U of Minnesota Board of Regents on Sviggum comments

Today, I want to extend my sincere apology on behalf of the Board of Regents following Regent Sviggum’s apology yesterday.
As you know, last Thursday Regent Sviggum asked a question regarding Morris enrollment. We all bear responsibility for
speaking up and condemning the question, whether on Thursday or in our Friday meeting. As the leader of our board, I should
have done better and I am not proud of my inaction.
Our Board is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and it is a central anchor of the president’s MPact 2025
strategic plan, which the Board has fully endorsed. We are inspired every day by the diversity of thought, of inquiry, of vision,
and of presence that drives our institution forward.
In March of 2023, we will hold the Board of Regents meeting on the Morris campus. With the full Board on campus, we will
focus on engaging with the Morris community, including students, faculty, staff, and the broader Morris region.
In addition, I am committing today to provide DEI training to the entire Board of Regents that will help us more fully
understand and reaffirm the power that different perspectives bring to our shared success. Diversity is not a challenge, it is a
strength that makes our institution—and Morris—one of the most highly regarded universities in the country.
Consistent with the educational mission of our great University, the Board of Regents recognizes that we must acknowledge
our failings and learn from them. Hopefully, our sincere efforts to do so will serve as an acknowledgement of our
responsibility and commitment as Regents to advance the University’s land grant mission of teaching and service for the
benefit of all Minnesotans.
Our mission is your mission. We look forward to meeting with you in March to further discuss the importance of diversity and
how we, as a Board, can support you in your efforts, as well as to listen to your stories of the many ways that the Morris
campus embraces the University mission and inspires us all.

With thanks,
Ken Powell, Chair
Board of Regents