The P&A Senate Advocates for All P&A Staff Iin MinnPost Open Letter 

Shortly after the start of the 2019 Fall semester, an opinion piece published in the Community Voices section of MinnPost recommended cutting P&A positions as a University cost-saving measure. In response, members of the P&A Senate collaboratively drafted an open letter, which was submitted to MinnPost by Noelle Noonan, chair of the P&A Senate and P&A Consultative Committee and published online. As an example of the P&A Senate’s continued advocacy for P&A employees, we invite you to read the letter in full and some highlights below.

On April 1, 2019, the Social Concerns Committee and Equity, Access, and Diversity Committee approved a statement regarding the report of the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History and its reception at the Board of Regents meeting. Read the full statement.

On March 15, 2019, the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC) sent a letter to the Board of Regents requesting a special session devoted to the debate and discussion of the report of the Task Force on Building Names and Institutional History. This letter comes in the wake of the March 8, 2019 Board of Regents meeting, at which President Kaler presented his recommendation to rename Coffman Memorial Union, Coffeey Hall, Middlebrook Hall, and Nicholson Hall. Read the full letter.

This winter has given all of us cocktail party conversation fodder for the rest of our lives! It has also given us an opportunity to showcase how the P&A Senate advocates for you.  

The P&A Senate represents roughly 6,500 Academic Professionals and Administrators (P&A) at the University of Minnesota - about 30% of all University employees. We are key partners in University governance, and desire active and ongoing engagement in the search for the next leader of our institution.

As the representatives of the University of Minnesota’s largest employee group, we feel strongly that the next president must exhibit certain core values, competencies, and characteristics.

Read the full statement.