Capital project requests 2013-15

[iramurphy]

I wouldn't buy this guy out I would fire him. Employees in many organizations are fired for harassing or ausive behavior. I believe one of this guys mistakes was his disrespect for state legislators from virtually the beginning of his employment. I don't think it would take much to gather former staff members who were either fired or resigned after being harassed by this guy. I know they were documenting his misdeeds. He had no regard for the open meeting laws and obviously felt with the state finances being healthy, he didn't have to worry about wasting tax payers funds, especially when it related to his personal comforts and conveniences. His abusive, bullying behavior is exactly what he got in trouble for in California. Espegard should be required to resign as well. The recent article in the Forum concerning the SOB and higher ed in N. Dak. really should focus on how Paulsen enabled Chapman, and how Espegard has enabled this clown. Paulsen was partly repsonsible for Chapman's inappropriate actions. Espegard is largely responsible for the misdeeds of this clown. The problems with Chapman, at Dickinson State and now with Shirvani only results in loss of trust in the SBOHE and it transfers to deterioration of public trust in higher ed across the state. N.Dak. can't get rid of Shirvani too soon and should not allow Espegard to enable him to do any further damage. One wonders of the competency of a SBOHE that would hire a clown from California, that a simple background check would have revealed his history of harassing and abusive behavior. It is exactly the behavior he is exhibiting now in N. Dak.

[UNDBIZ]

I wouldn't buy this guy out I would fire him. Employees in many organizations are fired for harassing or ausive behavior. I believe one of this guys mistakes was his disrespect for state legislators from virtually the beginning of his employment. I don't think it would take much to gather former staff members who were either fired or resigned after being harassed by this guy. I know they were documenting his misdeeds. He had no regard for the open meeting laws and obviously felt with the state finances being healthy, he didn't have to worry about wasting tax payers funds, especially when it related to his personal comforts and conveniences. His abusive, bullying behavior is exactly what he got in trouble for in California. Espegard should be required to resign as well. The recent article in the Forum concerning the SOB and higher ed in N. Dak. really should focus on how Paulsen enabled Chapman, and how Espegard has enabled this clown. Paulsen was partly repsonsible for Chapman's inappropriate actions. Espegard is largely responsible for the misdeeds of this clown. The problems with Chapman, at Dickinson State and now with Shirvani only results in loss of trust in the SBOHE and it transfers to deterioration of public trust in higher ed across the state. N.Dak. can't get rid of Shirvani too soon and should not allow Espegard to enable him to do any further damage. One wonders of the competency of a SBOHE that would hire a clown from California, that a simple background check would have revealed his history of harassing and abusive behavior. It is exactly the behavior he is exhibiting now in N. Dak.

Can probably blame Eide Bailley for the background check, as I'm sure the SBoHE had one done and I believe the state typically contracts with Eide to do them.

[Cratter]

What the heck does Shirvani need thirty new employees for! Man this guy keeps getting worse. Total corrupt power grabber. You weren't kidding about him being the second coming of Chapman.

[Bison Dan]

What the heck does Shirvani need thirty new employees for! Man this guy keeps getting worse. Total corrupt power grabber. You weren't kidding about him being the second coming of Chapman.

Get rid of him now as it will just cost more down the road. Easy to see he doesn't fit into the ND culture and will never get along with the legislature or presidents.

[The Sicatoka]

What the heck does Shirvani need thirty new employees for! Man this guy keeps getting worse. Total corrupt power grabber. You weren't kidding about him being the second coming of Chapman.

Get rid of him now as it will just cost more down the road. Easy to see he doesn't fit into the ND culture and will never get along with the legislature or presidents.

Bison Dan and a UND fans agreeing on something?

<scurries to window to look for four pissed-off dudes on horseback coming over horizon>

[The Sicatoka]

Regarding Dr. Hamid "Ham" Shirvani ... it's not working out.

It's time to smoke the Ham.

[watchmaker49]

Regarding Dr. Hamid "Ham" Shirvani ... it's not working out.

It's time to smoke the Ham.

Will anyone ever really work out?

[UNDBIZ]

Will anyone ever really work out?

No. Sorry, but there are too many forces at work in North Dakota and the people don't trust centralized power. The "university system" idea won't work here. The system office should be scrapped and the money spent elsewhere. The campuses should have to fend for themselves during the legislative session so the legislators can hold them individually responsible rather than heaping blame on the system office for not catching a campus that was screwing around.

