FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – North Dakota State University President David Cook can leave for Iowa State University next March without paying any penalties thanks to contract changes made over the past two years.
Cook was selected as Iowa State’s new president at a Board of Regents meeting on November 11 and will begin his leadership there on March 1. The move represents a homecoming for Cook, who is from Ames, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa State.
His departure 15 months before his current contract expires highlights significant changes NDSU made to his employment terms.
Cook’s initial 2022 contract with North Dakota State required him to pay a $67,500 “recruitment fee” if he left early to take an executive position at another higher education institution. The university described this as compensation for the “valuable investment” lost when a president departs before completing their term.
However, NDSU removed that penalty provision in Cook’s 2024 and 2025 contract renewals, well before his Iowa State opportunity arose, according to documents obtained by Valley News Live.
The changes cleared the way for Cook’s penalty-free departure before his current contract expires June 30, 2027.
The original recruitment fee was designed to decrease by 33.3% for each year Cook completed, meaning he would have owed approximately $22,500 under the original terms after serving three-plus years.
Substantial Compensation
Cook’s compensation grew significantly during his NDSU tenure. His base salary jumped from $420,000 in 2022 to $532,701 in his current contract — a 27% increase over three years. The university also provided him with a campus residence and a vehicle through an affiliated foundation.
However, university records show his salary was adjusted downward to $497,851 in March 2025, though the reason for the reduction wasn’t immediately clear.
He is set to receive a $700,000 annual salary with Iowa State.
