(00:00:00) From the capital group a money management firm investing throughout the world for American individuals and institutions. Midday on Monday is made possible with the financial assistance of television station kxl. I KX l t serving Central Minnesota and Rochester on UHF channel 41 and 47. And Minnesota public radio's live coverage of public affairs events and proceedings is made possible by the MPR public affairs fund contributors include the law firm of fig tree and Benson. This is Minnesota Public Radio member supported service. This Is ksjn 1330 Minneapolis-Saint Paul a clear sky 19 degrees And the time is 12 o'clock. The following live broadcast is made possible by contributors to the MPR public affairs fund which supports the production and broadcast costs of live news coverage contributors include the public relations firm of Padilla spear Burdick and Beardsley and the Twin Cities law firm of Opperman and penguin. Now here are my colleagues legislative reporter Stephen Smith and George boozy at the Capitol. (00:01:08) Good afternoon, Daniel Steven Smith standing by here with George Busey in the reception room of the governor's office at the state capitol. The governor is expected to come out in just a moment and make a statement about the University of Minnesota situation is expected to suggest some changes in funding proposals for the University and will also announce that he's trying to put together a blue ribbon commission to review audit reports and the management structure of the university. The governor is coming into the reception room and stepping up to the podium now and is expected to make a statement and then follow with some questions from reporters. He's raising the podium now and he was governor perpich. Today, I'm proposing that the (00:01:51) legislature redirect the twenty three point 1 million dollars. We had proposed for the University of Minnesota to other needs in our higher education system. I'm making this proposal because we cannot afford to have the current debate over financial management and University jeopardize a long-term objectives of commitment to focus. We know that a large fund of unrestricted dollars exist at University and the Board of Regents should consider using a portion of that money to meet immediate needs and to further the goals of commitment to focus when we consider the request for University earlier this year. We also had before us a number of requests from other post-secondary systems. We plan to revisit the needs of those systems which are experiencing significant enrollment increases will be meeting with legislative leaders and the chairs of the education committees in both houses to determine how these resources should be reallocated and finally as state leaders. We have a responsibility to help University put its house back in order. I'm recommending that a small portion of that 23 million dollars originally proposed for commitment to focus be used to finance a study of the University's management structure and its procedures. I intend in the very near future to appoint a blue-ribbon special Commission on University management to carefully review the findings of the audit reports and to suggest improvements in the University structures and procedures related to financial management fiscal control internal reporting mechanisms and related administrative issues. The reports of the commission and its Consultants will be available in the December and shouldn't hit make prove valuable in determining the University's budget allocation in 1989 before infusing more dollars into the university. We must make sure that the university is capable of using resources in a cost-effective manner in closing. I want to restate that our Administration will continue to support the commitment to focus program. These are difficult days for the University and we must not lose sight of our common goal for excellence for the institution for Minnesota to continue our progress in job creation. And for us to remain the brainpower state, we need a strong University of Minnesota our goals with the actions. We have announced today are to strengthen the university and its mission. (00:04:24) In the long term with you asking the current funding be redirected. Well, first of all, we must recognize that we have (00:04:34) Financial restraints of our own and that the commitment to focus depends upon financing. Obviously, it needs the resources, but one must look at the 53 million dollars that we weren't aware of when that budget was put together. I have Tom triplet here Finance was not aware of it and to the best of my knowledge with the contacts we made in the legislature. They're not aware of that and then plus other things that have come up. We just came to the conclusion this weekend after the meeting of the Board of Regents on Thursday and Friday that we could not in good conscience leave that 23 million dollar request before the legislature and that we had to withdraw that request and let them reallocate those resources. They have within the system and plus get this Blue Ribbon commission, and I've talked to some (00:05:24) people (00:05:24) People ready and we hope this week by Thursday to have this Commission in place and hopefully get support from the legislature (00:05:32) basically commitment to focus can remain viable. Yes. Absolutely. (00:05:38) Absolutely (00:05:39) not I am met with (00:05:44) President Keller a week ago Saturday. And at that time I said whatever action is going to be taking should be taken before the audit reports come out and then on Saturday after meeting with a number of people we decided that we had to reallocate those resources and I felt that it was my duty to inform president Keller what we intended to do at noon today. And of course we touch base with many people at the University or related to University in one way or another and our discussion and that hour and a half at no time did resignation that I suggest to him that he resigned absolutely not we discussed the relocation. Of of resources within the university and he can give you the details and (00:06:29) bring it up to you Governor. Did he mention his plans for last night at yesterday? (00:06:34) And he talked about how commitment to focus could continue and what would have to be done for commitment to focus continue with similar to help and that's where we talked about where those dollars would be available from within the system and he outlined some of the possibilities were money is available and could become available and both of us came to conclusion that what we were doing was in the best interest of the University as far as relocating of these of these resources because it took it out of the political Arena and put it back at the University. (00:07:15) No, absolutely not. (00:07:20) In are all family. We weren't sure what his statement was going to be at 10 o'clock that's statement. It was news