to listen to that hearing streamed. Because Senator Wismer was brilliant,” Gestring said during the forum. Gestring was referring to comments made during a June Board of Regents forum on the recently passed free-speech legislation, HB 1087. Wismer made the following comments about the letter signed by the GOP lawmakers.

    “I find Pages 96-102 of the Appendix—the list of demands by GOP House and Senate leadership to be disrespectful, repugnant, embarrassing, presumptuous, shameful, close-minded, and a violent interference upon our educational institution. It cannot stand in the record without being challenged.”

    [RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: SD Board of Regents passes substantial free speech protections]

    The letter that Wismer is referencing contains the following suggestions, among others, for improving free speech and intellectual diversity on South Dakota college campuses:

    “The BOR [Board of Regents] and each university must create hiring practices to ensure the composition of the faculty and administration reflects a broad range of ideological viewpoints.”

    “In addition, as stated by Dr. [Paul] Beran, the BOR and universities must ‘explore [and implement] seminars, lecture series, courses, programs or fellows options that further advance this effort on our campuses’ and add minors in American Constitutional Heritage, Conservative Political Thought, The Great Books, and Western Civilization, and The Heritage of Greece and Rome.”

    Multiple Republican lawmakers in South Dakota expressed to Campus Reform that they were not pleased with Gestring’s comments.

    1. I find Wismer’s remarks to be unintelligent and for Gestring to say she liked Wismer’s remarks show her intelligence as well.

      1. Wismer is a smart woman who is very honest and ethical. She helped lead the charge investigating EB-5, Gear-up. The GOAC board voted not to investigate.

        1. You are very pretty, Mrs. Volesky, but your brain is addled to think that Ms. Wismer actually lead any change on anything in the legislatures. She rubs her head and plays Eyeore well, but her brain is diminishing faster than she can comprehend and it confuses her.

  16. USD has 26 employed with my tax dollars, and costs passed on to their students!! What a waste. Start there with the cuts. Legislators, please do something.

  17. The Legislature are going to look like fools when it’s all said and done. The students are going to win this one big league. I would suggest these politicians get educated on academic accreditation and academic disciplines. The mostly un-educated legislature should stay out of academic freedom and policies. This is merely attacking and censoring USD faculty because of their political affiliation. Students really don’t care, why should you. Bottom line, students are getting an excellent education at USD or they wouldn’t be there.

    1. Except their not playing the complete bill. The tax payer and us parents are. So get over it Tara. They don’t own or pay for the schools. Dems should win a election

      2. President Gestring is fiscally conservative resulting in USD being one of the best bangs for the buck. Per student it is one of the most cost efficient universities in the region.

        1. You are wrong. Too much money is spent dealing with gender and sexual orientation labeled as diversity. Is that why people attend college ..to lead these types of causes…millions spent on it at USD. Disgusting.

  20. nobody’s required to go to usd. or ‘sd’ as the ncaa calls it now. vote with your feet. go ahead and shift funding to schools who do uphold standards of objectivity, according to some system that measures such a thing.

  21. Liberals control everything at usd. They will never voluntarily change their ways. Top down force is the only solution

    1. I believe you can get an outstanding education at USD. This is nothing but a political side show.

  22. We need some new people on the Board of Regents too. All way over paid for doing very little with our earned tax dollars.

  23. Out of state liberal hack and moron Paul Beran has caused all this with weak leadership. Laurie Nichols angling to oust Beran in coup. Barry Dunn clueless as usual.

  24. Universities refuse to follow the law and create open forum with conservative voices being heard. Time to hire new presidents who will make cuts and fire the intransigent lefty radicals. Winter is coming.

        1. Ron, you are so right. lol. Lake Mitchell would be great again, but the property brothers would rather spend millions on pipe dreams.

  25. Good on Governor Noem for strong leadership on this. Now time to fire some Regents. They refuse to fix this so dump all the Daugaard RINOs and donors.

      1. Too much money is spent dealing with gender and sexual orientation labeled as diversity. Is that why people attend college ..to lead these types of causes…millions spent on it at USD. Disgusting.

  26. Serious question, are the universities doing anything to actually comply with the law or just obstructing everything?

