Dakota State University (DSU) is a public university in Madison, South Dakota. The school was founded in 1881 as a normal school, or teacher training school. Education is still the university's heritage mission, but a signature mission of technology was added by the state legislature in 1984 to specialize in "programs in computer management, computer information systems, and other related undergraduate and graduate programs." History Dakota State University was founded in 1881, eight years before South Dakota became a state. It has been through several name changes: 1881—Madison Normal School or Dakota State Normal, and was the first school dedicated to training teachers in the Dakota Territory. 1902—Madison State Normal School 1921—Eastern State Normal School was officially adopted: changed to Eastern State Teachers College in 1927. 1947—General Beadle State Teachers College, after the school's third president William Henry Harrison Beadle (1889–1905); amended to General Beadle State College in 1964. 1969—Dakota State College 1989—Dakota State University, to reflect the addition of graduate programs. The university's homecoming celebration has also undergone several name changes, first Pioneer Day (1922), then Eastern Frontier Day in 1923 (changed because another state's normal schools were using Pioneer Day), Eastern Day (1924-1954), Tutor Day (1955-1970's), and now Trojan Days. Dr. José-Marie Griffiths is the school's current and 23rd president. DSU is also home to the Lake County Museum, formerly known as the Smith-Zimmermann Museum and the Karl E. Mundt Library and archives. Academics Dakota State is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, designated in 2004 by the National Security Agency. DSU now holds four such distinctions, with awards from the Department of Homeland Security/National Security Agency (NSA) as a National Center of Academic Excellence in: Information Assurance Education, Information Assurance Research, Cyber Operations, and most recently as a Cyber Defense Regional Resource Center. The 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking listed the university as tied for #36 in Top Public Schools (Regional Universities Midwest), and tied for #118 overall in Regional Universities Midwest. Dakota State houses four academic colleges: The College of Education, The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Business and Information Systems. Accreditation and governance Dakota State is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), on the AQIP track (Academic Quality Improvement Program). The College of Education is accredited