The consultant, former state demographer Hazel Reinhardt, had been asked to collect and analyze data relating to future trends for metropolitan area higher education institutions. State universities in Greater Minnesota will depend more heavily on metro area students for enrollment in the 21st Century.
Technical education needs to be more clearly defined for the metro area.
Those two recommendations prompted the most comment at two public hearings in early February. A number of the 81 people who addressed the board at the hearings spoke on behalf of Metropolitan State University and its role in serving communities of color and older, working adults returning to college. It is now up to the board to take the process to its conclusion, he said. The board has asked Chancellor Morris Anderson to propose a metro plan to the board for consideration.