THURSDAY, JULY 8TH, 2021 MISSION CHANGE AT DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

 THURSDAY, JULY 8TH, 2021 MISSION CHANGE AT DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

This week I’ve been writing about an event that shaped my career - the change of the mission at Dakota State University from primarily a teachers education institution to be computer technology oriented/Information Systems oriented.  We did the “impossible” - creating a new curriculum almost overnight, and then somehow, “if they build it, they will come” (a quote from Field of Dreams).  Dakota State is very successful now - thanks to Tom, Lynette, Tim, Rick, Jim, Connie, and so many others!!  Citibank, Schwans, Federated, and many others took our students willingly.  

I really want to give some perspective that makes the situation even more amazing.

Madison, South Dakota has a population of just over 7,000 people.  It isn’t in the top ten of cities in South Dakota.  It is about 14th of the cities in the state.  It isn’t on an interstate highway and is about 20 miles from the North-South Interstate highway in South Dakota - Interstate 29; and about 28 miles from Interstate 90 the East-West interstate.  

Dakota State does reasonably well in sports - but isn’t in the NCAA, but the smaller NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.  The campus isn’t as magnificent as others in terms of grandiose buildings.  

For those of you reading this who have no connection to South Dakota might have a hard time identifying much of South Dakota (other than maybe the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, and Sioux Falls, the largest city).  The capital city is Pierre - on the Missouri River with a population about 14,000 people - but centrally located.  

I remember visitors to campus commenting about the lack of traffic “What happens if you break down on I-29 or I-90 in winter?”  It can happen.  It also can happen where the Department of Transportation closes the roads due to bad weather.  

So, here - kind of nowhere - a vibrant university rose from a humble background. It now offers degrees in cyber computing and much more - including doctorate degrees!!!  All because a politician made an unpopular move to change the mission of Dakota State and the faculty and community made it happen.  The graduates are snatched up quickly and get great salaries above the national averages.  

*****

So, I was at the “right place at the right time”.  I went from being an ‘instructor’ to a full professor with a doctorate in those years.  I also went from an insecure, scared of my shadow to a confident person.  I remember my first days out of college - as a high school math teacher at one of the smallest school districts in Wisconsin.  I thought “this is my role in life” - just to have a job and just to get by.  I can’t say it was ambition, drive, God, or luck that put me in that “right place at the right time”.  Coincidence?  Fate?  Karma?  God’s Grace?  

I really didn’t want to go for my doctorate.  It wasn’t much fun - the drive Sunday night back to Lincoln, and then the drive on Friday night to Madison South Dakota.  The writing of academic papers, the teaching of two classes at the University of Nebraska.  The act of doing original research?  Somehow I made it through.  I HAD THE CREDENTIALS.  (Or as a former Dakota State President said “I now had my union card”).  1990 is thirty years ago now and I sense there are more doctorates in Management Information Systems now.  Was I a pioneer?  Did I do something unusual?  What skills did God grace me with to get this degree?  

(**Aside as we started to teach online courses, we were called “Pioneers” - so my colleague Tom Farrell got us Pioneer Seed Corn hats!!!) 

I was like a baby bird being pushed out of the nest.  Fly - or - die!!  But, somehow I learned to fly.  I “bought in” to my career.  By the time I left Dakota State in 2000, I supposedly was the highest paid professor on staff.  Maybe the combination of being in the right field at the right time. Maybe it was taking the mantle that was placed on me, maybe it was the ambiance of an amazing place at an amazing time.  

After I left the Dean’s position, I became active in my professional world.  I got involved with what used to be called DPMA - Data Processing Management Association - and EDSIG - the EDucational Special Interest Group of DPMA.  I chaired the ISECON conference four times (prior to me, nobody had done it more than twice).  I got to go to different places (I chaired ISECON in St Louis, San Diego, Orlando, and Newport Rhode Island).  

The Citibank Experiences helped me teach and helped me gain confidence as a “real” information systems professor.  

I was a big fish in a small pond - just starting on the third leg of the academic “three-legged stool” of teaching, service, and scholarship/research.  I would have retired from Dakota State (as an emeritus professor except my wife wanted to get away from South Dakota).  So, one application (to Quinnipiac), one interview, and I was hired at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.  There my service continued as I got active in the accrediting groups, I learned to write and publish, I developed nationwide colleagues and recognition as the EDSIG “Educator of the Year” in 2012.  

I can remember being scared when I came up for academic review at Quinnipiac that I didn’t have good enough publications and scholarship - and somehow God blessed me with Bart Longenecker, David Feinstein, Bill Tassel, Rick McCarthy, and many others for joint publications.  For the kid who in his undergraduate education got only three “C” grades - two of which were in Freshman Composition and the other in a one-credit gymnastic class - could write well enough to be a scholar.  (It still amazes me).  And, even today, to write a daily blog - that a few people read.  

And, that God has worked on me - and is still working on me.  “Who am I God that you should take an interest in me?” 

I have tripped and fallen a lot.  I somehow managed to get up again.  I spent four days in a mental hospital for depression  and thinking I had no value and that the world might be better without me.  

This hasn’t been the life that the 13 year old boy imagined when he said he wanted to be a math teacher.  I didn’t know much then (and, even yet, I don’t know much).

I’ve been through the wilderness, and I’ve been on the mountain top.  (My preference is the mountain top) but I seem to learn and get corrections in the wilderness.  

Nobody knows the number of years allocated to them.  This morning I was reading Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”.  I have grown to love everyone - because I had to.  What is to become of me, I don’t know.  I’m still trying to get a life coaching mini-career going - hopefully to listen, support and encourage others.  Ask me in five years how that is going.  

*****

But, back to the theme for the week, somehow, God (or the Source, or the Force) blessed me and refined me during those eighteen years at Dakota State.  Yes, I was at the right place at the right time (or did ‘fate/God’) put me in that right place at the right time???

Tomorrow - a love wins blog; Saturday a story and Sunday a fun-day blog.  At this stage I have no idea what I will write about next week (but it will be awesome!!!) [maybe!!!]

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen