January 18, 2011 – January 21, 2011
In this edition:
Published January 18, 2011
North Dakota bill targets fake IDs
By: Teri Finneman, INFORUM
Legislation would allow servers to keep, report IDs: North Dakota lawmakers want to crack down on the more
than 2,300 college students in the state who have used fake IDs.
This article includes video footage.
Published January 18, 2011
N.D. LEGISLATURE: Lawmakers introduce bill for I-29 ramp; UND testifies Tuesday
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
UND and North Dakota State University officials testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Education
and Environment Division Tuesday about House Bill 1003, the higher education funding bill.
Published January 18, 2011
Bill to ban alcohol at collegiate athletic events introduced
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
HB 1212 sponsor says it isn’t a ‘bill to ban tailgating'. Chuck Damschen didn’t expect to win any popularity points
when he proposed banning alcohol at North Dakota collegiate athletic events, but the Republican state representative
from Hampden said he’s been surprised by the rancor he’s stirred up in the public. Open story for video of Chuck
Damschen explaining his decision to introduce HB 1212.
This article includes video footage.
Published January 18, 2011
Alcohol on Campus
KXMBTV Bismarck
A proposed bill would ban alcohol at college sporting events even if the person is over 21. The bill sponsor says it's a
way to show minors that that drinking is not acceptable.
This article includes video footage.
Published January 19, 2011
Committee: 'Do not pass' bill to ban alcohol sales at N.D. college athletic events
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
A bill popularly conceived as a ban on tailgating at North Dakota universities got a big thumbs down from the House
Education Committee on Wednesday.
Published January 19, 2011
Beneficial insect control introduced at DCB Greenhouse
Lake Metigoshe Mirror
Recently, several species of beneficial insects were introduced into the Dakota College at Bottineau greenhouses
with the intention of implementing a more natural approach to insect control.
Published January 19, 2011
JFK speech, news conferences on iTunes
By: Debra Black, Toronto Star
Recordings of some of John F. Kennedy’s White House news conferences and a speech he gave at the University of
North Dakota are now available through the university and iTunes in honor of the 50th anniversary of his
inauguration.
Published January 19, 2011
N.D. LEGISLATURE: UND requests more funding
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
The difference between what the State Board of Higher Education thinks UND’s budget should be and what Gov.
Jack Dalrymple thinks it could be is about $57.3 million, most of it in construction of new buildings or repairs to
existing ones.
Published January 19, 2011
Three bills seeking to preserve Fighting Sioux nickname to get joint hearing
By: Chuck Haga, INFORUM
Three bills seeking to preserve the University of North Dakota’s “Fighting Sioux” nickname will get a joint hearing next
week before the state House Education Committee.
Published January 20, 2011
NDSU makes case for more funding
By: Amy Dalrymple, INFORUM
Bresciani requests 19.9 percent increase: North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani made the case
Wednesday for more funding in front of a legislative committee in Bismarck.
Published January 20, 2011
Viking Visit Day is Saturday at VCSU
By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM
Valley City State College will host a Viking Visit Day on Saturday to give students and parents the opportunity to visit
the college.
Published January 20, 2011
NDSU to build new indoor facility near Bison Sports Arena
World Interior Design Network
The North Dakota State University (NDSU) is planning to build a separate indoor track and field facility to the south of
the football practice turf, as a part of the renovation of Bison Sports Arena (BSA).
Published January 20, 2011
UND appeals to House panel for more funding
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, INFORUM
Building projects, academic programs on school’s wish list: University of North Dakota officials gave their
budget presentation Wednesday before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, hoping to get more
funding than recommended by the governor.
Published January 20, 2011
MSU Joins NSIC
KMOT-TV Sports
The excitement on campus Thursday was palpable as President David Fuller officially told the Minot State community
of MSU`s move into the Northern Sun.
This article includes video footage.
Published January 21, 2011
Gov. Dalrymple picks Hjelmstad, Shaft for ND higher ed board
By: Associated Press, Bismarck Tribune
Dalrymple picked Grand Forks attorney Grant Shaft for his second four-year term on the board. The governor also
chose retired Minot school teacher and administrator Terry Hjelmstad for his first term.
Published January 21, 2011
Forum editorial: Bill to ban tailgating on North Dakota campuses is a fumble
Editorial, Forum
Rep. Chuck Damschen’s instincts regarding alcohol abuse are right, but his solution is flawed.
Published January 21, 2011
Beavers’ big day
By: Chris Bieri, Minot Daily News
MSU gains acceptance into Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
*Click on the title to go to the full article.
**Some of the articles are no longer available seven days after publication. They are, however,
archived on the publication’s website and are available for a small fee.
Published January 18, 2011
North Dakota bill targets fake IDs
By: Teri Finneman, INFORUM
This article includes video footage.
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/305304/group/News/
BISMARCK – North Dakota lawmakers want to crack down on the more than 2,300 college students in the state who
have used fake IDs.
On Monday, legislators discussed Senate Bill 2133, which says businesses can seize an ID if they think it’s fake.
They then must report it to law enforcement within 24 hours.
Bill sponsor Sen. Tim Flakoll, R-Fargo, said there isn’t one action or law that can solve alcohol abuse.
“We can, however, do things to chip away and reduce the problem,” he said. “We can reduce the incidence of
underage drinking (and) binge drinking – because, essentially, if someone is underage and gets into the bar, they’re
going to make, in their estimation, the best use of their time while they’re there.”
