The University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents and University representatives wrapped up their final meeting for the summer on July 22, discussing how changes to federal policies may affect the University and what administrators see for the future of higher education in Minnesota.
At the meeting, President Rebecca Cunningham shared the University’s support of students and scholars in her presidential report, after a United States Department of Homeland Security visa rule change and a proposed Office of Management and Budget change to federal grant review have left many community members struggling.
Student visa policy changed
On July 16, the DHS announced the rule change to cap visa lengths for F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors, which would cause further complications for international students studying in the U.S. The rule change goes into effect on September 15.
Cunningham shared a letter pledging support to those affected two days before the Wednesday meeting. She explained to Board members and attendees that the University remains committed to the visa-holding members of the University, despite the change.
“This would have broad implications for both undergraduate and graduate students,” Cunningham said. “These are valued members of our community, our country and our community broadly, and we’re fully committed to ensuring all feel welcomed”
Uncertainty for federal research grants
Cunningham’s July 20 letter also shared the University’s commitment to peer-reviewed research in response to the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed rule, which would shift the federal grant review process to the administration.
Cunningham said in her report that the University is against the proposed rule change.
“[The University] stands firmly against the current proposed proposal because it would impede inquiry and scholarship across all areas of our University,” Cunningham said. “It would introduce a political review on top of merit-based scholarship. In fact, it could curtail the groundbreaking innovation that’s at the heart of our mission.”
Further budget discussion
On June 17, the University announced that Gregg Goldman, the University’s Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations, would be leaving the institution for a role at the University of Southern California. As he prepares for his departure, Goldman offers the regents a piece of advice, as budgets continue to pose increasingly challenging decisions for University administrators.
“As a board, [regents should be] supporting the Provost, particularly on some of these hard changes across the University,” Goldman said. “Because I guarantee you for every department that’s happy because they’re going to be growing, there’s departments that will not be happy because they’re going to be shrinking.”
Cunningham also commented on the Board’s role in making budget decisions. She said the money flowing to different departments is, in reality, a formula based on tuition generation.
“We are not making programmatic decisions. The funds are getting distributed to 50 different budget units and those funds are flowing predominantly based on the amount of a formula,” Cunningham said. “As those unit leaders – a dean, a chancellor get that basically formulaic amount, they then make budget decisions.”
Other Updates
On top of policy discussions, Wednesday’s meeting also finalized the removal of the “Weaver” name from Weaver-Densford Hall. The All-University Honors Committee voted unanimously to remove the name, and Cunningham accepted the proposal before it went through the Board of Regents.
The president also shared an update on the University’s AI hub launched in March. She said Vice Provost for AI Galin Jones is developing a University-wide blueprint for AI, adding that the University will continue to modernize its vision as they seek to shape the future of higher education.
“By ensuring our students and citizens can ethically, responsibly, and effectively utilize these tools, we are helping shape a future where Minnesota leads the nation in technological adoption,” Cunningham said.
