Meeting with Presidential Search Advisory Committee chair was candid and cordial
UMRA members participated in a special session about the U of M presidential search with Regent Mary Davenport, chair of the Board of Regents Presidential Search Advisory Committee, on October 20. Regent Davenport outlined a search process that begins with extensive community input, including visits to each of the five campuses in the U of M System.
A search firm will help the search committee identify two to four lead candidates by the end of January 2024, Davenport said. The board will formalize finalists from that list, and the finalists will participate in interviews on each campus. Davenport expects the regents will name the new president by the end of February or early March 2024.
UMRA members quizzed Regent Davenport about whether the job was too big for one person (not yet, she said), and whether the plan for an open process will stand (she said that’s what they are informing all candidates.) Members asserted the importance of a president being able to communicate the value of the University to the Minnesota Legislature and to all Minnesotans; a college education is a public benefit. An academic background would be of value in a candidate, as well as an understanding of the complexity of the University.
Regent Davenport emphasized that this is a great job and a great state, and the position should attract strong leaders who are willing to be known as candidates.
The Board of Regents is encouraging UMRA members who were not able to attend the special session to submit their thoughts to the Presidential Search website, or join one of the open listening sessions on October 23 and 24.
The candid and cordial session with Regent Davenport at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Minneapolis was a great example of how UMRA and University retirees generally can share their knowledge and experience in a meaningful way with current University leadership.
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Help guide the Regents’ search for a new University president
Fri, Oct 20 2023, 9am
301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis 55455
Do you want to help guide the Regents' search for a new University president?
The Board of Regents has invited UMRA members to a session with Regent Mary Davenport, who chairs the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. Board of Regents Chair Janie Mayeron will also share her thoughts on leading the Regents.
The event will be from 9 to 10 a.m. on Friday, October 20, in Room 180 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs on the West Bank of the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis.
You will be able to share your thoughts on what makes a great U of M president.
Information on parking facilities and more is available from University Parking and Transportation Services.
If you plan to attend, please email me to let me know.
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.