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After a state auditor was critical of the way North Dakota State University officials handled a series of building projects, several lawmakers want to take oversight of building projects away from the North Dakota Board of Higher Education.

The state auditor’s report showed that officials split up spending projects to avoid going to the Board for approval and used funds earmarked for asbestos to remodel the President’s office space.  During the course of the audit, three officials at the University resigned. 

In response, lawmakers are concerned that the Board struggles to say no to private organizations and fails to control spending of its staff.  They’re now proposing moving the authority to oversee building projects to a different state agency or using the Bank of North Dakota to finance building projects. 

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