to me. Like it was to everyone else people want to believe it or not. That's the truth Governor been a long time (00:07:33) supporter of commitment. Yes of Ken Keller. Yes light of all that's happened to you feel (00:07:37) betrayed. No, it's one of those unfortunate incidents. He did a very good job. He raised over 300 some million dollars. He had a very very difficult job at the University. He had pressures from all sides freshers internally. They don't want to change you had those who wanted it and of course all the pressures from the outside for to make Minnesota and the University of Minnesota when the top five in the country and you don't do that to very easily. That's very very (00:08:05) difficult. He's being very upset when you just when you learned about yes, how could a fun like that go on known by the administration? I mean, how could that (00:08:17) exist? Well, just that's the University of so separate from by Constitution. I mean, I think we only control what about 43 percent of that budget Tom. I guess that's fair and people Finance certainly didn't know about legislative the heads of those committees that go through their item by item weren't aware of it. But that's the way that operation exists the fact that they are independent and you know, they can set up funds and it's not like our budget Reserve. I mean that's very obvious it's there and we know why it's there. Does that the existence of that fund unbeknownst to you (00:08:53) at a time when the University was coming up here for more funding (00:08:56) request that represent a kind of duplicity in your (00:08:59) mind. (00:09:03) Well, I don't think that they were dealing with us, you know, very fairly (00:09:08) it was dishonest. (00:09:10) I'm not saying that I would never question him about I guess someone should have (00:09:13) asked when you met with Ken Keller when you met with Ken Keller (00:09:17) you a week ago Saturday and you (00:09:19) told him some things that you thought ought to happen before the audit reports came out. Could you tell us what your advice was? (00:09:26) It was the same as it was Sunday? Yep, two options obviously and I think that actually should be taken and shouldn't be allowed to Drift But there are real problems and that they would have to handle that internally as far as financing for this coming year. I could see that the informed him that I expected everything to do with the situation deteriorate. I expected that the support in the legislature for that funding was disappearing fast. And of course on Sunday, I informed them that it has disappeared for all practical purposes. You must remember that under normal conditions. We have a real Call T. Getting the university the finance in comparison to the other systems, you know community colleges have 18 schools and they have someone who's been around for a long time and knows all the players in this process the community same with the technical institutes 33 of those institute's and Joe grabow is very popular. So it makes it difficult and State University system same thing. So it makes it difficult for the University. It's always, you know perceived as the big city institution and has difficult slitting here is if we found out 1987 session and so my concern a week ago Saturday was at some action wasn't taken fast and the brakes put on that weird. It's going to slip out from under us. Let me tell you by this weekend in hand. So should Keller have resigned earlier to keep the the things I just said that some action should be taken before that first part of that week. I recommend it at something within the next 48 hours at that time. (00:11:05) I have mixed emotions on the (00:11:07) what happens now. I think that our commitment to focus is from a you know from a fast train the fast track to Hooterville local. Well, first of all, you know, he is hired and he works with the boy was the Region's you're well aware. I don't like the way that system works anyway, and I haven't for years the selection the region system. Hey B. I like and my work is here in the legislative legislative process and to make sure that we put things together by law and by resource allocations that that University in all of our system, you know, operate and operate well and do a good job educating those students. I can't get involved in the University process as such that's the Board of Regents and I did meet with Jim week ago Saturday and (00:12:16) also again in this at Sunday. (00:12:22) Either leave or you have to have a very dramatic plan one that really comes together on how you can get them human and Financial Resources together to continue with focus and get the university back on track. No, but we didn't discuss it from that point on. He just discussion was the other 21 million dollars. That was the point of discussion. Well time will tell (00:12:54) time will tell I mean Holly How the Other Board of Regents. (00:13:01) What they do from this point on (00:13:04) when you paint that very Bleak scenario or deteriorating support in the legislature this week or less fortunate. (00:13:12) He was cognizant of that. We had to pull out that 23 million dollars because what was going to be the discussion is his presidency. It was going to be the 23 million dollars discussion here at the Capitol was going to be the presidency at the University. That's how it happened after the meetings Thursday and Friday. That was my impression and it was his (00:13:31) impression the University Administration now supports the redirection of the funds that we're talking about here. (00:13:36) I don't know. I just inform them what we were going to (00:13:38) do. (00:13:40) He agreed that in the best interest of University that those yes, he did. But you better talk to him about the (00:13:47) fact that last night's announcement came as a surprise as you said in your words. Why did Ken Keller resign? Well that you know, you'll have to talk (00:13:58) to him. That's a personal decision. But you know, I informed them to support it at the legislature here at the Statehouse was gone and I suppose you he must have had a feel and check back with the Regents with the sport was there and the public (00:14:14) generally? (00:14:17) So he came to a conclusion himself. Well, I'd say we're going to spend some time and I think I'll have more comments on that next (00:14:34) week Bill going through. That Stacy money forth towards University on them complying with certain certain changing one giving more staff to the Region's would you sign such a bill will take a look at it? I Imagine we can all things very emotional here last week. We'll see what happens. Okay commitment to focus. I don't know. I'm just depends what the Board of Regents do from this point on. It's time only time will tell if I'm not I just kind of support. (00:15:13) Oh, I think that the legislative legislatively. Yes, I think so. I think that the discussion we much more