University of Minnesota student and regent respond to President Gabel's resignation
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel strolls along Scholars Walk to greet the campus community after her inauguration at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on Sept. 20, 2019.
Andy Kosier | MPR News
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is starting to look ahead to who the next president of the University will be, now that Joan Gabel is leaving the top job.
Gabel announced Monday she’s leaving Minnesota to become Chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her son goes to Pitt, which is why she told reporters on Monday that she was hoping to be tapped to lead the school.
Gabel will be making about $950,000 per year in Pennsylvania, plus retention bonuses. That’s a 35 percent raise from her U of M salary. Her tenure at Minnesota wasn’t without controversy. She was under fire last year for serving on the board of Securian, a financial services company that does business with the U of M. She stepped down from the Securian board in January.
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer checked in with the university’s campus administration reporter for the student-led news outlet, the Minnesota Daily, Maya Marchel Hoff. Wurzer was also joined by Mike Kenyanya, a fairly recent graduate of the university. He is the Student Regent on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and graduated four years ago with a degree in business administration and management information systems from UMD.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] CATHY WURZER: The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is starting to look ahead to who the next president of the U will be now that Joan Gabel is leaving the top job. Gabel announced yesterday she's leaving Minnesota to become the chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her son goes to Pitt, which is why she told reporters yesterday that she was hoping to be tapped to lead the school.
JOAN GABEL: We are a Pitt family. We feel a very strong connection here. Make me feel as if the things that I'm good at are the things that will keep the momentum going and even accelerate it. And when you're in the seat, you really look for that kind of alignment.
CATHY WURZER: Gabel will be making about $950,000 per year in Pennsylvania plus retention bonuses. That's a 35% raise from her U of M salary. Her tenure at Minnesota was not without controversy. She was under fire last year for serving on the board of Securian, a financial services company that does business with the U of M. She stepped down from the Securian board in January.
We're going to hear from a member of the Board of Regents in a few minutes. But first, we wanted to check with the student view on this news. As the campus administration reporter for the student-led news outlet The Minnesota Daily, Maya Marchel Hoff spends a lot of her time wading through University politics. She's here to tell us about what she's learning from other students. Maya, welcome back to the program.
MAYA HOFF: Hey. Thanks for having me back.
CATHY WURZER: How did you get the news of President Gabel's resignation yesterday?
MAYA HOFF: I got it in multiple forms, including our Minnesota Daily Slack channel, my editor's texting, and also just other students texting me about it. So pretty much all at once.
CATHY WURZER: Was it surprising to you?
MAYA HOFF: Yes and no. I think that it was surprising for me and other students just because of the abruptness of it. But I've also heard from many others that they're not surprised due to the events that have happened in the last year within her presidency and the administration at the University.
CATHY WURZER: What do you think the biggest incidents were that really stuck out for folks?
MAYA HOFF: From the student perspective, I would say the raise of the minimum wage. I think that in 2021, when the board approved her pay raise and students were still making below the Minneapolis minimum wage, there was a lot of distrust among students because of that. Also, from the whole Securian appointment that happened, I think that also struck a different chord with some students that I've been hearing from as well, as well as faculty and staff.
CATHY WURZER: My social media feed was full of individuals who apparently don't like the president. What reactions are you hearing on campus? Was she well-liked?
MAYA HOFF: That's a pretty loaded question. I think that it's a spectrum. So like I said before, a lot of students were feeling as though they weren't listened to by the administration, especially during times of inflation and rising tuition also correlating with rising administrative pay. So I think that there was a lot of frustration and distrust with that. On the other end, I think that a lot of people saw her presidency did come at a time of a global pandemic, high inflation, and also just an overall trend of enrollment at colleges decreasing. So it's kind of a mixed bag.
CATHY WURZER: What have you been hearing about what students might want in the next president?
MAYA HOFF: I think that students, faculty, and staff have been talking a lot about increased transparency and a better feeling of connection with the administration and the president in particular. I also think that they want more say in decisions. And also, obviously, they want someone that will work to keep tuition steady and not increased.
