Regents
Board & committee meetings
October 9th 2026Governance & Policy Committee
Committee's 2026-27 work plan previews charitable gift and honors policy changes; Regents committee reviews proposal to drop mandatory 75-year review of honorary building names; Cunningham backs namings change, says the university 'needs more philanthropic namings'; Regents give input on criteria for legislature's regent selection, stress continuity and fiduciary duty; Regents and president warn against wholesale board turnover; up to five seats could open; Regents renew call for fixed start dates and onboarding period for new board members
October 9th 2026Board of Regents Meeting
Two faculty named Regents Professors; New research and enrollment vice presidents introduced; Disruption interrupts president's report; board takes recesses; Cunningham says U of M must cut $225M–$260M over two years; U of M Foundation reports record $541M year and is now fully self-funded; Regents approve change to chief auditor's reporting line; Regents weigh ending automatic 75-year expiration of honorary namings; Finance committee approves state budget request and capital plan
October 8th 2026Mission Fulfillment Committee
AI Hub reports first months of progress: AI literacy training, broader tool access, statewide partnerships; U of M is a finalist for NSF 'AI Ready America' grant with Minnesota State; President Cunningham: board metric requires every graduate to have AI literacy; Provost floats required first-year seminar for all new Twin Cities students; Duluth's Swenson College embeds research in all freshman STEM courses; University exploring 90% on-campus housing requirement across all five campuses; Committee approves academic program report on consent; Medical School team wins $10 million NIH grant for antiviral research
October 8th 2026Audit & Compliance Committee
New chief compliance officer expected by December; risk profile review pushed to February; Internal Audit pauses hiring for open auditor positions amid looming FY2028–29 budget cuts; Bell Museum art collection and HIPAA oversight issues remain unresolved after two-plus years; Export controls audit rated 'good,' but auditor warns of growing federal research security requirements; Medical School Duluth audit rated 'adequate,' with gaps tied to budget deficit; Clinical and Translational Science Institute IT audit rated 'needs improvement'; University engaged KPMG for HIPAA security assessment
October 8th 2026Academic Health Committee
Academic Health Committee sets 2026-27 work plan, ending with health sciences finances; CentraCare reports $40M commitment and $54M raised for St. Cloud campus; St. Cloud medical school campus doubles to 48 students in second year; Residency expansion: 14 new rural slots so far, goal of more than 72; Family medicine–obstetrics fellowship awaits formal regent approval; CentraCare targets $100M–$150M in new research to lift U's ranking; Regents press on rural doctor shortage and clinic closures
October 8th 2026Finance & Operations Committee
Regents committee approves $85 million biennial operating request to the state; Committee backs $350 million state bonding request and six-year capital plan; Regents review return of Cloquet Forestry Center land to Fond du Lac Band; vote set for December; New undergraduate education dean approved; university–Mayo research space lease extended; First annual reserves report shows $1.67 billion cushion, 113 days of cash
September 17th 2026Board of Regents Meeting
Cunningham recommends $85 million state budget request for FY2028-29, far below past asks; University says it has lost $89 million in purchasing power and cut operating costs nearly 9%; Cunningham: funding 'not going back' to past levels, more hard cuts coming even if request is granted; Regents press on AI risks and ethics as university seeks $10M for AI Hub; 2027 state capital request: $150M Rochester academic building, dentistry clinic overhaul, $50M HEAPR; Pared-down six-year capital plan includes St. Paul housing and Large Lakes Observatory; Duluth health building still conceptual; Units will shoulder more building costs as state share shrinks; foundation shifting toward capital fundraising
