St. Paul Campus Task Force

For more than a century, the U of M campus in St. Paul has housed programs ranging from agriculture, natural resources and biological sciences to veterinary medicine, design and extension services.

It has long served as both a rich educational environment and an agricultural experiment station, with research fields, greenhouses and laboratories.

In November 2024, President Rebecca Cunningham charged an advisory task force with proposing a comprehensive strategy for the future of the U of M campus in St. Paul.

Considering the University’s existing plans and strategies (i.e., 2019 Strategic Facilities Plan, 2021 Twin Cities Campus Plan), the task force will help identify key decisions that should be made in the next 3-5 years and propose options based on a holistic view of what the St. Paul campus can and should be.

The taskforce will also provide recommendations regarding:

  • Land use
  • Facility changes
  • Public spaces (i.e., green space)
  • Student housing and dining
  • Common gathering areas (i.e., retail and event space)
  • General space use and consolidation
  • Retail dining and other services for the campus and community
  • Sustainability
  • Philanthropic opportunities

St. Paul has historic and natural features, and so the task force will consider opportunities for new collaborations, social hubs and catalyst projects that can effectively position the campus as a destination of innovation.

The task force began meeting in November 2024, with the goal of recommending a comprehensive strategy for the future of the St. Paul campus by May 2025.

Task Force Members

  • Etty DeVeaux, Chief Ops Officer & Exec Dir, Graduate School (Staff)
  • Saara DeWalt, Dean, College of Biological Sciences
  • Lisa German, University Librarian and Dean
  • Julie Grossman, Associate Dean of Undergraduate programs, CFANS
  • Kim Kirkpatrick, Vice President for Research, Research Innovation Office
  • Scott Lanyon, Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate School (Co-chair)
  • Melisa Lopez Franzen, Executive Director of Government and Community Relations
  • Laura Molgaard, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Patty Porter, Executive Vice President of Development, UM Foundation
  • Alice Roberts-Davis, Vice President for University Services
  • Julie Tonneson, Vice President and Budget Director (Co-chair)
  • Maggie Towle, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs