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Committee reviews regent selection process, shares concerns

Lois Josefson, vice chair of the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, provides the House higher education committee with an overview of the University of Minnesota regent selection process. Seated with her is Dan Wolter, also a council vice chair. Photo by Paul Battaglia
Lois Josefson, vice chair of the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, provides the House higher education committee with an overview of the University of Minnesota regent selection process. Seated with her is Dan Wolter, also a council vice chair. Photo by Paul Battaglia

The selection process for the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has long drawn concerns and criticism from legislators, those recommending candidates and candidates alike. 

With an eye on correcting issues ranging from perceived politicizing to an invasive application process, the House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance Committee reviewed the process Wednesday.

“I know after you complete the process there’s always a lot of interest and complaints and criticisms and areas of improvement for the process, but that discussion always seems to be pushed off so I appreciate your taking this up now,” said Dan Wolter, co-chair of the Regent Candidate Advisory Council.

The Board of Regents is made up of 12 members: one from each congressional district, and four at large. In each odd-numbered year, one-third of the board is elected by the Legislature.  

The traditional route to becoming a regent is to apply through the advisory council, a 24-member organization created by the Legislature. The council then provides its recommendations to a joint legislative committee comprised of House and Senate higher education committee members, who, in turn recommend candidates to the full Legislature. A majority of votes is needed at the joint meeting of the House and Senate to earn a seat.

However, other people can be nominated at the last two stages, allowing candidates to bypass the initial screening process.

Regent Darrin Rosha questioned the process and provided a number of reasons why a candidate would choose to forego the application process and instead seek nomination and consideration directly from the joint committee.

“Is the real intent to provide citizen input or is the real intent to provide [council] input,” Rosha said. “We have RCAC people come to board meetings. I don’t think that RCAC is the overload for the Regents, I think that it’s supposed to help the Legislature identify quality candidates to serve on the board and exercise good judgment.”

Pointed questions were also directed at Wolter and fellow council co-chair Lois Josefson, as to explain why they think the Legislature repeatedly rejects their proposed candidates and chooses a nominee that has never gone through the process.

“How do you explain the increasing inevitability of that if your process is of value?” said Rep. Gene Pelowski Jr. (DFL-Winona).

“It is a very deliberate strategy by some to bypass this process and that’s not my position to evaluate. I think that’s all of yours,” Wolter said.

He also acknowledged that the application and interview process is time consuming and challenging.

“It is months of time. I think that’s a barrier to a lot of people that I think could offer a lot to the Board of Regents.”

There was no action taken, but committee chair, Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) and others indicated that bills could be proposed this session to address the selection process.


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