Fired Professor Among 17 Higher Ed Board Applicants

BISMARCK, N.D. – A former Bismarck State College assistant professor who was fired two years ago for inappropriate behavior has applied to be on the state Board of Higher Education.

The board has a vacancy due to the resignation earlier this summer of John T. Korsmo, formerly of Fargo. He is now living in Washington, D.C.

Sandra Peterson, Wilton, N.D., was let go at BSC in 1999. After appeals, the Board of Higher Education affirmed the firing in January.

The school said she had violated a student’s privacy and that there had been a pattern of inappropriate behavior.

The state nominating committee will meet Monday to pick finalists for the board and forward them to the governor.

The 17 applicants also include five people who have applied to be on the board before. And the applicants include five people from Fargo-West Fargo.

John Calvert, retired Fargo teacher, also applied to the board in 1998 and has campaigned unsuccessfully a number of times for the Fargo School Board.

Russell Handegard, West Fargo, is a general contractor.

Kent Hochgraber, Fargo, is president and owner of Dunhill Professional Search.

Jayma Moore, Fargo, formerly practiced veterinary medicine and Fargo and now worked for Hospice Red River Valley.

John Q. Paulson, Fargo, is a health-care consultant and retired MeritCare executive. He is also chairman of the Fargo Planning Commission and on the Plains Art Museum board.

Others besides Calvert who have sought appointment to the board before are James Dalglish, Grand Forks, a retired Northern States Power (now Xcel) executive; Mayville dentist Robert Charles Lauf; Al Liebersbach, a Mandan educator and former legislative candidate, and Clarice Liechty, Jamestown farmer and businesswoman.

The other applicants are Charles Gruman, Hannaford farmer and former legislative candidate; Bismarck educator Robert Johnson; Herman Schafer, a retired Mandan elementary principal; Valley City banker Charles Stowman; Leo Voigt, Bismarck, retired from Qwest, and Bismarck consultant Fraine Zeitler.

Readers can reach Forum reporter

Janell Cole at (701) 224-0830
 

The Forum - 08/22/2001