Interim President University and Faculty Senate Remarks

March 28, 2024

Turning to my report, with several updates… 

I’ll start with my excitement about the choice of Dr. Rebecca Cunningham to serve as the 18th President of the University of Minnesota. 

There’s no question that she’s immensely qualified to steer the U of M forward. 

  • Leader at outstanding institution: U of Michigan
  • Committed to research excellence, and has her own impressive research credentials
  • Has worked extensively with faculty and students
  • Familiar with legislative outreach, and interacting with donors
  • Huge added bonus: comes with extensive personal and system knowledge about medicine and academic health

And I’ll join many others in complimenting the Board of Regents’ selection process: 
• The Presidential Search went as planned and on schedule. 
• And it yielded three finalists who all agreed to be public—the first time this has happened in anyone’s memory—enabling the full University community to be able to judge the merits of each candidate right along with the Regents.

As a Star Tribune editorial praised: “the search process was a testament to transparency that resulted in three exemplary finalists…” 

Also, each of the finalists spoke about how smooth their trips around the state were and how well they were treated. 

I commend the Board of Regents staff for the thoughtful planning, execution, and hospitality. And I also offer heartfelt thanks to our colleagues at Morris, Crookston, Duluth, and Rochester for making those visits so successful and memorable. 

Rest assured, I will do everything I can over the coming months to ensure that Dr. Cunningham has the smoothest of transitions to the U of M.

Together, we can keep this great university on a positive trajectory in terms of our mission and in terms of a public perception that deservedly matches our success.

I’d now like to provide you an update on the priorities for my interim year, as established last summer in collaboration with the Board of Regents.

A consistent theme in these mutual priorities was the idea of seeking to accomplish a “public reset” in terms of how the University is perceived by others:

Update on Dear MN campaign

I’d like to share a brief update on our marketing efforts for this year, which have been led by Chief Marketing Officer Ann Aronson and her team. 

We launched the “Dear Minnesota” campaign in the fall to reverse the trend of declining perceptions about the University’s research mission and to improve our favorability among Minnesotans. 

We’ve now conducted early market research to measure the campaign's effectiveness among the general public and opinion leaders. 

After just this short period, results show significant, double-digit improvements: 

• Favorable feelings about the University of Minnesota are up 11%

• Those who believe that University of Minnesota research is important climbed 12%

• Those who believe that the University is doing a good job of conducting research increased 7%

All of these metrics are statistically significant and projectable across the state of Minnesota with a 95% confidence rate.

We've also seen broad use of the campaign by campuses, colleges, and units across the University. 

Legislative outreach

We have been very busy at the Capitol since the legislative session kicked off on February 12, with hearings in front of a number of committees, including presentations of our capital and supplemental budget requests.  

We are continuing to make the case for full funding of the University's legislative requests. These include:
 

  • $500 million for building maintenance funds, called HEAPR
  • $45 million in supplemental budget funds for core mission support
  • $80 million in academic health funding

 

Recently, UMN Advocates sent 386 emails to 90 state elected officials in support of the University’s legislative requests. I highly encourage all University stakeholders—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—to become UMN Advocates and help advance the U of M’s requests at the State Capitol. 

Late last week, Gov. Walz and legislative majority leaders released a supplemental budget proposal that identified no new resources for the University’s legislative requests. I am meeting with Governor Walz and legislative leaders on this and other issues within the next week.   

  • The Senate Health and Human Services committee heard the University's academic health legislative request at its March 21st meeting. 
    Dean Tolar testified that the University and the six Health Sciences schools stand ready to help the state shape the ecosystem of health care. 
  • We have also testified in reaction to bills in both the House and the Senate regarding PELRA (the Public Employment Labor Relations Act). 
    These would modify the “Public Employee” definition and modify University of Minnesota employee bargaining units.

The University of Minnesota actively supports a positive and respectful work environment for all its employees—both bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit faculty, staff, and students.

Let me be clear, the University does not wish to prevent employee groups from organizing.

In fact, the University agrees that a review of PELRA is due, given changes to the overall work environment and the needs of the University.

However, any changes to PELRA must ensure that the University’s workforce is able to fulfill our mission of teaching, research and outreach.

We feel that the best way to move forward is for the University administration to work in close collaboration with the employees and shared governance partners who will be impacted by any changes.

