Hello again. And hello again to you, snow. Oh, how we’ve missed you. *The Board of Regents will be meeting tomorrow and Friday to discuss an array of issues, including alcohol restrictions at the new football stadium and the state of the endowment (it was projected to be poor. See this past Daily article). Here’s a link to the docket for the full meeting Friday. Committee meetings and work sessions will be held Thursday. *Mr.Microsoft, Bill Gates, is continuing his involvement in higher education. The Chronice of Higher Education reports that he is planning on giving several hundred million dollars over the next five years to double the number of low-income young people who complete a college degree or a certificate program by age 26. That would mean roughly an additional 250,000 people per year would receive some type of higher-education credential. This comes less than a month after Gates gave $10 million to over 100 researchers across the country. See that report here. *Lastly, interesting Star Tribune article on the growing trend of campus-wide smoking bans. According to the article, the number of schools with full bans has increased from 34 to at least 160 since 2006. The U of M Twin Cities campus does not have a ban, but there is talk that one could eventually come. Stay warm. Stay dry. And come back tomorrow for more Digest. Mike Rose City editor