CATHY WURZER: I understand you were going to talk to President Gabel today, but the interview was rescheduled. What were you hoping to ask her? And what will you ask her when you do talk with her?
MAYA HOFF: So ever since she assumed presidency at the University, we've had "At the Table with Gabel," which has been a great chance for students to hear what she has to say on things. This one in April will be the last one ever. And I was hoping to ask her what she thinks the legacy of her presidency was, what were her biggest accomplishments. I also really want to ask her about the salary increase, of course. You previously noted it is quite significant from her current base pay at the University. So I'm just curious about her thoughts on it and whether or not that was an incentivization.
CATHY WURZER: Have you had a chance, by the way, Maya, to talk to any members of the Board of Regents about their next steps?
MAYA HOFF: I haven't yet. All I've heard from the Board is the statement that was put out by Regent Powell yesterday.
CATHY WURZER: All right. So we have to see what happens with that. Maya Marchel Hoff, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
MAYA HOFF: Thank you so much.
CATHY WURZER: Maya Marchel Hoff is a reporter for The University of Minnesota's campus media outlet The Minnesota Daily. We're going to turn right now to a fairly recent graduate of the U. Mike Kenyanya is the student regent on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. He graduated four years ago with a degree in business administration and management information systems from UMD. Mike's on the line. Thanks for being with us.
MIKE KENYANYA: Thanks for having me, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Just so folks are clear, it's in the Board of Regents rules that one of the at-large members has to be a student at the time of their appointment. So you were a student when you joined the Board. I'm curious about your relationship with President Gabel.
MIKE KENYANYA: I think it's been a great relationship. The tenure was short, but it was certainly impactful while she was here. She and I obviously disagreed on some things. I mean, that's governance right. But I do think the University is better off for having have had her.
CATHY WURZER: How would you grade her leadership?
MIKE KENYANYA: I would grade it pretty well, I mean, especially considering the number of years that she was at the helm and everything that was happening, from pandemic to civil unrest, inflation, and everything like that.
CATHY WURZER: Yesterday, former governor Arne Carlson was with us. And he clearly is not a fan of her leadership. He talked about students not being able to afford food or housing. College, of course, is a huge financial burden for many students. What might have been the role of Regent Gabel in some of that? And how can the Board account for these concerns as you search for a new president?
MIKE KENYANYA: I mean, I think it's a good question. We heard some of those same concerns back in March when we heard the student report during our meeting at the Morris campus. I think, though, that the blame is shared between administration and the Board. I mean, we stepped up and took these positions. And the solutions aren't necessarily easy. But we stepped up and said, we'll do them. So I think we share some of that. I do think leaders get more blame and more credit for really everything that happens in it. But we have to work with students, work with the faculty, the staff, and everyone to co-create these solutions, and also with the legislature and the public at large.
CATHY WURZER: As you heard reporter Maya Marchel Hoff say, some students on campus want a more transparent process. They want to work with the new president. During the last search for a president, critics said there wasn't enough transparency. Do you have a feel how open the vetting process might be this time around?
MIKE KENYANYA: I don't. I mean, we haven't started those conversations. I was a student at the time of the last surge and a member of the campus community and viewed it-- I mean, I know there was student representation on the committee. I do think the University at large, myself included as a student then, was disappointed with not having multiple finalists to look for. So I think that's something that we heard then. And it's probably something you're going to hear now, that hopefully the committee will be charged and admonished to give us as many options as possible.
But obviously, those conversations are going to happen really soon. I anticipate we'll meet as early as next week and start setting a timeline, obviously identifying an interim. But the beauty of institutions is that students are still in class today. They're still in lab. They're still doing research. Donors are still supporting. Extension is still working in every County. So it takes a lot of people to keep the University running. And that's going to continue to happen. But obviously, finding the next leader to advance more strategic initiatives is important as well. And I think we have to get to that as soon as we can.
CATHY WURZER: You touched on that just a little bit with that last part of the answer. What'll you be looking for in a new leader at the U?
MIKE KENYANYA: That's a good question. I mean, someone who can bring people together, understand the state and understand the different needs we have from the metro to greater Minnesota and how we can make sure we're serving all of those students and just an ability to co-create, and you heard from the students, wanting to be more involved.
