The Board of Regents has approved the first reading of a new policy for minors on college campuses in the state.
The policy, still in a draft form, calls for additional guardrails to be put in place.
The policy was shared at the most recent Board of Regents meeting in Aberdeen.
Nathan Lukkes, Regents general counsel, said they are taking the thousand-yard view.
“In December the board charged staff with creating a policy to make sure we are safeguarding and protecting the well-being of minors that are being invited or coming to campus," Lukkes said. "We really stepped back and tried to take a comprehensive approach to provide guardrails that outline what we’d expect as the appropriate process, protocols, and safeguards for the various instances in which minors come onto our campuses.”
This comes months after a drag performance advertised as “family friendly” held on the campus of South Dakota State drew headlines and a moratorium for any on-campus events with minors. The policy would apply to any on-campus event and would ban minors from any program with "obscene" live conduct, nudity, or content depicting sexual activities.
Lukkes said the policy is still a work-in-progress.
“I think we’re at a good place, this is a solid start, but there will continue to be some tweaks around the margins just to make sure that we’re really accomplishing what we want to accomplish and that we are not causing any unintended consequences because there are a broad range of activities covered in this policy and we want to make sure we get it right,” Lukkes said.
There was little debate before the first reading was approved. Regent Joan Wink raised concerns with the language used in the title of the policy.
“Above all what we want is kids on our campus running and playing and feeling free – that we want them there when they’re five and six and ten - the title bothers me," Wink said. "But its very clear, and it tells what the policy is, so I don’t have a better solution.”
There is an opportunity for public response before the next reading which can be sent via the ‘contact us’ button on the Board of Regents website.