North Dakota State is currently sitting in a “really stable” position pertaining to its budget, Provost Beth Ingram said.

She added that though the fate of NDSU’s allotted budget amounts is yet to be determined by state legislators in the coming legislative session beginning early next year, proper planning has allowed NDSU to withstand North Dakota’s budget shortfall.

Original announcements of a looming budget shortfall for NDSU were made in February. One venue used to anticipate a budget shortfall was to institute an early retirement benefits program in which would be cost saving for NDSU.

University studies

The college of university studies is changing form.

Currently, the college consists of two parts; undecided students who have yet to choose a major and students who have chosen to study their own degree.

Ingram said the degree portion is being moved to operate through the college of arts, humanities and social sciences, and students who are undecided will remain undecided.

From the perspective of the student nothing will be noticeably different, Ingram said.

Graduation and retention

Ingram said increased interest in NDSU is being shown by potential future students.

She said introductory visits this previous summer were “hopping” and preliminary applications for admission show signs of an increased amount of applications from previous years, though it is still too early to confirm an exact increase in admission applications and acceptance.

She added the increased interest in NDSU stems from both students from the usual areas most NDSU students come from, being North Dakota and Minnesota, but also from students in other surrounding states as well.

Ingram said graduation rates for the current semester are on par with that of previous fall semesters, and that graduation commencement for the current semester will be held in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex for the first time.

Fall semester commencement has been hosted in the Festival Concert Hall since the Bison Sports Arena was renovated to make way for the SHAC. Spring commencement is hosted in the Fargodome.

Retention rates for NDSU are around 80 percent, a number Ingram said was good when compared to other regional schools on par with NDSU.