Former NDUS Chancellor Robert Potts Has Applied To Be Chancellor Again

The North Dakota University System has had a bad track record with chancellors in recent years. Former Chancellor Hamid Shirvani was pushed out after ruffling the feathers of university presidents, as was Chancellor Robert Potts before him.

Now, it seems Potts has applied for the chancellor position again according to a source in the Legislature (I’m working on confirming it with the NDUS).

Potts was previously chancellor from 2004 – 2006, but resigned after a very public confrontation with then-North Dakota State University President Joe Chapman (ironically, much of Shirvani’s problems were rooted in hostility from current NDSU President Dean Bresciani).

Potts is currently working in higher education in Arkansas.

This is a very interesting development. During his previous tenure Potts was very much about enforcing the authority of the State Board of Higher Education over the campuses. My observers, including this one, feel the root of the problem in the university system is the continued refusal of the state’s universities to submit to unified governance.

UPDATE: It looks like the Forum has picked up on the story as well.