[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6287792,"mediaKeyId","2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d","parentId",2546824,"title","Lake Region State details enrollment rebound, wind turbine program, and $6M deferred‑maintenance request","audioSeconds",2884,"startMs",9820000,"endMs",12704000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d&start=9820&end=12704","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d/thumbnail_9820000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287792/North-Dakota/Lake-Region-State-details-enrollment-rebound-wind-turbine-program-and-6M-deferredmaintenance-request","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287792-34b3fbffe1d58636b327f944a7a78513/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442849&Signature=PtZ0y7pNI0H5x7zZg1HRvFLGUf86BUZpqZNbzOeoMuur-kSUFIuuJnYt~b7qbh~zn-GJ2M1icMvfvSWHqvr3US7lNUuk8tyz4nMJb38qHUMZ0VnWjE0vy5vgXs~DeO2DeD~SxlxEqum5cqZpiRsLv1foviBPkTiybo14-PYhjglnUtpsTCibixh4t~pEwtoSU6OKqa6j4ZjPBHIFcbWCqFblDrw44VvGY~Yw-y915xlsPiFQmzj2p~x8wNrPqfPctWfNsyQPt0F5FukyozbuwPPqdr0D-TyiHLR~jWgmlNBTqrzg~ionKuP2~J6mR7FuzENtYGolSyBhdTCNMA-jbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","Lake Region State College President Doug Darling told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that the college has regained and modestly exceeded pre‑pandemic enrollment levels and is seeking capital funding and legislative attention to deferred maintenance and program expansion.

Darling said Lake Region’s fall and spring enrollments have risen to roughly 1,900 students and that the campus now places a larger share of students in career and technical programs (about 71%) than in traditional transfer tracks. Nursing enrollment has notably expanded: the program has grown from about 40 students several years ago to 126 in the most recent fall intake, and the college operates nursing cohorts in multiple locations, including a site that will move onto Altru Health’s Grand Forks campus.

Why it matters: Lake Region described several campus‑level and regional workforce initiatives — including wind‑turbine technician training, Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certification, apprenticeship work with employers and the tribal colleges, and a nascent solar installation program — that the college says support regional employers and North Dakota’s energy and national‑security workforce needs.

Capital requests and deferred maintenance: Finance vice president Joanne Kitchens presented Lake Region’s capital priorities and a multi‑part deferred‑maintenance package that leaders said is time‑sensitive:
- Roof restoration: the college asked for a remaining $3,200,000 to complete a superior membrane restoration across 29 roof areas (Phase 1 completed at $626,000). Kitchens said completing the restoration now saves roughly 30% compared with full replacement later, and that the warranty window requires work by 2027 on the earliest segments.
- Parking, curb and gutter repairs and additional parking: roughly $2,500,000 requested to finish previous work, add about 4,100 square yards of parking and repair pavement damage.
- Electrical/voltage upgrade: about $360,000 requested to bring campus equipment into compliance with Otter Tail Power’s planned distribution‑voltage changes in 2027.

Kitchens told the committee that available tier 1–3 capital funds and possible matches would not cover the total request in a single biennium; even with maximum matches the college estimated the package would stretch multiple biennia to complete.

Other campus items: Darling said the college has invested local and philanthropic resources — the foundation’s corpus tripled from $4.5 million to $13.6 million since the Challenge Match program — and used those dollars chiefly for scholarships. Lake Region also noted expanded student life offerings (men’s and women’s hockey, eSports) that have added full‑time students and improved retention.

Wind turbine and insurance: Darling described technical training on an aging campus wind turbine used as a training platform. The turbine required an expensive gearbox repair two years ago and Lake Region had to purchase private insurance because state risk management would not insure the asset; the private premium rose materially (presenter said the premium increase was “substantial”) but the turbine remains a training asset.

