State partnership remains critical to U of M success

Board of Regents to review President Cunningham’s recommended 2025 legislative funding requests next week; action anticipated in October

As the University of Minnesota begins another school year, the Board of Regents will discuss how legislative partnerships are critical to supporting U of M students, groundbreaking innovation and unrivaled workforce development. The Board will review President Rebecca Cunningham’s recommended biennial budget request, as well as her recommended 2025 state capital request, at its September meeting.

“The recommended biennial budget request emphasizes the importance of what we do as Minnesota’s only non-profit public research university, focusing first on educating Minnesota’s workforce while delivering the discoveries upon which Minnesota’s health care, small businesses, industry leaders and strong economy are built,” said Cunningham. “When we talk about our partnership with the state, we’re describing things that Minnesotans care about: holding down tuition costs, more resources to directly support students, and ensuring continued world-class quality on all five of our campuses and in U of M research labs. Our partnership with the state enables us to do the things Minnesotans expect from us.”

Broadly defined, the recommended budget request consists of two main components: core mission support and advancing priorities. The funding totals within this request would stretch across the biennium (the next two years). 

Core mission support ($120 million): The recommended request would inject additional state investment into areas such as student affordability, fair employee compensation, and excellence in education, research and community engagement. A large portion of requested funding for core mission would create opportunities to reinvest in the University’s workforce at a critical time for supporting those who teach, conduct research, provide direct service to students and communities and do everything else that makes the University of Minnesota one of America’s leading public research universities. Additionally, this funding would be used to expand student services, maintain spaces students use, enhance campus safety and other initiatives focused on supporting campus communities. In this proposal, the University would cover roughly 55% of the total costs of these plans over the next two years, with the state allocating the remaining 45%, or $120 million.

Advancing priorities ($115 million): This portion of the recommended request focuses on three priorities: enhancing the student experience, research to drive economic growth, and supporting the healthiest state possible for all Minnesotans. Investments in these priorities would support everything from advances in hands-on learning opportunities and career preparation for students, to revitalizing the U of M’s St. Paul facilities through cutting-edge and practical research, to significant commitments to expanding access to health care throughout the state and addressing daunting workforce shortages across many health care fields. In total, the proposed request for these priorities — and the important initiatives they encompass — is $115 million.

Included in the recommended request is the University’s commitment to continue its ongoing work to increase efficiencies, reorganize and realize cost-savings that will shift financial resources toward its most critical functions, which focus on the work and experience of students, faculty, staff and the many communities the U of M serves. 

2025 State Capital Request

The Board will also review a proposed 2025 state capital request that includes two key initiatives: funding for Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) and investment in the continued design and planning of the Future of Advanced Agricultural Research in Minnesota (FAARM) facility in Mower County, Minnesota.

“We know our facilities and physical environment are integral to maintaining the high quality of U of M education and competing for research investment in Minnesota,” said Cunningham. “We are once again requesting support to reinvest in our existing infrastructure, the public buildings on our campuses throughout the state.”

HEAPR funding is routinely part of the University’s request for legislative funding, as it’s the most cost-effective way to protect and extend the life of investments already made by taxpayers, students and donors. The University maintains about 32 million square feet of facilities, but lack of significant and steady investment in upkeep and repairs has allowed more than 25% of that total to decline into poor or critical condition. In more than half of the years over the past decade, the University has received no HEAPR funding. During that span, an average of just 11% of what has been requested has been funded. 

The Board is anticipated to act on both recommendations at its October meeting. 

Also during its September meeting, the Board is expected to:

• Discuss the process for developing the University’s next systemwide strategic plan with President Rebecca Cunningham.
• Discuss growing the University as a tech and corporate engagement hub with Shashank Priya, vice president for Research and Innovation; Rick Huebsch, associate vice president for research, technology commercialization; and Steve Corkery, associate vice president of the Corporate Engagement Center.
• Receive an update on Enterprise Risk Management Program initiatives from Katharine Bonneson, assistant vice president for Health, Safety, and Risk Management.
• Act on the Rochester Campus Plan with Chancellor Lori Carrell; Monique MacKenzie, planning director for Planning, Space and Real Estate; and Shane Stennes, chief sustainability officer.
• Receive an annual report on private giving from Kathy Schmidlkofer, president and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation.
• Continue discussions on health sciences strategic planning with Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Croson and the deans of the University’s six health sciences schools.
• Review Board of Regents Policy: International Education, Research, and Outreach.
• Receive an update on Twin Cities campus public safety from University of Minnesota Police Chief Matt Clark.

For more information, including future meeting times, visit regents.umn.edu.