UND's Student Senate will consider endorsing the school's move to NCAA Division I athletics at a meeting Sunday.
The senate opted not to make that endorsement late last school year because the school's D-I Commission had not officially declared how high student fees will rise as a result of the move.
Student senators at that time were working with a consultant's report that recommended student fees increase $35 per semester this year, then a total of $72 per semester in succeeding years to support the D-I move.
That report, along with the planned fee increases, has since been endorsed by the D-I Commission and signed by UND President Charles Kupchella.
Student Body President Jay Fisher said he expects the resolution supporting the D-I move to pass, though perhaps in an amended form that more directly addressees student concerns about increased fees. Fisher and Vice President Jordan Buhr both serve on the D-I Commission.
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UND men's and women's hockey programs are Division I sports, but all other sports are Division II. UND is one of only three state flagship universities that is not Division I in the majority of its sports, according to Carr Sports and Associates, the consulting firm that produced the transition plan.
The D-I transition is a five-year process, starting with an exploratory year that began this fall. During this year, UND teams will compete on a Division II level, but must satisfy a number of minimum D-I standards. During the succeeding four years, the teams will compete primarily against D-I teams, but will not be eligible to compete in NCAA championships.
Marks reports on higher education. Reach him at (701) 780-1105, (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or jmarks@gfherald.com .
