State Board Of Higher Ed To Vote On Ed Schafer Recommendation For UND President

Last week I reported that former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer was in consideration to be the new President at the University of North Dakota.

Today I can report that Schafer has been recommended to the State Board of Higher Education for the position by Chancellor Mark Hagerott.

The board’s current agenda for their meeting tomorrow has the appointment of an interim UND president listed as the last item, though it does not list Schafer as the recommended candidate.

This seems like a strong move to me. Schafer isn’t likely to be an intimidating presence in the position for candidates who might apply to be UND president long term, given that he’s probably only interested in the position in the short term. But he is likely to be a calming influence for a university that badly needs a steady hand on the rudder once embattled current president Robert Kelley steps down.

UPDATE: The agenda has been updated to reflect Schafer’s candidacy as well as that of current UND Provost Thomas DiLorenzo.