U of M students hold Support the U Day rally at Capitol on April 10

On Tuesday, April 10, more than 200 University of Minnesota students from all five campuses will rally at the Minnesota Capitol on Support the U Day to advocate for the University’s 2018 legislative request. The event, organized by the Minnesota Student Legislative Coalition (MSLC), gives students the opportunity to meet with their legislators, and in turn, gives legislators the opportunity to hear directly from students about the importance of their education and the issues most critical to their future.

U of M President Eric Kaler and student leaders from U of M Crookston, U of M Duluth, U of M Morris, U of M Rochester and U of M Twin Cities will kick off the rally at 1:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the Minnesota Capitol.

From 2–4 p.m., students will meet with legislators in small groups to discuss the needs of students across the University system and the impact of state funding on advancing student success.

In between their meetings, the students will gather in Room 317 of the Minnesota Capitol and will receive scheduled visits from legislative leaders:

• Representative Bud Nornes, chair of the House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance Committee at 2:10 p.m.
• Senator Michelle Fischbach, chair of the Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee at 2:30 p.m.
• Senator Paul Gazelka, Senate Majority Leader at 3:45 p.m.

Following the legislative meetings, MSLC is hosting an ice cream social featuring U of M-made ice cream for Capitol staff, legislators and students from 4–5 p.m. in room 317 of the Minnesota Capitol.

The University of Minnesota’s 2018 capital request includes four priority initiatives totaling $238.5 million in state funding to benefit laboratories, research centers, classrooms and outreach spaces across the state:

• Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) systemwide ($200 million)
• Greater MN Academic Renewal on the Duluth, Crookston and Morris campuses ($10.5 million)
• Pillsbury Hall Capital Renewal on the Twin Cities campus ($24 million)
• Glensheen Renewal in Duluth ($4 million)

Additionally, the University of Minnesota has advanced a $10 million supplemental budget request, with a priority of holding tuition flat for Minnesota resident undergraduate students on all five U of M campuses across the state next year—approximately 31,500 students.

Additional details on Support the U Day, including registration information, can be found at z.umn.edu/STUD2018.

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• Find out more about the University’s capital request and supplemental budget request at government-relations.umn.edu.
• Download high resolution images of the University’s capital request.
• See a financial breakdown of the University’s capital request.
• Download a PDF map of the University’s impact across the state.