NDSU urges continued student-success funding, seeks $35 million for new programs and facilities

North Dakota State University President David Cook asked the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on behalf of NDSU for continued state support to accelerate an institutional “turnaround,” urging the panel to convert a $4.8 million one-time retention investment into ongoing funding and to add targeted investments in engineering, agriculture technology and health programs.

Cook said NDSU is asking the legislature to “continue that funding” and characterized the current request as three buckets: a $5,000,000 base continuation of student-success supports, and two $15,000,000 investments for engineering/ag-tech and health-care workforce initiatives. “You gave us 1 time money of 4,800,000.0; very grateful for that. In a minute I'm going to ask you if you might want to consider extending that,” he said.

The request reflects NDSU’s recent cost-cutting and restructuring, Cook told the committee. He described enrollment stabilization after a decade-long drop, the launch of voluntary separation incentives and…