September 18, 1996
Board Action Item
BOARD ACTION
Biennial Commitment to MnSCU Institutions
BACKGROUND
When the MnSCU Board of Trustees assumed its authority on July 1, 1995, there were 46 institutions: (7 state universities, 21 community colleges and 18 technical colleges) operating on 62 campuses across Minnesota. Since that time, the board has merged 23 two-year MnSCU campuses into 10 consolidated community and technical colleges. These mergers have modestly reduced administrative overhead and created comprehensive colleges offering both general education and technical training.
MnSCU now comprises 37 institutions: 7 state universities, 9 community colleges, 11 technical colleges and 10 community and technical colleges. This array of institutions, large and small, allows MnSCU to deliver education more efficiently and effectively to 151,500 students in 46 communities.
The new configuration of colleges and universities reflects MnSCU's:
- commitment to preserve educational access across the state;
- commitment to affordable education for all Minnesotans; and
- acknowledgment that all MnSCU institutions play not only an educational role, but a community development, economic development and cultural role in the respective communities in which they are located.
The Board of Trustees is directing the chancellor to develop a strategy to sustain all MnSCU campuses through the 1997-99 biennium. The strategy will:
- create incentives to improve institutional efficiency and productivity;
- establish minimum productivity and efficiency measures for all colleges and universities
- make optimum use of technology to increase service as an alternative to costly additional site development;
- align educational programs to the state's needs defined by population, geography and the economy; and
- create strategic alliances with communities to assist MnSCU in identifying resources to meet as many community needs as possible.
RECOMMENDATION
The Board of Trustees affirms its commitment to all MnSCU campuses through the next biennium ending June 30, 1999, and directs the chancellor to implement the strategy described above. The chancellor will bring a report to the board describing implementation of this strategy by June 30, 1997. The existing configuration of colleges and universities will be reviewed and analyzed comprehensively at the end of the biennium.
Date of Implementation: September 18, 1996,
Date of Adoption: September 18, 1996,
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