SDSU president stepping down next year

BROOKSINGS, S.D. -- The president of South Dakota State University will step down next year.
David Chicoine will leave on or around July 1, or as soon as a new president is hired and assumes office, the South Dakota Board of Regents said. Chicoine will remain at SDSU as a faculty member within the Department of Economics.
Chicoine has been president since 2007. He is the third alumnus to serve as South Dakota State president.
Under Chicoine, SDSU completed a $255 million fund-raising campaign and the implementation of a new strategic plan that aims to reach 42 accredited programs. In the the first two years of the plan, the number of accredited programs increased from from 32 to 37.
Last spring marked the fourth consecutive year that more than 1,800 students received their undergraduate degree from SDSU - an increase of more than 125 students annually from previous years. Students receiving their Ph.D. awards increased as well, registering a record 47 in 2014, up from 21 in 2008.