Ending note: Lake Region asked legislators to consider timing and scale of capital appropriations and to weigh tools such as low‑interest revolving funding for auxiliary capital needs. Campus leaders stressed that promised tier and capital funding would be essential to maintaining facilities and the workforce pipeline the college serves.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Tuesday, Mar 11, 2025 7:55 AM - 11:40 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Lake Region State College told appropriators it has recovered from pandemic lows, expanded career and technical enrollment (notably nursing), hosts unique wind and apprenticeship training, and seeks capital funds to fix roofs, parking and electrical upgrades totaling roughly $6.0 million.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28886,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287796,"Chancellor and system staff outline budget priorities, AI and national security initiatives",4233,4882000,9115000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d&start=4882&end=9115","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d/thumbnail_4882000.jpg","/articles/6287796/North-Dakota/Chancellor-and-system-staff-outline-budget-priorities-AI-and-national-security-initiatives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287796-a9f328e7af42ddae787493e65e9882e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442849&Signature=Ki7Pso8S-SkJa3MVupkY9QgZo1Gc3ry7LIjK6xSVJBvWGmhk7QAGZubsPxFRxHyvHnkZB6X1poUPZJexmsSiUhTIP2-Jf4yNXvK4oFkSjJUQ6Yx-zpgfc3l0NqwZniz~k3ZD9H8ZQk8bdHZcpsCzgmtCmySbdXzykUA~mWm3~gxkieavG-77E2SdTZuDqL16kDwqJ6WOpRLp2hA01oOtK6msbXUvfIuBF3HZTIpy29DyxVNuvWkM8GH0JCPVPubhUhaWmYEOm~wngxgIfHSjLLFE75uMz028lG6N5ZIcQH2jrMnmu-vCCj9e5-yVVEm~wqTSpETybQDjHzm0Jj04LA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chancellor Mark Hagerott told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that the North Dakota University System (NDUS) has seen broad enrollment gains and that the board is prioritizing workforce‑focused initiatives, artificial intelligence and national security partnerships as part of its biennial budget request.

Hagerott said the system reported the highest overall enrollment in nine years and the highest graduation rate in a decade, and he credited system flexibility and shared services for helping smaller campuses run essential operations (payroll, procurement, financial controls). “The campuses are adapting. Some are growing impressively,” he told the committee.

Why it matters: System staff presented the board’s budget request and noted changes proposed in the Senate engrossment of the omnibus bill that affect the funding formula, capital tiers and one‑time innovation grants. The system’s request blends base funding for the funding formula with targeted investments in computing, workforce innovation, nursing simulation, and student financial aid programs.

Budget and program highlights:
- The board’s overall budget request shown to the committee included roughly $810 million in general funds, $698 million in tuition and about $1.3 billion in other funds (total around $2.8 billion) across the system’s portfolio. System staff emphasized the funding‑formula inflator and market equity adjustments that underlie base allocations to campuses.
- The Senate engrossed bill added or funded several system priorities (various amounts): high performance computing support for UND/NDSU, a $12 million workforce innovation grant, $1.1 million (one‑time) for a nursing education consortium, $2 million (partial) for AI/machine learning support, and capital tiers funded at higher levels than the previous biennium.
- The board asked for a central shared‑services capacity (additional staff and OER/digital learning support), an enterprise resource planning (ERP) modernization roadmap, and sustained funding for student financial aid and challenge grants. Brenda Zastepolle, system financial‑aid director, told the committee that the student financial‑aid platform rollout simplified management of about 13,000 awards and that state need‑based grants fund roughly 6,300 awards per year.

Funding‑formula changes and technical items: Finance staff walked the committee through the formula’s mechanics, including how the system treats salary/inflation updates and the “minimum amount payable” adjustments that can blunt swings at individual campuses. Staff described a past practice of averaging rate tiers that could create winners and losers; the Senate engrossed bill contained language to smooth the transition when a campus’s credit production moves it into a new tier, preventing a sudden effective rate drop for successful campuses.

Other priorities discussed: Hagerott and staff described national security work led by UND (a Senate appropriation supports a UND‑led National Security Crossroads initiative) and noted a systemwide emphasis on AI, workforce retraining and shared high‑performance computing to support research and new degree offerings. The chancellor also told members the board is currently weighing timing and governance of a future chancellor search and that some governance questions (role name: commissioner vs chancellor) may require statutory or constitutional consideration.

Ending note: NDUS staff offered supplemental documentation to the committee, including detailed line items and capital lists, and asked appropriators to consider a mix of formula base funding plus targeted one‑time investments to meet systemwide priorities.","Chancellor Mark Hagerott and North Dakota University System staff briefed appropriators on systemwide enrollment gains, funding formula mechanics, and priorities including AI, high‑performance computing and a National Security Crossroads initiative funded by the Senate.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287800,"Williston State reports enrollment rebound, seeks funding to launch new healthcare training center",4324,547000,4871000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d&start=547&end=4871","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2546824-f162d38d7bf1af02cef7c666daf55f2d/thumbnail_547000.jpg","/articles/6287800/North-Dakota/Williston-State-reports-enrollment-rebound-seeks-funding-to-launch-new-healthcare-training-center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287800-820910161d6cd2687d9ac5ae9b804311/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442849&Signature=CDZ1Y-LWNgVItnKSRcUXOZ7GPhG0gHok2IlSl0JuXn~4HwQaMyLTNtFEnaO4Fxmdbt9KyB6b4e9pzg5yIh~f4CKELGTjtQPcg12BQn6y1nKCG8AQDrVOH8NdLomAudXxT-VGZfPXh-VkMwmXY2y~w0TMPZ3ABtyi48mht5JgpmksxWlxZEx80JGeFLprb2qEBIFQjt6gU8jgmOi~MwakBq~w0ttYuMNm8XneUqCEx5Bw1d7I4fVkQIUJS~uTrJNxuHU~hzotLtRMD-mQb-X6r~KtaNCgDlhShfm7ubFUkQTqWbJscbVWO8BU222hwLES55v-zh9ZRbVSm-oIA-iPOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Williston State College President Bridal Herning told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that the college has reversed a pandemic-era enrollment decline and is pressing the Legislature for start-up funding to open a new healthcare training facility that leaders say will expand regional workforce capacity.

