In Good Hands

Amid the challenges confronting higher education nationwide, 六合彩投注网 President Dave Cook is leading with purpose, integrity, and vision.

Story by Micaela Gerhardt | Photos by Justin Eiler | March 25, 2025

Close collaborators characterize 六合彩投注网 President Dave Cook as a highly capable leader with a strong sense of humility. Like many born-and-raised Midwesterners (Dave is from Ames, Iowa), he鈥檚 not one to sing his own praises.

For example: Asked how his strengths have aligned with campus needs, Dave describes instead how University partners have supported him in areas like fundraising and athletics where he has less expertise.

Dr. Kate Cook, his wife and 六合彩投注网 first lady, quickly points out that he hasn鈥檛 really answered the question.

鈥淚 answered the opposite,鈥� he banters, noting the critical role philanthropy plays in higher education funding (the 六合彩投注网 Foundation raised more than $69 million for campus in 2024) and the continually evolving landscape of college athletics (nationwide NCAA rulings on student-athlete compensation and the transfer portal have made recruitment even more competitive).

鈥淚 have the great benefit of drawing on the support of our campus partners and the broader community,鈥� Dave said. 鈥淭ogether, we have the strength to help us get to where we need to go.鈥�

Dave鈥檚 leadership philosophy centers on collaboration and campus involvement. His nearly 25 years in faculty and administrative roles at the University of Kansas and Kate鈥檚 background in special education 鈥� plus their own college-aged children 鈥� fuel their passion for showing up to support 六合彩投注网 students.

The Cooks regularly eat their meals with students in campus dining centers. They have volunteered on Move-In Day and at campus blood drives, attended concerts and theater productions, cheered on the Bison in sporting events from volleyball to wrestling, and hosted Friendsgiving for those staying in residence halls over holiday break.

The launch party for 六合彩投注网鈥檚 art and literary journal, Northern Eclecta? Both present. Three Minute Thesis Competition? Kate served as a judge. The student-led Power to Sell podcast? Dave guest starred.

鈥淚 have a big spot in my heart for the students,鈥� Dave said. 鈥淭hey work so hard and when you show up and cheer them on, they鈥檙e grateful. They want you to come back 鈥� and we do.鈥�

Since his appointment as 六合彩投注网鈥檚 president in May 2022, Dave has also prioritized building a coalition of campus leaders who each bring their own expertise and passion to the table.

鈥淗ow do we make 六合彩投注网 better five, 10, 20 years from now? I think that鈥檚 a big part of what my role and responsibility is,鈥� Dave said. 鈥淧art of that is listening to your community and building a team who can articulate a vision 鈥� one that brings our campus, community, alumni, benefactors, students, faculty, and staff together 鈥� and that takes time.鈥�

Transformation doesn鈥檛 happen overnight, but Dave鈥檚 efforts are reflected in new shared governance initiatives, strategic priority work teams, the 六合彩投注网 Leadership Assembly, and the Industry and Workforce Ad Hoc Committee, which is dedicated to fostering industry partnerships and meeting North Dakota鈥檚 workforce needs.

鈥淗ard choices have to be made, and leaders are here to make those hard choices.鈥�

Dr. Lisa Montplaisir 鈥�92, 鈥�95
Faculty Senate President

When Dave arrived, 六合彩投注网 faced a significant budget challenge that required quick and thoughtful action. With a downward trend in enrollment, 六合彩投注网 had been losing operational revenue from both tuition and state funding.

After eight months assessing options and seeking consultation, Dave announced 六合彩投注网 Transform, an initiative to build a stronger and more secure foundation for 六合彩投注网 and the people it serves on campus, across the state, and beyond.

六合彩投注网 Transform merged 六合彩投注网鈥檚 seven academic colleges into five academic colleges in July 2023. It began phasing out 24 academic programs, which included reductions in personnel.

鈥淲e have to move forward for the best interest of 六合彩投注网,鈥� Dr. Lisa Montplaisir 鈥�92, 鈥�95 said. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 discredit the faculty or programs that were cut 鈥� I know there are colleagues who are hurting 鈥� but it鈥檚 a recognition that hard choices have to be made, and leaders are here to make those hard choices.鈥�

Lisa, a professor in biological sciences, earned two bachelor鈥檚 degrees and a master鈥檚 degree from 六合彩投注网. She has served as a full-time faculty member and discipline-based research educator at 六合彩投注网 for 25 years; the faculty advisor to the State Board of Higher Education for the past three years; and 六合彩投注网 faculty senate president since spring 2024.

