What the U. of North Dakota Can Learn From North Dakota State U.’s New Downtown Campus

The Grand Forks Herald says the University of North Dakota and Grand Forks, N.D., could learn a thing or two from North Dakota State University and the city of Fargo, where NDSU has set up a downtown campus. In coming years, 4,000 students will live and learn in downtown Fargo, which will revitalize the city, writes Tom Dennis, the newspaper’s editorial-page editor, in an op-ed essay.

“UND also is weighing the prospect of opening a downtown campus; and if NDSU’s experience is any indication, the benefits far outweigh the costs,” he writes. “Thanks to strong leadership, good planning and steady civic support, NDSU built and/or renovated buildings, relocated entire programs downtown and successfully addressed key issues such as parking.

“If Grand Forks brings the same elements to bear,” Mr. Dennis continues, “a downtown campus likewise could be opened here to the benefit of both the university and city. And just as NDSU looked to other cities’ experiences before making its move, the lessons NDSU has learned can help show Grand Forks and UND the way.”

Mr. Dennis points out some of the strengths of the Fargo plan: North Dakota State moved its programs in architecture, landscape architecture, and visual arts to a historic downtown warehouse, which it renovated in a “scrupulously eco-friendly” manner. The move not only gives the university green bragging rights but also places students in a stimulating urban atmosphere. So does putting the business school and the departments of agribusiness and applied economics downtown, where businesses are located.

“Let’s learn from our counterparts’ experience and create a vibrant downtown campus of UND,” Mr. Dennis writes.