In Editorial Fargo Forum Asks for NDSU President Dean Bresciani’s Resignation Calling Him an “Embarrassment”

Yesterday I broke a story about North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani lying to the public about his support for restrictions placed on media covering Bison athletics events.

Today, in an editorial, the Fargo Forum calls for Bresciani to resign.

An excerpt:

Is this the type of leadership we want for our 14,000 sons and daughters who attend NDSU? Lying to the state about your actions, is this acceptable? Telling your subordinate to take the public heat and you will back him? Do these leaders meet our community standards? NDSU’s very own mission standards? What else are they not forthcoming about? How else does Bresciani treat his co-workers when emails and text messages are not seen? We have demanded excellence from the football team. They have delivered. Now it is time for the president to win.

President Bresciani’s actions in the last week are in embarrassment to our state. We ask for Dean Bresciani’s immediate resignation.

I’ve been calling for Bresciani’s departure for some time now.

He’s been a poor leader for NDSU, prioritizing things like athletics and enrollment bloat over sound academic outcomes for students.

He’s been a poor leader for the State of North Dakota. A beligerent sort of obstacle to badly needed unity in the state university sytem. Bresciani has consistently feuded with lawmakers, chancellors, higher ed board members, and journalists.

The State Board of Higher Education seems to get it. Last month they put Bresciani on notice, ordering him to work with university system Chancellor Mark Hagerott on a plan to improve his performance in areas like communications and team work.

Now it seems like the Forum gets it too.

I hope we can say that Bresciani, whose contract is up on June 30 of next year, is on his way out.