This document presents a speech delivered by Chancellor Bill Goertz at the meeting of the State Board of Higher Education last November 19, 2009. In his speech, Chancellor Goertz reports that: (1) according to a Delta Cost Project report, North Dakota ranked among the top five states in regard to market-based productivity; (2) the Midwest Higher Education Compact annual policy summit November 9 and 10 in Fargo has created a valuable dialogue about improving postsecondary access and completion rates for all citizens; (3) 55 University System online faculty, instructional designers and distance education coordinators and representatives from two tribal colleges met for a two-day facilitated discussion of three important issues in e-learning: quality of course design, quality of teaching and quality of student learning; (4) significant progress has been made on implementation of two state scholarship programs funded by the legislature during the last legislative session. They are the North Dakota Academic Scholarship and the Career and Technical Education Scholarship; (5) a grassroots, faculty-led group has begun to review general education requirements to determine their relevancy to faculty expectations of students and to today's workforce; (6) along with Board president Richie Smith, they have received a tremendous amount of input on potential members for the North Dakota State University (NDSU) presidential search committee; and (7) one of the ways the board reaches out to North Dakota middle and high school students is through "Project Vital Link". (Contains 1 figure.)