objective now than it would have been if he remained (00:15:35) What are we doing next week (00:15:37) Eric. I'm we're working on all these legislation (00:15:40) other further changes that need to be made changes. As far as people on the Board of Regents in your mind. Well, let that for some other time. How are you supporting the MC cos position on the Living World patient (00:15:57) where we very much want a living will build this session and we're meeting with Sandy Carter brings our Point person on that. We're meeting with all involved in trying to come to a consensus (00:16:13) position on the MCC L side of the senior side. We're just trying to work it out. She's been working very hard to pass 10 days. You have a do you have a view of what should be done with each clip? Should it be sold shouldn't the president live there and entertain their or just entertain their what should be done with that building? (00:16:32) I don't want to comment on there right now. (00:16:36) I don't know. I don't know. (00:16:38) I think the university can do a few things and use those resources for focus and that would be one of them. Well, I think that's when the supporting legislature disappeared. Okay. Thank you very (00:16:57) much. Governor Rudy perfect speaking at a press conference here at the state capitol in the governor's reception room Steven Smith with George boozy standing by here is the reporters break up and leave and we're going to try and get representative Glenn Anderson over here for a moment to talk to us a little bit about his reactions to this whole situation. Glenn Anderson is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and was as the as the day's a grew longer and longer in this situation was one of the people who was beginning to suggest that Ken Keller didn't have long in his position at the University and that funding for the University of Minnesota might be in some trouble, Georgia. Haven't any having any luck. They're getting Glenn Anderson to come over here. We're trying to get him over here right (00:17:43) now Stephen. He should be trying to make his way through the crowd. It's kind of a kind of difficult a lot of reporters getting up and leaving. He's having to sort of fight the fight the fight the current here as people walk out from the from the ornate reception room where the This Conference was held. We do have him coming over here and now mr. Anderson. You just heard the governor say that he will ask the legislature to redirect those monies that 23 million that he had originally asked for for the University. Do you think that this time that that's something that will be approved by the legislature? Well, I think what the governor is doing is probably exceeding to the house position as it appeared to be developing from the day that the governor's budget became known it was obvious. I believe on the house side that we would have to provide some funding both to the State University system into the community college system for the vast increases enrollment. And so Yes, that's pretty much been been the house feelings even before East Cliff and the budget crisis. He might say at the University became known we will be meeting with with the various systems heads in the next day or two trying to figure out what would be fair to the various (00:19:08) systems. (00:19:12) Whether or not there are dollars appropriated straight to the university. I suppose remains to me to be seen but I expect that there will that the University of Minnesota will have a share of the pot. Well, they give anything for a commitment to focus at all to this point or just be for things like The Institute technology and some other funding that University ones. (00:19:33) Well, I believe there still are (00:19:35) some needs that the university the feeling in the houses that we have to have a lot more confidence in their accounting procedures and their accountability if we can be assured that by whoever is in administration over there and or preferably both the Board of Regents, then I believe that that the house will not quote forget about unquote the university there are needs there. Many bad decisions have been made, but I don't know that it will be the feeling of the house that we would allow the university to go downhill. If we have some guarantees off into the future, you think that the existence of this so-called slush fund the reserve fund. Was that the final nail in the coffin for this session for the University's Focus program. I believe it probably was (00:20:28) yes representative Glenn Anderson and Democrat from Bellingham and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee speaking continuing to speak with reporters here at the state capitol George boozy. My colleague Stephen Smith here in the governor's reception room. The governor's left things are kind of settling down. So I think it's probably time to turn it back to Dan Wilson in the studio (00:20:48) Steven George. Thank you very much at 20 minutes past 12:00 o'clock on these network stations of Minnesota Public Radio and that live coverage of Governor purposes, press conference made possible by contributors to the MPR public affairs fund which supports the production and broadcast costs of live news coverage contributors include the public relations firm of Padilla spear Burdick and Beardsley and the Twin Cities law firm of Opperman and Paquin and the 21 minutes now, Well, I think it's fair to say that since everyone has had a chance to react to the resignation of University of Minnesota president. Ken Keller that we should allow Minnesota Public Radio listeners a chance to react to the events from yesterday and today and we'll be doing that in a few minutes, but we want to get two more reactions before we go to the telephone lines and our listeners. We have to listeners on the line with us right now University of Minnesota physics professor Charles Campbell was the co-chair of the University faculty and staff task force which delivered a few months ago. You may recall a roadmap a plan if you will for how commitment to focus should be carried out Professor Campbell. Thanks for joining us this afternoon. You've heard the conversation so far and the statements. What how is this playing out in the physics department? (00:22:05) Well, people are generally concerned and upset fused. There's it's not clear what's going to happen in the in the near term or long term future. We are in effect without a president to prison time and look forward to hearing what the decisions are about an interim president and what the details of the search are for (00:22:27) president. What's your reaction to Governor purposes announcement that in his opinion the legislative request from the University for 23 million should be redirected to other portions of higher education in Minnesota. (00:22:41) Well, I'm very disappointed. I'm also realistic we knew before the East Cliff problems