The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents has named its outgoing provost as the school's interim president. Bob Bruininks will replace current president Mark Yudof, who's leaving the school to become chancellor at the University of Texas system. Bruininks says he will continue to lead the school in its search for some top level positions and its efforts to secure more funding from the state.

	"It is my good luck to serve in this role immediately after the presidency of Mark Yudof," Robert Bruininks said. U of M Board of Regents Chair Maureen Reed said Bruininks "is the obvious choice to see the university through an orderly and successful transition while continuing to advance the vision and priorities that have been set out." Listen to their news conference. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents unanimously endorsed Bruininks. They described him as eminently qualified, compassionate and honest. Bruininks was scheduled to retire his position as the U of M's provost this year, take a year's sabbatical and then return to teaching. But he said Mark Yudof's decision to leave for Texas has given him an opportunity that he couldn't refuse. He said he'll continue to work on initiatives that he and Yudof championed.

"This is an interim period but this is not a period to stand still at the University of Minnesota. This is a great institution. It has a fundamentally strong foundation to build on and I expect to be an activist interim. I think the university community deserves no less," Bruininks said.

Bruininks has served as Yudof's right-hand man since 1997 when he was named provost. He'll receive a salary of $295,000 in his new position.

As provost, Bruininks has overseen the school's academic administration, worked on individual college budgets and was responsible in selecting a large number of the current deans at the school. He's served in different capacities at the U of M for 35 years.

Yudof, who participated in the regents meeting by phone, said Bruininks is a superb choice. "Bob Bruininks and I really operated very much as a team and I can't think of any major decision that we did not talk through and agree on. I can't think of any appointment of a dean or even another vice president that we did not talk through together and agree upon," Yudof said.

Bruininks says he doesn't want to be considered a candidate to take over as president on a permanent basis. Regent Bob Bergland says he doesn't think there will be any 'hiccups' as the school's top job is transferred from Yudof to Bruininks.

"Bob Bruininks will be a real steady hand, staying the course and continuing on the track that has been launched by President Yudof. This will be a seamless transition with no interruptions and I want to thank Bob Bruininks for accepting this brutal job," Bergland said.

Bergland and other regents say Bruininks will be expected to continue the school's search for a new provost, the vice president for University Services, athletic director and deans of the Humphrey Institute, Medical School and College of Natural Resources. They say they expect him to fill the positions before a new president is hired.

Regents Chair Maureen Reed says she hopes to hire a search firm in a few weeks to help with the U of M's efforts to hire a new president. She says the school will not limit itself to candidates who have an academic background and says she wants someone who is a manager, has strong values and a clear vision for the university.

"I would love to have the search completed towards the end of the year. It is possible the individual might not be with us until next summer at the completion of the next academic year. That would be the optimistic viewpoint that the board may be looking at. We don't want to sacrifice quality for brevity," Reed said.

If the search takes a year, Bruininks will be the U of M's leading voice at the state Legislature as lawmakers consider the next two-year budget. The state is facing a projected budget shortfall and it may be difficult for the school to receive what it considers appropriate funding.

Sen. Deanna Wiener, DFL-Eagan, chair of the Senate's Higher Education Finance Committee, says she's pleased with the regents' pick. Wiener says lawmakers know Bruininks well and says they'll be receptive to his requests.

"He has established the relationships at the Legislature. He is not a stranger there, he's got those connections and this makes me feel good that he's going to be the interim president because we won't have that stranger. We'll have someone that's familiar with the vision for the university and hopefully he can make this real seamless," she said.

Bruininks is expected to take a vacation before he starts his new position. He is expected to begin no later than August 1.

Yudof accepts Texas position (5/31/02)