Editorial: President has power to prevail at DSU

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Congratulations to D.C. Coston on his new role as permanent president of Dickinson State University.

The North Dakota Board of Higher Education decided during its Thursday meeting that Coston, who was serving as interim president, is fitting for the position.

Much of the community agrees with this suitable choice, and it is delightful to hear him say he is excited and thrilled to take on this leadership role. Coston says he wants to be involved and has the energy.

This is what a university that has been blemished by the shortcomings of its former leader needs. (Coston fills the post once held by Richard McCallum, who was fired after it was discovered enrollment numbers had been falsely inflated.)

Since he came to our community at the end of August, Coston has strived to improve the public’s perception of DSU. Once again, something the university needs.

He has been out in the community and has made a point to meet with various organizations — not waiting for them to call, but putting forth the effort to do the contacting.

The university is too important to the community to be known as the one whose president was fired.

There are rumors, there have been news tips and the university has taken a hit. If it has to take a bigger hit, we are prepared. But sometimes you have to go even lower before things can get better.

Now is the time to get the demons out. If this university is hiding any other ills, let’s hear it. Everybody deserves to know.

Don’t wait six months or a year. A strong leader is needed and a strong leader should be able to take on this challenge and smooth out any bumps in the road.

The focus must return to the importance of keeping talented professors and students. An oil boom has caused enough of a challenge for those coming into the community to find housing. We don’t want to let the past be another reason to keep them away when they weigh the pros and cons of taking positions, or earning their diplomas here.

Erase the blemishes so we can move forward. Finish any audits and fix anything that may need to be, and restore perception of a campus that has much to offer — education, art, diversity, organizations.

It’s time to renew Dickinson’s role in the higher education system and the community’s faith in it.

We believe Mr. Coston has the energy to take on the challenges and to take Dickinson State University to an even higher level.

Dickinson Press Publisher Harvey Brock and Editor Jennifer McBride are on the Editorial Board.

Tags: opinion, editorial, editorials, dsu