Also covered under the bill would be the illegal use of an underage sibling using an older sibling’s ID, Flakoll said.
There are countless sources online for minors to buy fake IDs, which range in price from $50 to $200, Flakoll said.
“So, when you have a $200 ID that’s a fake one, by taking it off the street you really limit their wanting to keep doing
that over and over and over again,” he said.
The hospitality and retail associations, higher education officials and law enforcement voiced support for the bill
during Monday’s hearing.
A 2008 survey of North Dakota college students found 6.6 percent – or more than 2,300 students – admitted to using
a fake ID to obtain alcohol, said Jane Vangsness Frisch of the North Dakota Higher Education Consortium for
Substance Abuse Prevention.
“Although we know this is not the majority of our students that are engaging in this illegal behavior, it is a critical mass
of our young people and is concerning,” she said.
In submitted testimony, North Dakota State University Police Chief Bill Vandal said he’s received many phone calls
over the years from concerned parents about the use and availability of fake IDs.
One minor successfully purchasing alcohol with a fake ID usually means many of the student’s minor friends now
have access to alcohol, he said.
Current server training instructs servers to only keep the fake ID if the person abandons it or willingly surrenders it,
Vandal said. The proposed bill would empower servers and retailers to seize the ID and notify law enforcement, he
said.
Rudie Martinson of the North Dakota Hospitality Association said the industry suppports the bill.
“We in the industry have no interest in selling alcohol to people that aren’t legally qualified to buy it,” he said. “And so
this bill puts a tool in our toolbox to prevent that, that we as an industry would very much like to have.”
One parent at the hearing said he is concerned his son would have his valid ID taken away. Myron Blumhagen of
Drake said his son is about to turn 21, but looks young.
“If he goes into any establishment and tries to buy alcohol and they confiscate his ID and he can’t get it back for 24
hours and he’s going to drive home, he’s going to be driving home without a valid driver’s license,” Blumhagen said.
Lawmakers discussed several possible amendments to the bill – including one that would include tobacco – but did
not take any action.
Published January 18, 2011
N.D. LEGISLATURE: Lawmakers introduce bill for I-29 ramp; UND testifies
Tuesday
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/190547/group/homepage/
Lawmakers introduce bill for I-29 ramp
Grand Forks region lawmakers and a Fargo colleague introduced a bill this week to speed along development of a
new Interstate 29 ramp on Grand Forks’ 47th Avenue South.
Rep. Curt Kreun, R-Grand Forks, who also serves on the City Council, said he’s been trying to get the state
Department of Transportation to put the ramp on its plans for years, but couldn’t get it to happen. So, he’s trying
another approach, he said.
It’s a the-chicken-or-the-egg argument, he said, with the DoT wanting to see more development in the city’s far south
end before committing, and the city saying that a ramp would speed development. The city’s already moving up its
plans to extend curbs and gutters along South Washington Street and Columbia Road all the way to 47th, he said.
House Bill 1344 would only require the ramp be added to plans by the end of 2016 with no funding commitment,
Kreun said.
Sponsors include Reps. Mark Owens, R-Grand Forks; Blair Thoreson, R-Fargo; Lois Delmore, D-Grand Forks; and
Sens. Lonnie Laffen, R-Grand Forks; Gerald Uglem, R-Northwood.
UND testifies Tuesday
UND and North Dakota State University officials testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Education
and Environment Division Tuesday about House Bill 1003, the higher education funding bill.
UND has $156.9 million in the bill; its School of Medicine and Health Sciences, listed separately, has $46.7 million;
and NDSU $130.2 million.
Rep. Bob Skarphol, R-Tioga, chairs the division. He’s introduced several bills specifically affecting UND this session,
including House Bill 1231 requiring the university president to seek permission from a subordinate to use the old
Ralph Engelstad Arena, and House Bill 1353 taking funding from the tobacco settlement now used to encourage
smokers to quit and give it to the med school for its proposed expansions. The bill, which goes to the Education
Committee next, would need a two-thirds majority vote from the Legislature to pass.
Published January 18, 2011
Bill to ban alcohol at collegiate athletic events introduced
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
This article includes video footage.
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/190553/group/homepage/
BISMARCK — Chuck Damschen didn’t expect to win any popularity points when he proposed banning alcohol at
North Dakota collegiate athletic events, but the Republican state representative from Hampden said he’s been
surprised by the rancor he’s stirred up in the public.
The talk radio crowd has not been kind, he told the Herald.
House Bill 1212 is better known as the bill to ban tailgating among lawmakers — “We’ll be tailgating this afternoon,”
one said. “Will there be refreshments?” another replied — but this annoys Damschen, because he told the House
Education Committee Tuesday that he’s not targeting tailgating.
He’s targeting all drinking.
A member of the Human Services Committee, he said he’s heard a lot of testimonies about the dangers of underage
drinking. To prove the point, he launched into a reading of the highlights of these testimonies. After about 10 minutes,
he said there’s more the committee could find on the Internet.
Damschen told the Herald that he’s concerned so many associate athletic events with alcohol. It’s unfair to young
people, he said, that they’re inheriting this attitude from their elders just by their elders’ example. “We influence our
kids when we least expect to.”
He himself no longer drinks, he said, though he used to. “I just outgrew it,” he said, adding that he didn’t quit because
of alcoholism.