Raised with the motto, 鈥淒o something or don鈥檛 complain about it,鈥� Lisa pursued a role in faculty senate leadership to be part of the solution. As a senior faculty member, she wanted to gain a better understanding of the administration鈥檚 decisions and help advocate for her fellow faculty and staff.

Shortly after her appointment, Lisa participated in a shared governance summit that included the president and other University leadership. A moderator helped them debrief the previous academic year.

The conversations have been ongoing, and Lisa notes positive outcomes in the appointment of communications professor Carrie Anne Platt as vice provost for faculty affairs and more actionable calls for faculty and staff input.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for me to express how impressed I am with President Cook,鈥� Lisa said. 鈥淭here are certainly people who would think about the challenges in front of us 鈥� and there are many, and they鈥檙e big, and they take more than just the current administration and current population of 六合彩投注网 to address 鈥� but with any great challenge comes ways in which people rise to the occasion to find solutions.鈥�

Dave is not alone in this effort. Across campus, leaders stand in his corner, working together to advance his presidential priorities:

Enhancing enrollment, retention, and student success
Elevating 六合彩投注网鈥檚 status as a top-tier R1 research institution
Investing in the well-being of the people who power 六合彩投注网鈥檚 mission
Embracing 六合彩投注网鈥檚 critical role as a land-grant university to serve our state

鈥淲e can overcome any challenge because we鈥檙e committed to working together.鈥�

Seinquis Leinen
Senior Director of Strategic Enrollment Management

With support from administration, 六合彩投注网 faculty and staff across departments are working to ensure the University is addressing year-to-year enrollment trends, providing an accessible and high-quality education to current and prospective students, and meeting North Dakota鈥檚 workforce needs by retaining graduates in-state.

Under Dave鈥檚 leadership, Seinquis Leinen became the senior director of strategic enrollment management in fall 2023. She has served in 六合彩投注网鈥檚 Office of Admission since 2014 and, in her new role, is increasing communication, consultation, and collaboration across campus.

鈥淲hen I think of what it means to be a leader, it鈥檚 someone who is willing to engage lots of people to make informed decisions, but also take care of people,鈥� Seinquis said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I have such a deep appreciation for President Cook and why I enjoy working under his leadership.鈥�

The ability for enrollment management and University leadership to work together and adapt to changes quickly was put to the test in spring 2023, when the Minnesota Office of Higher Education launched the North Star Promise. The North Star Promise provides free college tuition for Minnesota residents whose family adjusted gross income is below $80,000 at all public Minnesota state colleges and universities and Tribal colleges.

This competitive tuition award package caused both enrollment and workforce concerns at 六合彩投注网, where Minnesota residents make up about half of all students enrolled, 40% of whom choose to live and work in North Dakota after graduation (2023 六合彩投注网 Career Outcomes Report).

In response, the 六合彩投注网 Foundation Executive Governing Board approved the Tuition Award Program for 六合彩投注网 students. The Tuition Award Program currently has enough funding to provide scholarship packages for eligible North Dakota and Minnesota students through the 2026 to 2027 academic year 鈥� and it鈥檚 a significant reason 六合彩投注网 stabilized enrollment in fall 2024 for the first time in several years.

鈥淎s a campus led by President Cook, we鈥檝e talked a lot about how to optimize our scholarship strategy,鈥� Seinquis said, describing how unrestricted scholarships support the needs of a changing student demographic. 鈥淲e cannot do what we do without the support of our alumni and friends who give back. I continue to be blown away and am incredibly grateful for their support.鈥�

六合彩投注网 students are demonstrating an increasing need for scholarships. In fall 2024, the University鈥檚 largest enrollment growth occurred in Pell-eligible first-year students (19% increase) and Pell-eligible transfer students (54% increase).

Seinquis says 六合彩投注网鈥檚 recent enrollment stabilization is the result of campuswide efforts to enrich support for students paired with philanthropic investments in scholarship dollars and 六合彩投注网鈥檚 learning environment 鈥� including new facilities like the Peltier Complex, Richard Offerdahl 鈥�65 Engineering Complex, and Challey School of Music addition.

