Updates

Richard Hanson Recommended for BSU-NTC Presidency

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor James H. McCormick announced he will recommend that the Board of Trustees appoint Richard Hanson as president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

Hanson has been interim president of North Dakota State University (NDSU) since December 2009.  Previously, he served as president of Waldorf College in Forest City, IA; professor of sociology, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, all at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD; associate vice president for academic affairs, associate director of human development in the Extension Service and director of the Family Studies Institute, all at North Dakota State University; and chair of the Department of Home Economics at California State University, Chico. He also has held interim positions at NDSU that included vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College of University Studies.  

"We are very pleased to recommend that Richard Hanson join our leadership team," McCormick said. "His accomplishments and wide-ranging experience demonstrate that he has the leadership skills to continue building these two find institutions - Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology and his master's in child development and family relations, both from NDSU, and a doctorate in applied behavioral science from the University of California, Davis.

The Board of Trustees is expected to act on the recommendation at their May 19 meeting.  

The new president will replace Jon E. Quistgaard, who is retiring. (Release: 5/14/2010)

New BSU-NTC President Introductions Planned for May 20

Plans are being made to introduce the president-elect of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College on Thursday, May 20.   The campus introductions are to follow the anticipated approval of Chancellor James H. McCormick's presidential finalist recommendation to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees during their May 18-19 meeting.

Introductions and receptions on May 20 are being planned for both campuses: 

  • Bemidji State University, Beaux Arts Ballroom, 1:30 p.m.
  • Northwest Technical College, Commons, 2:30 p.m.
The campus communities and public are invited to attend.

Official Notice of Williams' Withdrawal Received

The Witt-Kieffer executive search firm has officially informed the Presidential Search Advisory Committee that Dr. Philip Williams withdrew from consideration as a possible BSU and NTC semifinalist.  He accepted the presidency of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on April 23.  (Posted 4-30-10)  

Three Semi-Finalists Recommended to Chancellor

The search advisory committee forwarded the names of three semi-finalists for the presidency of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College to James H. McCormick, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and University system.  The semifinalists are Betsy Vogel Boze, Richard Hanson, and Linda Krug.   The new president will replace Jon Quitgaard, who is retiring this summer.

Chancellor McCormick, along with one to three members of the Board of Trustees and others, will interview the semifinalists.  The chancellor will then recommend a finalist to the board, which is expected to act on the recommendation at a May 19 meeting.

Campus Visits Completed; Advisory Search Committee to Make Recommendations

With on-campus interviews completed last week, the search advisory committee met today to select three of the semi-finalists for Chancellor James H. McCormick's consideration.  Dr. McCormick is scheduled to present his recommendation to the Board of Trustees at their May meeting. (Posted 4-26-10)

Three More Semi-Finalists Announced; Total Now Five

Three additional semi-finalists for the BSU-NTC president's position were announced today.They are: Dr. Betsy Vogel Boze, senior fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; Dr. Jason A. Laker, associate vice principal (equivalent to an associate vice president) and dean of student affairs at Queen's University (Ontario, Canada); and Dr. Philip C. Williams, president of the University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.), have been announced as the final group of semifinalists for the presidency at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

Two semifinalists for the position were announced earlier this week, bringing the total to five. 

Vogel Boze's on-campus interview is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, April 12-13. Laker will be on campus Thursday and Friday, April 15-16, and Williams will visit Monday and Tuesday, April 19-20. The three candidates will participate in a public forum entitled “Higher Education at a Crossroads” during the first day of their visits. The candidates will offer a 20-minute presentation and then answer questions. All forums will be held from 2:15-3:00 p.m. in Bridgeman Hall 100 on the Bemidji State campus.

Dr. Betsy Vogel Boze

Dr. Betsy Vogel Boze is currently a senior partner at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, providing policy analysis and leadership on the future of higher education in the United States. To fill this role, she is on leave from her position as campus dean and chief executive officer at Kent State University Stark, a position she has held since 2005. From 1994-2005, she was dean of the business school at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. She also served as chief academic officer at the University of Texas Telecampus MBA Online from 1996-2005. Vogel Boze served as assistant to the president at Tulane University from 2003-04 as part of an American Council on Education fellowship. Additionally, she was chair of the business administration department at the University of Alaska Anchorage from 1989-94.

