Hanson, a laborer of love
Written by Dustin Eckroth Tuesday, 09 February 2010 08:00
After two months serving as interim president at NDSU, Richard Hanson said his job is “way more than a job; it’s a labor of love.”
Hanson said his two major goals during his time here are to facilitate the transition process and to ensure that momentum and morale stay high throughout the university.
“When a president leaves, the energy and direction of a university change. The transition process is not always easy, but we’ve made extraordinary progress,” Hanson said.
While repairs for Minard Hall and the budget shortfall are the most immediate issues to be addressed, building a new library is among the top priorities for Hanson and his administration in the coming months. They plan to seek funding for the building through a joint effort between the state, students and fundraising activities.
“The hiring freeze should be pretty transparent to students, and we purposefully excluded the library for that reason,” Hanson said. “Nothing is set in stone, but the library is at the top of our list.”
The land-grant status of NDSU makes it unique in the region in many ways, according to Hanson.
“Every university has its own personality in a variety of ways. The combination of teaching, research and service make NDSU different from other universities such as UND.”
Hanson reflected on the improvements NDSU has made since he was last here 15 years ago. “The Research Park is the most obvious change that I’ve seen. Fifteen years ago, that area was nothing more than agricultural plots. President Chapman was able to bring in more than $130 million for research into the university.”
In addition, the number of graduate programs and graduate students has increased dramatically. Hanson feels that the university has a much stronger faculty and it’s a much better place for students and teachers alike.
“All told, a university is a complex organization, and you have to meet the needs of all the stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrators and taxpayers,” Hanson said. “I hope to keep things going as smoothly as possible.”