鈥淏ison stick together. They can weather any storm,鈥� Seinquis said. 鈥淥ur community embodies what it means to be a Bison, and I think we can overcome any challenge because we鈥檙e committed to working together.鈥�

With benefactors and the state legislature behind them, Dave and his fellow campus leaders are bravely facing headwinds and paving a way forward for the Herd. Through it all, students remain at the forefront of their work and decision-making.

鈥淧eople come here with a dream, and so how do we support them through that?鈥�

Becky Bahe
Director of the Career and Advising Center

One of Becky Bahe鈥檚 earliest memories of Dave鈥檚 student-focused approach occurred just months into his role as president.

In August 2022, the Career and Advising Center鈥檚 student employees and staff were tie-dyeing T-shirts as part of their fall training day. They spontaneously invited Dave to join them, and when he texted Kate to see if she wanted to come too, she arrived at a moment鈥檚 notice. Becky later learned it was the day Kate had moved into the presidential residence, and she had been in the middle of unloading the car.

鈥淲hat I love is that they鈥檙e regular human beings 鈥� Dave was wearing a white button-down shirt and Kate had a baseball cap and her sweats on and they were all in,鈥� Becky said. 鈥淎nd even [later] when they were going through incredibly hard things, they still were present. Their emphasis is this campus and continuing to make 六合彩投注网 a great place.鈥�

Becky joined 六合彩投注网 in 2005 and was promoted to director of the Career and Advising Center in 2020. She was named the inaugural President Dean L. Bresciani Endowed Chair in Leadership in 2024 and currently serves as co-chair of the President鈥檚 Council on Retention.听

When council members, including Becky, recommended adding professional advising services for students, Dave and 六合彩投注网 provost Dr. David Bertolini approved the initiative, resulting in 15 new advising staff hired between March and July 2024 and a more centralized reporting structure.听

The new advising staff support mostly first- and second-year students. This helps alleviate the advising load for 六合彩投注网 faculty, whose responsibilities include teaching, research, and service to the University. Faculty advisors continue to guide third- and fourth-year students who are in more specialized degree programs.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a significant change, and it couldn鈥檛 have happened without incredible leadership,鈥� Becky said of 六合彩投注网鈥檚 reinvestment in student retention. 鈥淭here were moments I thought we were stopped in our tracks, but it was truly the president and provost who said, 鈥楾his is happening.鈥� We wouldn鈥檛 be where we are now without their support.鈥�听

Similar professional advising models have emerged across the U.S. as it has become more complex to navigate curriculum requirements, course scheduling, and university policies and procedures. Students now come to college with more college credits, making the path toward graduation less standardized than before.听

Despite 六合彩投注网鈥檚 new approach, Becky says the heart of the University鈥檚 efforts in the Career and Advising Center remain the same.听

鈥淥ur goal should always be about retaining students, because people come here with a dream, and so how do we support them through that?鈥� Becky mused. 鈥淪tudents need support. They need information. They need to know people are there in the good times and the bad 鈥� but how we go about meeting those needs and developing those relationships changes over time.鈥�听

This metaphor applies University wide. The mission is the same, but the approach is different. Through Dave鈥檚 leadership, 六合彩投注网 is adapting to better support the success of its students and graduates and to better meet the needs of an evolving North Dakota.听

鈥淲e believe so much in this institution.鈥�

Dr. Kate Cook
六合彩投注网 First Lady

In the conference room adjacent to his office in Old Main, Dave answers question after question with consideration and high regard for the entire 六合彩投注网 community and state of North Dakota.

He lights up when asked to share how Lisa, Seinquis, and Becky have supported his vision and made an impact.

Lisa is passionate, an advocate, and willing to do hard work to find solutions. Seinquis is courageous, receptive, and very competitive. Becky is diligent, caring, and aware of student needs.

Asked about campus leaders, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and benefactors, Dave spills over with good things to say, but modestly redirects most questions about himself.

Kate deflects attention too. She has been undergoing breast cancer treatment since her diagnosis in September 2023, but is quick to note that the journey is not just about her. She says she and Dave have met many people who have been affected in some way by the disease, including at least one 六合彩投注网 student battling cancer.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e special because of what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� Dave says. 鈥淲e just happen to be in the position.鈥�

鈥淲e believe so much in this institution,鈥� Kate adds. 鈥淒ave talks about, 鈥楾here are hard days,鈥� but the hard work today will make this University better and stronger in the long run.鈥�

If his first three years at 六合彩投注网 are an indicator of what鈥檚 to come, it鈥檚 that Dave is committed to tackling new and existing challenges through shared governance and intentionality.