blossomed that the governor's recommendation of 23 million dollars was likely to be cut back dramatically because of the burgeoning enrollment in the other state systems, but it seems a real pity. The governor has moved to preempt the presentation of cases for certain needs that really start on largely independent of the concerns that are going on right now. And I think could have could have succeeded in small part to the tune of some probably eight to ten million dollars in the legislature. (00:23:30) Why how is this playing out in terms of the day-to-day operations of not only trying to run a department at the University of Minnesota Professor Campbell, but also in what has been advertised as one of the parts of commitment to focus which is trying to attract new faculty to the institution. How is this affecting that do you (00:23:52) think well it's in Terms of running doing our job on a day-to-day basis. Of course, the there is a great deal of discussion about what's going on and that takes time away from such things as preparing the final exams, which is what I'm in the middle of doing right now and and the other you know up until this week the teaching of course is and the doing research the natural sort of discussion that any I think any would go through in periods of disruptions such as (00:24:24) this All right, and then in terms of the (00:24:29) faculty, we certainly there are some. Some chairs that have become available within endowed chairs, which have become available to the university through the fundraising campaign and a commitment from the legislature and those of us including some that I'm involved with who are negotiating with people right now are concerned that this will be a problem. When you move to higher Professor into an endowed chair that Professor is is a world leader in whatever field that is and world leaders want to interact with the the president discuss the future of the University with the president of the university and this this will be somewhat difficult in the present (00:25:20) circumstances. All right Professor Campbell stay with us for just a couple of more minutes and you can listen to the reaction also of the other person we have with us at this moment Charlotte's Tribble associate professor of mathematics at the University of Minnesota. A colleague of professor Charles Campbell in the sense that she is also on the faculty of the University of Minnesota and professors Trubel was one of those who had great concern about the appointment and election of President Keller as president of the University of Minnesota Professor struble. What do you think now should be done in this search process to ameliorate some of the concerns that especially women faculty at the University had over the appointment of President (00:25:59) Keller. Well, we certainly hope that we won't have the same kind of a debacle and selecting the new president that we had in the selection of President Keller. We hope that the process will be open. That's that's the most important qualification that it beat that it be open that people have input into it and know what's going on. We hope that affirmative action will be taken seriously and not given just lip service and we're optimistic that This has been a very difficult period such as far as the Primitive action goals have been during this period they've certainly been very very low on Keller's list of priorities if it was there at all. So you appear we look we look for (00:26:50) improvement. So the departure of Ken Keller then is by no means universally viewed as a negative effect in in some areas of the University. I hear you sing. (00:26:59) Well, we were very concerned that that the university is taking the backlash of criticism against Keller and and very very much concerned about that. But now that he has resigned. We hope that that will stop that the university will be seen as valuable and that the university itself will get its act together and begin to rebuild its credibility. It's a good institution there lots of fine people over here that that need to be heard. Need to be like listen to and I hope that commitment to focus will be re-examined and some of the elitist parts will be deleted and it may ultimately become a useful viable plan for the University. I don't believe that it is right now, but it but it might be (00:27:55) just as a way of specifying if you would just one or two points, which you think are not viable for the University right now. (00:28:02) Well, the biggest problem is just the general elitism. If this University is to survive and flourish. It's got to be part of the state of Minnesota. It's got to be part of the higher educational system in this state and it's simply cannot stand apart and thumb its nose at the rest of the state and that I think is what it's been doing. And certainly that's the way it is perceived now. Much of the state and by the legislature and that's that's got to be (00:28:37) corrected. Are you specifying specifically the proposed limit on enrollments or what? (00:28:43) Well, certainly that that's a big part of it. But I mean the whole basis of commitment to focus was to decrease the enrollment and keep the money that was intended for those students. Now the basis of that is that you send those students off to the state college system with no funding now the legislature of course rejected that that that's just a selfish and impractical scheme and a lot of that those sorts of problems come about because there is no sensible coordination between the university and the state college system. I think the governor mentioned that as long as the university sees itself in competition with a state college system for dollars. We're going to lose we got to be part of the system. We've got a And that hasn't happened (00:29:35) yet. All right, I want you to stay with us for one last question. But I do want to hear the reaction of Professor Campbell to the elitist charge which has come up again and again about the commitment to focus idea Professor Campbell your reaction. (00:29:47) Well, I don't see it as sweetest surprising the commitment to reducing the size of the undergraduate population is largely accomplished by decreasing natural decreases in the enrollment if that does natural decreases weren't about to come I think we would have a serious problem. And in fact, the decreases are expected in the next year's in the all of the institutions in the state and it struck me as one of the better things about what resin Keller has been trying to do. It has been to articulate with the other institutions in the state coordinate with them. Are in place plans for example for accepting students from the community colleges where they would be pre accepted they would be enrolled in a community college for their first two years and then move into the university there have always been good relationships and my understanding is I've heard this