[Mdl] MN Higher ed. forums

[William DeJohn]

To:       Minnesota Digital Library Coalition

 
See schedule below for a series of higher education forums being held
beginning on Nov. 8 in Hibbing. I am sure your institutional administrations
have received this information. 
 
Many of you will recall that the MN Office of Higher Education held similar
forums two years ago prior to the last legislative budget session. It is
helpful when students, faculty, or librarians appear to let their thoughts
be known about library funding for the upcoming session. 
 
I have requested from the MN Office of Higher Education an annual increase
of $1.7 million to our base of $4,381,000. This would cover MINITEX, ELM,
MnLINK, and the Minnesota Digital Library. To put the funding request in
context, our FY02 annual appropriation was $5,418,000 -- but it was cut back
in the budget recisions that occurred in FY02, FY03, and FY04. This
increase, which would take us back to about the level approved in FY02,
would include basic MINITEX services and support, additional ELM funding,
MnLINK funding, and beginning funding for the Minnesota Digital Library.
Note that the $400,000 MnLINK Gateway funding is a separate line item from
the MINITEX appropriation I describe above. OHE has not made its
recommendations, and those will have to go through the Governor's Office for
review before appearing in the Governor's budget -- probably in January
2007. If you are interested in more detail on what I am proposing, please
send me an email message to that effect. 
 
I will be sending you information prior to the hearing dates, not only to
inform you prior to the forums, but to inform you prior to the 2007
legislative budget session. Also, I'll be sending you some information on
what your library has spent through MINITEX for electronic resources and
products as well as what you have saved through that program.  Additional
information will be provided on on interlibrary loan. 
 
 
 
 
*    MN Office of Higher Education Schedules Forums
 
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), the  funding agency for
MINITEX and MnLINK,  has announced that public meetings to gather ideas,
opinions, and information on financial aid and other higher education issues
will be held in Hibbing, St. Paul, Albert Lea, St. Cloud, and Moorhead in
November.  These meetings will give staff of MINITEX participating
libraries, their users, and supporters the opportunity to hear about OHE's
plans and present testimony and comments related to funding for MINITEX,
MnLINK, the Learning Network of Minnesota, and related programs for the
upcoming biennium.
 

The schedule is:

.        Hibbing, Wednesday, Nov. 8:  4-6 p.m., Hibbing Community College,
1515 East 25th Street
 

.        St. Paul, Thursday, Nov. 16: 4-6 p.m., Hamline University, Law Grad
Building, 1492 Hewitt (near corner of Hewitt and Pascal.)

 
.        Albert Lea, Monday, Nov. 27: 1-3 p.m., Riverland Community College,
2200 Riverland Drive
  
.        St. Cloud, Tuesday, Nov. 28: 10-11:30 a.m. St. Cloud State
University, Atwood Memorial Center, 6th Street, Voyageurs Room North.
(Parking: go to campus public safety building on the corner of 6th Street
and 4th Avenue to pick up a parking permit and directions.)
  
.        Moorhead, Nov. 28: 4-6 p.m. Minnesota State University Moorhead,
Science Laboratory Building, 6th Avenue South, Moorhead. (Parking: lots A-1
or A-2.) 
 

The Office of Higher Education invites comments on a range of topics
including state financial aid programs, state funding for higher education,
student concerns and development of a state's higher education
accountability report. Comments are invited specifically on the following
topics:
 
*
<http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1556&1534-D83A_1933715A=b9a2bbc36
79f501> 2006 State Grant Review: A recently-completed written review of the
Minnesota State Grant program. The State Grant program is a need-based grant
program providing about $124 million in assistance to 73,000 Minnesota
students annually. 

*	Governor
<http://www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/2006/june/PROD007
654.html>  Tim Pawlenty's ACHIEVE scholarship program: A proposal to provide
two years of free tuition to any Minnesota high school graduate attending a
public Minnesota college or university who graduates in the top 25 percent
of their high school class. Students pursue degrees in mathematics,
engineering, science or technology at a Minnesota public university would be
eligible for free tuition for an additional two years. 
*	  
*	Higher
<http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1536&1534-D83A_1933715A=dcb9fed6b
62ab90>  Education Accountability Report: A project currently underway at
the Office of Higher Education to develop a public report on the higher
education sector's progress in meeting five state goals. The framework
includes 32 indicators, and is based on input from education and business
stakeholders. 

Written comments are also welcome. Please direct written comments to the
Office of Higher Education Communications, 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite
350, St. Paul, MN 55108-5227, or faxed to 651-642-0675, or via e-mail to
barb.schlaefer at state.mn.us.

It would be appreciated that any written comments are also copied to Bill
DeJohn at w-dejo at umn.edu. Thanks
 
 

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