Kimberley Ann Gourneau

The State Board of Higher Education held a special meeting to address several items. The agenda was approved unanimously. The primary discussion involved entering an Executive Session to consider the appointment of an interim President for North Dakota State University (NDSU) and associated contract terms. Upon reconvening in open session, the Board voted to appoint Rick Berg as Interim President at NDSU and authorized Chair Black and the Commissioner to negotiate the contract terms. The meeting concluded shortly thereafter.

The committee meeting included a motion to approve minutes from previous meetings held in January and February 2026. The primary agenda item involved entering executive session to discuss the semi-finalist candidate information and assessments for the Bismarck State College presidency. Following the executive session, the open session reconvened to discuss the schedule for the upcoming semi-finalist campus visits, which include forums with faculty, staff, students, and the community, as well as meetings with the Executive President's Cabinet.

The meeting agenda was approved, followed by System Spotlight presentations on the DSU/WSC Degree Bridge Program and Williston State College. The Board Consent agenda included approvals for tenure decisions at North Dakota State University, institutional accreditation notifications, and various financial matters for UND, MiSU, and NDSU, such as expanding scope for HPCII and building renovations. The Board Business section involved the first reading and approval to waive the second read for Policy 409 and Policy 409.1 regarding reduced-credit bachelor's degrees. The Land Lease Agreement for the NDSCS Rec Center was referred back to the Budget and Finance Committee for further review. The Board approved naming the DSU Rodeo Arena after donor Dale Little Soldier. Committee reports covered updates on policy reviews, tenure eligibility definitions, federal research funding, and an executive session on the State Auditor's Report. The Chair emphasized credentialing, workforce impact, and research factors in the formula. System Office updates included discussions on the Governor's 2027-29 budget planning, the annual tuition waiver report, an update on the ERP legislative study, and progress on presidential searches for BSC, VCSU, and NDSU. Other key discussions involved the DSU update concerning the former CFO investigation, the development of a shared services framework, and a proposal for restructuring the Higher Education System.

The Research and Governance Committee agenda included a Federal Funding Landscape Update and a presentation of the latest Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) expenditure data for NDSU and UND. Governance discussions covered an update on the System Alignment Project, consensus reached on degree requirements for tenured faculty, and updates on the Presidential Search Processes for BSC, VCSU, and NDSU. The committee also reviewed IT Security metrics, the CTS annual report, and developments related to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) legislative study. Finally, the Board approved substantive amendments to SBHE policies, including the deletion of Policy 331, amendments to Policy 340.2 regarding Nonprofit Affiliates, and amendments to Policy 601.2 concerning Acting Chief Executive Officer appointments for DCB.

The agenda for the meeting was approved. The committee entered into an executive session to discuss semi-finalist candidates for the Bismarck State College presidency, which concluded after a period of deliberation. Upon reconvening in open session, the committee approved a motion to invite the top semi-finalist candidates to the campus for in-person interviews scheduled between March 2 and March 6, 2026. Subsequent discussions covered the reference checking process, interview question development, and next steps for setting up the interviews.