As the University of North Dakota begins its selection of a new president, some American Indian groups are concerned that their voices won't be heard in the process.

David Gipp, president of United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, recently sent a letter to the State Board of Higher Education, requesting that an Indian member be appointed to the search committee. Current UND President Charles Kupchella plans to retire in January.

The 16-member committee, selected in late May, is responsible for screening applications from those seeking the job as UND's next president. It is made up of faculty members, students, alumni, state officials and members of the Grand Forks community.

But because it lacks an American Indian voice, Gipp said he's concerned that American Indian concerns will not receive enough consideration in the presidential-selection process.

"If this new president at UND is going to be able to serve one and all, we need to have a president who is knowledgeable or can become knowledgeable about American Indians and the role they play in this state," Gipp said.

UND currently has 420 American Indian students out of a total enrollment of about 13,000. American Indians are North Dakota's largest minority group, making up 4.9 percent of the state's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

John Q. Paulsen, president of the State Board of Higher Education, said the current selection committee can adequately consider American Indian issues even though it lacks an American Indian member. He said the board has already completed the process of winnowing down hundreds of suggested names - including those from various minority groups - into a viable selection committee.

"We weren't concerned as much about ethnic background as we were about people's ability to make good decisions in selecting a new president," Paulsen said. "And we feel we've selected a committee that can achieve that goal."

The selection of a new president got under way this spring after Kupchella announced his intention to retire after eight years at the university's helm. Paulsen said the board would like to see the selection process completed by the beginning of 2008.

American Indian concerns are especially important in this process because of UND's position as a leader of higher education for this group, said Leigh Jeanette, director of American Indian Student Services at the university.

Jeanette said the university receives about $13 million in state and federal grants to run dozens of programs that benefit American Indians.

Most of those programs aid American Indian students in pursuing a career path in fields such as medicine, psychology and education. They attract American Indian students from places as far away as Alaska and Arizona.

Given this presence, Jeanette believes it would have been appropriate to have an American Indian on the selection committee.

"It's just that there's such a large presence of American Indians on campus, it seems there should be a representative of that group on the committee," he said.

Paulsen invited members of the American Indian community to participate in the process by sending their questions and concerns to the committee members, who could then address those concerns with the applicants.