Tim Mihalick, right, chairs a North Dakota State Board of Higher Education meeting in Bismarck on May 29, 2025. Next to Mihalick is interim chancellor Brent Sanford. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)
The chair of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education said Thursday that he will propose giving interim Chancellor Brent Sanford the job on a long-term basis.
Sanford, a former lieutenant governor, was named the interim leader of the North Dakota University System in April. Sanford replaced Mark Hagerott, who left the position at the end of April.
Black, who was named board chair in May, spoke to the Legislature’s Higher Education Institutions Committee that was meeting in Dickinson. Black said he favored skipping a nationwide search in favor of giving Sanford the job.
Black said a search would likely cost more than $100,000 and still lead the board back to Sanford.
He praised Sanford’s work as interim chancellor and said a search “is going to lead us right back to the person we think we know would be the best for the job.”
The eight-member board would have to approve the proposal.
Sanford is former mayor of Watford City and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota. He had been interim president of Bismarck State College before being named interim chancellor. Before that, he had been working for the BSC Office of Workforce and Economic Development.
Sanford, a Republican, served as lieutenant governor under Gov. Doug Burgum for six years before resigning in January 2023.
Black noted that the board is evaluating what the leadership position should be called. It has been called chancellor, but some states use commissioner and the state constitution refers to a commissioner and chief executive officer.
“The commissioner, chancellor, whatever title you want to use, is not an academic post,” Black said. “It is very much an executive leadership post.”
Hagerott, who had led the university system since 2015, had a doctorate degree. Other recent chancellors have had a master’s degree or other advanced degree.
Sen. Jonathan Sickler, R-Grand Forks, chair of the committee, said that one of the advantages of a search process is that it forces the board to undergo a kind of strategic planning process as it evaluates what they are looking for in a candidate.
Black said the board would still plan to do an evaluation of the roles of responsibilities of University System leadership, including the board.
“Brent understands that and he is fully on board with that process,” Black said.
The State Board of Higher Education will meet Sept. 23 at Minot State University.
Sanford did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.
North Dakota Monitor Deputy Editor Jeff Beach can be reached at [email protected]
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