U of M Board of Regents Selection Process: What You May Not Know
By Senator Claire Robling
One of the most unique roles the Minnesota Legislature has in the first year of each biennial session is electing members to the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents. The House and Senate met in Joint Convention February 16 to finish the process and officially elect four candidates to the open seats on the Board.
Dallas Bohnsack, New Prague, from the 2nd Congressional District, David Larson from the 3rd Congressional District, Anthony Baraga from the 8th Congressional District, and Steve Hunter for the at-large seat received the necessary roll-call voice votes needed from the full Senate and House. This will allow Bohnsack and Baraga to each serve another six-year term on the Board, and Larson and Hunter will join the Board as new members for six years.
The U of M Board of Regents is made up of 12 members appointed by the Minnesota Legislature with eight of those members from each of the eight congressional districts and four at-large positions. The Board of Regents provides the policy framework for the administration; clarifies the mission of the University; approves programs necessary to fulfill that mission, monitors and evaluates the performance of the institution, and approves major policies, long-range plans, educational programs, and annual budgets.
The practice of the legislature nominating Regent candidates is unique in the sense that the Governor usually has the authority to make appointments. But because the U of M is a separate entity chartered years before Minnesota even became a state, the legislature has the constitutional privilege of making these nominations following a series of traditional committee hearings.
The process begins with a legislatively created Regent Selection Advisory Committee which conveys to the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader the names and credentials of two to four candidates for each of the open seats. This committee solicited, recruited, screened, interviewed and selected from among many applicants the people they believe to be the most worthy and able to serve in this important capacity. Legislators serving in those congressional districts where there are open seats then hold a caucus to meet, hear from, question and endorse their choice of candidate for their respective congressional districts. Members of the education committees from both bodies then meet to recommend candidates to the full House and Senate.
The method of selecting these candidates is a privilege the Legislature takes seriously. The U of M is a highly regarded institution which serves 60,000 students in 370 fields of study, and offers extensive graduate and professional program opportunities as well. It is Minnesota’s only research University, world-renowned for the achievements in medical, agricultural, engineering and technological as well as sociological research
Congratulations to the new regents. It is especially nice to have a regent from Scott County so we can bring our concerns about the University directly to him. I am sure they will all serve the University well and we look forward to the many great things this excellent institution will provide for the citizens of Minnesota and those it educates.
Senator Robling is serving her 3rd term in the Minnesota Senate. She encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-4123, by mail at 143 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or via e-mail at sen.claire.robling@senate.mn.
###