[The Sicatoka]

Will anyone ever really work out?

Give the power to me.

Everything will be fine.

Trust me.

[jodcon]

Give the power to me.

Everything will be fine.

Trust me.

OK Al Carlson...

[jdub27]

ND Senate passes funding for Option 3 (new med school building)

BISMARCK — State senators voted Wednesday to pay for a new building for UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, bumping funding up to a total of $123.7 million.

....

Senators voted Tuesday to give the med school the $68.3 million as part of Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed higher education budget. That was just enough for an addition to the existing school building.

The Wednesday vote added $55.7 million, enough for a completely new building.

The expansion of the med school is driven by concerns that the state’s growing population of seniors and oil workers in rural areas will exacerbate the shortage of health care workers.

...

But funding for the new bill may not pass as easily in the House.

Rep. Bob Skarphol, R-Tioga, who has expressed skepticism over the cost of the new building, raised the issue again Wednesday.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Education and Environment Division said members are leaning toward taking a different stance on buildings compared with the past. They don’t appreciate the methodology of putting a price on a building and paying that exact amount, he said.

“We’re trying to figure out a way to be more creative and actually get the best facility we can for the cheapest dollars we can, as opposed to saying this building is going to cost X amount,” he said.

[The Sicatoka]

I was pretty stunned when I saw the ND Senate passed the most expensive option for upgrading UND Med's facilities.

Then again, the ND House gets the bill next. Oy.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Great news from the Senate...now, ND House members....don't screw this up!

[UNDBIZ]

I'm guessing the Senate did this in preparation for the House choosing the lowest upgrade option. That way in negotiations they finish at the middle option again.

[Rick]

Great news from the Senate...now, ND House members....don't screw this up!

I think most of the legislator’s realize that there is presently a huge demand for rural doctors in North Dakota and the demand is going to be much worse 5 – 10 – 15 & 20 years from now. I believe all they want is some control on the cost of the project.

If I was going to build a house and someone was going to give me the money for my new home, that person would probably want some idea on what he/she is paying for. If I told that person that my new home is going to be in the $500K range so why don’t you just give me the $500K and I can get going on the project. That person might then say…..what if the bids come in a lot less than what you think and you end up getting everything you want for only $410K, then I’ve given you too much, what’s going to happen? I might then say……well, if something like that happens, I’ll put on a $90K “guest room” just in case a chancellor from Bismarck wants to come a visit me. That will only occur once or twice a year for a couple of hours but it will be nice to have if he does show up. So just give me the $500K and we’ll be good to go.

I suspect that if Ralph Engelstad had told the university that he was going to write them out a check for $104 million, and that they would have to manage the project, we'd be looking at a much different Ralph Engelstad Arena. It would probably be about half as nice and would have still cost $104 million.

[ericpnelson]

I'm guessing the Senate did this in preparation for the House choosing the lowest upgrade option. That way in negotiations they finish at the middle option again.

the house and senate don't coordinate that well

[ericpnelson]

I think most of the legislator’s realize that there is presently a huge demand for rural doctors in North Dakota and the demand is going to be much worse 5 – 10 – 15 & 20 years from now. I believe all they want is some control on the cost of the project.

If I was going to build a house and someone was going to give me the money for my new home, that person would probably want some idea on what he/she is paying for. If I told that person that my new home is going to be in the $500K range so why don’t you just give me the $500K and I can get going on the project. That person might then say…..what if the bids come in a lot less than what you think and you end up getting everything you want for only $410K, then I’ve given you too much, what’s going to happen? I might then say……well, if something like that happens, I’ll put on a $90K “guest room” just in case a chancellor from Bismarck wants to come a visit me. That will only occur once or twice a year for a couple of hours but it will be nice to have if he does show up. So just give me the $500K and we’ll be good to go.

I suspect that if Ralph Engelstad had told the university that he was going to write them out a check for $104 million, and that they would have to manage the project, we'd be looking at a much different Ralph Engelstad Arena. It would probably be about half as nice and would have still cost $104 million.

Right on the mark. The state's plan is for the med school to double its class size to get more ND doctors

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Right on the mark. The state's plan is for the med school to double its class size to get more ND doctors

Don't forget all of the other programs at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences: PT, OT, Athletic training, Lab, etc etc. This would help many programs.