• Franz, Chapman and the Minard Hall Collapse Behind the Scene.
• NDSU, however one defines it, hasn't done anything wrong: only two individuals, one, the Fargo Forum's man of the year
• This coming Monday. the mostly unqualified NDSU Presidential Search Committee will announce which of the under qualified candidates it prefers to be NDSU's next president.
• Steve Swiontek , chair of the presidential search committee at NDSU, even though not being formally associated with the University, announced the finalists for the position.
• American's accomplishment should not be belittled. We scored in sports for which the podium had been only viewed from a distance by US athletes.
• Cormac McCarthy(Brokeback Mountain, No Country for Old Men), The Road, is no playing on the off Broadway screen at the Fargo Theatre.
• Obama Pays North Dakota Big in 2009 Healthcare Debate
• This decline has been going on at NDSU for well over thirty years, and I see it as a crisis.
• Condition of NDSU is Bleak....Creeping Meatballism
• Graduation North Dakota State University 2009

Toward the end of the NDSU academic year a couple of interesting e-mails appeared on faculty list-serv.  First, Bruce Franz, then director of facilities management, sent a message about the effects of the 12th Avenue project and other construction on  NDSU’S operation.  He described the schedule of meetings he would be attending during the nest week about these things,  The next day.... 

Last Monday the State Board of Higher Education unanimously elected Dean Bresciani, “a vice president at Texas A & M” according to the media, to be NDSU’s new president, The new president, seemingly a charismatic individual, promised to hit the ground running to win the people’s trust of NDSU back. Wow.  Looks like misinformed media hype to me.  First, why shouldn’t... 

This coming Monday. the mostly unqualified NDSU will announce which of the under qualified candidates it prefers to be NDSU’s next president.  They will make their recommendation to an equally unqualified State Board of Higher Education.  Whomever their choice is, and none have administrative experience at a research institution that includes managing budgets or faculty, will  inherit... 

Recently, Steve Swiontek , chair of the presidential search committee at NDSU, even  though not being formally associated with the University, announced the finalists for the position and expressed “excitement” at the qualifications of the list of candidates.  I strongly disagree with that sentiment, and wonder if the State Board of Higher Education is going to have to actually ... 

Fargo ND. – Although Congress is still working on health care reform legislation and it is far from final, rural North Dakota may be at the center of what some believe is the crowning achievement of the Obama Administration’s first year in office. Virginia Wolking, rural organizer with the Center for Rural Affairs, says the lack of health care services in rural areas has led to more serious... 

As I was about to write another essay on what I see as the crisis at NDSU my editor called my attention to the response to my Minard Hall ssay. Since it raises precisely the issues I wish to address, I will respond to these remarks. Tom Isern is presumably  For the record, I have been at NDSU quite a bit more than twice Isern’s tenure(I believe he came to NDSU in the early 90’s as dean... 

Menards Hall collapses at North Dakota State University. Definition of “Creeping Meatballism” The idea of thinking individually has become a big joke. Old Thomas J. Watson of I.B.M. came up with the idea for a sign which just said: “Think”. And today, it’s a gag! This is the result of “Creeping Meatballism”. On the first of December, Dr. Richard Hanson became... 

On Saturday, December 19, NDSU held the first commencement since the “retirement” of Forum Man of the Year Joseph chapman.  Presiding over the ceremonies was interim president Dr. Richard Hanson. Anyone that has not been to a major(well, in this case, maybe semi-major) college graduation shuold go, at leatt once.  They are colorful, precise and a true ceremonial tribute to the students,... 

Members of the NDSU Community: Please be aware that overnight serious structural problems developed in the northwest corner of Minard Hall near the site of the new addition that is under construction.  The northwest corner has collapsed and is still unstable. Minard Hall is locked and secured.  The building is off limits to everyone at this time and will remain so until further notice.  Deans Riley... 

The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983 — and is likely to go higher. Nearly 16 million people can’t find jobs even though the worst recession since the Great Depression has apparently ended. Many economists worry that persistently high unemployment could undermine the recovery by restraining consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy.... 

How long has it been now since Joseph Chapman has made the front page of the Forum or been the topic of a Television News Feature about his alleged accomplishments?  I’m not sure, but he sure seems to have dropped off the radar all of a sudden.  Wonder why  that is.  I can only speculate, but I think we don’t know very much of the story.  His sudden and unexpected resignation(regardless... 

Recently, as we all know, Joseph Chapman unexpectedly and suddenly resigned as president of North Dakota State University.  There was, at the time, a controversy about cost overruns on his new house and his $22K trip to O’Bama’s inauguration.  However, the suddenness of the resignation and the speed with which the State Board iof Higher Education accepted the resignation makes one wonder...