FARGO, N.D. — Potential customers who are interested in teaming with North Dakota researchers on fields like unmanned aircraft are balking because of the state’s open records laws, the head of the university system says.
Chancellor Mark Hagerott told the state Board of Higher Education during last month’s meeting that some leading research universities are afraid to partner on projects because they fear the state isn’t doing enough to protect its data, especially in light of recent worldwide events involving the spread of information.
“We literally could have the Chinese asking for all of our research contacts,” Hagerott said. “We will not have partners if it continues this way.”
Hagerott, who was the focus of a 2016 open records dispute that was made public last month, told The Associated Press that he was raising the point “as an open question” and the issue would be addressed by the board’s governance committee.
Board chairman Don Morton said the board is taking the chancellor’s warning seriously and said there needs to be a discussion with people on all sides of the open records issue.
“I think mature people can disagree. I think smart people can disagree,” he said. “But I think we can come up with some better ideas on how it relates to research. Research is very competitive.”
Jack McDonald, attorney for the North Dakota Newspaper Association, said a bill clamping down on university research records that was written by Hagerott’s office and passed in this year’s legislative session seems more than sufficient.
