University of Minnesota regents likely to back dramatic chnages

Today's vote on President Bruininks' proposal to overhaul the university is seen as a test of leadership.
BY PAUL TOSTO
ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota regents today are expected to back a controversial plan to overhaul the university's academic programs and schools, setting in motion some of the most dramatic changes in decades to the Twin Cities campus.
The plan will close or merge several colleges, including General College, which for nearly 75 years has offered low-performing students the chance to enter the university, catch up and graduate with a degree. It also creates new programs, particularly in design.
Regents haven't said publicly how they'll vote, but observers believe overwhelmingly they'll back the package pressed by University President Robert Bruininks -- both because they agree with much of it and because Bruininks has put so much of his professional credibility on the line that a no vote might cripple his ability to lead the U.
"I think Bruininks is going to get support from the regents," said Nils Hasselmo, the former University of Minnesota president who now heads the Association of American Universities.

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