spoken up authoritatively is that the Chancellor's of the state universities for example have been very supportive of commitment focus and have been generally working with the university and its regions and Preston Keller to to coordinate that so I think I agree with the goals of Professor screaming was articulating where I differ with her is that I think that there is an attention paid to those goals as (00:31:20) far. All right, and lastly this question for the two of you professors Tribble first any names you are hearing as interims or even candidates for the permanent president's position. (00:31:31) Well, first of all, I'd certainly Like to see as a as a permanent president someone coming in from the outside. We've been two inbred here. We need someone with fresh ideas to come in and sweep the place out and and make some important changes. As a interim someone to fill the position in an interim capacity while I've heard the name of Bob Stein. I think he's kept pretty far away from the mess generally and that would be I think very well received as aunt in the interim situation. I would certainly never support anybody that is currently here for the permanent (00:32:14) position. Do we know Bob Stein is the head of the law school currently, that's right dean of the law school good and Professor Campbell any names you've heard rumbling (00:32:21) around. Oh nothing that I haven't read in the Press. And so I can't really add that to the (00:32:28) list. All right, and we do have quite a list of names that appeared in two of the newspapers. Thank you. Yes come (00:32:36) that the search should be energetically pursued on the outside of the University. I wouldn't want to exclude candidates from the inside but I think there should be a commitment to a genuine National search which I'm sure there will (00:32:48) be. All right. Thank you both of you for your time and joining us today professor Charles Campbell professor of physics at the University of Minnesota and Charlotte's dribble associate professor of mathematics speaking with us from their offices at the University of Minnesota after listening in on the events of last night this morning and now this noon hour in the developments surrounding the University of Minnesota. And so almost everyone has had a chance to react but you and now we're going to offer you that opportunity at 12:33 here during the noon hour as part of midday on these, Minnesota Public Radio. All stations the rapidly unfolding events at the University of Minnesota have no doubt caused concern across the state because of the coordinate campuses of the University of Minnesota in the many communities. And now if you have a reaction or a statement, you can call us in the Twin Cities. Our telephone number is two two seven six thousand 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities area listeners outside the Twin Cities area in Greater. Minnesota can call us toll free no charge for this call at one eight hundred six five two 9701 806 five to ninety seven hundred and will be getting the comments of as many of you as we can accommodate. It looks as though the lines of gotten quite busy already. So we'll go to the telephone right now. Hello, would you give us your name and where you're calling from, (00:34:15) please? Barbara good Munson from Minneapolis Women and other disadvantaged people have been educated well for a long period of time and we also have experience in leadership in many fields. And now we are sick and tired of cunning quick takeovers of top positions by the same old minority group white men what steps can now be taken to ensure fairness in selecting not only the president of the University but the Regents to the university neglected sick sector of the educated population (00:34:57) All right, very good. Thank you for your comment and your call and we'll go on to the next person Now comments and reactions on the resignation of University of Minnesota president. Ken Keller and events related. Go ahead you're on the (00:35:09) air. Hi. I just I'm a farmer University student and I think the focus on campus should be for students and faculty and not for facilities for pseudo big shots and princes of the campus. I think the materialistic criteria of status and Prestige should be illuminated by example in all of this in favor of some other criteria based on idealistic standards and and the elite of ideas instead of prejudice and money. Thank you. (00:35:39) All right. Thanks for your call. And I will ask you please remind me if I forget to ask you to give your name and where you're calling from since you can essentially go on the record here with your comment and observation and we'll go to the next listener. Hello, you're on (00:35:50) the air. I take issue with the statement that the university should not be a leadest historically and by definition universities are elitist institutions. We cannot have a good University in this Minnesota week unless we recognize that fact the idea that we can dissipate money throughout colleges and small. Without without penalizing the university is outrageous Whenever there is a good University. It is founded on a latest principles. I'd like to hear what other people have to say. (00:36:38) Alright very good and we will certainly hear some of that. No doubt and we'll get on to the next caller right now. Hello. You're on the air. Where you calling from in your name? All (00:36:46) right, this is Harvey cells. I'm a professor of comparative literature at the University and I wanted to I'm calling from Minneapolis and I wanted to just spread the discussion a little bit since most of it seems to have been restricted to what's going on in the state of Minnesota. The university I think is different from the rest of the system is part of a national and International System, if you will and all the professors and all the research monies are part of a kind of an international market basically within that context. We see ourselves and compete for professors and students and people to come here with places like Harvard and Columbia in Chicago and Wisconsin Etc. And I am very saddened by the event of killers resignation and part of / retaining a fine University. It seems to me as Boston is learned is is related to the economy the state and so I'm very hopeful that people will not just understand in the context of being the top of the pyramid Minnesota, but seeing us in the context of our national International Mission with respect to how we're being judged the difficulty, of course is that we may expect a raid many of the faculty who are mobile will get very nice offers from other places. And this has been happening consistently and it may be difficult to bring in a first-rate person such as Ken Keller because they will see that the university is very difficult to move. So that's the situation we're in and I think people should broaden out from thinking about us just with