Today was a busy one with news for Friday, as if everyone was scrambling before the weekend.
All around, there were many stories about Bruininks asking Pawlenty not to cut higher education funding. Kare 11 and many others focused their story on Bruininks’ plea to not cut funding and that the University of Minnesota would have to increase tuition by 12 percent or layoff 900 people, if the cuts went through. In the Daily, Bruininks told a senate committee that the school would seek to minimize the impact on students to solve the budget problems. It will surely impact the University community all around.
Former Dailyite and now Star Tribune higher ed reporter Jenna Ross had a piece today about the University’s efforts in attracting international students and wants to have 5 percent of its undergraduates consist of international students. Some parents worry that by focusing efforts on attracting students from outside the state limits the number of students getting in from Minnesota. However, the admissions office says that more students all around are being admitted.
More economic woes (a lot of these lately), but according to a report in the Bemidji Pioneer, Minnesota may be forced to close a college this year because of the current budget situation. Cuts have to be made and Minnesota Colleges and Universities system chancellor warns that everything is on the table, though no specific colleges have been discussed yet.
The University is apparently going to send a banner with the Minnesota National Guard infantry to Iraq, according to a University press release. The 34th division is set to begin deployment on Feb. 10. The banner will have well wishes from students and faculty.
