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
Learn about writing memoirs, technology for seniors, campus architecture, and more at the fourth annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held in the McNamara Alumni Center on the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis on Monday, June 23.
Professor Kathryn Pearson will be a special guest at the UMRA breakfast in June. This will be an opportunity to hear Professor Pearson’s perspective on President Trumps’s first 100 days, and to engage in discussion about what we, as individual citizens, can do in these challenging times for democracy.
Catch up with friends and former colleagues, meet new UMRA members, enjoy delicious food, and participate in the third annual UMRA Summer Social Quiz at the Como Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul on Wednesday, June 25.
H is for Hawk: A Memoir on Grief and Falconry by Helen Macdonald, published 2016.
The UMRA Hiking Club will hike two wonderful county parks in Monticello, MN on Monday, July 7. Lynn Anderson will lead the hikes and we will meet at her home at 9:30 a.m. and carpool from there.
Our July 14 "hike" is a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles led by Barb Friedman and Bev Moe.
The UMRA Book Club will discuss Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid when it meets via Zoom on July 18.
Bill Doherty's April Living Well Workshop, Dealing with differences in a polarized world, inspired many UMRA members. He has very graciously agreed to hold a Skills for Disagreeing Better workshop for us in July. You will learn about the values and concerns of the other political side and practice skills for communicating more effectively in the presence of disagreement.
Still Life by Louise Penny.
Join hike leader Nanette Hanks on August 4th for a “Trail in Two Cities” hike.
The UMRA Book Club will discuss Blue Ribbon by Karal Ann Marling when it meets via Zoom on August 15.
Join Larry Micek, hike leader, on August 18th for a hike at Lake Elmo Park Reserve, located at 1515 Keats Avenue North, Lake Elmo, MN.
You are invited–join other UMRA members and friends for a late summer river cruise, this year on the Saint Croix River, departing from Stillwater Riverboat Company dock. Our lovely 2.5 hour private charter cruise on the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway includes lunch, a cash bar, and the excellent company of friends and colleagues.
Daytrip Stillwater in the afternoon with friends! Make a day of it.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.