Message

Day at the Capitol
University of Minnesota Day at the Capitol

Thank you, Chair Huebsch.

Thank you to Senators Ann Rest, Gary Dahms and Doron Clark and Representative Keith Allen for their early and enthusiastic support for our capital investment request.

And thank you to everyone—especially members of the media—who has joined us today.

As Chair Huebsch noted, the University of Minnesota is just one day away from celebrating 175 years.

175 years of advancing a mission of teaching and learning, research and scholarship, outreach and public service.

175 years of driving knowledge, innovation and progress.

175 years of improving lives across Minnesota, the nation and the world.

The University of Minnesota is this state’s land grant University. 

We serve the residents of Minnesota.

And we serve our communities.

And just like our residents and our communities, there’s no quit in us.

We’re steadfast.

We’re resilient. 

So even though we’ll be 175 years old, don’t worry—we’re not going to slow down any time soon.

In fact, we plan to speed up.

At the University of Minnesota, we are the energy for change.

For 175-years, we set ambitions that exceed all expectations and turned our achievements into value for all of Minnesota. 

Today, we’re requesting state funding for three capital investment projects to help us do just that.

Aligned with our strategic roadmap Elevate Extraordinary 2030, we are asking for your support as we strategically invest in our talented workforce, operations and facilities.

With this investment, the University of Minnesota will be better equipped to secure our continued future as a world-class University and deliver on its mission—a mission that benefits all of Minnesota.

These benefits include:

  • Improving recruitment and retention so we keep talent and draw talent to Minnesota,
  • Training our state’s future workforce, especially for rural Minnesota,
  • Advancing health and healthcare in all 87 counties,
  • Discovering innovative solutions and cures to address the most pressing health and healthcare needs,
  • Developing research that fuels our state's economy, 
  • Strengthening our communities
  • And enriching the lives of our residents who study, work and seek at their state’s land grant University.

All of these benefits would be your return on the state funding we’re asking for today.

This funding would be invested in the following three capital investment projects:

  1. The first—our St. Paul Campus Center.
  2. The second—our Dentistry Clinical Renovation.
  3. The third is a Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) request that would address core maintenance issues to provide safe and usable spaces.


These have been approved by the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents.

To offer insight as to why the three capital investment projects are top priorities for the University and for our state, I’ve invited members of our leadership team to share more with you at this time.