On Nov. 14-15, the Minnesota State Board of Trustees met for their annual meeting. This time, however, they met at Southwest Minnesota State University—the first time the Board has met outside of the metro area.

Tuesday’s string of meetings began with a welcome from President Gores, a tour of the campus and a morning wrap-up with the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. In the afternoon, the Audit Committee met and the Academic and Student Affairs Committee reconvened before the Academic and Student Affairs and Finance and Facilities Committees met to finish the day.

Chancellor Malhotra of Minnesota State announced that the MinnState system has removed demands for Minnesota campuses to give funds to the ISRS (Integrated Statewide Record System) that match any funds allotted by the legislature. The ISRS has increased their ask from the legislature from $8.5 million to $21 million, allowing for the tax to be lifted from state campuses and universities. Because of this, the $10 million allotted for campus support is untouched by an $8.5 million dollar tax and can be reinvested back into the campus.

The 15-member Board of Trustees began again on Wednesday with the Finance and Facilities Committee before the Human Resources Committee. Part of the Finance and Facilities Committee’s purpose was to revisit proposed new polity 6.11 Facility Management and Operations. The adopting of this new policy puts in place the responsibility of the Chancellor of Minnesota State as well as campus and university presidents to work further to ensure the effective and efficient management and operations of campus and university facilities.

Part three of policy 6.11 states “Periodic reports will be presented to the board on the status of facilities, which may include facilities management and operations data such as facility condition, energy cost and consumption trends, staffing, preventative maintenance plans or other metrics useful to the board in determining the effectiveness of facilities management and operations.”

The full Board of Trustees meeting was held Wednesday afternoon.