Two colleges merging with others as part of NDSU budget plan

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — NDSU is planning to eliminate two of its seven colleges as the university looks to cut around ten million dollars over the next two years.

That could result in 35-full time employees being cut.

The colleges merging with others will be College of Math and Sciences and College of Human Sciences and Education.

Some majors like geosciences and hospitality and tourism will be eliminated due to high costs and low enrollment.

President David Cook says those who are already grandfathered in with the now eliminated majors can still get their degrees under that program.

He also says STEM fields aren’t going away, they will just be closer to others in a similar field.

“STEM is still going to be…integral to who we are about. We’re just bringing it into arts and sciences to a great extent. That’s just going to be a place where we’re creating efficiencies and bringing them a little bit closer to some colleagues that we think will help the right kind of futuristic education research opportunities,” said Cook.

Cook says the university is reaching out to the campus on how they feel about the changes and other solutions.