Board of Regents Members Visit UMD

The Regents set up in the Kirby Commons tabling area across from the first floor of the bookstore. Photo by Grant Jones

Members of the UMN Board of Regents were on campus Tuesday, Nov. 12, to receive perspectives from students, faculty, and staff at UMD. 

Regents Douglas Huebsch, Kodi Verhalen and Tadd Johnson participated in a meeting with student government before tabling in Kirby for three hours. While tabling, the regents asked people to fill out cards providing feedback and notes to bring back to their meetings. Several members of faculty and staff met with them, as well as multiple students. 

The members of the Board of Regents do not visit UMD very often, especially in the past couple of years. That lack of attention has been felt by students, faculty, and staff across campus. For junior Andy Kornitz, bringing attention to Duluth was a primary concern. 

“I feel like the general perception among students is that Duluth is seen as like a secondary [school] along with the other campuses. We’re like an afterthought compared to the Twin Cities, which they expressed concerns about how to fix that already.”

That perception is one the regents are all too familiar with. For Douglas Huebsch, regent for the 7th Congressional District, making their presence felt was a major impetus for the visit. 

“We wanted to get out into all the campuses more, because we hear from a lot of people that they didn’t feel like they were getting as much time with regents,” said Huebsch. “We think it’s really important, so going forward you’re gonna see a lot more of us.”

One member, Tadd Johnson, the regent for the 8th Congressional District, is Professor Emeritus of the Department of American Indian Studies at UMD. As the only member of the board who lives in Duluth, he says he is more keenly aware of the issues faced here at UMD. 

For Johnson, one of those major issues is funding. A series of decreasing budgets and cutbacks have brought forth significant challenges for UMD, especially in retaining talented faculty.

“I’m a fiduciary for the entire state of Minnesota, but I can’t forget where I live and I can’t forget the district I came from,” said Johnson. “I saw a lot of people leave that had been here for years, and as the budgets were changing and dwindling, I saw a lot of cutbacks.” 

“We lost a lot of good people, and I got a comment from somebody, how they're having difficulty recruiting people for faculty positions. I’ve seen how budget cutbacks can impact graduate programs, can impact undergraduate programs, and staff and services,” Johnson continued.

Much of those cutbacks have come from the state legislature. Over the years, less and less money has been allocated to the University of Minnesota system by the state, with more of its funding coming from private donors. 

“When Doug was in college, and I was in law school, the state funded 50% of the University of Minnesota,” said Johnson. “Now, they fund 17%.”

The regents encouraged students to get involved and push the state legislature for more funding.