Dickinson State faculty frustrated by lack of info

DICKINSON, N.D. — A Thursday morning meeting between North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott and Dickinson State University faculty left major questions about the future of the school unanswered, despite the fall semester being roughly a month away.

The chancellor held a meeting on campus to answer faculty questions and quell widespread anxieties after its nursing faculty’s abrupt resignation last week over a contract dispute and the departure of the university’s president on Monday.

Hagerott told the Board of Higher Education’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee on Wednesday that administrators were in contract negotiations with the nursing faculty and that he believed the dispute would be resolved soon.

Dickinson State president announces he is quitting

The chancellor didn’t have much more to say about the nursing program Thursday. He said he was confident that the school would be prepared for the fall semester, but that he could not provide further details since he is not directly involved in the negotiations.

Hagerott did say he expected Dickinson State University to have an acting president within weeks. University President Stephen Easton will stay at the helm until a temporary replacement is appointed, Hagerott said.

From there, the chancellor and other leaders will begin their search for an interim president. Hagerott anticipates that search taking a month or so. Then, the much longer process of recruiting a permanent president will begin.

Hagerott also dispelled rumors that Dickinson State University could undergo larger structural overhauls — like being converted to a two-year school or being absorbed by Bismarck State College.

“That will not happen,” he said. Hagerott himself will step down as chancellor in June 2025 to take a job as a professor, the State Board of Higher Education decided in June.

He cautioned faculty against getting students involved in the Dickinson State University dispute.

“You don’t want your students to think, ‘Oh, is there something wrong at Dickinson?’” Hagerott said at the meeting.

Faculty Senate Vice President Liz Freedman Fowler said she understands that Hagerott is limited in what he can share, but that she had hoped for more answers from the meeting. 

“We’re just very frustrated and we’re not feeling listened to,” Freedman Fowler said. “There are still professors who are considering whether they are going to be here in August.”

Faculty Senate President Shayne Wittkopp said that the school is still reeling after the resignation of the nursing faculty and Easton.

He said that he’s hopeful a compromise will be reached on time.

“We want to support our nurses and find out what they want,” Wittkopp said. “Nursing, it’s kind of a bedrock.”

One former nursing faculty member who resigned declined to comment, citing the pending contract negotiations.

All seven of the Dickinson State nursing faculty resigned July 10. The State Board of Nursing has said more than 111 students would be affected by the students.

The North Dakota Nurses Association on Thursday issued a statement saying representatives from the group had met with Dickinson State students and other stakeholders and noted a lack of communication about the nursing program. 

The association said students need timely information about accreditation, transfer options and any effects a transfer might have on costs, scholarships and program completions. 

“We will explore avenues to advocate for the students and their concerns,” the statement said.

Easton, in a Monday statement announcing his resignation, said the nursing program situation made it clear he should leave. He also said that regulations imposed by the North Dakota Board of Nursing had prevented the school from hiring new nursing faculty, which the nursing board disputes.

The chancellor on Thursday told faculty that Easton also left because he was nearing retirement age.

Hagerott said staffing issues are not unique to Dickinson State University, but that it’s just getting more media attention than other North Dakota University System schools.

Faculty also asked Hagerott questions about how the university is funded, which he set aside due to time constraints. He said he would go through their questions in more detail after the meeting.

This article was updated with information from the North Dakota Nurses Association.