A member of the newly appointed Governor’s Task Force on HIgher Education Governance says he comes to the table with no pre-conceived notions about the issue.
Rep. Mike Nathe (R-Bismarck) is a former chairman of the House Education Committee. Nathe said he’s learned a lot about higher education in that role.
"I don't think it hurts at all to take a look at the current system," Nathe said. "it's close to 80 years old."
The current system dates back to the 1930s. It consists of volunteer members serving on a Board of Higher Education.
"Obviously, times have changed since it was implemented," Nathe said. "It might be time to take a look at new ways to govern the schools."
However, Nathe said the task force needs to answer a fundamental question before discussions get started.
"What is the problem we're trying to solve?" Nathe said. "I think we need to figure that out before we move on to governance issues."
The task force will have its first meeting January 12th.