HISTORY

In 1968, a committee was formed on the Rosebud Reservation to study the idea of creating a community college, Sicangu people wanted to provide higher education opportunies to tribal members who were not able to leave the reservation for a myriad of reasons. In 1970, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe granted a charter to Sinte Gleska College. Sinte Gleska College was chartered to provide post-secondary and other educaEon opportuniEes to area residents. The doors opened on February 3, 1971, and courses were offered under the auspices of the University of South Dakota and the University of Colorado extension division. Associate degrees were developed and approved by the State of South Dakota Board of Regents in 1972. The first Associate of Arts degree was awarded in August of 1973. The University subsequently offered degrees and courses through Black Hills State College (General Studies, EducaEon, Business EducaEon, Lakota Studies and Social Services), and under the University of South Dakota (Nursing and Human Services). In 1978, the first Bachelor’s degree in Selected Studies (Human Services-Mental Health or Criminal JusEce minor and Elementary EducaEon) were implemented through cooperaEve agreements with the University of South Dakota and Black Hills State College, respecEvely. These early relaEonships enabled the College to offer courses leading to degrees at both the College and through accredited insEtuEons. In 1976, Sinte Gleska College sought and received candidacy for accreditaEon from the North Central AssociaEon of Colleges and Schools. Two biennial site visits in 1978 and 1980 and a final site review in 1982 enabled Sinte Gleska College to receive accreditaEon from the North Central AssociaEon of Colleges and Schools in the Spring of 1983. The accreditaEon at the Associate and Baccalaureate levels made Sinte Gleska College the first tribal college to receive accreditaEon at the four-year level, and only the second to receive it at the two-year level. In 1988, Sinte Gleska College requested a focused evaluaEon for the purpose of accreditaEon approval of the offering of a Master’s degree program in Elementary EducaEon for teachers of American Indian children. The program was approved in Spring 1989, making Sinte Gleska College the first tribal college to offer a Master’s program on an Indian reservaEon. In August of 1988, Sinte Gleska College began to host educaEon forums to draw together individuals and organizaEons to discuss and change educaEon and social policy. Along with these forums, the College opened public and insEtuEonal discussions in February 1991 regarding the College becoming a University. Following these discussions, Sinte Gleska College became Sinte Gleska University on February 2, 1992, in a tradiEonal tribal ceremony. Also, the Board of Directors became the Board of Regents. Since 1992, the University has focused efforts on increasing its endowment, building adequate faciliEes, and strengthening academic programs. In 1995, the University developed a plan for the Antelope Lake Campus, east of its Mission campus. In 1996, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe granted the University 1,600 acres of land encompassing the Antelope Lake area of the ReservaEon for its new campus. Through a grant from the Lannan FoundaEon, the University built the SGU Science and Technology Center and the Wakinyan Wanbli MulEpurpose Student Center, in addiEon to improving faciliEes on its Mission campus. Through efforts of the American Indian Higher EducaEon ConsorEum and the Log Home Builders Council, the University and the reservaEon community constructed a log building dedicated to the preservaEon and teaching of Lakota history, culture, and language, which houses the SGU Cultural Heritage Center and Archives. Through agreements with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sicangu Wicota Awanyanke, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development IniEaEve, the University built three student housing complexes on the Antelope