The university recognized two new Regents Professors, its highest faculty honor. One is a College of Liberal Arts psychology professor whose research recasting mental illness as a spectrum has shaped global diagnostic systems. The other is a Medical School professor who built the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and pioneered functional and ultra-high-field MRI.
The board formally welcomed Cynthia Carnes as Vice President for Research and Innovation, overseeing the university's $1.4 billion research enterprise. She previously held a senior research operations role at Ohio State and started July 31. Jack Miner was introduced as the university's inaugural Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management, a new role meant to unify enrollment strategy across all five campuses. Miner came from the University of Cincinnati, where he was vice provost for enrollment management, and started September 14.
Shortly after President Cunningham began her report, someone in the room interrupted. Captions picked up references to 'a very impressive salary increase' and a figure of 'million dollars by 2031.' The chair called a recess, then a second one, before the president resumed about four minutes later. The captions do not identify who interrupted or the specifics of the complaint.
In her report, President Rebecca Cunningham said the university needs to reduce its budget by $225 million to $260 million over two years, about 12–15% of allocated operating revenue, and that the total will not fall below $225 million. She cited three years of flat state appropriations (about $90 million in lost purchasing power), a $131 million deficit in the state grant program, and declining federal research and indirect-cost revenue. She said the endowment and reserves cannot cover the gap, and that no units, including the humanities, football or administration, will be eliminated, though every unit must find efficiencies. She also reported systemwide enrollment up 0.4%, with declines concentrated among graduate, international and non-resident students at the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. The board chair endorsed the process ahead of the FY2028 budget presentation next spring.
Foundation CEO John Morris reported a record $541 million in philanthropic commitments from 87,158 donors in FY2026. The endowment grew from $4 billion to $4.8 billion, about 20%, and a record $336 million was made available to the university. As of July 1, the foundation no longer takes any university funding to operate, and it has consolidated about 90 fundraisers into one team. Cunningham said this saves the university's operating budget tens of millions of dollars, and noted that donor-restricted funds cannot be used to close the budget gap. The report also highlighted a $6.2 million gift, Crookston's largest ever, which led to the renaming of the Nielsen Family Wellness Center.
The board approved, by voice vote and without discussion or audible opposition, a resolution modifying the reporting line for the university's chief auditor. The chair noted that no changes had been made since the proposal was reviewed at the July meeting.
The Governance and Policy Committee reviewed off-cycle amendments to the Board of Regents policy on namings and renamings, requested by the University Senate's All-University Honors Committee. The amendments would repeal the automatic removal of honorary namings after 75 years, along with the process for granting indefinite retention. They would also clarify how an honorary naming can be converted to a philanthropic one. Existing processes to rename or revoke a naming would remain. Committee members appeared supportive, and the amendments return for action in December.
The Finance and Operations Committee unanimously approved, on the board's behalf, the resolution on the university's biennial budget request to the state through fiscal year 2029. It also approved the six-year capital plan with the 2027 state capital request, and a consent report including an employment agreement, the Permanent University Fund report and one real estate transaction.
