NDSU community,
Today is my first official day as president of North Dakota State University, and I am honored to join this community.
Over the past several months, I’ve had the opportunity to listen, learn and engage with many of you. I’ve spent time with students, faculty, staff, cabinet, alumni, donors, state leaders and citizens across North Dakota. Each conversation has deepened my appreciation for NDSU’s impact and potential. I’ve seen firsthand the expertise across this university, the pride people feel for this institution, and the shared commitment to helping students succeed and communities thrive.
Jan and I are grateful to be here. We’re excited to become part of the Bison community and to call Fargo home. We look forward to building relationships not only on campus, but across the Fargo–West Fargo–Moorhead region and throughout the state.
In the months ahead, I will continue meeting with people across campus and across North Dakota. Your perspectives matter, and they will help shape the path forward.
At the same time, we acknowledge the challenges ahead. Higher education is facing real headwinds, including enrollment pressures, demographic shifts, increased competition, questions about the value of a degree, and state and federal budget constraints. Retention and student success remain critical priorities. These are not challenges unique to NDSU, but how we respond will define our future.
There is no better model for that response than the Bison itself. As Interim President Berg recently shared, when storms approach, Bison turn into the wind and move forward. That is what we will do. Together, we will face these headwinds directly.
We will do so by building on what makes NDSU distinct. We will focus on excellence in everything we do, strengthen our role as North Dakota’s land-grant university, and remain deeply committed to students and the outcomes they achieve here. Our work will be grounded in partnership, with each other and with the communities and industries we serve.
I am confident in this university and in the people who make it what it is. There is strong purpose here. There is pride. And there is opportunity.
To hear more about these ideas, I invite you to watch this short video message. I’ll continue sharing updates like this every couple of weeks so we can stay connected.
Thank you for welcoming me. I'm ready to get started, and I look forward to what we will accomplish together.
Go Bison.
Marshall Stewart, Ed.D.
President
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY