Job ID: 2958136

Location: Fargo

Department: Office of the Provost

Position Information

Founding Executive Director, NDSU Honors College

Full-Time, 12-Month Appointment
North Dakota State University

Overview

North Dakota State University (NDSU) invites visionary builders, bold thinkers, and entrepreneurial academic leaders to apply for the position of Founding Executive Director of the NDSU Honors College. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to found and shape a college designed for the age of artificial intelligence-a place where courage meets curiosity, and where human and machine intelligence unite to drive discovery, creativity, and leadership.

This is not an incremental appointment. It is a fully funded, donor-driven launch backed by significant philanthropic investment and institutional commitment. The Founding Executive Director will join NDSU in founding moments of vision, building from a position of financial strength and strategic abundance.

They will build, launch and lead a program rooted in Roosevelt's "man in the arena," where honors students, faculty fellows, and external partners embrace resilience and risk, recognizing that striving for excellence means facing challenges and learning through setbacks. The Honors College encourages purposeful engagement through leadership, community service, and innovation-spending oneself in a worthy cause. At its heart, the NDSU Honors College embodies the spirit of the arena, where students step forward, take intellectual risks, and lead with courage and optimism.
Leadership Profile

Launching in Fall 2026, the NDSU Honors College will set a new national standard for honors education in the AI era-an environment for bold, adaptive, and ethically grounded students who will not simply study the world but help shape it. Rooted in the land-grant tradition of access and impact, the College will demonstrate how a public university on the Northern Plains can shape national conversations about excellence, ethics, and innovation.

From its home in Pavek Hall, the Honors College will serve as a hub for signature programs-such as a Human Flourishing Lab, experiential learning initiatives, leadership, interdisciplinary collaborations that connect the arts, sciences, and professions, and intentional civic engagement.

The Founding Executive Director will have the rare opportunity to co-design, launch, and lead a college that blends the best of human insight, optimism, and innovation. Significant groundwork has been laid; now NDSU seeks a founder who can bring it to life-crafting its culture, programs, and partnerships from the ground up.

This is not honors as usual. It represents a fundamental rethinking of the university's role in a time of accelerating technological change-preparing students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and act courageously.

This is honors education re-imagined for a world of exponential growth.

The Opportunity

As the Founding Executive Director, you will be the chief architect of the Honors College's academic, residential, and cultural identity. You will lead the inaugural team of faculty fellows, implement and evolve innovative curricula, and develop dynamic learning environments that embody the spirit of exploration and impact.

The NDSU Honors College will be a place where:

Students are empowered to take intellectual risks and lead with vision.
Faculty and mentors collaborate across boundaries to tackle real-world challenges.
AI and digital innovation are harnessed to expand-not replace-human potential.
Curiosity, creativity, and courage define the student experience.

Ideal Candidate

The Founding Executive Director will think like a start-up founder-building programs, partnerships, and culture from the ground up. NDSU seeks a national thought leader and catalyst who can inspire others to join a bold, purpose-driven experiment in higher education.

The successful candidate will:

Bring an entrepreneurial spirit to creation, growth, and partnership building.
Inspire faculty, staff, students, and donors with a compelling vision for the future of higher education.
Attract and steward philanthropic investment, aligning resources with mission and momentum.
Represent NDSU and the Honors College on national stages as a voice for ethical, future-facing education.
Champion the creative integration of AI and emerging technologies to amplify human potential.
Cultivate a culture of optimism, collaboration, and inclusion rooted in NDSU's land-grant values.

Responsibilities: Build. Launch. Lead.
The Founding Executive Director will:

Build the academic, cultural, and operational foundation of the NDSU Honors College.
Launch signature programs that integrate research, creativity, and civic engagement.
Lead a dynamic team of faculty fellows and staff who model excellence and interdisciplinary innovation.
Serve as the chief architect of the College's academic, residential, and cultural identity.
Partner with the NDSU Foundation to lead donor engagement, fundraising, and alumni cultivation.
Forge strong collaborations across NDSU's colleges, the North Dakota University System, and global networks.
Recruit, mentor, and support outstanding students from North Dakota, across the nation, and around the world.
Manage and strategically invest the College's budget, scholarships, and operational resources.
Encourage creative use of AI and digital tools to enhance learning and research.
Lead the National Merit Scholarship process and elevate NDSU's national profile in student excellence.
Advance a culture of innovation and ethical leadership consistent with NDSU's land-grant mission.

Qualifications

Required

Terminal degree or equivalent record of accomplishment in academia, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector.
Proven record of innovative leadership and organizational development.
Demonstrated success in building partnerships and securing external support.
Commitment to inclusion and the development of human potential.
Strong communication and storytelling ability to inspire and mobilize diverse audiences.

