DICKINSON, N.D. (PRAIRIE PUBLIC/KFGO) – Dickinson State University will be undertaking a major campus reorganization.
The proposal is to streamline DSU’s nine academic departments into four schools – Education, Business and Entrepreneurship, Professional Studies, and Arts and Sciences. DSU president Stephen Easton said that would eliminate two administrator positions, freeing up resources for the classroom.
In addition, Easton said DSU would eliminate some low-enrollment academic majors.
“Our students tell us which programs they are most interested in, through enrollment in those programs, and continuing in those programs,” Easton said in an interview. “It’s our responsibility to listen to the students’ voices on those issues.”
Easton said DSU has an obligation to spend tuition, fees and taxpayer money wisely.
“It is my initial goal to save more than $1 million of annual compensation expenses through discontinuing low enrollment majors,” Easton said.
And Easton said this is not due to any current financial crisis on campus.
“We are trying to take pro-active steps to prevent a preventable budget crisis, if we don’t take these steps now,” Easton said.
He said the reductions could include tenured faculty in the to-be-eliminated majors.
“Under the State Board of Higher Education’s policy, if we do decide to eliminate a tenured faculty appointment, that faculty member has a right to 12 months’ notice,” Easton said. “That’s part of why we’re doing this now.”
Easton said he’s currently seeking faculty feedback on the proposal. He said he has sent a copy of his proposal to the DSU faculty Senate, and plans to hold a general faculty meeting Monday.