If his bill were to pass, it would ban alcohol sale and use at collegiate athletic events not only at the venue, such as
UND’s Ralph Engelstad Arena, but also at any adjacent property belonging to the entity that owns the venue, such as
the arena’s parking lot.
So, no beer inside, no beer outside. Tailgating is out.
Members of the Education Committee asked some questions, but Chairwoman RaeAnn Kelsch, R-Mandan, held off
on any major discussions until today’s committee meeting. She said she’s in no hurry to get a “do pass” or “do not
pass” recommendation from the committee.
Citing an informal survey by an officer of Wholesale Beer Association Executives of America, Kelsch said 21 of 50
states that responded had no laws restricting alcohol sale at collegiate events, leaving the decisions up to individual
institutions. Most institutions that do not allow alcohol still do allow it in tailgating areas and suites.
In North Dakota, UND, North Dakota State University, Minot State University and Dickenson State University have
some sort of alcohol restrictions. UND, for example, allows it in The Ralph, home of the hockey team, but restricts it
to the parking lot and concourse area of the Alerus Center, home of the football team. NDSU does not allow alcohol
in the Fargodome, home of its football team, but does allow tailgating.
For Kelsch House Bill 1212 is another example of lawmakers seeking more control of state universities. Other bills
headed in that direction include ones requiring UND to retain its Fighting Sioux nickname and one that would require
the UND president to seek permission to use the old Ralph Engelstad Arena from the director of a nearby research
lab who is his subordinate. The state constitution generally delegates power to the State Board of Higher Education,
and board policy is to delegate to the presidents of individual universities.
Several members of the Education Committee, while neither expresses support or opposition to Damschen’s bill,
praised him for trying to address underage drinking, which many see as a big problem for the state. Some, like Rep.
Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, wanted to know why he only addressed collegiate sports and not others, such as minor
league sports. Some like Rep. Phillip Mueler, D-Valley City, wondered why he didn’t address concerts at university
venues.
Damschen said he had to draw the line somewhere. Collegiate athletics are supported by taxpayers and, he said,
people tend to get rowdier at sporting events, which then sets a bad example for the kids.
Rep. Joe Heilman, R-Fargo, who represents the district that includes NDSU and the Fargodome, said he worried
constituents not allowed to tailgate would just go elsewhere and make a mad dash to the game. Isn’t Damschen
worried about the “whiplash effect?” he asked.
“If people have to have several beers to enjoy the game,” Damschen said, “then just skip the game or don’t drink.”
Published January 18, 2011
Alcohol on Campus
KXMBTV Bismarck
This article includes video footage.
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=707902
A proposed bill would ban alcohol at college sporting events even if the person is over 21...
The bill sponsor says it's a way to show minors that that drinking is not acceptable... Donnell Preskey has more from
the bills first hearing...
Setting a good example for college students.
(Rep. Damschen) "one of major factors in Underage drinking is underage people observing of age people drinking."
It's the whole point of Representative Chuck Damschen's legislation to ban alcohol at college sporting events.
(Damschen) "Begin somewhere with underage drinking." He says he's alarmed by how many parents, young adults
and teens think it's okay to drink before you're 21.
This legislation targets one area he sees as a concern.
The bill prohibits drinking alcohol at college games... Including at the Ralph where there are two bars.
(Damschen) As I read the bill no sale of alcohol even in bars
The bill also outlaws fans including those over 21 from drinking outside the stadium.
(Damschen) "What's so wrong with having a couple beers and tailgating? I say - is that such a big sacrifice?" No one
opposed the bill at Tuesdays hearing but Damschen says he's gotten plenty of criticism.
(Damschen) "Flurry of animosity toward me disappointed not more discussion on issue."
As far as public schools go.. NDSU, MSU and DSU already restrict alcohol at college sporting events.
UND allows alcohol at Hockey and Football games.
UND, NDSU, MSU and DSU all have developed rules for tailgating at specific venues.
Published January 19, 2011
Committee: 'Do not pass' bill to ban alcohol sales at N.D. college athletic events
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/190638/
BISMARCK — A bill popularly conceived as a ban on tailgating at North Dakota universities got a big thumbs-down
Wednesday from the House Education Committee.
Thirteen of 15 committee members recommended “do not pass” to fellow lawmakers, mostly because they
didn’t feel the Legislature needed to get involved in issues that the universities seem able to handle on their own.
“You’re going to have to make that decision whether you think it’s the Legislature’s role to govern or micromanage
our campuses,” Chairwoman RaeAnn Kelsch, R-Mandan, told the committee before the vote. “Perhaps this one is not
worthy of our governance at this point. It does seem the campuses are handling this very well at this time.”
House Bill 1212, authored by Rep. Chuck Damschen, R-Hampden, would ban alcohol sale and use at venues hosting
collegiate athletic events, including adjacent land that venues may own, such as parking lots.
Damschen, defending his bill Tuesday, said he felt that athletic events and alcohol were tied too closely together in
popular culture, which is unfair to young people. He targeted state universities, he said, because they get tax dollars.
Damschen wasn’t present at the Education Committee discussion of his bill Wednesday.
Of the two dissenting votes, Rep. Bob Hunskor, D-Newburg, agreed with that rationale but still wanted to offer some
moral support to Damschen, who told the committee Tuesday that he’d gotten a lot of grief over it.
