FARGO - North Dakota State University has stopped its "financial slide" and has a balanced budget.
But a new funding model is needed to correct the history of unfair funding NDSU has received for years.
That's the message President Dean Bresciani will share today during his state of the university address, according to an advance copy provided to The Forum.
Bresciani will enlist the help of the entire university community to convey to the public why NDSU's success is important to the state.
"When NDSU is held back, the state of North Dakota is held back," he says in his speech.
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Those who attend his speech today will receive reminder cards with four messages to share with legislators, other leaders and members of the public about NDSU's "powerful potential."
Bresciani's four points are:
- "No aspect of our state, other than agriculture, more impacts the future of North Dakota than higher education, and no institution in the state does so better than NDSU. That's been confirmed by Moody's Investment, and both the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
- "Ironically and in spite of that, NDSU has been underfunded relative to other North Dakota colleges and universities; that is irrefutable, inexplicable and bad business for our state and its residents. Current per-student funding at NDSU, if doubled, would still be less than several of our state's other higher education institutions.
- "NDSU provides a documented return on invest of almost $7 on every $1 of state support. As such, we are a state investment without comparison.
- "We appreciate the public support we receive, and the legislative support we anticipate will increase in the future; alumni and friends of NDSU have promised to track and lend their encouragement of that support from our state's leaders."
Bresciani will not announce new distinguished professors today. President Joseph Chapman started the program in 2007 to reward excellent faculty, but no awards have been given since 2008.
Bresciani said during a recent meeting with The Forum's editorial board that he thinks it's a good program, but NDSU doesn't have the funding to support it right now.
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If you go
What: NDSU President Dean Bresciani's State of the University address
When: 11 a.m. today
Where: NDSU Reineke Fine Arts Center
Info: Open to the public.
Online: Video of the speech will be available at www.ndsu.edu/president/speeches
This article is by the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
