FARGO, N.D.
The first two women to lead college campuses in North Dakota are retiring in June, leaving no females in a president’s role.
Both Lake Region State President Sharon Etemad and Valley City State President Ellen Chaffee will be succeeded by men, as were three other women who recently held presidencies in the state’s university system.
Chaffee, who is retiring after 15 years, has called attention to the lack of women in campus leadership roles.
“It’s a consequence of inattention, simply not noticing,” she said. “And not realizing that the times and the circumstances in North Dakota require special effort to attract strong candidates, especially in underrepresented groups.”
Chancellor Bill Goetz said he has stressed to presidential search committees that universities need diversity in their administration. “We need to be very focused on diversity and make sure we keep that in mind as these searches take place,” he said.
However, selecting a president comes down to who applies and who is the most qualified, Goetz said. Seven presidential searches in North Dakota since 2006 attracted applications from 171 men and 14 women.
