From: Skogen, Larry

To: Bresciani, Dean

Cc: Diederich, Kirsten; Feldner, Lisa
Subject: Re: draft
Date: Thursday, J une 26, 2014 2:52:33 PM
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Dean,
The Board approved its efficiencies initiative in J anuary 2012. Moving all email user accounts
to a single systemwide tenant (server) is part of that initiative. Vice Chancellor Feldner tells
me that it will likely take until this coming December or later before ten of the eleven
institutions have been migrated to that architecture. You've expressed concerns about that
architecture and migrating your institution to it. Based on our recent conversations, I don't see
that your not being part of that migration in the short term prevents or hinders the current
initiative. Once the other ten institutions are migrated, we'll have to make a decision about
completing that initiative. At that time, we'll reengage about your institution's participation in
that architecture, which may include a discuss at a Board meeting.
Thanks!!
Larry
Larry C. Skogen, Ph.D.
Interim Chancellor
NORTH DAKOTA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 215
Bismarck, ND 58505-0230
701.328.2974
larry.skogen@ndus.edu
On J un 25, 2014, at 1:04 PM, "Bresciani, Dean" <Dean.Bresciani@ndsu.edu>wrote:
Chancellor-

Thank you for your substantial time and consideration of the email management issue
weve been discussingnow for over a year. I think it goes without saying that my
intention has always been to remain forthright in considering the need for NDSU to
migrate its email back to an NDSU managed system but on a Microsoft tenant
consistent with and parallel to the current email system, and youve seemed
appreciative of that.

At the same time, I know that youve felt caught between the thorough narrative and
written analysis NDSU has provided versus perspectives from others. Most of the
latter has to the best of my knowledge been based on conjecture or perhaps a
misunderstanding of how other university systems work. NDSU has delayed action as
long as possible out of respect for that dilemma.

But were now out of time if we are to honor our prior and very public commitment
to resolve the matter. As you know, we believe that a failure to honor that
commitment will not only have substantial if not ruinous liabilities for NDSU, but also
troublesome and very public implications for the System and/or SBHE. We feel a
strong responsibility and obligation to avoid both the former and the latter at all costs.

In light of the above, NDSU has no choice but to immediately proceed with a migration
back to managing its own email system, which does not seem extraordinary or
unreasonable given that:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1) <!--[endif]-->A number of other System schools already
operate on independent email systems so our doing so is not at all unique.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) <!--[endif]-->Doing so has absolutely no operational
impact or cost for any other campus, or the System collectively, so it is actually
a rather standard operational decision which by SBHE policy the NDSU
President is authorized to make.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3) <!--[endif]-->As a small bonus, our doing so will also
relieve the System IT staff of tasks like responding to the growing number of
public records requests (which they seem to struggle with timely responses
to).

We will of course execute the migration in as discreet of a manner as possible. In
consultation with Microsoft we are contracting with a third party vendor to handle the
migration, so as to best allow for a smooth and expedited transition. The preparatory
stages of the process will begin on 7/1, with actual migration taking place on 7/18 and
completed on 7/21.

I certainly hope you will support that our doing so now is necessary and appropriate.
Please know that, however, that if in the future an alternative solution to the involved
issues emerges, NDSU will of course be open to discussing this again.

Dean Bresciani

Dean L. Bresciani, President
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNI VERSI TY

102 Old Main
Dept. 1000, PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Office 701.231.7211
dean.bresciani@ndsu.edu
www.ndsu.edu

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