Rep. David Rust, R-Tioga, said he thinks underage drinking is a problem and this bill does a good job calling attention
to it.
Sponsors of the bill include Damschen; Rep. Larry Bellew, R-Minot; and Sen. Robert Erbele, R-Lehr.
Some state institutions, such as North Dakota State University in Fargo, already ban alcohol in their venues but allow
at least tailgating. UND policy differs depending on the venue. It’s allowed in hockey games at Ralph Engelstad
Arena, for example, but must stay in the Alerus Center’s concourse area during football games. Tailgating is allowed
at both.
The motion to oppose the bill was made by Rep. Joe Heilman, R-Fargo, an NDSU graduate who represents the area
around the university and the Fargodome, where Bison football games are played.
He, too, voiced moral support for Damschen but said the answer isn’t, essentially, to take away local control. NDSU
and UND, the two state universities with big athletic programs, are handling alcohol policies properly, he said.
His main concern, though, was constituents were telling him that before NDSU allowed tailgating, there was always
drinking nearby and, at game time, the fans would make a mad rush to the stadium, he said.
Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, a UND alumnus representing a district that includes campus, said that when he
was assigned to the Legislature’s Youth Council in the last session, underage drinking was an issue, but the group
concluded it’s a societal problem, not a legislative problem.
There are already laws forbidding those younger than 21 from drinking, he said. The group thought working with
families was better than passing laws, he said.
Published January 19, 2011
Beneficial insect control introduced at DCB Greenhouse
Lake Metigoshe Mirror
Recently, several species of beneficial insects were introduced into the Dakota College at Bottineau greenhouses
with the intention of implementing a more natural approach to insect control. Some of the species that have been
introduced are Lady Bugs (Hippodamia convergens), Green Lacewings (Chrysopa rufilabris), Whitefly parasites
(Escaris Formosa), Parasitic Aphid Mummy wasps (aphidiid colemani), Spider-mite predators (Phytoseiulus
persimilis) and the most entertaining and predatory of all, the Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinenis).
Releasing beneficial insects and mites is best done when pest populations are low to medium. Higher populations
should be reduced in the least toxic manner possible prior to using any beneficial insects.
Upon completions of greenhouse improvements in 2009, insect populations were controlled with low toxicity
chemicals and insecticidal soaps in order to prepare for the initial release of beneficial insects. DCB greenhouses
have now been basically chemical-free for close to a year.
By monitoring plants on a weekly basis, the facility can quarantine any plant of group of plants that may need extra
control and isolate them so that they will not affect the beneficial populations. All of this is providing a safer
environment for students and visitors in the greenhouses, and is creating a learning environment that had attracted
numerous elementary and high school students who can observe the life cycle of the Praying Mantis. More insects
will be introduced as spring approaches in order to continue meeting our goal of total biological insect control.
Published January 19, 2011
JFK speech, news conferences on iTunes
By: Debra Black, Toronto Star
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/924574--jfk-speech-newsconferences-on-itunes
Recordings of some of John F. Kennedy’s White House news conferences and a speech he gave at the University of
North Dakota are now available through the university and iTunes in honour of the 50th anniversary of his
inauguration.
Apple iTunes will be featuring the 10 digital audio recordings beginning Jan. 20 to mark the occasion.
The University of North Dakota Library has had the recordings posted since 2008 as part of its celebrations to mark
the 45th anniversary of Kennedy’s visit to the university.
The digital collection includes news conferences from August 1961 to February 1963, the Kennedy speech at UND,
which was delivered about two months before his assassination and the announcement of Kennedy’s death made by
KFJM, the public radio station on UND’s campus.
Central to the archival material is the speech Kennedy gave at UND, said Wilbur Stolt, director of UND’s Chester Fritz
Library.
“He talked about conservation. He pointed to a major project – the creation of the Garrison Dam, north of Bismarck. It
was at the time the 5th largest earthen dam in the world.”
As well, the university has also available on its website a collection of photos of Kennedy during his visit to the
campus on Sept. 25, 1963.
The whirlwind visit by Kennedy, part of a five-day cross-country tour, was and still is referred to by many as “one
magic hour,” said Curt Hanson, head of the UND special collections.
The series of reel-to-reel tapes of Kennedy were part of a larger collection from KFJM that the UND’s Fritz Library
curates.
The Kennedy conferences were routinely sent to radio stations across the country to air, but this particular series of
conferences were not part of any previous Kennedy collection, explained Stolt.
The news conference tapes focus on a wide range of issues, including a nuclear test ban agreement with the Soviet
Union, the Peace Corps, tax legislation and the war in Vietnam.
The collection of digitized audio recordings has tremendous significance for historians and others across the country,
many of whom still have a strong emotional tie to the Kennedy era.
“I wasn’t alive until 10 years after Kennedy died,” said Hanson.
“Kennedy to me was always a great What If. He represented such promise to the U.S. For my generation it’s a big
What If.
“For the university (his visit) it was such a big deal . . . He was speaking about conservation, environmentalism and
how we handle the state’s natural resources . . . His record still rings true for me.”
On a more pragmatic note, Stolt notes that the opportunity for libraries, archives and other cultural and heritage
organizations to make available historic resources over the web is a tremendous advancement.
“(Previously,) Scholars, students, and anyone interested in history would have to go to a physical location to listen to
audio or read text or view a video,” said Stolt.
