University of Minnesota Board of Regents to review proposed biennial budget request to state Legislature and U's annual accountability report
What: University of Minnesota Board of Regents meetings
When: Thursday, Sept. 13 and Friday, Sept. 14
Where: 600 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis
Contacts: Chuck Tombarge, University News Service, tombarge@umn.edu, (612) 624-5551
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (09/07/2012) — The University of Minnesota Board of Regents will receive its first introduction on Sept. 14 to President Eric Kaler’s proposed biennial budget request for fiscal year 2014-2015.
Pending board approval in October, the university will pursue its official request to the state during the 2013 legislative session, which begins in January.
Details of the proposal, which will be explained during the full board meeting on Friday, will outline a new partnership with policymakers to invest in Minnesota’s young people, who will transform the state’s economy. The proposal also will seek to:
- Change the budget conversation and present a multiyear framework
- Reform the way students and families pay for higher education
- Build on the university’s strengths to propel Minnesota forward
The university’s fiscal year 2012-2013 general fund state appropriation, approved by the Minnesota Legislature in 2011, is $545.3 million — the lowest level of state funding for the university in 15 years.
Outlining progress on the university’s mission and goals
Minnesotans love the University of Minnesota, but often have misperceptions about its graduation rates, how it compares to other institutions, class sizes, affordability, diversity and the guidance U of M students receive to help them succeed. University Provost Karen Hanson and Robert Jones, senior vice president for academic administration, University of Minnesota system, will be joined by other university leaders during Board of Regents’ committee and full board meetings. They will share information about the university’s progress in these and other areas and provide a detailed picture of how the university is serving students and the state.
They will present the “2012 University Plan, Performance and Accountability Report,” comprising 150 pages of facts, figures and updates about the five-campus University of Minnesota system and its students, faculty and staff. The report, now in its 11th year, provides the board with important information to inform governance decisions and fulfills a provision in the university’s 1851 charter that requires the regents to report annually to the Legislature about the university’s progress. The 2012 report outlines how the U is working to fulfill its teaching, research and public engagement missions, as well as its continued progress toward becoming one of the premier research universities in the world.
Other agenda items include:
- Community University Health Care Clinic: The board’s Facilities Committee will review a proposal for renovating the Community University Health Care Clinic, located at 2001 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis. The clinic opened its doors in 1966 and has become a comprehensive primary care center providing medical, mental health and dental services. Planned renovations, including ADA and heating/cooling system upgrades, parking lot paving and entrance improvements, will allow the clinic to reach an additional 1,250 patients by 2013. A $2.237 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will cover most of the $2.657 million project cost. The remaining cost will be covered by the university’s Academic Health Center and university facilities funds.
- Welcome to Pamela Wheelock: President Kaler will introduce Pam Wheelock, who began work August 15 as the university’s vice president for university services.
For more information about the Board of Regents and its September agenda, go to www.umn.edu/regents/.