The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) held it’s 2020 legislative kick-off on Tuesday with Mike Miller, the advocacy coordinator for the University of Minnesota. The bonding request from the University of Minnesota totals $200 million for the Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) fund, including four highlighted projects at UMC. Additionally, a further $175.8 million is being requested by the university for a Child Development Building replacement, a Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Facility, and a Clinical Design Facility in the Twin Cities and the renovation of A.B. Anderson Hall in Duluth.
Those highlighted projects at UMC are the final phase campus-wide electrical distribution system to replace and upgrade aged and failing transformers, sectionalizing cabinets, and underground cables. A campus-wide natural gas distribution to modernize the 50-year-old piping and extend the infrastructure to improve gas delivery to labs, food service areas, residence halls, athletic areas, and the wellness center. The replacement of the floor in Lysaker Gymnasium and replacing doors, windows, and exterior façade on Owen Hall, which was built in 1909. The total cost of all Crookston projects on the request is just $3,989,472 or only 1.99 percent of the HEAPR request from the University of Minnesota.
Miller said that if the entire bonding package is approved, all the projects on the four campuses (Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and the Twin Cities) will be completed. Rochester doesn’t receive any HEAPR funds because they rent their buildings. However, if the university doesn’t receive the full bonding will be selected based in part on priority and in part on getting the most projects completed. “The way it works is, we as a university, get a lump sum for the HEAPR fund,” said Miller. “We take that money and piece in as many projects as we can. There is a priority list, but we don’t necessarily follow it. As we get to the end, if we can get five projects rather than one, we’ll shuffle things done. If we get that full $200 million request, these projects will absolutely be done. If we don’t, it’s going to depend on how much money we do get.”
The HEAPR fund is estimated to need $4.8 billion over the next ten years, which Miller said he hopes the legislators see and understand the importance of the full bonding amount. “We’re very hopeful that lawmakers will see the $4.8 billion backlog that we have and understand that we really need to start digging into that,” said Miller. “In the past, legislators have been great partners in helping us reach our bonding goals, but as we’re moving forward, it’s time to get the full request to keep moving forward. And to make sure our campuses are as great as they can be for our students.”
Miller said the Crookston campus is excellent at being advocates for the university with the legislature. “Crookston has been a great campus when it comes to being advocates for the University,” said Miller. “They have been great partners with their legislators. Some of the things we talked about were how easy it is for people to support Crookston by sending an email or a tweet. Just letting lawmakers know that the Crookston campus is important to the community.”
Miller also said that UMC is a great supporter of “Support the U” day held each spring. “Crookston has been a great partner in reaching out to lawmakers, talking to local legislators,” said Miller. “We have our big ‘Support the U’ day event every spring, and it’s such a long day for the students from this campus. I think they get on the bus around 5:00 a.m., and come down to the Capital by noon, spend the whole day there, and then they come back up about 5:00 p.m. and get back here around midnight. And it doesn’t deter people at all. They come down, tell their legislators what they need. They tell them about the great things that they are doing here, and it’s exciting to have them come down. They have been great about that.”
