>> ERIC: A NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS UNDERWAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA WHICH HAS A NEW PRESIDENT.

REBECCA CUNNINGHAM BECAME THE U'S 18TH PRESIDENT IN JULY.

SHE CAME TO MINNESOTA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN WHERE SHE WAS A VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AND AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN.

YOUR PREDECESSOR DID NOT HAVE A PARTICULARLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LEGISLATURE.

I ONDER IF YOU'VE HAIRED THAT AND ARE YOU DOING SOME REPAIR WORK?

OF COURSE THE STATE DOES PROVIDE PART OF YOUR FUNDING.

>> I'VE BEEN OVER TO MEET MANY FOLKS OVER AT THE LEGISLATURE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

BEEN ALL OVER THE STATE REALLY LEADING WITH LISTENING AND MEETING WITH MINNESOTANS ALL OVER THE STATE FROM THE STATE FAIR TO FARM FEST.

OBVIOUSLY THE STATE PARTNERSHIP IS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT.

WE'RE A BIG PARTNER OF THE STATE AND WE'RE PROVIDING WORKFORCE, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SO OF COURSE I'M VERY I WANTED IN THE LEGISLATURE AND OUR PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER.

>> Cathy: THERE WAS, OF COURSE, IT'S BEEN KIND OF QUIET OVER THE PAST FEW MONTH OR SO BUT DURING SESSION, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA HOSPITAL AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH FAIRVIEW.

AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF A MESS.

WHERE DOES IT STAND RIGHT NOW AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

>> SO I'M EALLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE THINK BIGGER ABOUT HEALTH FOR THE UNIVERSITY BROADLY, ABOUT HOW WE DELIVER A GREAT HEALTH FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA NEEDS US TO DELIVER THAT AMAZING HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH WORKFORCE FOR THE STATE, AND WE STAND READY TO DO THAT.

WE PROVIDE AN MAZING WORKFORCE.

WE PROVIDE INNOVATION AND CURES.

WE PROVIDE A LOT OF THE TRAINED WORKFORCE ACROSS THE STATE, IF YOU WORK IN COMMUNITY, ANYWHERE YOU ARE ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, YOU ARE LIKELY BEING TREATED BY A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TRAINED PHYSICIAN, NURSE, DENTIST, THAT ALL THROUGHOUT.

AND SO THIS WILL BE A BIG PART OF MY PRESIDENCY MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE IN ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS ON THE BEST FUTURE PATH FOR US AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT FAIRVIEW AS WE WORK ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER TOP-NOTCH COMPARE FOR OUR PATIENTS.

>> Cathy: I KNOW THAT PROBABLY, HE WILL I'M BEATING YOUR LEGISLATIVE PREVENTION REQUEST MIGHT INCLUDE FOR THE "U" HOSPITALS.

THERE WAS AN EYE-POPPING REQUEST LAST SESSION THAT LAWMAKERS LOOKED AT AND SAID, WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

WHAT DUKE YOU MIGHT ASK FOR IN THIS UPCOMING SESSION?

>> IN THE REQUEST THAT WAS OUT IN THE DOCKET TODAY, YOU'LL SEE WE CERTAINLY ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE BUILD A BIT AND IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF MINNESOTA ACROSS OUR HEALTH SCIENCES SCHOOLS BROADLY, FROM DELIVERING MORE TRAINED VETS TO DELIVERING BETTER RURAL HEALTH CARE, TO IMPROVING OUR NURSING WORKFORCE.

SO YOU'LL SEE HAT RIGHT NOW AND AS THE FALL UNFOLDS AND WE GET INTO WENT, YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE MORE ABOUT OUR FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS AND OUR THOUGHT FOR THE HOSPITAL.

>> Eric: THE END OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

DOES THAT AFFECT THE "U" AT ALL?

>> SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD OUR BIGGEST CLASS ENTERING SINCE 1965, OVER 7300 STUDENTS, 1300 TRANSFER STUDENTS, THAT'S JUST IN THE TWIN CITIES HERE.

ACROSS GREATER MINNESOTA WE HAVE ENROLLMENT UP BROADLY.

WITH THAT WE HAVE OUR MOST DIVERSE CLASS.

