Dean Bresciani gets job working as barista on campus

Every year, every semester, every week, budget cuts are discussed and often result in a department at North Dakota State lacking the money it needs to provide for their students and faculty. NDSU President Dean Bresciani has had enough and has taken preventative steps to keep NDSU intact — by putting his money where his mouth is.

According to annual reports, NDSU’s yearly endowment hovers around $200 million. But with President Trump’s record-breaking shutdown, many universities have seen their budgets cut, and NDSU will be next. In this upcoming year, NDSU will receive only $100 million, which wouldn’t be enough to fund the Bison football team’s trips, games, uniforms, etc.

This bleak reality would have happened, but then Bresciani had a preventative idea that would keep the NDSU football team and other academic departments fully funded. Instead of taking money away from the seven-time FCS National Championship winners, Bresciani asked for his own pay to be deducted and use that extra money toward any department in need, but specifically the football team.

Now, with a lower salary than professors on campus, the NDSU president has gotten a second job on campus at the Bison Beanery located at the Residence Dining Center. He is currently being trained in and will start as a barista in the upcoming school year. While many students believe he will be earning more than others, he will be paid the same amount as any other student employee, which is not a livable wage.

Although he is qualified for other jobs, he wanted to stay on campus to become closer with the students and interact more. “I wanted to use this budget cut to my benefit, to make myself more known on campus,” Bresciani said.

While this will help with the budgeting of NDSU, it will simply not be enough to prevent the loss of money for our beloved football team. There is talk that the president’s house will soon be up for sale. This could lead to a new campus building, residence hall being built or a new fraternity/sorority house.

Many are in shock to see Bresciani working on campus and said they feel awkward as they ask for their coffee order from the president of the university. Students are using “please” and “thank you” to such an extent that Bresciani is considering making an email announcement to upcoming students so they do not feel obligated to treat him any differently.

Before that announcement, he said he feels it is necessary to explain his reasoning for working among students: “I am the same as all of you. Yes, I am older. Yes, I am the president. But I am simply working as a barista to help our university and to help you. Do not treat me any differently than you would any other employee. I want this to be a fun interaction and for us to become closer as a community,” Bresciani said.