The student protests occurring at other American institutions have not occurred at Akota State University. Located in rural South Dakota, the majority of the almost 4,000 students have been eschewing politics and partisan groupings in favour of their studies or job searches.
Bringing politics to campus, the university administration chose to grant Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem an honorary degree and invited her to deliver a commencement address on May 10.
In retaliation, students have organised a rally against the Trump administration and the former South Dakota governor for graduation day, and they anticipate that demonstrators from all around southeast South Dakota will attend.
On behalf of their colleagues who are concerned about their legal status, they wish to voice their opposition to the federal government’s immigration policies, which are being carried out under Noem’s supervision.
Additionally, they are anticipated to demonstrate against Noem’s anti-LGBT policies while she was governor.
Additionally, a few faculty members and students expressed their opinion that the honorary degree was too great a distinction to give her.
Many DSU students aren’t sure if they should join the protests or keep quiet in order to avoid the same penalties that students at more vocal universities face.
“The atmosphere is tense,” humanities instructor Daniel Spencer stated. “Students are afraid of making their voices heard.”
Its esteemed cybersecurity school has historically discouraged students from taking political positions out of concern for possible backlash when they eventually apply for jobs in the public and commercial sectors.
Another factor is that DSU is located in Madison, a small town around one hour’s drive northwest of Sioux Falls.
“Many of our students are from rural South Dakota, and there’s a bit of an unwillingness to confront authority,” Professor Emeritus Dale Droge stated. “We don’t have very many students in the political sciences or history where they might be thinking about these more civil rights kind of actions.”
The possibilities for participation are being considered by hundreds of DSU international students who have not yet been impacted by recent DHS measures.
Before changing its mind and establishing a new policy for such terminations, the agency had already revoked the legal status of over 1,000 overseas students.
Anden Wieseler, a DSU junior and student senate vice president, stated, “I have international students coming to me from outside of the senate, across campus, who expressed to me that they don’t want to get involved in any of this because they have fears of getting their visas revoked.”
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Noem’s backing of DSU
In a written statement, DSU spokesperson Andrew Sogn stated that Noem was chosen because she was a “unwavering champion of Dakota State” while serving as governor.
According to Sogn, Noem helped the university obtain millions of dollars in funding and supported its cybersecurity projects, solidifying the institution’s position as a national cybersecurity leader.
“She was asked to share remarks with DSU’s graduates based on her distinguished and ground-breaking career in public service, and her many efforts to support the citizens of the state of South Dakota and the nation,” Sogn stated.
Noem was recommended for an honorary doctorate by DSU President José-Marie Griffiths, but the university chose not to disclose the specifics of the offer. According to Wiesler, only one of the 15 student senators voted in favour of the nomination, while the entire faculty and student senate voted against it.
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Fear of voicing one’s opinions
Additionally, faculty members are reluctant to express their views in public. According to several, the administration dissuaded them from participating in student marches and addressing the media. Some cautioned about President Donald Trump’s increased scrutiny of higher education.
Other students said they didn’t want to risk losing their employment, so they talked to the AP on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the administration.
Although faculty members are free to talk to the media, a 2020 state legislation that forbids faculty unions at public universities means that DSU faculty have fewer protections than those in other states, according to Sogn.
Having a well-known person at commencement could draw focus away from the graduates, according to some faculty members.
