April 25, 2025

Dear NDSU Community,

I am pleased to share that we are beginning the national search process for the Provost position— fulfilling the commitment I made to conduct this search in Fall 2025.

As Provost Bertolini is approaching the conclusion of his appointed 3-year term, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for his hard work and dedication. His thoughtful approach to leadership has been instrumental in guiding NDSU through key moments of transformation and positioning the university for continued success.

We have established a timeline for the search process, and I would like to share the key dates with you. By May 5, Academic Deans, Staff Senate, and Student Government are asked to submit two names of individuals they would like to participate in the search committee. From the submitted names, individuals will be selected to ensure balanced representation and broad perspectives across the committee. By including a faculty representative from each of the five academic colleges, staff from various departments, and a student representative, we will maintain our strong commitment to shared governance.

On May 12, we will announce the search committee membership which will be chaired by Dr. Greg Lardy, the Joe and Norma Peltier Vice President for Agriculture. The committee will include:

• Chair – Dr. Lardy
• Five faculty representatives (one from each academic college)
• One staff senate representative
• One student government representative
• One staff representing the direct reports of the Office of the Provost
• One Office of the VP for Finance and Administration representative
• One Office of the VP for Research and Creative Activity representative
• One NDSU Foundation representative
• Ex Officio – Jace Beehler, Chief of Staff
• Ex Officio – Representative ensuring compliance with policy 103

I met with Dr. Lardy, the Deans and the Provost’s Office direct reports on Thursday (April 24) and received valuable feedback on the search process, committee makeup and the anticipated timeline. The Committee and my office will continue to welcome input from those groups and other campus constituents on the qualifications and skills needed for the position to be successful.

A national search firm will be engaged in order to develop a robust candidate pool for the position. The search committee will work over the summer to develop a job description and initiate the search to enable the interview process and campus engagement to occur in the Fall of 2025.

It is anticipated that the position will be advertised in early July, with an initial round of virtual interviews conducted in mid-September and in-person interviews in October. By early November, the search committee will finalize their recommendation so the individual selected can begin by January 1, 2026.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in this important process. Together, we will build on our momentum and shape what’s next for NDSU.

Best regards,

David Cook