Now that the Board of Regents selection process is over and we welcome three new regents to the University of Minnesota community, I would like to extend a special thank you to regent candidate Tom Devine of the Second Congressional District.

Of all the candidates advanced by the advisory committee, only Devine contacted me and the other student representatives to the regents to solicit our thoughts on what was important to the students of the University. Regents Steve Sviggum, Laura Brod and David McMillan did not contact me or, to my knowledge, any of the other student representatives.

Regent candidates are not required to do this, of course, but this thoughtful gesture on DevineâÄôs part showed concern and respect for the students of this University, and I appreciated it very much. I hope in the future more candidates will follow his example.

As the board confronts the difficult challenges ahead, it is important that they always have students in the forefront of their minds. I look forward to working with Regents Sviggum, Brod and McMillan in the coming months and communicating to them the concerns of the students of the University.