Board takes stance on higher ed funding bill

BISMARCK - North Dakota’s State Board of Higher Education voted in favor of asking the state Legislature to make several changes to a higher education funding bill when they return this month.
House Bill 1003 altered the funding system put in place during the last legislative session, so the board is requesting the original funding formula be used, along with putting money toward several building and maintenance projects that have become safety issues on their respective campuses.
The safety issues, they said, includes $16 million in aircraft ramp repairs at the Grand Forks Airport for the University of North Dakota, a $14 million heating plant replacement for Valley City State University, and a $13 million water, sewer and infrastructure replacement for the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, to name a few. That request alone totals $120 million across seven institutions.
The board is also requesting the Legislature allow them to retain authority in the oversight of workforce education, program offerings and training, tuition and locally funded capital projects.
The bill also aims to change the chain of command for North Dakota University System audits and legal counsel, which some on the board took issue with and discussed at length.
Ultimately, the group decided to wait to take action on that issue until board representatives had met with legislators and the attorney general's office.