We have a public that loves their University and wants to be engaged with it. We have an alumni base that supports this. So just understanding of all of that and an ability to-- I think you're never going to please everyone with every decision. But you want to try your best to have people respect and understand how you got to it. And hopefully, they can respect it if they at least understand how you got to it.
CATHY WURZER: So as I said earlier, Mike, you think that the Board of Regents might be meeting soon to start laying out the process for the search.
MIKE KENYANYA: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Mike Kenyanya, thank you so much.
MIKE KENYANYA: I appreciate you having me. Thank you, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: I appreciate you being here. He's the student regent on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents.
JOAN GABEL: We are a Pitt family. We feel a very strong connection here. Make me feel as if the things that I'm good at are the things that will keep the momentum going and even accelerate it. And when you're in the seat, you really look for that kind of alignment.
CATHY WURZER: Gabel will be making about $950,000 per year in Pennsylvania plus retention bonuses. That's a 35% raise from her U of M salary. Her tenure at Minnesota was not without controversy. She was under fire last year for serving on the board of Securian, a financial services company that does business with the U of M. She stepped down from the Securian board in January.
We're going to hear from a member of the Board of Regents in a few minutes. But first, we wanted to check with the student view on this news. As the campus administration reporter for the student-led news outlet The Minnesota Daily, Maya Marchel Hoff spends a lot of her time wading through University politics. She's here to tell us about what she's learning from other students. Maya, welcome back to the program.
MAYA HOFF: Hey. Thanks for having me back.
CATHY WURZER: How did you get the news of President Gabel's resignation yesterday?
MAYA HOFF: I got it in multiple forms, including our Minnesota Daily Slack channel, my editor's texting, and also just other students texting me about it. So pretty much all at once.
CATHY WURZER: Was it surprising to you?
MAYA HOFF: Yes and no. I think that it was surprising for me and other students just because of the abruptness of it. But I've also heard from many others that they're not surprised due to the events that have happened in the last year within her presidency and the administration at the University.
CATHY WURZER: What do you think the biggest incidents were that really stuck out for folks?
MAYA HOFF: From the student perspective, I would say the raise of the minimum wage. I think that in 2021, when the board approved her pay raise and students were still making below the Minneapolis minimum wage, there was a lot of distrust among students because of that. Also, from the whole Securian appointment that happened, I think that also struck a different chord with some students that I've been hearing from as well, as well as faculty and staff.
CATHY WURZER: My social media feed was full of individuals who apparently don't like the president. What reactions are you hearing on campus? Was she well-liked?
MAYA HOFF: That's a pretty loaded question. I think that it's a spectrum. So like I said before, a lot of students were feeling as though they weren't listened to by the administration, especially during times of inflation and rising tuition also correlating with rising administrative pay. So I think that there was a lot of frustration and distrust with that. On the other end, I think that a lot of people saw her presidency did come at a time of a global pandemic, high inflation, and also just an overall trend of enrollment at colleges decreasing. So it's kind of a mixed bag.
CATHY WURZER: What have you been hearing about what students might want in the next president?
MAYA HOFF: I think that students, faculty, and staff have been talking a lot about increased transparency and a better feeling of connection with the administration and the president in particular. I also think that they want more say in decisions. And also, obviously, they want someone that will work to keep tuition steady and not increased.
CATHY WURZER: I understand you were going to talk to President Gabel today, but the interview was rescheduled. What were you hoping to ask her? And what will you ask her when you do talk with her?
MAYA HOFF: So ever since she assumed presidency at the University, we've had "At the Table with Gabel," which has been a great chance for students to hear what she has to say on things. This one in April will be the last one ever. And I was hoping to ask her what she thinks the legacy of her presidency was, what were her biggest accomplishments. I also really want to ask her about the salary increase, of course. You previously noted it is quite significant from her current base pay at the University. So I'm just curious about her thoughts on it and whether or not that was an incentivization.
CATHY WURZER: Have you had a chance, by the way, Maya, to talk to any members of the Board of Regents about their next steps?
