University of Minnesota Board of Regents to meet with Crookston leadership for campus-level strategic plan discussions

In the latest in an ongoing series of campus-level strategic planning conversations, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents will discuss next week how the Crookston campus will advance the University’s systemwide mission. That mission, along with the University’s priorities for the next five years, are outlined in its systemwide strategic plan, MPact 2025, which the Board approved earlier this year.

U of M Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause and other campus leaders will participate in the discussion, where they will highlight how Crookston uniquely identifies its campus within the larger system. 

Part of this identity is tied to career readiness and hands-on learning. While these principles are present throughout the University System, Holz-Clause notes that Crookston invests additional effort in this work, emphasizing the connections of theory, science and research with practical knowledge and learning by experience.

Crookston also uniquely serves two distinct groups of students: online learners and diverse cohorts of on-campus students. 

Historically, Crookston has maintained a high population of online students, with more than half of Crookston students studying remotely full-time. Most of these online students are adult learners—the average age is 32—who are currently employed and are transfer students with some previous college experience. This experience with online learning and instruction positioned Crookston well for the operational pivot required by the COVID-19 pandemic, and gives the campus a strong foundation to maximize future remote learning opportunities.

Meanwhile, 42 percent of on-campus students are first-generation, a number 15 percentage points above the system average and rising, as evidenced by more than half of the incoming freshman class in fall 2020 identifying as first-generation. Similarly, nearly one-third of Crookston students are eligible for federal Pell grants and more than half of the campus’ students come from greater Minnesota, both far outpacing system averages.

Growth in online and in-person students is at the heart of Crookston’s enrollment goals in the years ahead. The campus has targeted 2,100 students by 2023, 850 on campus and 1,250 online. To help meet these targets, Crookston began collaborating directly with the University’s Morris campus on admissions work earlier this spring, a strategic partnership built around two campuses with virtually no overlapping degree programs. Counselors can now speak to both campus experiences, doubling the value of their time spent visiting with potential students.

Crookston has also made difficult budget decisions. Holz-Clause will share how valuable systemwide support has been, from enterprise software licensing to centralized functions, but she also will cite the need for continued system investment for the campus to achieve MPact 2025 goals.

As part of its May meetings, the Board is also expected to:

• Review University President Joan Gabel’s recommended Fiscal Year 2022 capital improvement budget, presented to the Board annually.
• Receive an update on the University’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget from Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Myron Frans and Associate Vice President and Budget Director Julie Tonneson.
• Review the potential sale of the Murphy Warehouse property at 701 24th Ave SE in Minneapolis.
• Act on promotion, tenure and annual continuous appointment recommendations for faculty and academic staff systemwide.
• Act on proposed amendments to Board of Regents Policy: American Indian Advisory Boards following a discussion at the Board’s March meeting with Dr. Michael Goh, the University’s vice president for equity and diversity, and Tadd Johnson, senior director of American Indian Tribal Nations relations. 

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