respect to the rest of the state which I think is terribly important and I'm very Sensitive to our teaching job, which I think we do fairly well in can get better at but also remember that we are research University dealing with large monies and people from a very National and international scene (00:38:34) professor sarles before you go. I just a short question for you. Do you sense quite deep division among faculty at the University over the departure of Ken Keller. (00:38:42) Sure. This is the University as you may or may not know in the late 40s and 50s and I'm of that age when I went to school. Then this University of Minnesota was considered to be the Berkeley of the country. We were ranked. They said Harvard in Minnesota that may not sound silly to people but that was true. And since that time we've been very much in Decline. Now the people who have overseen the decline if you will are the people who don't want the place to change because they're the ones who have kind of moved it down the ones I think with energy and who want to be productive and thoughtful see ourselves on this National and international circuit as well as in Minnesota are the ones who feel (00:39:19) sad. All right. Thank you for calling with your comments. And reaction and now we'll go to the next caller. And hello. You're on the air. Who are you and where you're calling from? (00:39:32) Just calling to? Date that I hope that in the process of finding the new president in our present president that some of the problems that I think are present in the selection process. I looked at that now that Kelton can color is gone that that doesn't stop the scrutiny that the process that brought Ken Keller and what I perceive to be an attitude on his part of I just leader them is also looked at in that process and I hope that not just the person but the process is looked at it in the next coming weeks. (00:40:12) All right, thank you for calling in with your comment and on to the next listener with comment on the departure of Kenneth Keller as president of the University of Minnesota and other announcement subsequent to that. Hello, who are you and where you're calling from? (00:40:26) Hi, my name is Douglas Myron. I teach electrical engineering at South Dakota State University in Brookings. (00:40:33) Glad to have you on the era. Would you mind turning down your radio a little bit? We're picking it up in the (00:40:37) background. How about that? I can to (00:40:40) ensure will hold on and to get you in. There you go. All right, get that radio turned down glad to my remote control kid here. Good glad to have you calling what's on your mind. (00:40:51) I don't have a comment Pro or con Ken Keller as such. I have a reaction to some of the talk that I've heard about the Just lay teachers concern about accountability. In South Dakota, we have a system where nothing over 500 dollars get spent without prior approval and that doesn't mean just prior approval on the campus. That means all the way out to peer the state capital as a consequence of that kind of policy. The system is starved and and the also that that's on a day-by-day basis and on an annual basis the Young University budget. The higher education budgets are gone over item by item by the Legislative Appropriations Committee. And again, nothing then gets done without prior approval more than a year ahead of time. And so as a consequence of this kind of policy the university system in South Dakota has been starving for years the system. I take it that you have in Minnesota is that you get some kind of the University get some kind of lump sum appropriation, perhaps he's not a student population correct, which is a system. I've seen in other places. And then the regions of the administration decide how to spend it. That's a lot more like the way business is run and when I was in business as an engineer Once you got your program approved in your budget you went ahead and did what you're supposed to do and then the accountability took place afterwards that's a proper timely way to do things. And and as I say and you don't get a project start because you know how much it's going to cost to begin with OR at least you have an estimate of what's going to (00:42:34) cost. So you're issuing a warning to Minnesota lawmakers to not engage in too much (00:42:38) micromanagement. That's right stay out of it and especially don't try to starve the system because you happen to be mad at one guy Keller either mismanaged or fail to manage that all his residents refurbishment his office refurbishment and a lot of money got spent but that's a real small amount of money compared to the total money that goes through that system. Now, he got nailed which is the proper thing that should happen and If This Were a business operation, that's exactly what would have happened if you overspend his budget, And he couldn't justify it he get nailed and that's the kind of a way that I think is appropriate rather than micromanagement and prior approval. The prior approval notion is about the worst thing that can happen to any operation. (00:43:34) All right good. Thank you for your call from South Dakota appreciate your reaction. And now we travel along the telephone line two next in line. And it's your turn. Who are you and where you're calling from? I (00:43:44) am professor emeritus Bill Hathaway General College of the University of Minnesota retired last June 15 by an agreement extorted from me by the Keller Administration. I want to say that I feel that the whole commitment to focus was merely a means of cannibalizing so-called week departments to enrich the strong. Secondly, no one asked who was damaged besides we Who fought against it? I have talked last night and this morning with some of my former students who have never seen a better day in their life because they now see happening to Kenneth Keller what that Administration and commitment to focus it to (00:44:33) them. So you think he's getting his Just Desserts. (00:44:36) I don't know. I wish I could answer that but I certainly say he is getting what he did to others. Let me give you an example. I'll call him Wally which is his name. He stuck up for the naturally tanned Americans as he called them and said commitment to focus was going to damage them. He notes the did working on the parking lots and he was 55 years old. I think self-supporting in the student trying to get a bachelor's degree. He noted a tremendous decrease in Blacks North American Indians Hispanics and so on. He said, you know, it got all white all of a sudden (00:45:14) and he tied that Whitman to focus I (00:45:16) taken yeah. Oh, yeah and next. Let me give you a comment from a good friend of mine who is fired out. He didn't have tenure merely released over two votes unanimous to keep him by our divisions tenured faculty said quote five years ago. I asked him how the university intended to serve poor people. He