In fact, this is exactly the same way it was successfully done in 1980 to create the statutorily defined bargaining units we have now.

A cross-functional team has been gathering data in order to address the fiscal note regarding this legislation, and we are analyzing other operational implications to the University.

My responsibility – like any good public steward – is to properly discuss all of the potential impacts of a change to PELRA with the University community and conscientiously evaluate what this bill might mean for the future.

A fiscal note was submitted to review the financial impacts on the University. 

  • Government Relations is following additional legislation that impacts the University. 
  • A bill was recently heard to waive access fees for disabled veterans to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Government Relations is in communication with Arboretum staff on financial implications. 

  • Director Enjie Hall of the Disability Resource Center testified in the House and Senate Higher Education Committees on the RISE Act – a bill specifying documentation and other requirements for higher education students with a disability.
  •  After the state legislative session concludes, we will continue rebuilding our presence in the U.S. Capitol with a reinvigorated federal relations team. 
     
  •  I’d also like to recognize and thank our two faculty legislative liaisons for this year—Professors Donna Spannaus-Martin and Robert Blair. 

Public safety

Ensuring public safety on and near our campuses remains a top concern of mine.

Systemwide, our various teams have been dedicated to this issue. We have utilized the one-time financial support provided by the legislature last session for enhancements on each of our campuses.

I’m excited about two pilot programs we are implementing and exploring for the Twin Cities campus. 

  •  Expanded mutual aid: UMPD will now respond to all 911 calls for MPD in a defined area between University Ave and 4th Street SE and from 35W to Oak Street SE 

This is a natural extension of the U’s commitment to student safety in an area with many students and U-affiliated organizations

  •  DPS is exploring the creation of a safety center in Dinkytown, analyzing several locations.

Would be a multifunctional space for U community members to access safety resources and support from UMPD, Dinkytown Safety Guides, etc. 

These represent responsive and creative ideas for bringing University of Minnesota resources directly to the community.

Cloquet Forestry Center Update

I’m pleased to share that legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate, and that we are meeting with relevant committees, and working through the next steps regarding the return of the land to the Fond du Lac Band. There have also been very positive discussions with the band regarding a way to continue the research. 

Senior Advisor Karen Diver and I enjoyed the opportunity to have another meeting with Tribal Leaders late last month.  We reviewed the University’s efforts to date related to the TRUTH Report, and received helpful and important input from the leaders. 

We plan to present a more formal update on the TRUTH Report efforts at the June Board of Regents meeting.

UMD Chancellor search 

Just yesterday we announced that Dr. Charles Nies [pronounced “niece”] will assume the role of Chancellor at our Duluth campus beginning this summer. 

Dr. Nies was one of three candidates who visited UMD and participated in interviews with key stakeholder groups earlier this month.

Dr. Nies comes to UMD with over 25 years of experience in higher education. 

He currently serves as the vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California-Merced, a campus in the UC system founded in 2005. 

He earned his PhD and Master of Education degrees at Washington State University, and his undergraduate degree at the University of St. Thomas, right here in St. Paul. 

Special thanks to co-chairs Chancellor Lori Carrell from the Rochester campus and Lisa Erwin, UMD’s vice chancellor for student life–and the entire search committee–for their work in this process.

Workforce reinvestment resolution

The docket for today’s University Senate meeting includes the administration’s response to the Workforce Reinvestment Resolution that was endorsed by this body last April. 

Early in my interim presidency, I asked Provost Croson, Vice President Horstman, and then-Senior Vice President Frans to compose a task force to evaluate the resolution’s 23 requests and provide recommendations for implementation of each. 

I am grateful to Mary Rohman Kuhl, Senior Director of Total Rewards, and Beth Lewis, Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, who co-chaired the task force, and the entire task force for their focus on this work that culminated in the robust report that is also included in the administrative response. 

I want to again thank the University Senate for calling attention to the issues in the workforce reinvestment resolution. This administration agrees that the University’s people are critical to the successful delivery of all three parts of our mission: teaching, research, and outreach. 

I’d also like to note that Mary and Beth have agreed to present the task force report at a future University Senate meeting. They can speak more fully about the development of the report and the recommendations. 

Conclusion & Questions to the president 

That concludes my report and we can turn to questions to the president.