The Board of Regents has constitutional authority to govern the system of public higher education in the state of South Dakota. Supported by an executive director and staff, the board provides leadership and sets policies for programs and services delivered by its six public universities and two schools serving special K-12 populations. The public universities (and home campus locations) are Black Hills State University, Spearfish; Dakota State University, Madison; Northern State University, Aberdeen; South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City; South Dakota State University, Brookings; and the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. The special schools are South Dakota School for the Deaf, Sioux Falls, and South Dakota School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Aberdeen.