The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
President Gabel attracts largest attendance in UMRA history
In front of the largest crowd in UMRA history, President Joan Gabel offered brief opening comments, responded to an extensive interview by two of our members, and then took questions from the audience attending UMRA’s November Forum. She was clear, direct, and genuine, and was a big hit with our membership. As musicians might say, she “blew the room away.”
President Gabel is well versed about trends in higher education and how they apply to the University of Minnesota. She articulated her early impressions of the University and promised a strong strategic planning effort in the coming months. There is already a website for the Systemwide Strategic Plan where visitors may offer comments on the proposed systemwide strategic commitments.
Gabel said the University is a world-class institution and, in her view, needs to address the subjects of health, food, and the environment in its plan. She believes the University is particularly strong in each of these areas.
She also believes it is urgent for the University to address issues surrounding student mental health on campus. She noted that 42 percent of 18–25 year olds have received a mental health diagnosis, and said that number is estimated to be even higher for our students. “Providing appropriate care is becoming as important as helping them with selecting their classes,” she said.
Endearing humbleness
President Gabel said she hopes to continue to expand the University’s commitment to access and excellence. Interestingly, she noted our “endearing” inclination toward humbleness. “It is a strength, but also a challenge,” she said. “We are a cornerstone economic driver and we have to be able to articulate in crisp, clear language” the long-term value we generate, she said.
President Gabel thinks Minnesota, unlike some other research universities, has retained its sense of place and strong connection to the communities which it serves. She was also complimentary to the Legislature, for its continuing support of higher education, and to the State. “The culture of the State around higher education is not about its value but how to make it better.”
She addressed the current renaming controversy on campus and the need for a new policy. She believes this is an ongoing issue and will require a good deal of attention and sustained educational programming.
Gabel also spoke briefly about her appointment of Rachel Croson, PhD, as the new executive vice president and provost. Dr. Croson is a behavioral economist and currently serves as a dean at Michigan State. She is scheduled to begin her appointment on March 30, 2020.
UMRA thanks Kathleen O’Brien and Frank Cerra for conducting a comprehensive and insightful interview with the new president before the 150+ people in attendance. Great event!
—Bill Donohue, UMRA president
UMRA welcomes President Joan Gabel to our November forum
Tue, November 19 2019, 11:30am
Campus Club 4th Floor, West Wing Dining Room
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel will be the speaker at the Retiree Association’s luncheon on November 19. President Gabel is the 17th president of the University and the first woman to hold the position. She was unanimously elected by the Board of Regents on December 18, 2018, and assumed the office on July 1, 2019.
She was officially inaugurated on September 20 at a brief installation ceremony inside the McNamara Alumni Center, which was live streamed for the first time in the University’s history. President Gabel then proceeded along Scholars Walk, where members of the campus community lined up to greet her on her way to Northrop Mall, where she gave a rousing speech, also live streamed, on the steps of Northrop Memorial Auditorium. She has been well received by the University community and is universally described as warm, energetic, and engaging.
President Gabel comes to us from the University of South Carolina, where she was the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Prior to that she served as dean of the University of Missouri’s College of Business for five years. Earlier, she was a faculty member at Georgia State University and Florida State University, where she was a department chair. She is a 1993 graduate of the University of Georgia Law School and briefly worked as an associate in an Atlanta law firm before beginning her academic career.
We are honored to have President Gabel speak at our forum. We expect her to talk about her experiences to date as president and her vision and goals for the University. There will, of course, be time for questions. We hope to become better acquainted with the new president and learn some ways in which we can support her.
The West Wing should fill up quickly, so reserve your spot early.
—Bill Donohue, UMRA president, 2019–20
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.