Bold change needed for higher education governance

When North Dakotans voted 80 years ago to create a single board to govern the state’s public colleges and universities, the world was still being introduced to the ballpoint pen. Oil had recently been discovered in Saudi Arabia. Non-stick Teflon had just been invented. And Superman made his first comic book appearance.

Few could have predicted a fivefold increase in enrollment at North Dakota’s state-funded colleges and universities, from just under 8,000 students in 1938 to over 45,000 students today, or that the number of institutions would increase and their missions and offerings would expand and evolve so extensively.

Yet, eight decades later, our state’s higher education governance model remains largely unchanged.

While the current one-board system with eight voting members has served past needs of our state and its citizens, the time is now for the state to take courageous action and transform our system into a national leader by increasing accountability and allowing institutions to be more nimble, flexible and responsive to competitive forces and workforce demands.

Just over a year ago, by executive order we created the 15-member Task Force for Higher Education Governance. After 10 months of thoughtful review of the challenges facing our current one-board system, and investigating models used by other states, this diverse and talented task force – representing the interests of students, faculty, administrators, the business community and all three branches of state government – arrived at unanimous consensus that a new governance structure is needed for the state of North Dakota.

The task force had the courage and vision to seek bold change. With their vote, members recommended pursuing legislative and citizen support to adopt a three-board governance structure – one board for the state’s nine community and regional institutions, and one for each of the state’s two research institutions.

With increased bandwidth, these boards would work more directly with institutions and enhance accountability of their leadership. In addtion they would be better able to focus more deeply on the institutions’ individual missions, challenges and opportunities.

Student populations would be balanced between the boards. Currently, 40 percent of the system’s 45,882 students attend the nine community and regional institutions, 30 percent attend North Dakota State University and 30 percent attend the University of North Dakota. Faculty numbers would be split evenly in thirds between the three boards.

Successful features of the current system would be retained. For example, the task force recommends requiring all institutions to maintain common course numbering, the transferability of credits, a funding formula based on credit production and shared technology services as a prerequisite to receiving any state funds.

To help foster collaboration between the campuses, the task force also recommends creating an advisory committee comprised of the chairs of each of the three boards, plus a second appointed member from the community and regional institutions board.

In addition, the task force recommends transforming the current North Dakota University System office into an office of higher education shared services with a higher education administrator. This team, along with the advisory committee, would work collaboratively across the three boards and all 11 institutions to maintain effective shared services and a team approach to solving workforce challenges in the state.

Changing the current governance model will require voter approval of a constitutional amendment, which the Legislature could place on the ballot through a concurrent resolution.

The time for change is now. Powerful underlying economic and technological forces are challenging the very essence of the current business model for higher education delivery. Our institutions deserve, and our state needs, a governance model that enables all of our institutions and students to reach their fullest potential.