The President of North Dakota State University says the next few years will be a challenge, but he’s hopeful the institution can rise to meet the trials ahead.
Dr. David Cook announced this week NDSU will experience a $10.5 million budget shortfall in the next three years. The shortage is due to declining enrollment, which is more pronounced since the pandemic. Roughly 12,400 students are currently enrolled at NDSU, but Cook says state funding for the university is based on credit hours and not head count. Those credit hours have been dropping since 2013, falling even more sharply since 2017. In order to right the ship, Cook says tough decisions will need to be made.
"I think everything is going to be on the table for us to take a look at."
Cook says while attracting incoming students isn’t necessarily a problem, the university will be exploring new ways to retain the students who do enroll. He says committees are currently working on strategies for how to move forward and will present a plan for the Legislature in January.
"This is hard - it's really going to be hard. But it's also a grand opportunity - I would argue, a once in a generation opportunity - if we have the fortitude to do the hard things, and we're able to pivot and think about what our state needs, it's a great opportunity to transform."
Cook says the university’s opportunity before it is to fine tune how it can best serve the needs of North Dakota.