looked me in the eye and said there will always be a place for blacks in the University. I told him that wasn't the question I'd ask that I knew right then he and I didn't see eye-to-eye. This friend is in a California University now unhappy he had moved himself and family from the Twin Cities and he loved the University of Minnesota to (00:46:01) alright Professor Hathaway. Thank you for your call and reaction and we travel along now with about 13 minutes remaining in our listener reaction to the developments of the resignation of University of Minnesota. President Kenneth Keller your next. Where are you calling from? And who are you? (00:46:15) Please I'm calling from st. Paul Minnesota. My name is Lorraine Burness and the consumer in a taxpayer for many many years. My suggestion would be that the stop the Region's from being volunteer and they put them under a p-type abases help. Therefore. They're more accountability more accountable to the taxpayers and the recently had a meeting with one of the state representatives who is on the higher learning committees and he cited with this view very much so that we would have more control over the money that is being put out if the Regents put under a salary type of thing and then they have to be accountable to the people. (00:47:09) All right, (00:47:10) we have enough of this old Pentagon and Port Authority that there really needs investigation. Now this it I forget how much it was for the fence. Just the fence alone is just unreal what they do with our tax money. (00:47:23) All right good. Thank you for calling with your reaction and on to the next listener. Hello. We're listening for you. Now. Who are you and where are you (00:47:30) calling from? I'm the Stevens. I'm calling from Minneapolis and raised in northern Minnesota. I'm a husband we have had four children three of them are graduates of the University of Minnesota tourism of gone on for advanced degrees beyond that. The other one is wanting to but expenses are so great. We deplore the increase in expense at the University because we thought that the university should take care of moderate and low income people as much as possible as far as mr. Keller is concerned I have well my advanced Work beyond my VA is also at the University. So our family is very much involved. My husband went to the university some also be at the time of our marriage. We have deployed the choice of mr. Keller as a head of the University because we remember former heads of the University who were Statesman who are Educators were people of great integrity, and we do not approve of anyone whose Integrity can be questioned being ahead of the University. We do not like the change to a more white University either. So we are looking forward to a choice of either a man or a woman, but we would love to see an excellent woman educator at the University of Minnesota all other things being equal. That would be a good chance. (00:49:03) We ask you a fairly personal question before we go on to the next caller you no doubt receive the solicitation for the Minnesota campaign fund Drive seeking over 300 million dollars. Did you receive a solicitation only did they did not? All right, then I can't ask the question of you because my question is how many people Who did pledge money to them in a sort of campaign have held back as they watched the events unfold around president Keller and how much that fundraising campaign has been effective. Thank you for your call. I'll try to get the answer to that question from some of our other listeners offering reaction here with us for the next 10 minutes or so. Hello, you're next. (00:49:39) Yes. I'm from Minneapolis. And when the university needed a new president sometime ago Ken Keller was noted in the university community and when he was proposed and installed as president, everyone seemed to be very happy. He seemed to be a very good qualified man. Now there have been some. Discretions and the money spending over there, but the man who made the speech about 20 minutes ago. Our governor is the biggest spender in Minnesota and it would overshadow Ken Keller by such a degree. It wouldn't can color should stay in perpetrate go. Thank (00:50:25) you. All right. Thank you for your call and we'll go on to the next listener. Hello your name and where you're calling from, (00:50:30) please? Hello. I'm Greg. Whales calling from Alexandria Minnesota you're aware that we get stacked up here waiting to get on the air and sometimes people will say things that we had been thinking of saying and I'm just going to support those people who were reacting to the fact that people have misuse of authority and misused taxpayer money, and I want to congratulate those who are responsible for Encouraging this man to resign and I find some reassurance in all of this where Authority the misuse of authority isn't tolerated. I do have a response to a previous caller who said that the university system should be more elitist and she was supporting that and I see the university as something that's paid for by taxpayers paid for I would say probably quite a bit by those who aren't delete those who don't have tax shelters and Investments and large incomes and the opportunity for the masses all colors. I'm I'm a white male, but and I'm ashamed of any racism that might be taking place. But if a person is qualified to advance academically and he should be provided with a with a material in his primary and secondary schooling to be qualified. I think you should be given that opportunity. Paternity and any assistance that's necessary not toleration of poor academic standards, but I think you should be open for everybody and to say that it should be elitist really seems wrong to me. And if somebody else would like to comment on that too may be waiting in line at like to hear what they say to (00:52:19) all right, and certainly there will be some additional reaction. And here we are with the next listener. Hello. Who are you and where are you from? (00:52:26) My name is Claire Livingston from Minneapolis. And I no longer teach full time. I just teach expansion Division. I teach world literature. First I want to say that what goes on behind the scenes of higher education is never as pristine pure as people think it is and I'm not just talking about money but all kinds of other squabbles and messes and misuses that go on. I don't think the whole thing can be attributed to kill her but I think one ill that I see in our society visited on the You by whoever is that we're so bent on bringing in business and money and having R&D over at the you that we forget about the things that the Democracy going like thinking for yourself having a set of ethics and that kind of thing and I also would like to see but the university is both elitist and the opposite it should be both and finally that I heard purpose to say that the university should be cost-effective. Now that may be