“With technology we are now able to make historical resources available to people around the world and it helps to
promote scholarship and the communication of information that is very important to libraries and archives.”
“I think it’s really cool,” added Hanson.
The UND library also has a wide digital collection, includes political cartoons (including a cartoon of former Canadian
Prime Minister John Diefenbaker), photos of UND historical events, videos and newspaper columns.
Published January 19, 2011
N.D. LEGISLATURE: UND requests more funding
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/190650/
BISMARCK — UND officials gave their budget presentation Wednesday before a subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee, hoping to get more funding than recommended by the governor.
Rep. Bob Skarphol, R-Tioga, who chairs the Education and Environment Division, has a reputation as a blunt critic of
higher education, but he didn’t do much of that at the hearing. He even praised the university at times for trying to be
more efficient. “I’m accused of being hard on higher education, but I suspect you’re hard on yourself, too.”
The difference between what the State Board of Higher Education thinks UND’s budget should be and what Gov.
Jack Dalrymple thinks it could be is about $57.3 million, most of it in construction of new buildings or repairs to
existing ones.
The state board’s proposed budget is $214.2 million. The governor requested $156.9 million. Much of Wednesday’s
discussion was about the difference.
The subcommittee also listened to a budget presentation from North Dakota State University but did not engage in
extensive discussion about either budget.
Criticism from the subcommittee had mostly a general tone, such as questions of whether the state university system
was as efficient as it could be and whether the state was subsidizing education for out-of-state students.
Skarphol said he worried about the continually growing spending on higher education and felt the state ought to focus
on the quality of education more than the quantity of it.
From fiscal year 1999 to 2009, state funding for the university system grew by about 37.3 percent, for example.
What, Skarphol asked, was UND’s vision?
UND President Bob Kelley said the university does have to work in a competitive market, one of them being for
students. Maintaining the quality of faculty and staff and the quality of facilities are important, he said. At the same
time, UND does look at what it doesn’t need to do as well, he said, noting that last year, it eliminated 12 courses that
were no longer relevant.
“I don’t know if I’m answering your question, Rep. Skarphol, but we worry about the same thing,” he said.
Here are a few of the big projects UND officials talked about Wednesday.
- A bigger budget for the information technology facility that would serve the university system but be based at UND.
The state board wanted $17.6 million. The governor called for $11.2 million. The board and UND now ask for $14.3
million, which excludes a lot of office and research space. In all cases, the system would give the university’s data
network a high level of redundancy.
UND President Bob Kelley and university system Chief Information Officer Randall Thursby both pointed to the
disruption caused by the loss of Web access and e-mail that afflicted the Capitol and the shutdown of state websites
Tuesday. A burned-out transformer in a wing of the Capitol was the culprit, and the information technology system
housed there was not redundant enough to stay on.
- Funding for more office and lab space at UND’s Energy and Environmental Research Center. Kelley said the
institution, which gets most of its funding from competitive contracts and grants, needs the space to continue to grow.
The state board wanted $12.5 million, but the governor didn’t request any funding, as the project was lower on the
priority list than he was willing to go.
Rep. David Monson, R-Osnabrock, said the EERC doesn’t do research for the state, so what advantage would it
serve the state to fund the project?
Kelley said he’s trying to bridge the EERC, which does contract work, and academics and students in other university
departments, such as getting access to EERC labs for students.
- Funding for what are known as “mall to medium capital projects,” which the governor didn’t request at all. The top
three for UND are improvements at Gillette Hall at $1 million, Starcher Hall at $1 million and Hughes Fine Arts Center
at $800,000. Gillette needs some upgrades because of a new addition to the Education Building next door. The other
two have outdated mechanical or electrical systems.
- Funding for new academic programs. There are 28 on UND’s wish list, but the top three that Provost Paul LeBel
talked about are a doctorate in nursing practice program at $1.7 million, a petroleum engineering program at $1.1
million and a molecular biology program at $1.1 million.
None are requested by the governor, but the state board recommends them.
LeBel said they address state needs and build on existing UND strengths.
- Not up for discussion was a proposed expansion of UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The state
board had requested $28.9 million for physical addition to the school and $3.4 million initially to train more doctors,
but the governor said it was just too much to ask the Legislature for.
Skarphol has a bill that would address the funding issue. House Bill 1353 would divert money from the tobacco
settlement, now used to encourage smokers to quit, to helping the medical school train more doctors for the state’s
aging population. As voters agreed to use the tobacco settlement for tobacco cessation, this would take a two-thirds
vote of the Legislature.
The bill is scheduled go before the House Education Committee at 9 a.m. Jan. 31, Chairwoman RaeAnn Kelsch said.
Published January 19, 2011
Three bills seeking to preserve Fighting Sioux nickname to get joint hearing
By: Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/190632/group/homepage/
Three bills seeking to preserve the University of North Dakota’s “Fighting Sioux” nickname will get a joint hearing next
week before the state House Education Committee.
Rep. RaeAnn Kelsch, R-Mandan, who chairs the committee, said the bills will be scheduled at 9 a.m. Wednesday in
the Capitol’s Brynhild Haugland Room.
“I am hearing that the room will be packed with individuals on both sides of the issue,” Kelsch said.
