2016-11 From the President: Elections closer to home

Elections closer to home

Yes, I know, we are just finishing with what seems the longest election in history, and you thought we did not need to think about elections for another year or two. However there is an election early next year that is very important to the University of Minnesota. A joint convention of the 2017 Minnesota Legislature will be electing four members of the Board of Regents.

The Minnesota Legislature elects one Regent from each of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts and four from the state at large. One of the four at-large Regents must be a University student at the time of his or her election.

Regent terms are staggered with one third of the seats up for election every two years. There are four positions open on the Board of Regents in 2017, one each from Minnesota’s 2nd, 3rd, and 8th Congressional Districts and one at-large position.

The process for the election starts with the Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC). One of its duties is to recruit, screen, and recommend at least two, and not more than four, qualified candidates to the joint legislative committee for each of the openings on the Board of Regents. The RCAC will accept applications to the Board of Regents until December 2. At their meeting on December 9 they will review candidate applications and select which candidates to interview. By January 6, 2017, they will vote on the final candidates to recommend to the Legislature. 

Do you know anyone who would make a strong member of the Board of Regents? If you do, please encourage them to apply to the RCAC. Having a strong Board of Regents is vital to the future of the University of Minnesota.

Specific information about the application process can be found on the RCAC web site:  rcac.leg.mn

— Donna Peterson, UMRA President