MADISON, S.D. – Contrary to many U.S. colleges witnessing student protests, Dakota State University remains untouched by such political activism. Situated in the rural expanse of South Dakota, the majority of its nearly 4,000 students have been concentrating on academics or seeking employment, staying clear of political affiliations and debates.

Until now.

Despite this, the university’s decision to bestow an honorary degree upon Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, coupled with an invitation for her to address the graduating class on May 10, has introduced political discourse to the campus.

This move has led students to organize a rally against the former governor of South Dakota and the policies of the Trump administration on the day of graduation. They anticipate that protestors from the southeast region of South Dakota will join their demonstration.

They want to speak out against the federal government’s immigration policies, which are being implemented with Noem’s oversight, on behalf of peers who fear for their legal status. They also are expected to protest Noem’s anti-LGBT actions during her time as governor.

Some students and faculty also said they thought the honorary degree was too high an honor to bestow upon her.

Among DSU students, many are unsure if they should join the objections or stay quiet to avoid the kind of punishments suffered by students at more outspoken colleges.

“The atmosphere is tense,” humanities instructor Daniel Spencer said. “Students are afraid of making their voices heard.”

Students studying in its renowned cybersecurity program have traditionally been hesitant to take political stances because they fear potential blowback when they later seek government and private sector jobs.

DSU’s location in Madison, a small town about an hour’s drive northwest of Sioux Falls, also is a factor.

“Many of our students are from rural South Dakota, and there’s a bit of an unwillingness to confront authority,” Professor Emeritus Dale Droge said. “We don’t have very many students in the political sciences or history where they might be thinking about these more civil rights kind of actions.”

Hundreds of international students who attend DSU and haven’t yet been affected by recent DHS actions are weighing their participation options. The agency had terminated the legal status of more than 1,000 international students before reversing course and outlining a new policy for those terminations.

“I have international students coming to me from outside of the senate, across campus, who expressed to me that they don’t want to get involved in any of this because they have fears of getting their visas revoked,” said Anden Wieseler, a DSU junior and student senate vice president.

Noem’s support for DSU

DSU selected Noem because she was an “unwavering champion of Dakota State” during her time as governor, university spokesperson Andrew Sogn said in a written statement to The Associated Press.

Noem supported the university’s cybersecurity initiatives and helped secure millions of dollars in funding, cementing the school’s standing as a national cybersecurity leader, Sogn said.

“She was asked to share remarks with DSU’s graduates based on her distinguished and ground-breaking career in public service, and her many efforts to support the citizens of the state of South Dakota and the nation,” Sogn said.

Noem’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

DSU President José-Marie Griffiths nominated Noem to receive an honorary doctorate, though the university declined to provide details of the offer. The general faculty and student senate voted against the nomination, with only one of the 15 student senators voting in favor of the nomination, Wiesler said.

Fear of speaking out

“There is a fear among a lot of the international student body on speaking on this matter, just a result of the current political climate,” said Tyler Sprik, a freshman and student senator. “That’s part of the reason me and several other senators have become so involved — it’s because a lot of our colleagues can’t.”

Faculty members also are apprehensive to share their opinions publicly. Some said the administration discouraged them from speaking to media and joining student rallies. Some cited President Donald Trump’s heightened scrutiny on higher education as reason for caution.

Other students said they feared reprisal from the administration and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they didn’t want to jeopardize their jobs.

While faculty members are welcome to speak with the media, DSU faculty are afforded fewer protections than in other states due to a 2020 state law outlawing faculty unions at public colleges, Sogn said.

Droge is troubled by the reluctance to speak out.

“It is very concerning to me that we’ve reached a point in not just Dakota State, but in so many institutions that people are afraid to speak freely even on issues like this of free speech and principles and ethics,” Droge said. “These things aren’t against the university in any way but it’s about allowing people to speak their minds freely.”

Some faculty members also said having a high-profile figure at commencement may take attention away from the graduates.

“The biggest chatter I’ve heard from students and other faculty is first and foremost concern that there will be a disruption to the commencement, which we all feel is so important to the students that are there,” said Stephen Krebsbach, a computer science professor.

Still, many students are preparing for the rally.

“The students’ attitude is clear. No honor for Noem. Give commencement back to the graduates and listen to us,” Sprik said.