South Dakota universities planning to return to normal operations this fall Unmute PIERRE, S.D. (AP/KTIV) — The South Dakota Board of Regents says the state’s six public universities and two special schools are planning for a return to more normal operations this fall. The board's executive director Brian Maher says that with vaccines available now in higher education and K-12 settings, the universities are looking forward to more normal operations ahead. “Our goal is to return campus life this fall to a setting that looks much like it was before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Maher. Administrators say they will continue to monitor circumstances as the semester continues, making adjustments as necessary.