USD President calling legislators over Campus Reform Story?

Pat Powers

Uh oh. I’m hearing that USD President Sheila Gestring is possibly having some regrets over statements that found print in the Campus Reform story we featured yesterday. If you recall, there were legislators who had some fairly pointed thoughts about her comments:

“President Gestring praising South Dakota’s most liberal State Senator as ‘brilliant’ tells you everything you need to know about our universities in this state,” Republican state Rep. Sue Patterson (actually Sue Peterson – pp) told Campus Reform.

Republican state Sen. Jim Stalzer told Campus Reform explicitly that USD was the reason HB 1087 was passed.

Read that here.

I’m told that a couple of legislators have received calls from the USD President over this. It sounds as if she’s started calling and doing damage control in the face of backlash over her statements.

The legislative session should prove to be entertaining next year, to say the least.

65 thoughts on “USD President calling legislators over Campus Reform Story?”

  1. I’ve heard she’s making calls as well. She’s in crisis management mode. The solution is to actually follow the intellectual diversity law instead of defiantly ignoring it.

  2. Here in Brookings, Barry Dunn has openly mocked and attacked legislators for passing a free speech law and advancing intellectual diversity. If these presidents refuse to follow the law they should be removed. This is not complicated.

  4. The arrogance of these university presidents has no end. They make $500,000 a year to promote liberalism and defy the legislature. The only way to reduce their arrogance is for there to be a prominent firing of a president.

      1. Surprise – more arrogant blather from the know-it-all Tara. Rarely a topic is written that she doesn’t speak to, and speak often

          1. Always-gotta-have-the-last-word-Tara, I double dare ya with chocolate sauce to not say another word on this post.

  5. Another black eye for the Regents and more exposure of leftwing bias on campus. not shocked

    2. Fred, are you going to sponsor the bill to defund diversity programs at all universities? Watch, he won’t respond. lol.

  7. Let me repeat myself for the 100th time since the sham of a “diversity” bill* was passed- Personnel is policy. Nothing, absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, happens without a change in personnel.

    *”diversity bill” had the practical effect of granting extra protections to the incumbent professors (who are the liberals the sponsors lied to us when they said their target was liberals) but the delusion made the conservatives in the streets feel good.

    1. P.S. On top everything else, this USD President seems to royally stupid, maybe as stupid as Biden who bragged on tape she he got the prosecutor fired who was investigating his son.

      The fact This President hasn’t been fired already tolls me everything.

      1. Troy, you might want to proofread a bit more in a comment where you call someone “stupid.”

        Your descent into the angry, addled old man you’ve become has been sad to witness. Step away man. This isn’t good for you.

          1. Troy. Remember when Pat was carrying water for the Governor by covering for the Regents by demanding the Legislature solve this debacle ? I do.

  8. In an effort to save her job, the president should put out her plan for actually complying with the law. She can announce the closure of lefty diversity offices, new classes on conservatism, and new job openings for conservative intellectuals like Jordan Peterson. The goal would be a real debate on campus. When liberals and the PC police control everything nothing will change. That simple

    1. Republicans have been in charge for over 40 years. Quit blaming Democrats. All you guys are doing is trying to manufacture a problem that doesn’t exist.

  9. Gestring is entitled to her own opinion.

    I’m ok with her praising wismer. Now we know where gestring stands on the issue.

    She should at least have the guts to back up her opinion and fight for it. Not wuss out and call legislators in an attempt to be two faced.

    “I’m sorry you saw how I really am. I meant to keep that concealed and only say those things behind your backs”

    Have the guts to have an opinion. Stand up to Stalzer and Peterson just like they have the right to stand up to gestring.

    No guts for public conviction makes me sick.

    1. Today I’m praying for brave souls all throughout this system to stand strong against these political winds. I’m praying that SD survives this assault on our academic freedom. Don’t stop protecting those who have historically been discriminated against and still are today. Don’t allow South Dakota to be used as a guinea pig or national model for dismantling academic freedom. Don’t legitimize hate, proselytizing, state religion, or state political party on our campuses any more than they already are. Please don’t back down from the truly honorable mission of providing an excellent academic environment and a truly free place for ALL students to attain their very best [emphasis mine; Sen. Susan Wismer, remarks to Board of Regents

      1. Uhhh, Board of Regents get paid? They would be surprised to hear that. Know your facts before your start spouting. FYI – I’m no fan of how USD is being run either – my kids won’t be going there – but don’t make false accusations when there’s plenty of legitimate facts to discuss.

          2. You are nuts. And reckless in asserting it is that much for being on the BOR. They get per diem and travel expenses.

            Make your case without lying and hyperbole.

    2. The Republicans pay her that salary. I believe students go to college to get a college degree. I hope students can think for themselves. Maybe the ruling class should educate themselves.

  11. Arrogant liberal professors who hate Republicans and red states. That’s the problem here. Cut her million dollar salary in half until she reforms USD. That will get attention!

  12. I think Troy is on to something, because we have to have new people in charge to actually implement these laws, because as this hearing demonstrated, these university presidents only listen to the left wingers on campus who are always squawking at them, and they aren’t actually listening to the legislature or the broader people of South Dakota, who it’s clear they feel nothing but contempt for

  13. Where’s the investigation? There should be more scrutiny of campuses. They are hiding more than you know

  14. The last time I checked, it’s been a number of years since the president of most of our universities actually taught a class, and thus brain-washed students into some crazy liberal political ideology. Having received my education at USD, just because I received a liberal arts education does not make me a liberal. It did however, give me the tools to think critically when I am exposed to either side of an argument. Actually, going way back, I recall professors who were wild-eyed liberals and pragmatic populists, and none of them forced me through classes or testing to subscribe to their particular world view.

    Unfortunately, too many critics seem to believe that students are entirely too “malleable” and subject to indoctrination by “the other side”.

    The legislature has bailed on funding higher education for far too long, so it’s tragic that some of the members now demonstrate their underlying desire to ensure our institutions of higher ed reflect the views of the makeup of the majority of the legislature (or perhaps the most vocal few members of the majority).

      1. An individual was who was mentally ill and murdered his family Tara. Way to use a tragedy to further your point.
        Not a good look.

  17. The key word here is arrogance. The college presidents think they are untouchable. We need a high profile firing of one of them for insubordination. They aren’t following state law, time to oust them. The governor should put this in motion. If their gravy train of millions and free jets and world travel is put in jeopardy they’ll pay attention and then make reforms.

    1. It should be interesting to see if the Legislature will stop funding all diversity programs in every public funded university.

  18. If you watch the entire video it’s a bunch of liberal and progressive whiny professors and student activists attacking the state of South Dakota for not being liberal. It proves the point about the need for this law!

  20. Hey KELO and Miss Angela, grab your cameraman & microphone and go chase down president Gestring running across campus. (I know you read this blog)

        1. What does “not so much” mean?

          We already had an example of idiocy in the freshman orientation.

  23. This entire effort looks like another enrollment reducer at South Dakota State Universities which undermines their integrity. It ends up further hurting the economy of the state.

    1. The enrollment will increase when parents and students learn that USD, SDSU, etc, honor the First Amendment.

      If you believe that the First Amendment undermines integrity, than you are stupid. You are also not American. You might as well leave.

      For USD to be on a National website means more students.

      You aren’t very smart.

      1. Enrollment declines have nothing to do with free speech issues. What a stretch. It has to do with a shift towards cheaper options like tech schools, on the job training, or just straight into the work force. The only industry still increasing 4-year degrees is information technology.

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