Applicants are being sought from North Dakota residents to fill two future vacancies on the state Board of Higher Education.
 
Prospective candidates must complete an application form. They also must submit resume and letters of recommendation.
 
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2017.
 
The application form may be found at www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/documents/124/sfn53472.pdf
 
Completed forms should be returned to the State Superintendent, Department of Public Instruction, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 201, Bismarck, N.D., 58505. They also may be emailed to lnorbeck@nd.gov.
 
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler is chairwoman of a nominating committee that reviews applications for the Board of Higher Education.
 
The group picks three suggested appointees for each opening and forwards the names to the governor, who decides whom to appoint. The governor’s choices are subject to confirmation by the North Dakota Senate.
 
Other committee members are Gerald VandeWalle, chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court; Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United; state Sen. Gary Lee, R-Casselton, the president pro tempore of the North Dakota Senate; and state Rep. Larry Bellew, R-Minot, the speaker of the North Dakota House.
 
The Board of Higher Education will have two vacancies on July 1, when the terms of incumbent board members Kathleen Neset and Kari Reichert will expire.
 
Neset, who is chairwoman of the board, and Reichert are both eligible to be reappointed to new four-year terms.
 
The board oversees the North Dakota university system. It has seven voting members who serve four-year terms; one voting student member, who serves a one-year term; and nonvoting representatives of the university system’s faculty and staff, each of whom serve one-year terms.