Monday,

J une 1 7, 2 013 1 1:21:26 A M C entral Daylight Time

Subject: Annual Evaluation Date: Monday, June 17, 2013 11:17:21 AM Central Daylight Time From: To: CC: Shirvani, Hamid David Fuller Espegard, Duaine

Dr. David Fuller, In accordance with SBHE Policy 604.1, below is my evaluation of your progress for the goals that you submitted for July 1, 2012 June 30, 2013. Goal One - Working in concert with the VPAA, implement the first stage of a plan to prioritize academic programs and services following Robert C. Dickesons models to reallocate resources to achieve strategic balance. As this project follows a two- to three-year timeline for review and implementation, I understand that it is your intention to submit MSUs prioritization program to HLC as a factor in overall quality improvement. It is interesting your mentioning that suspicion exists on your campus that the data does not accurately reflect your actual program enrollments. As you clearly admit, departments should not be creating their own data. The same holds true for the institutions within the NDUS. Considering all that has transpired, this seems very ironic. Goal Two - Review and update collaborative agreements and action plans with Ft. Berthold Community College, Turtle Lake Community College, and United Technical Community College to pursue agreed upon academic and cultural collaboration and annual initiative. This goal appears to be on track in that you have identified key issues common to all three colleges and have agreement to complete your objectives this academic year. The exception, from what I can judge, is the United Technical Community College which has yet to join in the endeavor. Is there a reason for this? To what extent does their delay or lack of interest affect your intended outcomes? What, in particular, do you really want to emerge out of these agreements? Have you identified some long-range goals? Goal Three - Assist in the solicitation and confirm the major gift of $2.5 million and identify a list of other potential major donors to make initial contacts. As I understand, you have solicited $4,656,000 in gifts and awards; $379,312 in other donations and campaign gifts; received $6,531,559 in federal and state grants; and built a potential list of current and future donors. How much of the gifts you asked for have you actually received? That is a critical question: how much cash have you brought into the university? You have been president for more than 10 years. You should not only have a list of potential donors but also a well cultivated support group that is willing to contribute! Im sure the Board would be interested in knowing your plans for the use of these monies. What percentage, for example, is intended for student scholarships, faculty development, athletics, etc? What other uses have been identified for these monies? Goal Four - Meet the implementation deadlines of the Pathways to Student Success Plan Under access, you indicate that you have established a range of admission scores and are currently discussing processes for conducting reviews and notifying students regarding status, denials, and exceptions. As Dr. Haller indicated to you in an earlier cabinet meeting, the Office of Academic Affairs has been more than willing to sit down with your admissions personnel to discuss this aspect of the

Page 1 of 3

has been more than willing to sit down with your admissions personnel to discuss this aspect of the Pathways plan. Basically, it requires no change from your past admission practices. All applicants are still reviewed as in prior years. The difference is that, on the basis of an anticipated performance-based accountability funding model, the admission of students whose profile suggests an inability or difficulty in graduating within four to six years will eventually impact negatively on your budget should you choose to enroll them. Under quality, you note no known action or progress to create a North Dakota High School College Success Report. Actually, this part of Pathways is underway with expected full implementation by this coming Fall. Your provost was informed of this. Under affordability, the intent to expand the present financial aid program to include more need-based aid as well as support for the adult learner population has been underway for some months. Vice Chancellor Glatt reallocated monies out of the last biennium and, for the coming biennium, the Legislature appropriated $21,245,679 or an increase of $2,220,085. As noted at the SBHE meeting on May 9, within this appropriation we will be increasing the annual grant award from $1500 to $1648 per year and also expanding the program to serve part-time students. Under learning, you note that there has been no known progress or discussions on the recommendation that the four-year schools redirect their course costs to improving student retention. I consider this to be a campus-specific issue and not one that necessarily entails discussion among the institutions. It implies a commitment on your part to direct resources to improve your first-year freshman experience in ways that could positively impact retention and graduation. I am referring to enhanced co-curricular activities, better scheduling of courses, block scheduling, night courses, more mentoring, flagging of atrisk students, etc. Many of these options you may already have in place; others might need to be considered. Here again, your provost should have known this. Under accountability, those items which you indicated had no known actions or progress were the ones which were postponed at the presidents request. I find it hard to understand why you are seemingly unaware of this fact. Goal Five - Work with the high schools to ensure that all dual credit courses meet the established criteria. I am pleased to learn that MiSU is meeting the criteria and standards set by the agreement signed between NDSU and DPI. This is a key element in the Pathways plan. The chancellor should launch a longitudinal study of the dual credit courses to assess their overall effectiveness. I remain convinced that these courses can be strengthened even further. In my opinion their quality should be no less than an AP courses which, because of their rigor, seem destined at the moment to be replaced by dual credit courses. Supplementary Goal: I am also pleased to learn that you have reduced your budget by $1.85 million for a total of $3.35 over two years. In that regard, however, I remain troubled by the size of your administrative costs in relation to your enrollment and the inefficiencies that exist on your campus. Overall: My overall sense is that you have exercised a form of myopic leadership that has probably served you well among certain elements in Minot but reinforced among your peers a growing exasperation due to your sense of exceptionalism for MiSU and your clear lack of respect for your sister institutions.
Page 2 of 3

Moreover, the fact that you were the only one of the presidents to openly question key elements of the Pathways concept that had been carefully explained and agreed upon by the academic and student affairs vice presidents is evidence to me that communication with your senior administrators is sadly lacking. As noted above, your grandstanding comments at the May 9 SBHE meeting noting no known progress or discussion on the elements of Pathways were wrong on numerous counts. As for your assertion that, by taking a position within the system office, Dr. John Girard has thereby relinquished his tenure and retreat rights at MiSU exemplifies both your arrogance as to your presidential entitlements and your ignorance of practices which are common across university systems in the United States. That you would even suggest such an interpretation should be the cause of anger among faculty across the NDUS who might consider applying for future positions in the system office. Given what I perceive is poor leadership on your part, I am recommending a zero (0) percent salary increase. Thank you. H. A. Shirvani, Ph.D. Chancellor North Dakota University System 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 215 Bismarck ND 58505-0230 Ph: 701.328.2974 Fax: 701.328.2961 Email: ham.shirvani@ndus.edu Web: ndus.edu

Page 3 of 3