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For the first time in more than 20 years, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned without performing one of the important responsibilities with which it is charged every two years: electing regents for the University of Minnesota.

Our state's process is unique in the U.S., with the Legislature required to convene in a joint convention every two years to elect one-third of the Board of Regents. Through the years, this process has been a sign of both the prominence and importance of the University of Minnesota to the state, as well as acknowledging the university predated statehood.

Although the law is clear in that Gov. Tim Walz will now make appointments to the four seats, this failure of the Legislature to do its job in electing regents is just the latest sign that the selection process is broken. Its complexity has caused the Legislature to neglect it for years, which has resulted in a Board of Regents woefully disconnected from the realities of serving as a public governing board in 2025. No reason has been given for why the Legislature ignored its responsibility, but you do not have to look far to realize one political party had disagreement over its slate of candidates.

Our state's flagship public research university has suffered because of this neglect, with a lack of accountability to the public it serves, a disregard for student affordability, an addiction to administrative bloat, and furthering that growing perception that a college degree is simply not worth it.

For 12 years, I served on the Legislature's Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC), including four years as chair. And this year, I was a candidate for regent myself, being both recommended by the RCAC and the Joint Higher Education Committee. In both capacities, I saw firsthand how Minnesota's regent selection process works — and how it fails the university and the state.

For those interested in serving, becoming a regent is both a marathon and a sprint, consuming vast amounts of time. Ideally, you should meet with all 201 legislators, which is basically a full-time job for five months. The most successful candidates are often retirees, who can dedicate months pursuing the chance to serve their state — or those with a team of lobbyists at their disposal.

But for legislators, the process is just as cumbersome. Many legislators refuse to meet with regent candidates. I had several who said they did not need to meet as they would vote as their political party caucus decided. Others just ignored me, and I found out indirectly they saw me as being a partisan on the other side of the aisle, not even willing to hear about my views on lowering tuition, cutting administrative bloat, and being a regent who is accessible to both the public and legislators.

Meanwhile, at the U, tuition will be going up 6.5% and administrative bloat will continue unfettered. It is time to get serious about fixing the University of Minnesota — and that starts with how regents are elected.

Dan Wolter is a member of the Lakeville City Council and a former director of the University of Minnesota News Service.