Bills proposed by Rep. David Monson, R-Osnabrock, and Rep. Duane DeKrey, R-Tappen, would prohibit UND and
the State Board of Higher Education from retiring the logos unless the Standing Rock Sioux tribe refuses permission
through a tribal referendum.
That “negative option” approach would reverse the procedure outlined in a 2007 lawsuit settlement between UND and
the NCAA, which stipulated that UND was to retire the nickname unless the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake tribes
gave their OK.
Spirit Lake voters approved the continued use of Fighting Sioux by a 2-1 margin, but attempts by nickname
proponents to arrange a vote at Standing Rock failed. The tribal council there eventually reaffirmed earlier council
pronouncements opposing the nickname and declared the matter closed.
Meanwhile, David Gipp, a UND alum and president of United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, sent a letter
Wednesday to all legislators urging them not to continue the nickname controversy. Gipp was born and raised on the
Standing Rock Reservation and is a member of the Lakota-Nakota-Dakota Nation.
The nickname bills have some weight behind them, and sponsors say they have broad support from other legislators
and the public.
Monson is a former House speaker and assistant majority leader. DeKrey is chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee.
The third bill, introduced by House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, would simply bar UND from dropping the
nickname, and there is no reference to obtaining authorization from Standing Rock.
If the NCAA were to penalize UND for retaining it, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem would be directed to file an
antitrust lawsuit against the athletics association, according to the Carlson measure.
Stenehjem has raised constitutional questions about all three bills, citing the Board of Higher Education’s status as an
independent state agency with constitutional authority to oversee operations of institutions under its control.
Grant Shaft, a Grand Forks attorney and member of the higher education board, is expected to explain the board’s
actions regarding the longstanding nickname controversy to the House committee. But the board decided last week
to stay neutral on the proposed legislation, which would overturn the board’s April 2010 directive to UND President
Robert Kelley to begin the transition away from the nickname and logo.
The transition began last spring with the formation of two task forces, including one charged with finding ways to
honor the history and traditions associated with the 80-year-old nickname and the logo, which has undergone several
transformations over the years.
That group recently adopted and sent to Kelley a report recommending discontinuance of the Sioux name for a
variety of nonathletic uses by the Aug. 15 transition deadline, in addition to all athletics-related uses. The university’s
athletic teams, notably the hockey team, are allowed to continue using the name through the current academic year.
UND has a timetable for discontinuing the licensing of Fighting Sioux apparel and other goods, and a task group on
communications has sought to keep all “stakeholders” in the nickname controversy up to date. A third group may be
formed to begin looking for a new nickname and logo.
Something to say?
The North Dakota Legislative Council provides guidance on its website to citizens who may wish to attend or
participate in a legislative hearing.
Published January 20, 2011
NDSU makes case for more funding
By: Amy Dalrymple, INFORUM
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/305552/
North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani made the case Wednesday for more funding in front of a
legislative committee in Bismarck.
NDSU is requesting a base funding increase of $22 million, or a 19.9 percent increase over the 2009-11 biennium.
Bresciani, in his presentation to the House Appropriations Education and Environment Committee, highlighted that
NDSU ranks last among the 11 system campuses in how it’s funded relative to its peers.
NDSU has performed well even though it receives about 39 percent of the funding that similar universities receive,
Bresciani said.
The budget request includes about $7 million in equity funding for NDSU. If approved, that would bring NDSU’s
position up to 46 percent, but it would still be further away from its peers than any campus in the system.
After the hearing, Bresciani said NDSU and the University of North Dakota have greater potential to contribute to the
state’s economy if they were funded better.
“We’re being reined back,” he said.
Bresciani also emphasized to legislators the need for infrastructure improvements. He said there’s a perception
among legislators that campuses only want more buildings.
The reality is, most buildings at NDSU are 25 to 50 years old or even older, and need to be maintained, he said.
“At NDSU in particular, most of our buildings are way past their time,” Bresciani said.
In addition to the base funding request, NDSU is asking for nearly $4.7 million for small- to medium-sized building
projects.
Published January 20, 2011
Viking Visit Day is Saturday at VCSU
By: Forum staff reports, INFORUM
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/305576/group/News/
VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Valley City State College will host a Viking Visit Day on Saturday to give students and parents
the opportunity to visit the college.
University faculty and staff will be on hand to discuss academics, financial aid, extracurricular opportunities, and
more. Viking Ambassadors, a select group of VCSU students, will provide campus tours and provide the student
perspective of the VCSU experience.
Registration is from 8:30 to 9 a.m. at the Memorial Student Center on campus. The program will conclude at noon.
To make a reservation, call (800) 532-8641, ext. 7101, or (701) 845-7101, or visit www.visit.vcsu.edu.
Published January 20, 2011
NDSU to build new indoor facility near Bison Sports Arena
World Interior Design Network
To view the original article, please
visit: http://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/news/ndsu_to_build_new_indoor_facility_near_bison_sports_arena_
110120/
The North Dakota State University (NDSU) is planning to build a separate indoor track and field facility to the south of
the football practice turf, as a part of the renovation of Bison Sports Arena (BSA).
Bison Sports Arena, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena built in 1970 in Fargo, North Dakota, is home to the North
Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison basketball and wrestling team. The newly revealed plans include building of
the indoor track and field facility closer to the planned basketball practice facility and closer to the track and field
locker rooms.
