SBHE appoints acting president for Dickinson State University

07 AugSBHE appoints acting president for Dickinson State University

During its July 31 meeting, the SBHE appointed Ty Orton as acting president of Dickinson State University following the recent resignation of President Steve Easton. The appointment officially went into effect Aug. 3.

The Board considered the appointment during an executive session with NDUS Chancellor Mark Hagerott. The Board later will appoint an interim president during its Sept. 24 meeting, which will be followed by a nationwide presidential search.

"Our students are wonderful people. They truly treat each other amazingly well," Easton said. "I appreciate the Board for giving me the opportunity for the last four and a half years to lead this institution that's so dear to me and to my family."

Chancellor Hagerott and the Board thanked Easton for his service and his perseverance through a challenging timeframe, leading the campus through the COVID-19 pandemic and working to turn around budget deficits.

"Thank you for your hard work, and we know you love Dickinson," Board Chair Tim Mihalick said.

The Board later heard a presentation from Member Kevin Black, who has led the Ad Hoc Funding Formula Committee. The group first met in January 2024 to understand the driving inputs, mathematical functions and real-world implications of the funding formula. This state funding mechanism for NDUS's 11 institutions was first established by the North Dakota Legislature in 2011. The group, who also worked with legislators involved in creating the funding formula, provided recommendations for how the formula could be optimized to better serve students.

Jerry Rostad, vice chancellor of strategy and strategic engagement, updated the Board on progress being made on the Envision 2035 strategic planning process. He reviewed legislative initiatives from the planning process that were already being included in NDUS's needs-based budget request for the next biennium. This represented only about 20 percent of the total Envision 2035 findings. Leaders from the nine study groups now will work with legislators to carry through these additional initiatives during legislative session. Items that are not addressed during the 2025 session will be picked up again during future legislative sessions.

One initiative that has generated significant discussion during the Envision 2035 process is a concept called the National Security Crossroads, which would intertwine UAS interests in the Red River Valley, supported by the University of North Dakota, Minot State University and Lake Region State College, to further North Dakota's role in autonomous systems.

President Doug Darling gave a presentation explaining the work Lake Region State College has already been doing to support the UAS enterprise, including partnerships that have been developed.

No public comments were made.

The Board's next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 29.

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