ND Higher Ed board members say they back Shirvani

 Members of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education say they're disappointed that a student group has come out against Hamid Shirvani, the chancellor of the state university system.

The North Dakota Student Association, which represents more than 48,000 public university students, gave Shirvani a vote of "no confidence" during a meeting over the weekend.

Shirvani has served in the position for seven months.

The president, vice president and immediate past president of the higher education board issued a joint release Sunday in support of Shirvani.

Duaine Espegard, Kirsten Diederich and Grant Shaft say Shirvani has "worked tirelessly to engage all of our constituencies with a passion that has been absent for some time."

State Sen. Tony Grindberg, of Fargo, had proposed an amendment to buy out Shirvani's contract.