  29. USD is turning into a liberal hell hole; a sphinctered arse on the edge of a muddy river, just waiting for an enema to begin the fetid outflow of faux intelligence and the quackery of a bunch of deplorable dumbocrats. Noem needs to remove Gestring and 9/10ths of the faculty, and put her daughter Kennedy in charge of fixing this formerly great school. If Doc Farber were still alive he would be a Trump supporter, a good Republican, and, unfortunately, is probably rolling in his grave.

  30. They must be doing something right. They are ranked one of the top universities in the nation. The President, is not going to be controlled by a bunch of un-educated politicians.

  31. If nuts like Wismer and Volesky are against a law I’m all for it!
    There are no conservative profs at usd by the way. They’d never get hired

    1. Well, the one party rule brought in common core. I don’t take much stock from a bunch of politicians that sold out to that DC money and went from local control to Fed Ed.

    2. Hide behind your computer screen………are you to embarrassed to put your name to your comment? Well, I am all for the First Amendment.

  32. First day banned Hawaiian shirts, then they banned white people from speaking, and now this scandal, is there nothing that they can do that will cause the board of regents to actually intervene and take action and get rid of left wingers?

  33. We have Fed Ed legislators that think they are Law Professors. Take a lesson from Tennessee. How’s that common core working for you?

      2. And that bird is the Global Oligarchy behind the Tavistock indoctrination mill that impacts all US public education systems, not just USD.

    1. Actually, I participated in 20 public forums around eastern SD warning parents about the inadequacies of co.mon core.

      I was also an Adjunct Professor for 14 years. And have participated in the North Central accreditation process.

      Many of the issues at USD were implemented by President Abbot. In her defense. President Gestri has reached out to me and wants to start a dialogue. I applaud her for that.

      All we want, is for both sides to be able to express their views without prior restraint or fear of retaliation.

      As for diversity, let’s work on improving minority graduation rates, not trying to indoctrinate the students.

  38. This is total and flagrant disobedience of the new college law and mocking of the Republican leadership in this state. The college presidents aren’t gods. They need to follow the law

  39. Actually, I participated in 20 public forums around eastern SD warning parents about the inadequacies of co.mon core.

    I was also an Adjunct Professor for 14 years. And have participated in the North Central accreditation process.

    Many of the issues at USD were implemented by President Abbot. In her defense. President Gestri has reached out to me and wants to start a dialogue. I applaud her for that.

    All we want, is for both sides to be able to express their views without prior restraint or fear of retaliation.

    As for diversity, let’s work on improving minority graduation rates, not trying to indoctrinate the students.

    1. Senator Stalzer,
      Keep your discernment level up and don’t get caught up in the left vs right fight. It is one of the false dichotomies pushed by the mass mind control agenda of Tavistock designed to divide and conquer this country, remove our sovereignty, and then instill the one-world political/governmental/economic system. None of these facts will be found in any public education system. Instead the indoctrinators push things like so-called social justice and put fake labels like diversity on it. At the end of the day it will be…agree with us or you will be black listed. The Republicans call it socialism, the Democrats call it crony capitalism. But both are wings flown by the same bird, if I may steal an analogy from a previous comment.

    2. Senator Stalzer, did you have anti common core Legislator Lora Hubble gerrymandered and donut-holed so her district would no longer be conservative? How are students indoctrinated? Just curious. Thank you. It seems to me that the Legislature voted in common core to indoctrinate teachers and students.

    1. What is the reason to fire her? USD ranks as one of the top universities in the country. Are the students in favor of firing President Gesting? The students I have talked believe she is doing a fine job. It would be nice to have some student input.

  41. When Jim Abbott was the president of USD I felt like most of the political science staff did a very good job of keeping their personal feelings in check. I knew they were liberal but I felt free to express my conservative views. The history department on the other hand had some issues. Abbott was a big liberal himself having even run for Governor. But he still knew how to run an open campus that respected freedom of thought and expression. How is this gal getting it so wrong. On facebook I now see my formal political science teachers expressing how they really feel. Holy buckets, I hope they still maintain a different environment in the class room.

  42. My favorite Professor and good friend at BYU was a flaming Liberal. I think I got a pretty good education We had great debates and arguments.

  43. It’s amazing. I would have thought that if the rest of us refused to engage with Tara, she’d go away. It seems the opposite is true; the less attention Tara gets, the more she posts. I’ve never seen a person so desperate for attention.

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