Applications sought for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

Contact: Kent Eklund, Chair, at 612-672-7784 or Sally Kidd, staff, at 651-296-9002

If you have a passion for public higher education, please take note.

The Trustee Candidate Advisory Council (TCAC) is currently accepting applications for four positions on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Appointments to the positions will be made by Governor Tim Pawlenty in April. Candidates for the positions should apply to the council before February 15, 2008.

The Board of Trustees oversees a total system of 32 state colleges and universities -- 25 two-year community and technical colleges and seven four-year state universities. Actions of the board affect the 382,000 students the system serves each year, the system's 18,000 employees, and an annual budget of $1.4 billion.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees provides leadership in such areas as academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, admissions requirements, tuition and fees, and rules and regulations. The board also appoints the chancellor, who serves as chief executive officer of the system.

The council is currently seeking candidates to fill four open seats on the Board of Trustees; these seats are designated as one 4th Congressional District position, one 7th Congressional District position, and two at-large positions. The terms are six years in length. Applications for the positions are being accepted by the TCAC. Established by the Legislature, the purpose of the TCAC is to screen applications, conduct interviews, and recommend the finalists to the Governor. Candidate recommendations are due to the Governor by April 15.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Application materials are available on the council's Web site at: www.tcac.leg.mn. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may request an application packet by contacting Sally Kidd at 651-296-9002 or sally.kidd@lcc.leg.mn . The TCAC Chair is Kent Eklund of St. Paul, MN 612-672-7784. The council office is located at:

TCAC, c/o Legislative Coordinating Commission, 72 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 .

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2008.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.