Tuesday,  March 25, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 252 • 22 of 38

News from the

Board approves Southeast Tech electrician program

• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- The South Dakota Board of Education has approved a two-year associate of applied science degree program for electricians at Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls.
• The program is designed to provide graduates with the skills to become electricians and to establish hours toward licensure requirements.
• The board on Monday also approved the addition of an aviation option to the agriculture program at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown. Graduates will obtain a private pilot's license and be trained to work in the field of agriculture aviation as an aerial application pilot, aerial application technician or aerial application owner and operator.

USD mock trial team qualifies to national tourney

• VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) -- The University of South Dakota's mock trial team is heading to the national competition.
• The team of 10 undergraduate students recently earned one of 48 spots in the 30th annual American Mock Trial Association national championship tournament.
• Teams participating in the event argue court cases in competitions against other schools' teams to develop skills in critical thinking, public speaking and legal practices.
• The University of Central Florida will host the competition this year from April 11-13 in Orlando, Fla.
• The American Mock Trial Association was founded in 1985 at by a former Drake University Law School dean.

Fees will go up at SD's 4 technical schools

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Tuition at South Dakota's four technical institutes will not increase next academic year but fees per credit hour will increase $4.
• The state's Board of Education approved the fee increase Monday.
• The facility fee will go up $3, while the maintenance and repair fee will increase $1. Factoring the fee hike, students will pay $137 per credit hour.
• Melody Schopp is the state's secretary of education. She says it is important to

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