Tri-College set to dissolve as new ‘eerily similar’ plans develop

MOORHEAD- The historic education partnership known as the Tri-College University (TCU) is set to dissolve next year.

For 53 years, this system has allowed students to conveniently leap-frog between universities and colleges. The system plans to close its doors effectively on Dec. 31, 2024, a Tri-College press release announced. 

The current partnership involves North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, North Dakota State College of Science, and Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Minnesota State Community and Technical College President Carrie Brimhall said the decision is due to the high cost of administration fees the institutions pay to the Tri-College staff. Cutting the partnership will save the universities hundreds of thousands of dollars, Brimhall stated in another interview. 

“Budgets are tight at every college and university and we need to be innovative to meet the crazy workforce needs of the region,” Brimhall said in an interview with the Forum. 

Another contributing factor was advancements in technology. Since the creation of the Tri-College in 1970, Brimhall explains that the integration of digital filing records over collegiate websites has only made it easier for students to get registered.  

“Students are pretty savvy with getting registered for the classes that they need across institutional boundaries, and so we want to not only recognize that but also use this as an opportunity to create efficiencies for the staff as well,” Brimhall said. 

Brimhall says the decision to dissolve has been in place since the university first became public.   

Currently, the number of students taking classes at neighboring schools is estimated at around 400 whereas per Tri-College policy each student can take only two courses outside his/her enrolled university or college. According to Brimhall, the most common courses students take through TCU have been language courses, with sign language as the most prominent. Engineering classes and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs also mark notable enrollment. 

Despite the Tri-College’s discontinuation, a task force has been meeting since January to organize a new system Brimhall describes as “eerily similar” to the original. This will, in turn, ensure the partnership of five universities and colleges as they continue their involvement outside the oversight of the TCU.  

“A new model will decentralize services and administration and campuses will continue to work to ensure student access to courses and enhance the student experience in cost-effective ways at our premier campuses,” TCU Provost Tim Flakoll said in a press release.  

Brimhall confirmed that within the new process, students will continue to be eligible for two courses per term and will pay their respective campus tuition. She stated that although nothing is finalized, they are close.