A new bill proposed earlier in the year would make candidates applying for top positions in North Dakota’s state universities exempt from open records laws.

The bill, intended to reduce the number of applicants deterred by the open records policy, would exempt the records of any individuals applying to be the president, vice president, provost, dean, athletic director, or head coach at a state university.

Once candidates for these positions are narrowed to three finalists, the applicants’ records would be made public, with a 14-day notice for anyone who wished to withdraw their application.

Many view this bill as a threat to transparency in public institutions, but others feel that it will create a bigger and more diverse pool of applicants for such influential positions.

Read more about the proposed bill in the Student Press Law Center here.