Higher education in most other states does not operate as a system. Individual campuses maintain their own information processes. Therefore, supplying uniform information to the governing boards and policy makers is difficult at best and impossible in some instances. Here in South Dakota, through long-range planning the Board of Regents has created a uniform approach to information management.
Technology underpins the whole regental system.
Ben Dar, Vice President for Technology at Black Hills State University, served as a consultant to the Board on technology earlier in 1998. The infrastructure is the foundation for allowing access to the super-information highway. Featured in the article is the Regents Information System, which coordinates systemwide computing resources for the public universities, including technology implementation and planning for both academic and administrative functions. Warren Wilson, Director of RIS, noted that without the wiring and hardware, the transfer of files and communication is not possible. The article also notes other collaborative efforts of the South Dakota higher education system.