BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO/PRAIRIE PUBLIC) – A House Appropriations subcommittee has approved an amendment to the Higher Education budget, dealing with university presidents who are non-renewed or fired.
Because presidents have a contract, the university has been paying off the last six months or a year after the president is non-renewed. The amendment says instead of the money coming from the institution, it will instead come from the University System Office budget.
Fargo Republican Representative Steve Swiontek proposed that amendment.
“The key thing that the committee looked at was the importance that, if the University System is responsible and accountable and makes the decisions when it comes to funding of a severance package or whatever, that should be picked up by their budget rather than a specific university or college picking it up. Because, they don’t have any say in that,” Swiontek said.
Swiontek says what is behind this amendment was the severance package given to former NDSU president Dean Breschani, as well as the budget issues NDSU is now facing.
The amendment will now be presented to the full House Appropriations Committee, possibly next week.