In close proximity with each other, the new facility will not be linked to the BSA. One advantage of the project is that
when the facility hosts a track and field meet, athletes can warm up in the BSA area.
The earlier plan was to build the facility to the west of old Dacotah Field in an area now occupied by tennis courts. It
was found that the layout of the proposed track fits better in the new location.
The new complex will be named after Sanford Health, which donated $10 million for the project. It will be called the
Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
Published January 20, 2011
UND appeals to House panel for more funding
By: Tu-Uyen Tran, INFORUM
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/305556/
BISMARCK – University of North Dakota officials gave their budget presentation Wednesday before a subcommittee
of the House Appropriations Committee, hoping to get more funding than recommended by the governor.
The State Board of Higher Education’s proposed budget for UND is $214.2 million. Gov. Jack Dalrymple requested
$156.9 million. Much of Wednesday’s discussion was about the difference.
Criticism from the subcommittee included questioning whether the university system was as efficient as it could be
and whether the state was subsidizing education for out-of-state students.
Rep. Bob Skarphol, R-Tioga, who chairs the Education and Environment Division, said he worried about the
continually growing spending on higher education and felt the state ought to focus on the quality of education more
than the quantity of it.
Between fiscal year 1999 and 2009, state funding for the university system grew by about 37.3 percent, for example.
UND President Bob Kelley said the university does have to work in a competitive market. Maintaining the quality of
faculty, staff and facilities is important, he said.
He also noted that last year the university eliminated 12 courses that weren’t relevant anymore.
“I don’t know if I’m answering your question, Rep. Skarphol, but we worry about the same thing,” he said.
Here are a few of the big projects UND officials talked about Wednesday:
•
A bigger budget for the information technology facility that would serve the university system but be based at
UND. The state board wanted $17.6 million. The governor called for $11.2 million.
•
Funding for more office and lab space at UND’s Energy and Environmental Research Center. Kelley said
the institution, which gets most of its funding from competitive contracts and grants, needs the space to
continue to grow.
The state board wanted $12.5 million, but the governor didn’t request any funding.
•
Funding for what are known as “small to medium capital projects,” which the governor didn’t request. The
top 3 for UND are improvements at Gillette Hall at $1 million, Starcher Hall at $1 million and Hughes Fine
Arts Center at $800,000.
•
Funding for new academic programs. There are 28 on UND’s wish list, but the top three that Provost Paul
LeBel talked about are a doctorate in nursing practice program at $1.7 million, a petroleum engineering
program at $1.1 million and a molecular biology program at $1.1 million.
None are requested by the governor, but the state board recommends them.
•
Not up for discussion was a proposed expansion of UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The
state board had requested $28.9 million for a physical addition to the school and $3.4 million initially to train
more doctors, but the governor said it was just too much to ask the Legislature for.
Published January 20, 2011
MSU Joins NSIC
KMOT-TV Sports
This article includes video footage.
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.kmot.com/sports_Stories.asp?news=46041
For related content, see: http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=709428
http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=709434
The excitement on campus Thursday was palpable as President David Fuller officially told the Minot State
community of MSU`s move into the Northern Sun.
"This is an important first step forward," says Rick Hedberg, MSU Athletic Director. "You have to have a conference
if you`re going to be viable in any division. It`s very difficult to be an independent."
The Beavers will begin NSIC play in all sports starting in the fall of 2012.
School officials see the move into the conference as a great way to boost the reputation of Minot State across the
region, not just on the field but also in academics.
"Getting into a conference - the Northern Sun Conference - that has national championships, that has a reputation
for great competition, great academic programs, great facilities," says Dr. David Fuller, MSU President. "What that`s
going to do is align us very well for tat level of competition."
And coaches love being able to renew old rivalries like the one with the University of Mary.
They also look forward to starting new rivalries across the Northern Plains.
"It`s time for us to branch out and show them what Minot`s all about," says Paul Rudolph, MSU Football Head
Coach. "Show Minnesota what Minot`s all about. Show South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska that Western North Dakota is
a good place. And if we can do that from an athletic mechanism, let`s do it. Let`s go out and raise the bar."
Published January 21, 2011
Gov. Dalrymple picks Hjelmstad, Shaft for ND higher ed board
By: Associated Press, Bismarck Tribune
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-andpolitics/article_362a0cea-2592-11e0-8b31-001cc4c03286.html
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple has made his first appointments to the state Board of
Higher Education.
Dalrymple picked Grand Forks attorney Grant Shaft for his second four-year term on the board. The governor also
chose retired Minot school teacher and administrator Terry Hjelmstad for his first term.
Hjelmstad is a former athletics director for Minot's public schools.
Dalrymple said Hjelmstad has good knowledge of career planning and technical education, which will help the board's
efforts to encourage workforce training.
Shaft is a former member of the North Dakota House and served with Dalrymple there in the late 1980s. He was first
appointed to the board in 2007.
If the appointments are confirmed by the North Dakota Senate, the two men will begin their terms July 1.
Published January 21, 2011
Forum editorial: Bill to ban tailgating on North Dakota campuses is a fumble
Editorial, Forum
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/305654/
Rep. Chuck Damschen’s instincts regarding alcohol abuse are right, but his solution is flawed. The Hampden, N.D.,
Republican legislator’s bill to ban tailgating on college campuses got a cool reception Wednesday at a House
Education Committee session.
