Audit Faults N.D. Universities Over Presidents’ Houses and Other Costly Projects

Overspending on presidents’ houses continues to haunt the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University. In a report released on Wednesday, the state auditor faulted both institutions for failing to monitor capital projects adequately, and singled out missteps in those projects and others for criticism, The Forum, a newspaper in Fargo, reported. In a section on North Dakota State, the auditor’s report lists examples of extras that added to the cost of the house, including heated sidewalks, automated blinds in the bedrooms, and outdoor restrooms, and notes that the project remains unfinished. A public uproar over the house contributed to Joseph A. Chapman’s decision to resign as president of North Dakota State last year. In January he talked to The Chronicle about the controversy.