At a meeting on Wednesday, September 22, members of the research and governance committee approved measures related to student success and the creation of a more unified state university system. The group also approved the temporary removal of two measures from the strategic plan, including the consolidation of the wage bill and university human resources, and a measure related to the promotion of diversity, these measures requiring further study.

“We want to do something in the area of ​​diversity, but we want to find a way to measure it that makes sense,” said Jerry Rostad, vice-chancellor of strategy and strategic engagement.

Specifically, Rostad said that instead of counting people from different ethnic groups, he would like to focus on how to measure diversity efforts on college campuses. Finding a system to do it will take longer, he said.

Measures approved on Wednesday include monitoring student support services – the wait times students face for behavioral health services, for example – and several ideas for improving the entire university system. These measures include increasing the number of certificates offered by universities in digital and science-related fields, consolidating support for information technology to reduce costs, and providing low-cost or free textbooks.

The committee also heard an update from the Wine Association of North Dakota. Members of this group are trying to rekindle interest at the legislative level in the state’s small-scale wine industry, committee member John Warford said.

In 2009, the legislature provided $ 250,000 in funding for research, promotion, education, and marketing of grapes and wine. The funds are distributed to North Dakota State University to undertake these efforts. Since then, the momentum in the wine industry, at least at the state level, has seemed to be faltering.

NDSU President Dean Bresciani has warned the board against getting too close to this situation as the State Council for Agricultural Research and Education sets priorities for funding of agricultural research. Bresciani said he certainly supports research efforts in the wine industry, but said Rod Ballinger, chairman of the North Dakota Grape and Wine Committee, is seeking support from another state entity, after that SBARE’s interest has waned.

“I would just like to warn us to be careful not to get too involved in this particular topic,” Bresciani said. “There is a group that by law is responsible for prioritizing this stuff, and they are being bypassed because Mr Ballenger has not had success with them in the past.”