Q&A: University of South Dakota's new president eyes access, affordability in higher ed

Sheila Gestring will formally become the next president of the University of South Dakota on Wednesday. 

But Gestring has already hit the ground running in the months leading up to her inauguration. She stepped into her role as USD president last summer after the retirement of longtime leader Jim Abbott. 

Gestring, a South Dakota native, moved into the job after working as the university's top financial executive. 

The Argus Leader visited with Gestring in the days leading up to her inauguration. Here's a transcript of that conversation, edited for length and clarity. 

Question: What's been the biggest adjustment moving from your role in finance to now leading the entire university? 

Answer: The biggest adjustment is the complexity of the organization from one step beyond finance, so, understanding things a little bit deeper. Obviously, financially you're exposed to all of those areas, but now there's a little bit different lens in which I have to look at things. I can't key in on just the financial aspect. 

Q: What are some of the big goals you're trying to hit in the next five years? 

A: My main goal right now is access and affordability. Our spending-per-degree is lower than all of our peers, so we feel like we're really doing a great job of providing a quality education as efficiently and effectively as we possibly can. 

Q: One of the big topics of discussion around USD in the last couple of years has been the law school. What do you see as the future for the law school, and how does Sioux Falls fit into that conversation? 

A: I'm really excited about the future of the law school. ... (In task force discussions), it became crystal clear that we were really lacking in scholarships, and that was where we needed to make the most headway. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, alumni and friends we were able to offer a much more competitive scholarship. And what that did then for the class was it not only increased the class size 22 percent, but the average LSAT score also increased to the highest it had been since 2010. 

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We're going to start developing curriculum in areas like compliance, health care compliance, banking compliance, trust compliance, just an awful lot of areas to meet that business need as well. So, there will be a stronger Sioux Falls presence. ... We want to meet that need, and a lot of that will come after we get a new dean named, which we expect to have named before summer.

Q: One other area USD has taken an increased presence in is the University Center in Sioux Falls. Can you talk a little bit about how USD is playing a role there? 

A: We recently brought on board (University Center Executive Director) Carmen Simone, and she's really been tasked with focusing our efforts at the University Center. We were looking into some data, and in the four-county area for Sioux Falls, all of the high school graduates ... all told that was (hundreds of) students that did not go on for postsecondary education. ... And that's where we need to play a role. We need to meet that need and refocus the Unviersity Center in Sioux Falls to meet that market need. 

Q: Are there other things going on at USD that people should know about right now? 

A: I would bring up the USD Discovery District. That is a very exciting initiative for the University of South Dakota. It's where innovation and industry intersect, and it's a place where our students will be able to study and work side-by-side with significant biotechnology, biomedical research. 

We are so proud to be partner in all of that. We're thankful for our other partners ... We are just incredibly excited. The momentum is really positive right now, and we're hoping that will continue.

More:USD Discovery District announces first tenant in $30.9 million project

Q: What's the biggest challenge the university is facing right now? 

A: I think our biggest challenge really comes back to that access and affordability. In the state of South Dakota, we don't have need-based financial aid. We're the only state that doesn't have need-based financial aid to a material degree, and that's really important. 

Q: Anything else we should know about USD's new president? 

A: I am just incredibly honored and humbled to have been granted this appointment, and I am honored to lead such incredible talent here at the university. The faculty and staff all care deeply about the students and their success. Our students are all absolutely brilliant and bright and engaged, and it's just a pleasure every single day.