User:Jrokusek/Southeast Technical Institute

Southeast Technical Institute (STI) is one of four state supported post secondary technical institutes in South Dakota. Over forty different major fields of study are offered. STI grants Associate in Applied Science Degrees and Vocational Diplomas upon successful completion of individual program requirements.

In addition, a wide variety of Adult and Continuing Education (noncredit) classes, workshops, and seminars are offered to assist area residents in expanding and augmenting their occupational skills or to assist in general improvement of their chosen lifestyles.

History
STI has offered over 40 years of educational excellence to students in the Sioux Falls area and beyond. In May, 1965, Sioux Falls was designated by the State Board of Vocational Education to be one of the four areas in South Dakota to provide post high vocational technical education. Southeast Area Vocational Technical School opened its doors in 1968.

That year, Southeast Area Vocational Technical School began operations offering the following programs: Practical Nursing, Major Appliance Repair, Industrial Electronics, Drafting, Data Processing, Diesel Mechanics, and Airplane Mechanics. The original enrollment was 118 students. Glen Bunday served as the first Director of the school until he retired in 1969. Ed Wood succeeded him and guided the school as Director for seventeen years from 1969-1986. Terrence Sullivan succeeded Ed Wood in 1986 and served as Director of the Institute for fifteen years until he retired in 2001. Dr. Stan Vittetoe served as Southeast’s Director from July 2001 through July 2003. Jan Nicolay served as Southeast’s Interim Director from September 2003 through May 2004. Jeffrey R. Holcomb currently serves as the institute’s President.

In 1970, the Sioux Falls School District purchased a building at 15th and Western. At the time of purchase by the school district, the building was renamed The Career Center. In 1975, the building’s name was changed to the West Campus of STI to reflect the increased involvement of post-secondary vocational technical training.

An additional facility that housed post secondary vocational technical operations included the East Campus complex acquired in 1973 and 1978 and was located in the area of 9th Avenue and 14th Street. This complex included six buildings which served as the home for such programs as Advertising Design, Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Diesel Mechanics, Printing, Horticulture, and the Sioux Falls School District’s Print Shop. In addition, just a short walk away, the former Beadle Elementary School had been used since 1981 by STI to provide various training programs such as Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration, as well as Franchise Restaurant Management, Accounting, Marketing, and Computer Literacy courses. The 1989-90 school year witnessed the relocation of the vocational technical institute to new facilities located on the northwest side of Sioux Falls on the southwest corner of the intersection of Maple Street and Interstate 29, Exit 81.

The Adult Learning Center previously housed at Lincoln Senior High School was moved to the new campus along with Data Processing, Office Systems, Franchise Restaurant Management, Advertising Design, Civil and Architectural Drafting, Electronics, General Education, Marketing/Accounting, Printing, Surgical Technology, and the School District’s Print Shop.

All of the remaining East Campus and Beadle School programs moved to STI’s new campus in August, 1990. All of the former facilities were sold and the proceeds of the sale were applied to the cost of construction for the new facilities.

The Scarbrough Child Care Center, named after Alva W. Scarbrough, an ardent education supporter and community leader, opened its doors in September of 1991 to provide infant, toddler, and preschool child care for students attending the institute.

In July of 1993, Southeast Area Vocational Technical Institute officially changed its name to Southeast Technical Institute.

In 1994, a fourth building opened its doors on campus to house the growing Health Department. At this time, names were assigned to the three classroom buildings. “Ed Wood Technical Center” was the name assigned to the building that housed the industrial and technical trades in honor of Ed Wood’s dedicated service to the school. The main building was given the name “George S. Mickelson Education Center,” in honor of the late governor who made much of the development on the STI campus possible. Finally, the new health building was given the name “Health Science Center.” The name was changed in 2001 to the Terrence M. Sullivan Health Science Center in honor of STI’s third director.

In the Spring of 1998, an additional 112 acres of land were purchased to the west and south of the STI campus, allowing the potential to triple the size of the existing campus. Faced with increasing storage needs due to double digit enrollment growth since first occupying the campus in 1990, the Institute added its fifth building in 1999. This is a cold storage facility and is located behind the Ed Wood Technical Center.

In the Spring of 2001, Southeast’s Technology Center opened. This facility offers both STI and South Dakota university system programs and classes. STI’s first student housing facility, Hummel-Nicolay Hall, opened in Fall 2003 and accommodates up to one hundred students. Andera Hall opened in 2005 and houses an additional 100 students.

An expansion of STI’s Sullivan Health Science Center opened in Fall 2005 and doubled the size of the facility.

STI Memberships
• American Association of Community Colleges

• American Technical Education Association

• Association for Career and Technical Education

• League for Innovation in the Community Colleges

• National Association of School Financial Aid Administrators

• National Council for Occupational Education

• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

• South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

• Sioux Falls Development Foundation

• South Dakota Library Network

Accreditation

 * STI is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263.0456.
 * The South Dakota Board of Education has approved STI to grant the Associate in Applied Science degree and diplomas.
 * The Automotive Technology, Collision Repair Technology and Diesel Technology programs are certified as Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) schools by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).
 * The Cardiovascular Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and Surgical Technology programs have been accredited by CAAHEP, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
 * Nuclear Medicine Technology is accredited by JRCNMT- Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
 * Licensed Practical Nursing is accredited through the South Dakota Board of Nursing.
 * Law Enforcement is approved by the Law Enforcement Officer and Training Commission.