Steve Shirley visited campus last week as part of UND presidential search process. Photo by Nick Nelson/The Dakota Student

Steve Shirley came to the University of North Dakota this past, but there was something different about this visit compared to his previous at UND.

This time he was not the wide-eyed freshman he once was, but rather, a UND presidential candidate.

The Fargo native has a history with UND, obtaining his undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees at the university.

“My commitment to UND is a very personal one, and I hope you’ll see the passion I have for this institution,” Shirley said at an open forum Friday.

Shirley believes his significant portion of time spent with UND gives him a unique perspective on the university in comparison to the other candidates.

“The experience that I had at this institution was very impactful and very meaningful for my life,” Shirley said.

Shirley reminisced on his time spent at the UND, stating that it had “transformed him as an individual” and that he still holds the university in high regard.

After graduating from UND, Shirley completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management. Following this achievement, he went on to a career in higher education.

Shirley currently serves as the president of Minot State University. Before that, he served as president of Valley City State University from 2008 to 2014.

Shirley described integrity, honesty and trust as the cornerstones of his administration if selected to be president.

He said that an administration run under these core principles would ensure a positive experience for students, increase the retention rates, graduation rates and overall success rates.

“If the people that you’re working with can’t trust you, nothing else really matters,” Shirley said. He plans to carry this out  by communicating with openness and ensuring that existing relationships are maintained, while building  relationships with donors, city state officials and the local business sector.

Shirley’s presentation asserted that UND is at a crossroads for higher education, and he believes that it is essential that UND provide a high level education at an affordable level. Shirley made it a point that he wants to help out with developing the community’s economy, both on a micro level (student tuition and increased donations) and macro level (North Dakota economy).

“Under my leadership, you can expect more success than I have feeding my kids,” Shirley joked as he brought his presentation to a close by showing a picture of his young children with messy faces after a meal.

Shirley is the first of six UND presidential candidates to visit campus. On campus today is Morgan Olsen, the current Executive Vice President, Treasurer and CFO of Arizona State University.

The remainder of the candidates scheduled for future visits are: Mark R. Kennedy, Mark Rudin, Jay Noren and Nagi Naganathan.

David Satre is the news editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]