Herning said the college’s head count rose from a low of 908 in fall 2021 to an all‑time high for recent years, and that full‑time equivalent (FTE) and credit hours also increased. He described an enrollment gain of 16% in the fall and spring increases that staff reported as roughly 20.7% and said campus housing is full, requiring the college to add 60 beds.

Why it matters: Williston is seeking state support to staff and equip a 42,000‑square‑foot, two‑story healthcare training building scheduled to open this November with classes starting January 2026. College leaders told lawmakers that the facility — and roughly 15 new health programs approved by accreditors — could add capacity for about 350 additional healthcare students per year, which they say is critical to keeping households and employers in northwest North Dakota.

Herning outlined three capital projects already underway or recently completed: a childcare learning facility opened in fall 2023 built through a city/county partnership (cost “slightly over $2,300,000”), new turf for baseball/softball paid entirely with local fundraising (about $5,600,000 raised), and the new healthcare training facility designed by JLG and built under a construction manager‑at‑risk contract with JE Dunn. “Those green words are the most beautiful words you ever want to hear when you’re in charge of a capital project — on time and under budget,” Herning said.

On how the college would operate the new programs, Herning and the college’s academic partner, Dr. Zahi Atalla (Academic Affairs, University System), described a co‑matriculation model in which students enroll simultaneously at Williston State and a partnering four‑year school to take bachelor’s coursework locally. Dr. Atalla cited federal student‑aid rules for consortium arrangements and said the model can allow financial aid to be administered under host/home arrangements described in federal regulation 34 CFR 668.5: “If institutions have a consortium agreement, the student could receive financial aid from both institutions, as host and home,” he said.

Finance and legislative ask: Vice President of Business Services Deb Halverson presented the college’s budget picture and the timing mismatch the college faces between current enrollment growth and when state funding formulas increase support. Halverson told legislators that every 5% enrollment bump yields roughly $150,000 in tuition revenue and an estimated $325,000 in formula funding — but the formula’s timing delays mean the additional state dollars lag the college’s near‑term expenses. That timing shortfall is a major reason Williston asked lawmakers for targeted start‑up funds.

Herning gave lawmakers a three‑part request tied to the healthcare building and immediate capacity needs: $1,490,000 for faculty and staff start‑up costs to launch new accredited programs, $1,000,000 to support current and near‑term growth (additional admissions/retention staff), and $2,000,000 to repurpose vacated nursing/massage simulation space for traditional classrooms to host four‑year partner programs. He said the Senate added a $12,000,000 workforce innovation grant line that could be a source for the faculty start‑up funds, but he warned that any statewide competition for those dollars would pit Williston against other campuses and might not fully cover the college’s need.

Herning emphasized that recent enrollment growth occurred before the new healthcare programs, the cross‑border tuition initiative for Canadian students (a 31% tuition parity discount announced to start in August), and the cooperative four‑year programs — meaning the college expects further growth once those initiatives begin.

Looking ahead: Williston representatives asked the committee to weigh hold‑harmless treatment in the funding formula and flagged timing, staffing and dorm capacity as implementation risks if the state does not provide transitional funds. They told legislators they will continue to rely on system shared services (payroll, procurement) while seeking discrete start‑up support to hire credentialed faculty required by accreditation.

Ending note: College and system staff said the co‑matriculation agreements are already in place with Dickinson State and other four‑year partners, and the college plans to treat visiting four‑year students as Williston students for access to campus services and housing when they deliver bachelor’s completion coursework on the Williston campus.","Williston State College told the Appropriations - Education & Environment Division its enrollment has rebounded after a pandemic low and outlined a 42,000-square-foot healthcare training facility, staffing needs and other capital work tied to a multi-million dollar legislative ask.","actionData","errors"]

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Lake Region State details enrollment rebound, wind turbine program, and $6M deferred‑maintenance request

Chancellor and system staff outline budget priorities, AI and national security initiatives

Williston State reports enrollment rebound, seeks funding to launch new healthcare training center