Gov. Tim Walz names 4 new University of Minnesota regents
Why it matters: The 12-member board controls operations and budget for the five-campus system, deciding everything from who should fill the university's top job to tuition rates.
Between the lines: This year's process gave the DFL governor unusual influence over the board after the narrowly divided Legislature deadlocked over how to fill a slate of expiring term vacancies for the first time since 2001.
Zoom in: Walz said his picks for the four vacant seats, selected from a pool of about two dozen applicants, "bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the University's mission." They are:
Joel Bergstrom (member at-large): An attorney and non-profit leader whose résumé includes leadership roles at CohenTaylor Executive Search Services, Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and the Minnesota Medical Foundation.
Samuel Heins (member at-large): A human rights advocate and attorney who served as U.S. Ambassador to Norway under former President Obama and as a board member for ACLU of Minnesota and Planned Parenthood North Central States.
Ellen Luger (5th Congressional District): A former philanthropy executive whom former President Biden tapped for a United Nations role focused on global food security and agricultural issues. Luger, who previously worked for The Minneapolis Foundation and General Mills, is married to former U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
Kowsar Mohamed (student at-large): A U doctoral student in Natural Resources Science and Management who works for the State of Minnesota's Office of Inclusion. Mohamed, a former project manager for the city of St. Paul's planning department, also taught at the U and served on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council.
The big picture: The new members join the board at an especially challenging time for the U and higher education institutions more broadly.
Like many of its peers, the U is navigating uncertainty and scrutiny over federal funding cuts, international student visas and a Trump administration probe into anti-semitism on campus.
Plus: A bleak budget outlook, which officials say is exacerbated by inflation and state funding decisions, prompted the regents to approve spending cuts and the biggest tuition hike in 14 years at its flagship campus this year.
The intrigue: Under the state constitution, the Legislature is supposed to select regents via a joint convention.
The issue became a sticking point in the budget debate this spring, as Republicans accused Democrats of refusing to move forward amid an intra-caucus disagreement over which candidates to back.
Legislative Democrats said at the time that they simply ran out of time.
Friction point: Sen. Zach Duckworth, the GOP lead on the higher education committee, criticized the outcome as an abandonment of a "bipartisan, public and merit-based process … in favor of non-transparent and purely political appointments," noting that both Heins and Luger have donated to Walz's campaigns.
Of note: Luger and Mohamed were also named finalists by a bipartisan advisory commission that vets and recommends candidates for the Legislature.
What we're watching: The governor's picks will serve out six-year terms unless the Legislature holds a joint convention to replace them.
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