U of M Regents finalists make pitch to legislators

Later this session, the House and Senate will get together to appoint five individuals to the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents — the governing body for the state’s only land-grant research and learning institution.

The joint convention, required by the Minnesota Constitution, will represent the final step in a complicated application and nomination process that has narrowed the field of candidates to 10 finalists for five seats that this year are determined by geographical congressional districts. No at-large seats are up for appointment.

The 10 finalists made their pitches during a Wednesday forum held in the State Office Building. They discussed: affordability for students, streamlining administrative costs and expanding the university brand identity as a high quality institution for higher learning.

The forum, organized by the University of Alumni Association and the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, provided an opportunity to hear from the candidates about their vision for the university, said Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls), who chairs the House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee.

“I think it exposes (the finalists) to some of the legislators they might not have met yet,” said Nornes, who is also a member of the 24-member RCAC, that chose the finalists earlier this year from among 34 applicants.

The House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee is scheduled to convene in February with the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Division to recommend their five nominees to be selected during the joint convention.

Even with the advisory council’s recommendation of 10 finalists, there is also potential for members of the joint committee to nominate and vote to recommend appointees that were not chosen by the advisory council as finalists, Nornes said, such as what happened in 2011 when former Republican House member Laura Brod was recommended for the board over incumbent regent Steven Hunter, secretary/treasurer of the AFL-CIO at the time.

DFLers – who were then in the minority – protested when the Legislature elected Brod and another former Republican legislator Steve Sviggum. Both were initially considered for the same seat representing the Second Congressional District. To elect both, legislators shifted Brod to an at-large seat, displacing Hunter.

The 201-member Legislature is currently comprised of 101 DFLers and 100 Republicans. By rule, a candidate needs a majority of votes cast to be elected to a seat on the Board of Regents. 

Rep. Bob Barrett (R-Lindstrom) serves on the House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee and said he attended the forum because he wanted to hear from candidates their proposed solutions to rising tuition costs that he said are getting “out of control” for students at all of the University of Minnesota’s five campuses.

“It’s important to me to hear their solutions because our kids are increasingly unable to afford to attend colleges like the university, which should be attainable per the mission of the land-grant institution.”

Per state constitution and the university’s charter, the Legislature elects one regent from each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts and four from the state at large. One of the four at-large regents must be a university student at the time of election.

Regents serve without pay for six-year terms. Terms are staggered, with one-third of the board up for election every two years. But with the death of former Regent David Larson in October, that seat will be filled for the final two years of that term, which is set to expire at the end of 2017.

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The list of candidates to be considered by the joint committee on Feb. 10 include the following:

First District

Dr. Claire Bender a professor and former physician the Mayo Clinic in Rochester

What they said: One tuition challenges: “I would try to help by drilling down in the assessment of all the costs of education, including direct and indirect expenses.

Continue coordination of all university’s campuses: “Large organizations can easily become encumbered with layers of bureaucracy. It is important to streamline decision-making whenever possible, assuring that each step in process is a value-add.”

Randy Simonson of Worthington, CEO and president of Grazix Animal Health; U of M graduate, Ph.D. in microbiology.

What they said: “Affordable education, adequate resources and independent research are very important issues confronting the University of Minnesota. Working closely with the administration to continue evaluation of programs, budgets, physical and human resources are important to all of the areas.”

Third District

Dr. Michael Belzer of Edina, chief medical officer of Hennepin County Medical Center and associate dean at University of Minnesota Medical School

What they said: “The most important issue confronting the University of Minnesota is the institution’s culture and the need to overcome it….Additional issues include the ever-increasing cost of higher education and the significant impact this has on students. Tuition and student debt are major determinants of whether individuals chose to pursue higher education.”

Paula Prahl of Long Lake, former senior vice president for communications at Best Buy, graduate of the U of M Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

What they said: “Rapidly changing higher education eco-system …will require creative problem solving, a keen understanding of how systems interact and can be leveraged to streamline costs and increase outcomes, and the courage to challenge traditional thinking.”

(NOTE: the candidates are vying to fill a vacancy left after Regent David Larson died in October. The candidate appointed will serve the remaining two-year term.)

Fourth District

Richard Beeson Jr. of St. Paul, executive vice president at Sunrise Bank; has served on the Board of Regents since 2009

What they said: On ensuring affordability and excellence: “These are inextricably linked. Affordability and student debt management is a shared duty, but this governing body and president have primary responsibility. We must continue to execute our ‘Operational Excellence’ commitment of reducing a minimum of $90 million in administrative costs over six years.”

Thomas Sorel of Woodbury, vice president of KLJ Engineering and former state transportation commissioner

What they said: “I believe the main issues confronting the University of Minnesota are related to the strategies that are necessary to be nimbler to assure that students are being developed to support a strong economy and at the same time support the basic vision and mission the university is founded on.”

Sixth District:

Michael Hsu of Blaine, president of TeeMaster Corp., graduate of University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering

What they said: “Maintaining excellence in an environment of diminishing resources is one of the most important issues confronting the University of Minnesota. The cost of attendance including housing in higher education is a related problem, and the university must be able to demonstrate real value to attract a diverse group of highly qualified students.”

Steven Laraway of St. Cloud, president and CEO of Laraway Financial Advisors, former board chair of St. Cloud Hospital

What they said: “I believe the first issue is the need to demonstrate the great value a degree from the University of Minnesota represents. The second issue (economic development) … I believe the answer to this is best achieved by working with regional, national and global businesses seeking solutions … a focus should be placed on workforce development and jointly developing product solutions for businesses.”

Seventh District:

Thomas Anderson of Alexandria, director of Anderson Funeral Home for 33 years, graduate of University of Minnesota

What they said: “I believe outweighing all other issues is the idea that we must be able to provide access and affordability to the institution for the people of (Minnesota). … It is my opinion the easiest way to raise revenue for the university is to enhance those revenue streams we currently have in auxiliary services and philanthropy.”

Michael Yost, owner of Yost Farm in Murdock and former foreign agriculture service administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; graduate of University of Minnesota

What they said: “The importance of the university in everyday lives of Minnesotans has eroded in the past decade. … People are concerned about the quality of primary and secondary education their children receive. … If the university focused on addressing issues that affect all Minnesotans it would help address the second critical issue, lack of credibility in the Minnesota Legislature.”