Vogel Boze earned her bachelor's degree in psychology in 1974 and master's degree in business administration in 1975, both from Southern Methodist University. She earned a doctorate in business administration at the University of Arkansas in 1983.

Dr. Jason A. Laker

Dr. Jason A. Laker has been associate vice principal (equivalent to an associate vice president) and dean of student affairs at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada since July 2006. Prior to that, Laker was dean of campus life at St. John's (Minn.) University from 2002-06, and was at the University of Arizona from 1998-2002. There, he was assistant director of residence life from 1998-2000, manager of professional programs and conference services from 2000-01, and director of business programs and workforce development from 2001-02. Laker was complex coordinator for five residence halls at the University of Delaware from 1995-98 and was residence hall director and residence director for education/family housing manager at Fort Lewis (Colo.) College from 1992-95.

Laker earned his bachelor's degree in interpersonal and public communication at Central Michigan University and a master's degree in community counseling at Adams State (Colo.) College. He holds a doctorate in higher education administration and organization from the University of Arizona.

Dr. Philip C. Williams

Dr. Philip C. Williams is the president of the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Ala., a position he has held since 2006. Previously, he was vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Methodist (N.C.) College from 2003-06 and served as assistant vice president for academic affairs at Gardner-Webb University from 1999-2002. Williams was an Association of Schools of Public Health fellow with the National Standards Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Practice Program Office from 1998-99.

Williams earned a bachelor's degree in history at the University of North Carolina in 1974 and a juris doctorate from the Columbia University School of Law in 1977. He earned a master's degree in publich health at North Carolina in 1995 and a doctorate in health policy and administration from North Carolina in 1998.

First Pair of Semi-Finalist Announced; Others to Be Named Shortly

Two semifinalists have been announced for the president's position of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College. Other candidates will be announced shortly.

The pair announced today are: Dr. Linda T. Krug, on sabbatical after an 11-year tenure as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and Dr. Richard A. Hanson, interim president at North Dakota State University. 

Krug's on-campus interview is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 8-9. Hanson will be on campus Thursday and Friday, April 22-23.  Both candidates will participate in a public form entitled "Higher Education at a Crossroads" during the first day of their visit.  The candidates will offer a 20-minute presentation and then respond to questions.  The forums will be held from 2:15-3:00 p.m. in Bridgeman Hall 100 on the Bemidji State campus.

The two-day schedule for all candidates is the same.

Dr. Linda Krug

Dr. Linda Krug is currently on sabbatical after an 11-year tenure as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Krug has been with the University of Minnesota, Duluth, since 1986, when she joined the faculty as an instructor in UMD's Department of Communication. She began her administrative career in 1992 when she was named chair of UMD's Department of Women's Studies. In 1996, she was named chair of the Department of Communication, and in 1998 she was named dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Krug also served two terms as interim director of UMD's International Education Office and was director of the school's interdisciplinary studies program from 1998-2003.   

Krug earned her bachelor's degree in speech communication in 1980 and master's degree in rhetoric in 1981, both from the University of Miami (Ohio). She earned her doctorate in socio-political influence of language at the University of Nebraska in 1987.   

Dr. Richard Hanson  

Dr. Richard Hanson has been interim president at North Dakota State University since Dec. 1, 2009. Previously, he served as president of Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, from 2005-09. Hanson began his career in higher education at California State University-Chico in 1974, where he served as chair of the department of home economics from 1979-80. In 1980, he returned to his alma mater, North Dakota State University. At NDSU, he was named chair of the child development and family science department in 1983, and from 1992-95 he served as associate vice president for academic affairs. After leaving NDSU in 1995, Hanson spent 10 years as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., before taking the presidency at Waldorf College in 2005.    

Hanson earned his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1971 and his master's in child development and family relations in 1974, both from North Dakota State University. He earned a doctorate in applied behavioral science at the University of California-Davis in 1980. (Posted 4/6/07)

Presidential Semi-Finalist Schedule Released

The visit schedule for the BSU-NTC presidential semi-finalists was released today.  The two-day itinerary includes candidate meetings with the University's search advisory committee; bargaining units from both campuses; senior leadership; faculty, staff and students; and community representatives.  (Posted 34/6/2010)

