Interim University System Chancellor Brent Sanford
By: Amy Dalrymple
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Interim North Dakota University System Chancellor Brent Sanford says he would be a good fit to continue leading the higher education system despite not coming from a traditional academic background.
State Board of Higher Education Chair Kevin Black plans to recommend on Tuesday that the board skip a national search and hire the former lieutenant governor to lead the university system long term.
Sanford said in an interview Sunday he plans to accept the job, if offered. He said his background makes him a strong advocate for higher education and an effective leader to respond to workforce needs.
“As the lieutenant governor, and Doug (Burgum) as the governor, we didn’t have the expertise that all the people who work for the state had,” Sanford said. “You’re the administrator, you’re the manager, you’re the one that’s advocating for them to be able to do their job.”
Sanford has worked as interim chancellor since April after serving as interim Bismarck State College president for nearly a semester. Neither interim post had a public search process.
One retired university administrator cautions that hiring a permanent chancellor without a national search and without an advanced degree would be “demoralizing” to faculty and campus administrators.
“It smacks of political cronyism, frankly,” said Daniel Rice, former dean of the University of North Dakota’s College of Education and Human Development and professor emeritus of educational leadership.
Rice, who criticized the board in a recent letter to the editor, said in an interview he’s sure Sanford is a good person but urged the board to conduct an open and competitive search process and shield higher education from political interference.
Sanford was a business owner and mayor of Watford City during the recent oil boom before serving as lieutenant governor for six years. He went on to work on economic development and workforce issues, including consulting for Bismarck State College. Sanford has a bachelor’s degree and is a certified public accountant.
Most recent North Dakota chancellors have had a doctorate or other advanced degree. It’s been typical for the board to hire a search consultant, advertise the position nationally and appoint a committee to vet applicants.
Black told a legislative committee last month he didn’t see a need to conduct a national search because it would likely lead the board back to Sanford.
“I think Brent has really a one-of-a-kind skillset, maybe once-in-a-generation skillset to lead our university system,” Black said in an interview last week.
On Tuesday, Sanford is expected to give a presentation to the eight-member board during its meeting at Minot State University before members decide how to proceed.
Black said national search consultants have often cost $100,000 or more, which he said would be “reckless” to spend if the board members believe they already have their top candidate. Conducting a search internally without a consultant would still require significant staff and board member time, Black said.
“I don’t think the cost of that is worth it when I think we’re ultimately going to come right back to where we started,” Black said.
Rice called it “penny-wise and pound-foolish” to save money on a search for the top person to lead North Dakota’s 11 public colleges and universities.
“It appears to me to be a way of circumventing the search process because he has a personal candidate that he wants to put into the job,” Rice said.
It would not be unprecedented for the board to hire a chancellor without a search and without an advanced degree.
Retired Chancellor Larry Isaak did not apply to be chancellor but was appointed to the job in 1994 after a new hire backed out.
“I guess I’m an example of someone who didn’t go through a search,” said Isaak, who had been working in the system office at the time. “And I think we had some success during those 10 years.”
When hired, Isaak was working on a master’s degree, which he said he completed within a year of being named chancellor. Isaak recalled that a group of faculty objected to his lack of a doctorate. Years later, one of those faculty members wrote to him and said he was wrong, Isaak said.
The chancellor position has one foot in academia, Isaak said, and one foot in state government, and it’s important for the chancellor to hire good people with expertise in academic affairs, student affairs and other areas.
Sanford said he understands that some would prefer to see a competitive search, but he also points out that he’s had five months of audition for the job.
Former Chancellor Mark Hagerott initially planned to retire at the end of 2025, but announced in April his intent to step down that month.
The North Dakota Legislature included language in the higher education budget bill indicating the importance of filling the position “in an efficient and timely manner.” The Legislature also required the board to report by Oct. 15 on the status of the search, including the reasons for any delays.
President openings
The presidencies of Bismarck State College and Lake Region State College are also scheduled to be discussed Tuesday, with a closed-door executive session listed on the agenda. Both campuses are led by interim presidents and the presidency jobs have not been advertised.
Black said last week he favors conducting public searches for campus presidents even as he’s advocating to skip a national search for chancellor. With president searches, it’s important to get feedback from alumni, college foundation, faculty, staff, students and local business community, he said.
“It’s a much different thing to hire a president than it is to hire a chancellor,” Black said. “I have a sense that we’ll want to do a search in those but that’s going to be up to the board to discuss.”
BSC’s interim president is Dan Leingang, who was vice president of academic affairs and briefly served as acting president. Lake Region State College in Devils Lake is led by Carmen Simone, who had been dean and CEO for Dakota College at Bottineau.
Some board members may want to discuss offering Simone the position permanently without a search, Black said, because she has previously led campuses. Simone is former president of Western Nebraska Community College and was a finalist for the Dickinson State University president search in addition to leading the Bottineau campus.
“She has been really vetted by the board, and so that might play into the board’s decision on whether or not to do a search there,” Black said.
The higher education board approved a separation agreement with former BSC President Doug Jensen last December. Former Lake Region President Doug Darling retired at the end of June.
Chancellor versus commissioner
In addition to debating who will lead the North Dakota University System, board members also are weighing a change in title, largely in response to a push from some lawmakers.
The leader of the system has been called chancellor since the early 1990s, but prior to that the post was called commissioner.
Rep. Steve Swiontek, R-Fargo, raised during the recent legislative session that commissioner is the title in the state constitution.
The higher education budget bill directs the board to study “the costs and benefits of a system of higher education led by a chancellor compared to a commissioner.” The board is expected to discuss Tuesday next steps for the study, including holding listening sessions with stakeholders. A report is due in May.
Lawmakers and current and former higher education officials have varying views on the difference between the two titles.
Swiontek said he views a commissioner as empowering more authority to college and university presidents.
Black disagreed that a title change would shift more power to presidents because the authority is outlined in board policies, not a job title.
Black indicated that he favors the commissioner title to align with the state constitution. He added he thinks the chancellor title “invokes a perception of a really authoritarian-type role, and maybe a highly academic role, and that’s not what I think this role is.”
Rice, who as a professor and dean worked under both chancellor and commissioner models, said going back to a commissioner system would “be a step backwards.”
“The commissioner system is much more easily subjected to political wrangling and interference than a chancellor system,” Rice said.
Isaak, who also worked under both models, said reverting to a commissioner model would weaken the position to more of an administrative role.
“It’s a first step for those who want to undo the system and return to every institution for themselves,” Isaak said.
Black disagreed with that criticism and said the board is committed to a cohesive university system.
“I just fundamentally disagree that there’s some type of shift toward individualism within the campuses,” Black said.
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