Our view: University leaders need no such support as that offered by State Board of Higher Education member Kathleen Neset

During a meeting of the SBHE Tuesday, Neset took a moment to address what she called an “ongoing complaint” about the leadership of Mayville State University President Brian Van Horn.

Neset said, “I would say there has been an ongoing complaint for several years that appears to come from an anonymous source. We do not know and cannot process this complaint because no one will get up and comment on it and deal with the anonymous situation. What I wanted to do with our audit committee and through compliance parts was to address this issue and support our president. “

She continued, “Basically, as a committee, we want to encourage President Van Horn and all of our presidents to always maintain the highest level of professionalism, and always – you are a role model for our students and our communities. You’re on the clock 24-7. You are the face of your universities and it is very important that you stick to your extremes in your work and lifestyle as you work on your campus and in your communities. We share that with Dr. Van Horn and all of our presidents. “

This is not the first time Neset has addressed allegations of conduct misconduct by an NDUS official.

In 2017, complaints surfaced about Chancellor Mark Hagerott. After then Vice Chancellor Lisa Feldner was dismissed without a reason, Feldner filed a lawsuit with the State Department of Labor in which she outlined what she called “blatant mistreatment of employees”. She also claimed that Hagerott was protected by leaders of the SBHE. According to Feldner, when she complained about Hagerott, Neset allegedly replied with the words: “I will not let this Chancellor go under – not on my watch.”

Now new – albeit anonymous – complaints have surfaced about another NDUS leader. In a story released shortly after Tuesday’s SBHE meeting, the Herald characterized Neset’s comments as a “pointed reminder” of Van Horn and provided details of an upcoming investigation by the Herald, including an earlier 2020 complaint. Shortly after the story went online, Neset called the reporter to emphasize that her comments were intended to support Van Horn and that she was disappointed with the newspaper’s coverage.

That Neset believes it needs to support the state’s ten university presidents – all of whom earn six-figure salaries and oversee thousands of employees as a group – by telling them to “always maintain the highest level of professionalism” is especially ridiculous when there is an indication that a person’s leadership skills are in question.

And since Neset has been at the center of allegations in the past that she chose to overlook allegations of bad conduct, that only adds to the specificity of her Tuesday comments, her subsequent call to the Herald, and a statement the next day she made and other board members sent that reprimanded the newspaper and reporter.

It is natural for North Dakotans to be curious about what exactly is going on in our – our – higher education system.

Neset says it was support. To us it seemed like a memory.

North Dakota University Presidents, however, should not need such assistance, nor should any public employee of this high rank and responsibility be told to “maintain the highest level of professionalism.” In the future, the SBHE must consider what it means if a board member feels obliged to give a similar opinion.

source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/our-view-university-leaders-need-no-such-support-as-that-offered-by-state-board-of-higher-education-member-kathleen-neset/