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DSU receives national award for innovation

October 17, 2025

Dakota State University staff have been awarded the SanSational Award in the licensure program category for their program availability by location map.

Annette Miller, state authorization coordinator; Sarah Rasmussen, director of online education; and Coby Cochran, senior web applications developer, were selected for this honor from the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) State Authorization Network (SAN).

“Winning the SANsational Award really is like taking home the Super Bowl trophy or an Emmy in the world of State Authorization—it’s a recognition of excellence, innovation, and leadership in a field that often works behind the scenes but is absolutely critical to higher education,” Miller said. “This recognition from the SAN honors the team’s dedication, innovation, and leadership in navigating the complex landscape of state authorization and compliance.”  

The map was created to help out-of-state students be more aware of their state’s requirements for learning from a distance. It shows students which programs are available in a state, whether the courses are online or face-to-face, and which programs need to meet licensure or placement requirements in certain states. This program meets SARA, Federal, and state compliance needs.

“DSU maintains a centralized database that maps each program to its licensure status and identifies states with unique requirements for placements,” their nomination read.

The DSU team developed this tool in a cost-friendly way. “All components of this application, including the map graphic and programming languages, were open-source and free to use,” Cochran explained. “This approach saved the university thousands of dollars compared to purchasing commercial data visualization tools like Tableau.”

The map was also designed to be accessible, and it adheres to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

“DSU significantly enhanced its approach to licensure disclosures by transitioning from static Excel spreadsheets and PDF documents to a dynamic, interactive map,” according to the project nomination.

“The map has become a centralized, user-friendly resource that supports transparency and informed decision-making for all stakeholders.”

On Friday, Oct. 24, Cheryl Dowd, senior director of SAN & WCET policy innovations, will be on DSU’s campus to present the award to Miller, Rasmussen, and Cochran.

“It’s an honor to see this collective effort recognized,” Cochran said. “Every person involved contributed to something that supports our shared mission of empowering students and fostering innovation at DSU.”

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