SBHE continues discussions about reduced-credit degrees

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

After reviewing draft guardrails for a potential reduced-credit bachelor’s degree policy during its Dec. 4 meeting, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) ultimately decided to include further revisions to be considered in January 2026. The changes will include considerations for employer support, institution-wide eligibility and proposed programs requiring SBHE approval.

Board members also directed a sunset clause included for any potential reduced-credit degree programs, as well as a limited number of programs to enable focused pilot testing and evaluation.

“This is an item that's sort of been batted around back and forth here between our Academic and Student Affairs Committee. Obviously, it's a challenging topic because it's new,” said SBHE Chair Kevin Black. “We're wading into new waters with reduced-credit bachelor's degrees, and I think it's OK that the board has exercised caution in taking this, I think, judiciously.”

Additionally, the SBHE appointed Dr. Allen Burgad as interim president of Valley City State University (VCSU), beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Current President Alan LaFave will be stepping down to take a position as president at his alma mater, Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His final day at VCSU will be Dec. 31, 2025.

NDSU President David Cook also will be leaving the NDUS as he assumes the presidency at his alma mater Iowa State University in Aames, Iowa, beginning March 1, 2026. During the meeting, the SBHE opted to initiate an open process for the NDSU interim appointment, which will be finalized at a future meeting.

Presidential Search Committees have been formed to recommend finalists to the SBHE for both VCSU’s and NDSU’s president positions in the coming months.

Committee Reports

For the Staff Senate, Member Anna Kinney said the group had discussions around key leadership position vacancies on campuses. She said staff have been paying close attention to and are grateful to be included in the search process. A by-laws committee also has been busy making updates, as there have been none since 2015. Kinney said Staff Senate also has been discussing expanding tuition waiver eligibility for employees and their families across institutions.

Dr. Lisa Montplaisir reported on the Council of College Faculties, which had conversations about tenure qualifications. The group has distributed a survey to get feedback from system faculty and provide input to the SBHE on tenure policy.

Student Member Maxwell Eriksrud reported for the North Dakota Student Association and remarked that they had higher attendance from the western institutions at its November meeting in Dickinson than during previous meetings. They spent time establishing goals and initiatives for the future, including prioritizing mental health, freedom of speech, affordability, workforce development and campus safety.

Member Curits Biller reported for the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. He said most of the group’s work focused on reduced-credit degrees and discussions to move the topic forward. The group also visited about AI policies and standardization to avoid conflicting approaches to implement new technologies among the universities.

Member Tim Mihalick reported for the Budget and Finance Committee. He said the group continued to discuss dual credit, as well as resource sharing between institutions. Board members will continue to review draft policies and provide input so the Board can institute actions that reflect its perspective on the issue.

Member Danita Bye reported for the Research Committee, saying that the group heard an update about the Mountain Plains Innovation Alliance’s progress, as well as the University of North Dakota’s research priorities. She also noted ongoing challenges with federal funding for research.

Vice Chair Campbell reported for the Governance Committee. He said the group has sent out a survey to the campuses regarding institutional missions and programs. The input will be used to inform the SBHE about each institution’s strengths and anticipated future challenges.

Additionally, the Board heard updates regarding a legislative study of the enterprise resource planning environment. It was noted that there are distinct needs for higher education versus other state agencies. Collaboration on the project is ongoing in partnership with state legislators.

Several presidential searches are underway for Bismarck State College, Valley City State University and North Dakota State University. The Board heard updates regarding those searches. It also heard a summary of U.S. Department of Justice compliance guidelines and a report about the Higher Learning Commission’s “Trends 2025” document.

The Board heard first readings for Policies 503.1 (Student Free Speech and Expression), 503.2 (Student Data Privacy and Security Bill of Rights) and 514 (Due Process Requirements for Student Conduct That May Result in Suspension or Expulsion).

It also heard a second readings for HR Policy 2 (Appointments) and Policy 706.1 (Board Member and Advisor Per Diem Payments). All policies were approved.

No public comments were made.

The next SBHE meeting will be on Jan. 29, 2026.