Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Higher Education Systemness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Working group outlines operational steps to boost University of Minnesota "systemness" and student experience
Summary
A System Optimization Working Group reported initial findings and a range of operational and transformational ideas — from aligning academic calendars to a unified course schedule and system‑level alumni programs — aimed at improving student mobility and cooperation across the university's five campuses.
A Board‑appointed System Optimization Working Group presented early recommendations aimed at strengthening "systemness" — the University of Minnesota’s ability to act coherently across its five campuses — with the stated focus of improving the student experience.
What the group is doing: Co‑chairs and senior leaders described a narrowing of the group’s scope to prioritize curricular coherence and student mobility rather than system-wide admissions or the new strategic plan. The working group has focused on operational barriers and transformational opportunities that could make it easier for students to take classes across campuses, transfer, and access system resources.
Key operational ideas presented - Align academic calendars across the five campuses (registration, drop/withdraw deadlines) to ease cross‑campus enrollment and transfers. - Create a unified course search/schedule builder that displays offerings from all campuses in one place. - Publish a transparent inventory of student support resources across campuses. - Make scholarships advertised as “University of Minnesota” available systemwide and consider system-level philanthropic scholarship funds. - Move toward a single, systemwide alumni relationship function while keeping campus-level alumni activity. - Standardize or simplify system email domains so affiliation is clear (suggestion: unified @umn.edu addressing). - Clarify which offices and personnel hold systemwide responsibilities and publish that information.
Transformational ideas and governance The group recommended a system collaborative — a structural mechanism for regular cross‑campus coordination — and a small rapid innovation team to prototype and accelerate top priorities. Chancellors and working group members said transformational cooperative ventures will require clarified responsibilities, potential reallocation of resources and explicit prioritization so that campuses retain distinct identities while acting cohesively where beneficial to students.
Next steps: The working group will continue prioritizing recommendations, run feasibility and cost analyses, collect broader stakeholder input and deliver a final report to the president by June. Regents were invited to provide feedback on the ideas and criteria the group will use to analyze options.
