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New admission standards coming to ND University System

Dave Thompson
/
Prairie Public

Future North Dakotacollege students will have to meet tougher entrance requirements.

The state Board of Higher Education approved the plan for more stringent standards proposed by new Chancellor Ham Shirvani. Shirvani calls it the “Pathways to Student Success.” He told the Board the system consists of three types of institutions – community colleges, regional universities and research universities. He says while there would not be admissions standards at the community colleges, the other two tiers would have standards.

The plan will use a numerical formula, based on a student’s high school grades, course work and ACT test scores. North Dakota students will get a small bonus.

The new requirements won't take effect until 2015.

"We do not want to make a severe impact while we are improving," Shirvani told the board. "But we don't want to make it so watered-down, that it's only some rhetoric and catalog changes, but we're doing basically the same thing."

Shirvani told the Board this plan is a work-in-progress, and it will be done incrementally.

"It's very important that the plan as a concept be done as a very clear demonstration to the Legislature and to the public, that we're really on the way to build a quality system," said Shirvani.

The student member of the Board – NDSU student Sydney Hull – moved to table any decision on Shirvani's plan. Hull said  some of the students are raising questions.

"With most students that I have talked to, the reception to the new plan is is very positive," said Hull. "They are just concerned about the timeline."

Hill said says Minot State University students and faculty asked that a third party be brought in to review Shirvani’s proposal. That caused Shirvani to wonder out loud "what's going on at Minot State." The University president, Dr. David Fuller, said people on his campus are rightfully concerned about what impact the changes will have on Canadian students, who sometimes are able to get tuition waivers. Shirvani's proposal would restrict those waivers.

"We're up in northwest North Dakota," said Fuller. "We have challenges -- not only the flood, but we're close to Canada. The reaction you're seeing from our campus is because of the changes in tuition, the changes in waivers and all the rest, and what impacts those changes will have on our campus."

Shirvani says he will be keeping in contact with students, faculty, campus presidents and the Board as the plan evolves.

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