true as far as remodeling the president's house. But how do you measure cost Effectiveness in the ability to think without bias? And that's what I have to (00:53:56) say. Thank you for your call and we'll go on now to the next listener with about four and a half minutes remaining. Hello. We're listening. Who are you and where are you from? (00:54:04) My name is Louis fall Dean. I'm from st. Paul St. Paul. What I'd like to say is that we should look now at what's coming up in the future. First of all commitment to focus needs to be either completely revamped and given a new name or discarded because it places the burden of improvement at the University upon the students by making it harder to get into the you it makes the places the burden of improvement on the students now. Yes, they should share that but they should not be completely burdened with this Improvement improvements need to be made in the administration and in the teaching and in the delivery of services, so I think commitment to focus is flawed at that point. We're also not going to see any real change in the way the you is run until we get rid of the administrators and regions who are not necessary or who are corrupt now. Yes this Sounds it's a very broad statement is not any easy way to determine that but Keller did not work alone in this. I've been following ever since he was installed and if you'll remember he was declared not eligible for the candidacy and then he was installed in president as president and then they went back and rewrote the rules so that he was eligible. This kind of thing is not done alone. And there's a lot of corruption at the you it's to political and it's too big and that's my next point. If you want to make some changes at the you if you want to improve improve it here's an idea that should please some people cut tuition by 20% It's too expensive cut funding from the state by 25% legislators are like that and the next point is cut the administration at the You by 35% and by that, I mean everyone the big wigs and the secretaries and everything. I've nothing against the secretaries of the clerical workers at the you they do a very good job, but there are simply too many. You don't need that (00:55:54) many. Very good and will travel on now to the next listener with reaction and hello. We're listening for you. Who are you and where are you from? (00:56:02) Good afternoon. My name is Jim Knoll. I'm calling from st. Paul. One of the issues that came up in the paper and on television and radio was the fact that there was this $50,000,000 slush fund that even the Board of Regents were surprised about I think I speak for a lot of people in the state and wondering what is going to happen with that slush fund. There was a note in the Saturday Star Tribune. I believe we're one of the students at the school said that they were having trouble getting books. I would suggest that some of that 50 million dollar slush fund be turned over to the library. Thank you. (00:56:42) Thanks for your call. We have about three minutes remaining and the next listener. Hello. Who are you and where are you from? (00:56:47) My name is John Hawley and I'm from Duluth Minnesota. And I think that in the midst of all of the controversy about elitism the Delete his mm has obscured some good things that have happened that need to be said now. One of the things that I've seen and I'm a member of the school board and Duluth is that the pressure of the university to on the schools on the schools in the state of Minnesota to improve the preparation of students has made a difference. The school districts have had to offer a wider range of courses in the city of Duluth. We have increased graduation requirements and the students are taking more foreign languages and a lot of these changes are as a direct result of the improved or the increased requirements of the university to for students to enroll. I think that that pressure from the top is going to have a long-term positive effect on the performance of the high schools in the state of Minnesota and high school students. I think in the midst of the discussions of the failures and problems at the University that those changes ought to be recognized for the value. Contribution that they've (00:58:02) made. All right. Thank you for your call. We have 60 seconds remaining for one more listener reaction. And that's yours. Hello. Who are you and where are you from? (00:58:10) Hi. My name is Tom hamburger. I'm a student at the University. I live in st. Paul. I'm facing a minimum of two more years at the University. I'm very concerned about the directions going to take know. First of all, I think the next presidents going to be a very weak one. He's going to be he or she is going to be restrained in large part by what's happened in the past and I'm kind of concerned about the new directions going to be taken come into Focus address some real problems at the University both in the way of organization fact that there's too many entry points. Now it's confusing to perspective people and also the fact there's too many students. It's true. It is a land grant University. It is a public institution but fighting for glasses finding myself unable to their there. Angers who are taking introductory courses should have been taken long ago just because they can't get in and tell their seniors things like this need to be (00:59:08) addressed. All right, Tom. Thank you very much and to all of you for your calls with reaction to the development starting last night with the announcement by University of Minnesota president Kenneth Keller that he would be resigning the press conference which we broadcast live this morning of University of Minnesota regions chair David liebe Dolf as he restated the Region's commitment to focus at the University of Minnesota the press conference by Governor Rudy perpich 59 minutes ago at the state capitol in st. Paul also covered live on these stations where the governor announced that the 23 million dollar legislative requests for the University of Minnesota should in his opinion be redirected to other units of higher education in the state behind the scenes throughout all of this coverage has been our news director and executive producer Rich deep man, who is still here handling the telephone calls and thanks to you rich technical directors Patty Ray Rudolph and David sleep among others. Thanks to all of you and to all of those who called in midday on Monday is made possible with the financial assistance of television station KX L. Ik XLT serving Central, Minnesota and Rochester on UHF channel 41 and 47. This is Dan Olson reporting. Stay with us. Now for more programming on ksjn this afternoon in the Twin Cities. Mostly sunny and a high in the low to mid 20 degree range tonight. Mostly cloudy and cold with an overnight low in the Twin Cities from 8 to 13 degrees. This is ksjn 1330 Minneapolis-Saint Paul. It's one o'clock.