Preferred

Experience launching or scaling new programs or organizations.
Track record of attracting high-performing students and faculty.
Record of leading or contributing to significant philanthropic initiatives.
Understanding of the future landscape of education, technology, and innovation.
Ability to use data and insight to make bold, strategic decisions.

About NDSU

Proud of and committed to its historic land-grant mission, NDSU is one of only 146 institutions in the country with the R1 Carnegie classification status as a top research institution. NDSU earned $142.5M in external funding awards for FY24, the latest fiscal year that ended June 30. This is the highest annual awards total to date and represents an increase of 76% over the previous year's mark of $80.9M. NDSU is located in the vibrant and growing city of Fargo, North Dakota. Fargo is a regional healthcare hub, creating rich opportunities for research, collaboration and student experiences for our college. Along with its neighboring cities West Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo forms one of the largest metropolitan centers between Minneapolis and Seattle.

The community's population of more than 260,000 provides small-town friendliness mixed with the offerings of a large city. Fargo is an incredibly cosmopolitan area, with a steady and notable growth in its cultural and ethnic diversity over the past few years. Considering these trends, NDSU is actively engaged in attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds. NDSU genuinely values and encourages their contributions to making the campus reflect, embrace and meaningfully promote its diversity.

Join the residents who enjoy a fantastic quality of life that includes an active art scene complete with museums, galleries, a symphony, civic opera company, a wide variety of live music and a fabulous (almost) 100-year-old movie theatre that houses concerts, screenings and an annual film festival. Top this off with craft breweries, wineries, a wonderful selection of restaurants and shopping options and so many local events you can be out on the town every night of the week. The region is also abundant with natural beauty and offers year-round outdoor activities. Fargo offers a lower unemployment rate, favorable tax structure, as well as a cost of living that is 8.1% less than the U.S. average. With higher than the national average investment per student, Fargo is proud of its public school system. It is a growing hub for economic development with multibillion- dollar, industry-leading businesses located or headquartered in the region, including one of Microsoft's largest campuses and employment bases as well as three nationally recognized healthcare centers. The largest industry in the area is Healthcare and Social Services with the highest growth in the last five years and highest predicted growth for the next five years. To learn more about the area, visit www.fargomoorhead.org; https://liveinfmarea.com; and https://gfmedc.com. For further information on NDSU, visit http://www.ndsu.edu.

Application Process

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit:

A letter of interest addressing the leadership profile and their vision for an innovative honors college.
A resume or curriculum vitae.
Contact information for three professional references.

NDSU Honors College: Where Courage Meets Curiosity.

Hiring Range:

Pay is based on several factors, including budget, labor market, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and/or certification and other business considerations.

NDSU OFFERS EXCELLENT BENEFITS!

Full time employees are eligible for the following benefits:
Health Insurance coverage with 100% of the premium paid for by NDSU for Single or Family Plan
Option of a PPO/Basic Plan or High Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account
Benefits begin the first of the month following date of hire
Wellness benefits are included for healthy lifestyle participation
Superb Retirement Plan
Employer Contributions range from 7.5% - 12.26% based on position
Basic Term Life Insurance
Tuition Waivers for Employee (three classes per calendar year)
Tuitions Waivers for Spouse/Partner & Dependents (eligible for 50% waiver)
Paid Leave - including Annual leave, Sick Leave and 10 paid Holidays
Employee Assistance Program

Optional benefits include: Supplemental Life, Dental, Vision, Long-term care insurance, Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care) and Supplemental Retirement Plans

More Detailed Information Here: Benefits | Human Resources | NDSU

About Us:

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student focused, land-grant, research university. We educate leaders who solve national and global challenges by providing affordable access to an excellent education that combines teaching and research in a rich learning environment.

NDSU is in the highest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, R1, granted to the top research institutions in the country.

NDSU has offices across the state of North Dakota, and the main campus is in Fargo, on the Minnesota border. Along with Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo forms one of the largest metropolitan centers between Minneapolis and Seattle. The community is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live.

NDSU is committed to fostering a community where differences are recognized as strengths. Rooted in our land-grant mission, we work together to meet the needs of North Dakota and its communities through education, research and outreach.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to: Vice Provost, Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, Fargo, ND, 58108, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu.

No Smoking Notice:

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 23-12-10.

Veteran's Preference Notice:

This position is subject to North Dakota Veteran's Preference requirements.

Reasonable Accommodation Information:

North Dakota State University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources at 701-231-8961 or ndsu.hr@ndsu.edu.

North Dakota State University

Latest Jobs

Executive Director - Honors College