ST. PAUL, MN – State Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL – Winona) was recently appointed by House Speaker Paul Thissen to serve on the state’s Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC). The RCAC was established by an act of the Legislature in 1988 to advise the legislature in the election of regents of the University of Minnesota.
The council’s duties are to develop a description of the duties of regents, outline criteria to be applied in recommending candidates, and recruit, screen and recommend at least two, and not more than four, qualified candidates to the joint legislative committee for each opening on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.
“I’m pleased to be serving on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council,” said Rep. Pelowski. “Screening and recommending qualified candidates for the Board of Regents is an important responsibility. The University of Minnesota needs to continue to reduce the bloated bureaucracy and administrative costs that have driven up tuition. The Board of Regents must play a role in that process.”
The twelve-member Board of Regents is the governing body of the University of Minnesota. 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.
The Regent Candidate Advisory Council is composed of 24 public members appointed to six-year, staggered terms. One-half of the members are appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one-half are appointed by the Senate Subcommittee on Committees - Rules and Administration. Each appointing authority must appoint one member who is a student enrolled in a degree program at the University of Minnesota at the time of appointment.
The next meeting of the RCAC is currently scheduled for Thursday, September 4 at 10:00 AM