North Dakota State president says large budget cuts looming

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Drastic budget cuts are coming at North Dakota State University. The school’s new president said in a campus-wide email Tuesday (Oct. 25, 2022) that significant reductions will be necessary due to decreasing enrollments over the past several years. David Cook describes the cuts as “incredibly difficult.” The north Fargo campus is facing a $10.5 budget shortfall for the next biennium. Cook says he has asked the school’s deans to help with “rightsizing and reorganizing the academic enterprise” and creating new programs to meet workforce needs. The email does not mention layoffs. Cook says most of the NDSU’s money comes from tuition and state revenue, both of which are dependent on student numbers. Enrollment at the university is at a 15-year low.