President_Leadership Profile_Rev

Northern State University | 4 Advocacy The next president will have ample opportunity to build upon the university’s existing, strong foundations of support. It is essential that he or she actively engage the local community, soliciting input from stakeholders and developing partnerships through frequent communication and collaboration. As Northern’s most visible advocate, the next president must enlist the assistance of local, state and regional sources to realize the university’s future direction. Additionally, as a member of the state system of higher education, Northern must work together with the other five institutions and the system’s Board of Regents to advocate for the state’s investment in higher education. In the 2021 legislative session, Gov. Noem and the state legislature supported a one-time allocation of $50 million to go toward the state’s first need- based scholarship. External organizations have a goal of raising an additional $150 million for the fund. This is a tremendous opportunity for both students and public higher education in the state of South Dakota. The Board of Regents expects member institutions to collaborate, share resources, increase efficiency and cost savings, limit program redundancy among institutions, and make it easier for students to access programs and transfer easily throughout the system. Northern’s next president will need to work closely with the Board of Regents, fellow presidents and legislators to continuously work toward efficient and effective processes as well as advocate for policies and funding priorities that will incentive the kind of creativity and entrepreneurism expected from each system institution. Fundraising The next president will be called upon to develop a continued case for charitable giving based on the strategic plan. The university has enjoyed consistently improving fundraising results, and its up-to-date campus, strong academic programs, community support, alumni base and successful athletics and arts programs are all assets to leverage in continuing success. Fundraising efforts since 2017 are unmatched in Northern’s history, with total capital gifts exceeding $110 million and additional scholarships over $5 million.