From three boards, to two boards, to an expanded single board.
The Republican and Democratic floor leaders in the North Dakota Senate are the sponsors of a Constitutional measure to expand the state Board of Higher education by three members, making it an 11-member board.
This, in the wake of the House rejecting a bill to create two separate boards of higher education. A task force had earlier recommended three boards. The three board model would have established sepearate governance for NDSU and UND, and for the 9 reminaing institutions. That was changed to two boards -- one for the two research universities, and the other for the rest.
Sen. Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson), one of the sponsors, said it's clear the Legislature has to do something.
"I really believe that, for the fate of higher education, we need to put some more members on that one board," Wardner told reporters. "They need help. That's a heavy work load."
Sen. Minority Leader Joan Heckaman (D-New Rockford) is another sponsor. She served on the governance task force.
Wardner said Gov. Doug Burgum has been pushing hard for the two board model. But he said it would have a tough time getting through the Senate.
The board members would serve one six-year term, instead of the two four-year terms they can serve now.