Subcommittee to Review Position/Leadership Profile

A subcommittee of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee will review the position/leadership profile being developed and submit changes to Witt/Kieffer representatives, Dr. Kate Will and Howard Jessamy, on behalf of the committee.  A draft of the profile was anticipated by Monday, January 25. Subcommittee members reviewing the draft are:  Dr. Pat Rogers, subcommittee facilitator; Roger Aitken; Todd Andre; Ed Driscoll; Dale Ladig; and Marty Wolf. (Posted 1/27/10)

SAC Welcomes New Member; Next Meeting Set for February 23

Todd Andre, NTC student, has been named to the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.  The group's next meeting is slated for 3 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23, in the North Conference Room, Hobson Memorial Union. (Posted 1/27/10)

Presidential Search Advisory Committee Meets, Sets Timetable

Dr. Roland E. Barden, Presidential Search Advisory Committee (SAC) chair, convened the group's first meeting on Tuesday, January 12, at 3:00 p.m. MnSCU General Counsel Gail Olson talked to the committee about MnSCU policy and Minnesota state law requiring confidentiality of candidates' names until finalists, who will visit the BSU and NTC campuses, are announced. General Counsel Olson reminded search advisory committee members that candidates are more likely to submit their names for consideration to Witt/Kieffer, the presidential search firm, when confidentiality is ensured. MnSCU Director of Multiculturism and Diversity, Whitney Harris, reviewed diversity statistics for MnSCU. He shared information indicating that diverse candidates will be interested in the presidency of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College.

The committee also established the following timeline for the presidential search:

January 22

  • Electronic draft of President Position/Leadership Profile completed by Dr. Kate Will and Howard Jessamy, Witt/Kieffer.

February 23

  • Search Advisory Committee meets at 3:00 p.m..Reviews and edits draft of pre-interview screening form to be applied to application materials.

March 17

  • Search Advisory Committee (SAC) meets at 2 p.m.Reviews pre-interview candidate screening forms completed by SAC members.Committee selects approximately 8-10 candidates for off-site interviews.

Mid-March to Early April

  • Search Advisory Committee (SAC) conducts off site (airport) interviews.

April 8-22

  • Approximately 3-5 presidential candidate interviews scheduled onBSU and NTC campuses.

April 26

  • Search Advisory Committee makes recommendation to Chancellor McCormick.

May 18-19

  • Chancellor McCormick recommends next Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College President to the Board of Trustees at their May meeting. 


Constituent Input Sessions Slated for Jan. 11-12

Search firm representatives, Dr. Katherine Will and Howard Jessamy, Witt/Kieffer presidential search consultants, are hosting various constituent input sessions on January 11 -12 at BSU and NTC. They're seeking input regarding the preferred leadership and professional profile for the new president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College as the search gets underway.

Most sessions, except individual office meetings and NTC-specific meetings, are being held in the Ozawindib Room, Hobson Memorial Union, lower union, BSU campus.

If you are coming to the Bemidji State University campus, we have directions and a campus map available.

January 11

  • Constituent Input Sessions, Ozawindib Conference Room, Hobson Memorial Union at BSU, unless otherwise noted. Hosted by Witt/Kieffer -- Kate Will, PhD and Howard Jessamy
    • 7:30 a.m. Bemidji Community
    • 8:30 a.m. Emeriti Faculty
    • 9:30 a.m. Foundation / Alumni Boards
    • 10:30 a.m. MSUAASF
    • 12:30 p.m. AFSCME (BSU and NTC)
    • 1:30 p.m. BSU Vice Presidents
    • 2:30 p.m. Leadership Council
    • 3:30 p.m. BSUFA
    • 4:30 p.m. BSU and NTC Students

January 12

  • Constituent Input Sessions, Ozawindib Conference Room, Hobson Memorial Union at BSU, unless otherwise noted. Hosted by Witt/Kieffer -- Kate Will, PhD and Howard Jessamy
    • 7:30 a.m. President Quistgaard (Deputy 302A)
    • 8:30 a.m. Native American Community
    • 9:30 a.m. MMA (BSU and NTC)
    • 10:30 a.m. MAPE (BSU and NTC)
    • 12:30 p.m. NTC Deans (NTC Room 130)
    • 1:30 p.m. MSCF (NTC Room 130)
AFSCME - American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (clerical, skilled trades, maintenance)
BSUFA - Bemidji State University Faculty Association
MAPE - Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
MMA - Middle Management Association
MSCF - Minnesota State College Faculty
MSUAASF - MN State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty