Many people greet the season with a renewed sense of optimism.
However, in light of Governor Ventura's biennial budget proposal for Minnesota, our optimism is being tempered by the threat this proposal creates for higher education. In our core values, we identify that we are committed to the social contract by being good stewards, accountable to the public good. The people invest in the support of their colleges and universities through their tax dollars, and the institutions, in turn, provide high quality education, applied research and service to the state. I truly believe we are upholding our part of this contract in light of the University's successes and our careful stewardship. First-year applications for Fall 2001 enrollment have arrived faster than ever before.