ALMOST EVERY STATE REPRESENTED, COUNTRY AROUND THE GLOBE SO WE'RE DOING JUST WONDERFULLY IN DIVERSITY.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, NEW SCHOOL YEAR MIGHT INCLUDE SOME PROTESTS, PERHAPS, ON CAMPUS.

SOME UNIVERSITIES SAY THEY'LL STOP PRONOUNCEMENTS ON BIG PUBLIC ISSUES AND I WAS JUST LISTENING TO NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO THIS MORNING, THEY WERE TALKING TO THE PARLIAMENT OF WESLEYAN AND HE SAYS, IN DOING SO, IN STOPPING PRONOUNCEMENTS ON ISSUES, HE THINKS THAT LEADERS ARE ABDICATING RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD IN THE DISCUSSION.

WILL WE SEE YOU OUT FRONT IN POLICY DISCUSSIONS OR IS THAT TOO FAR AFIELD?

>> I PUT OUT A STATEMENT YESTERDAY ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN EXPECT TO ME ON STATEMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY SO THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD BE AN ARENA AND WHEN I FEEL THAT WHEN A UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TAKES A FIRM STANCE ON AN ISSUE, WE SHUT DOWN THAT DEBATE IN THAT ARENA.

THERE ARE SOME FOLKS ON CAMPUS THAT WILL FEEL THEY PERHAPS CAN'T HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD.

THE COMMUNITY WILL HEAR FROM ME ABOUT ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE UNIVERSITY'S OPERATIONS, RESEARCH, TEACHING, EDUCATIONAL MISSION, CERTAINLY THE SAFETY AND WELLNESS OF THE CAMPUS AND THE UNIVERSITY WILL HEAR FROM ME FOR THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE CELEBRATING TOGETHER.

THE UNIVERSITY -- THE COMMUNITY LARGELY WILL NOT BE HEARING FROM ME ON THE MAJORITY OF GLOBAL AND POLITICAL EVENTS AND THAT WAS MY STATEMENT YESTERDAY.

>> Eric: DISINVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL?

>> UH-HUH.

>> Eric: ARE THE REGENT TAKING A LOOK AT THAT?

I KNOW THERE'S NOT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY INVOLVED BUT -- >> LAST WEEK, THE BOARD DECLINED THE REQUEST FOR DIVESTMENT FROM ISRAEL AND PUT FORWARD -- >> Eric: ARE YOU ON BOARD WITH THAT?

>> SO THE REGENTS BEGAN THIS POLICY AND LOOKING AND TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY LAST MAY BEFORE I STARTED, HAD ONGOING CONVERSATIONS THROUGH JUNE, TOOK A LOOK AT IT AGAIN IN JULY AND THEN BROUGHT -- THEY BROUGHT THAT FORWARD IN AUGUST FOR A VOTE.

THEY'VE ASKED MY ROLE IN THIS, THEY CAN ENVISION A TIME, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE BY WHICH TO DIVEST FROM AND THEY'VE ASKED MY ADMINISTRATION TO PUT TOGETHER A PROCESS FOR WHICH THAT COULD HAPPEN IN FUTURE YEARS.

>> Eric: JUST A MINUTE LEFT.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION HIGHER EDUCATION IN GENERAL CHANGING BETWEEN NOW AND, SAY, 2034?

SEEMS LIKE IT'S AN INSTITUTION RIPE FOR CHANGE ACROSS THE BOARD.

>> I MEAN, IT'S RIPE FOR CHANGE IN MANY WAYS ALTHOUGH FUNDAMENTALLY WE'RE COMMITTED, CERTAINLY, ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, TO FREEDOM INSTANTLY A RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE, WITH BRINGING THE INNOVATIONS THAT WE LEARNED FROM COVID AND ONLINE LEARNING WHERE APPROPRIATE.

THE ROLES WERE CERTAINLY CHANGED SOME WITH A.I.

AND THOSE WILL BE CHANGES WE ADOPT IN THE SAME WAY, TOOLS THAT WE ADOPTED THE CALL LATER.

THE WORKFORCE NEEDS WILL CHANGE AND THE UNIVERSITY WILL CHANGE ALONG WITH THEM.

>> Eric: WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OVER AND WE HOPE