The committee voted 13-2 for a “do not pass” recommendation. The committee vote doesn’t mean the bill is dead (all
bills advance for floor action in either the House or Senate), but the committee’s overwhelming rejection of the bill is a
good indicator of sentiment among other lawmakers.
Damschen’s concerns about underage drinking are shared by most North Dakotans. There is no question that the
abuse of alcohol among youth is epidemic in the state. The problem is serious in high schools and on college
campuses. And since pre-game tailgating is a high-profile college football season phenomenon, Damschen
recognized that the symbolism could be used in the discussion of youth alcohol abuse.
But symbolism is meaningful only when there is substance behind it. Tailgating North Dakota-style is restricted,
managed and controlled. To our knowledge, there have been few (if any) alcohol-related problems associated directly
with tailgating at North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota, the two schools where the activity
draws thousands of fans. Tailgating sites are patrolled. Underage drinking has not been a problem.
It could be argued that the well-run tailgating sites at the big universities actually are useful examples of responsible
use of alcoholic beverages. (Although there are always those adult fans who overindulge and embarrass
themselves.)
Committee Chairwoman RaeAnn Kelsch, R-Mandan, got to the heart of the tailgate flap. “Perhaps this one,” she said,
“is not worthy of our governance at this point. It does seem the campuses are handling this very well at this time.”
In other words, the Legislature does not need to be involved in every aspect of North Dakotans’ lives.
That being said, Damschen’s bill presented an opportunity to put the issue of underage alcohol abuse in the spotlight.
That’s always a good idea, even if his specific tailgating-ban legislation misses the mark.
Published January 21, 2011
Beavers’ big day
By: Chris Bieri, Minot Daily News
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/551113/Beavers--bigday.html?nav=5016
"Wooohoooo," yelled Minot State University head football coach Paul Rudolph as he reached the podium and
pumped his fist.
MSU Athletic Director Rick Hedberg wasn't quite as emotional in his initial statements to the assembled crowd at the
MSU Dome on Thursday, but his sense of excitment and relief were evident.
"Today is a great day for Minot State University, Beaver Athletics and the city of Minot," he said.
The words that MSU had waited years to hear came to school President David Fuller on Thursday afternoon.
The Beavers were accepted into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
NSIC commissioner Butch Raymond contacted Fuller early Thursday afternoon, informing him that the Beavers had
received at least the necessary 11 of 14 votes to join the conference, along with University of Sioux Falls (S.D.).
Fuller said the move into the NSIC will be positive for the campus as a whole, not just the athletic department.
"Obviously, the athletic competition we have to step up to that and make sure we compete well," Fuller said. "... It's
going to open the doors for a lot of partnerships that go far beyond athletics. This is going to raise the bar for who we
are and where we're going to go."
Conference representatives visited both campuses last year. That visit was key to selling the school to the NSIC
according to Fuller.
"This two-year process has revealed that we do have very fine academic programs and great facilities," Fuller said.
"They saw that when they brought the team to campus... We do have first-rate academic programs and facilities and
we've got great potential in our athletic program. All of that goes in to say that it's a big one for us. It's big for our
reputation, it's big for the quality of our students, it's big for our recruitment. All the way across. That's the reason I've
emphasized it's a big decision. Had it not gone this way it would have been difficult."
Hedberg said the NSIC was just as concerned with academics as its was athletics.
"It's a broad-based type of review that the conference does," Hedberg said. "They made it very clear that this wasn't
just about athletics. When Dr. Fuller and I visited the presidents, the toughest questions we got were about stacking
up academically. They can see how we stack up athletically. Obviously with the visit team and the information we
provided, they were impressed with that."
Rudolph said the school also had to fit with the identity of other NSIC schools.
"When we got the committee on campus, they really found out Minot is a bustling city," Rudolph said. "There's a lot
of things going on. With all the energy development and opportunities for other people potentially to get jobs. Just
bringing people to Western North Dakota. And they saw our campus. We've got a positive going on here on campus
with the buildings and research and all the different things academically that we've got going. It's a quality place and
I think they found that out."
The Beavers are in the second year of a three-year transition to the NCAA. This is their last season in both the
Dakota Athletic Conference and NAIA.
"2011-12 we'll be an independent," Hedberg said. "We'll be considered a provisional member in Division II."
One of the biggest hurdles for MSU to overcome was its geographic location. In accepting MSU, the conference
decided to extend its footprint in the upper Midwest.
The Beavers will be travel partners with University of Mary in the North Division.
"We've got some challenges ahead but we've got a good support group," Hedberg said. "We're going to have to
make some changes in our booster organization and things like that as we move forward. Division II offers us a lot of
positives and the Northern Sun really brings a lot of credibility as a conference."
The Beavers will be joined in the Northern Division of the NSIC by Mary, Minnesota State-Moorhead, University of
Minnesota-Crookston, Bemidji (Minn.) State, Northern State (S.D.) University of Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud
State.
"Dr. Fuller has made it very clear that we want to compete in the top third of that conference," Hedberg said. "That's
going to take some resources. A lot of that has to do with scholarships and what kind of student-athletes we can
bring in. We're going to raise the bar there too. Our coaches are excited about this move, too."
Rudolph said the announcement should help in recruiting and will be a major selling point to potential studentathletes.
"We've talked to them in terms of what we might be," Rudolph said. "Now we can call them up and say this is what
we are going to be. There's no more indecision."