University of Minnesota Alumni Association

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From the President

An Update on MPact 2025

During 2019 Homecoming,
I joined the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s board of directors to provide an update on our work to develop MPact 2025, the U of M’s comprehensive systemwide strategic plan, as well as to receive input for the plan. 

Certainly, a lot has happened in our community since then, but through shared commitment and support from our University family, including alumni and supporters like you, we finalized the plan as scheduled and have since crossed MPact 2025’s halfway mark with great success and impact for Minnesota and the world.

Over the last year alone, we’ve achieved record-setting graduation rates, research expenditures (over $1 billion for the second time), start-ups, patents, and philanthropy. 

In addition, we’ve kept student debt below the national average; advanced innovative financing to support long-term strategic objectives, including the sale of $500 million in 30-year bonds; and we’re reducing administrative overhead through our PEAK (Positioned for Excellence, Alignment, and Knowledge) initiative. 

We’ve also moved into the top 25 among public research universities and were competitively selected to serve as the host venue for the 2026 Special Olympics USA. 

We’ve strengthened Minnesota’s deep connections to food and agriculture with the launch of FAARM (Future of Advanced Agriculture Research in Minnesota) and NXT GEN AG; reenvisioned healthcare education through NXT GEN MED, which leverages cutting-edge Google technology and a partnership with Mayo Clinic; and advanced the University’s leadership to make Minnesota a leader in the health of all Minnesotans for generations to come with our vision for a transformative MPact Health Care Innovation.

That’s not all.

On top of these are earlier MPact 2025 successes, including an Innovation Corridor, East Gateway, and the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. We established a new naming and renaming buildings policy, earned a Top 20 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) national ranking, and completed the $4 billion Driven campaign—exceeding our goal by 10 percent. 

We furthered our commitment to student mental health with the launch of PRISMH (the President’s Initiative for Student Mental Health), elevated safe campus environments through MSafe, deepened partnership with the 11 sovereign Tribal Nations of Minnesota, and promoted greater access and affordability for students and families with the launch of a Universal Transit Pass and two programs for free or reduced tuition—including Promise Plus for Minnesota families making $50,000 or less—as well as the Native American Promise program.

It’s because of what we have accomplished along the incredible road we have traveled together that I am more confident than ever that our continued work, including to complete MPact 2025, will serve our state and beyond in even more impactful ways, and ensure that our University’s best days lie ahead. 

It is in that spirit that I express my sincere appreciation for everything you do day in and day out to support this momentum and the University of Minnesota.

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