MAYA HOFF: I haven't yet. All I've heard from the Board is the statement that was put out by Regent Powell yesterday.
CATHY WURZER: All right. So we have to see what happens with that. Maya Marchel Hoff, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
MAYA HOFF: Thank you so much.
CATHY WURZER: Maya Marchel Hoff is a reporter for The University of Minnesota's campus media outlet The Minnesota Daily. We're going to turn right now to a fairly recent graduate of the U. Mike Kenyanya is the student regent on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. He graduated four years ago with a degree in business administration and management information systems from UMD. Mike's on the line. Thanks for being with us.
MIKE KENYANYA: Thanks for having me, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Just so folks are clear, it's in the Board of Regents rules that one of the at-large members has to be a student at the time of their appointment. So you were a student when you joined the Board. I'm curious about your relationship with President Gabel.
MIKE KENYANYA: I think it's been a great relationship. The tenure was short, but it was certainly impactful while she was here. She and I obviously disagreed on some things. I mean, that's governance right. But I do think the University is better off for having have had her.
CATHY WURZER: How would you grade her leadership?
MIKE KENYANYA: I would grade it pretty well, I mean, especially considering the number of years that she was at the helm and everything that was happening, from pandemic to civil unrest, inflation, and everything like that.
CATHY WURZER: Yesterday, former governor Arne Carlson was with us. And he clearly is not a fan of her leadership. He talked about students not being able to afford food or housing. College, of course, is a huge financial burden for many students. What might have been the role of Regent Gabel in some of that? And how can the Board account for these concerns as you search for a new president?
MIKE KENYANYA: I mean, I think it's a good question. We heard some of those same concerns back in March when we heard the student report during our meeting at the Morris campus. I think, though, that the blame is shared between administration and the Board. I mean, we stepped up and took these positions. And the solutions aren't necessarily easy. But we stepped up and said, we'll do them. So I think we share some of that. I do think leaders get more blame and more credit for really everything that happens in it. But we have to work with students, work with the faculty, the staff, and everyone to co-create these solutions, and also with the legislature and the public at large.
CATHY WURZER: As you heard reporter Maya Marchel Hoff say, some students on campus want a more transparent process. They want to work with the new president. During the last search for a president, critics said there wasn't enough transparency. Do you have a feel how open the vetting process might be this time around?
MIKE KENYANYA: I don't. I mean, we haven't started those conversations. I was a student at the time of the last surge and a member of the campus community and viewed it-- I mean, I know there was student representation on the committee. I do think the University at large, myself included as a student then, was disappointed with not having multiple finalists to look for. So I think that's something that we heard then. And it's probably something you're going to hear now, that hopefully the committee will be charged and admonished to give us as many options as possible.
But obviously, those conversations are going to happen really soon. I anticipate we'll meet as early as next week and start setting a timeline, obviously identifying an interim. But the beauty of institutions is that students are still in class today. They're still in lab. They're still doing research. Donors are still supporting. Extension is still working in every County. So it takes a lot of people to keep the University running. And that's going to continue to happen. But obviously, finding the next leader to advance more strategic initiatives is important as well. And I think we have to get to that as soon as we can.
CATHY WURZER: You touched on that just a little bit with that last part of the answer. What'll you be looking for in a new leader at the U?
MIKE KENYANYA: That's a good question. I mean, someone who can bring people together, understand the state and understand the different needs we have from the metro to greater Minnesota and how we can make sure we're serving all of those students and just an ability to co-create, and you heard from the students, wanting to be more involved.
We have a public that loves their University and wants to be engaged with it. We have an alumni base that supports this. So just understanding of all of that and an ability to-- I think you're never going to please everyone with every decision. But you want to try your best to have people respect and understand how you got to it. And hopefully, they can respect it if they at least understand how you got to it.
CATHY WURZER: So as I said earlier, Mike, you think that the Board of Regents might be meeting soon to start laying out the process for the search.
MIKE KENYANYA: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Mike Kenyanya, thank you so much.
MIKE KENYANYA: I appreciate you having me. Thank you, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: I appreciate you being here. He's the student regent on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents.
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