Incoming Chancellor of ND University System Highest Priority Is Public Relations

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Written By:
The Whistler

Mar 18, 2012
9:00am

Readers of Say Anything know that the problems in the North Dakota University System are overwhelming the good things that are actually being done at the schools. A few of the problems that I can think of off the top of my head include the scandals at Dickinson State which include faked enrollment numbers and issuing unearned diplomas. NDSU’s last president had to be fired due to financial irregularities and Say Anything has uncovered more serious financial problems in their technology park. UND has done their best to alienate the community with their lies and collusion with the NCAA in their campaign to dump the Sioux nickname for their athletic teams.

But it’s OK. The incompetent Chancellor that’s overseen all of these scandals is retiring and there will be a new sheriff in town. The problem is that he doesn’t seem willing to address the culture of corruption at the NDUS. Instead he thinks we need more PR.

Overall, North Dakota has a “really a good system,” Shirvani [the incoming chancellor] said, but there needs to be more public relations work done so legislators and the public know about it.

Shirvani also says that they need to build the relationship with the legislature. Does he realize that the university system just went to court to claim that they are above the law? How’s that going to help build the relationship with the legislature.

What the university system needs is easy to list, but harder to carry out. The first thing that needs to be done is to have a zero tolerance for any type of ethical lapse, including lying to the public. We’re sick of the lies and arrogance coming from them. Their finances could be cleared up nearly as easy. We need to quit giving away free tuition to students, particularly people from out of state. That and requiring the faculty to actually work in the classroom a minimum amount of time should save plenty of money to freeze state support and lower tuition.

I believe our universities should primarily be about giving our students a great preparation for life. We shouldn’t be subsidizing out of state students. The universities shouldn’t be excused for wasting money because they are somehow, I don’t see it, economic development.