BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Higher education officials say they are worried accreditation for North Dakota’s 11 public colleges and universities could be at risk if a proposed governing body is approved to replace the current board.
Murray Sagsveen, the chief of staff for the North Dakota University System, said there are concerns the proposed higher education commission that would replace the existing State Board of Higher Education will not meet the criteria of the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission, which accredits universities and colleges across the Midwest.
North Dakotans will vote in November on whether to replace the current eight-member, part-time board with the proposed three-member, full-time commission.
Speaking in Tioga at the board’s monthly meeting Thursday, Sagsveen said it is unclear whether the proposed commission would meet the accrediting agency’s requirements for autonomy and governance.
He said he also has concerns the accrediting organization might not have ample time to review the proposed commission before it would take effect July 1. The Higher Learning Commission has to review a change in governance before it takes effect to determine if it’s in compliance with their requirements for accreditation, but Sagsveen said the commission told him it wouldn’t review the new governing body until the Legislature passed accompanying laws in the session next year.
“The process itself creates a jeopardy and risk, all by itself,” he said.
Without approval, Sagsveen said, it is possible all NDUS institutions could be put on “notice” or “probation,” and could possibly lose accreditation.
Peter Ewell, the vice president at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, said an entire system has never lost accreditation before and it is not likely to happen over a change over governance.
The president of the Higher Learning Commission came to North Dakota in late April, in part, to gather information on the proposed amendment, known as Measure 3.
“Commission policy provides the opportunity to conduct special monitoring when an institution’s compliance with Commission accreditation standards might be in jeopardy,” according to a news release sent out April 25.
Spokesman John Hausaman said Thursday the commission was still reviewing information and couldn’t discuss the issue.
Sen. Tony Grindberg and other proponents of a permanent commission have said it would provide a clear chain of command between higher education’s governing board and university presidents.
“It’s a much more streamlined, consistent, less-political model than the current one,” Grindberg said.
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