10. 05. 2018

What: University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting
When: Thursday, Oct. 11 and Friday, Oct. 12, 2018
Where: Sixth floor, McNamara Alumni Center

Two students sitting at a table

At its October meeting, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents will discuss graduate and professional education, including academic planning for new graduate programs, enrollment management and financing graduate education. This presentation is the second of a series discussing post-baccalaureate education with the Board’s Mission Fulfillment Committee.

The discussion will include five interconnected challenges that have emerged nationally and at the University of Minnesota as central to the continued success of graduate education: increasing diversity, creating a welcoming campus climate, providing professional development opportunities that prepare students for a wide diversity of careers, maintaining quality in academic advising and supporting mental health and wellbeing.

University administration will also highlight the Master of Education, Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health degree programs to illustrate how faculty and collegiate leaders manage the unique challenges and needs of professional students.

Additionally, the Board plans to discuss the University’s work to ensure equitable access and opportunity for students, faculty, staff and guests with disabilities. All of the University’s five campuses are experiencing increased demand for disability support services, as well as increasingly complex accommodation requests.

The discussion will focus on the University’s systemwide approach to this work, with attention to aligning teams across the system responsible for facilitating access to all aspects of campus life for those with disabilities. These disability support centers share a common mission and purpose, but they also implement services to address the unique needs of each campus population.

The Board is also expected to:

  • Take action on the President’s recommended biennial budget and capital requests to the state of Minnesota, which the Board reviewed in September.
  • Engage in a discussion of budget planning for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019. The discussion will focus on general definitions and trends in resources and expenditures, rather than specific issues or values. The conversation will allow Board members to provide input on their priorities and expectations for next year’s budget.

Committee meetings begin at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11. Committee work continues Friday, Oct. 12 at 7:45 a.m., followed by the full Board meeting expected at approximately 9:30 a.m. For more information, including meeting times and locations, visit the Regents website at Regents.umn.edu.