University of Minnesota-Morris chancellor will step down at end of year

The chancellor for the troubled University of Minnesota-Morris will step down from her role by the end of December The news comes from a letter by President Rebecca Cunningham of the University of Minnesota According to the office of the president Chancellor Janet Schrunk Ericksen will be stepping down from her role by Dec In her letter Cunningham wrote Chancellor Ericksen has laid a strong foundation that will allow us to build on the successes she fostered and lead the University of Minnesota Morris to its next chapter The Morris campus with its focus on liberal arts coaching has been beset by declining enrollment and related financial and sustainability challenges plenty of of them related to its location in rural western Minnesota Michael Rodriguez dean of the College of Teaching and Human Improvement at the University of Minnesota s Twin Cities campus has been selected to be the new chancellor beginning on Jan pending approval from the Board of Regents according to Cunningham Rodriguez is a University of Minnesota-Morris alumnus Rodriguez s biography with the University of Minnesota describes him as a fifth-generation Minnesotan and a first-generation college graduate He earned his bachelor s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota-Morris before going on to earn his master s degree in population affairs at the Twin Cities campus He also earned a doctorate in measurement and quantitative methods from Michigan State University Rodriguez became a university faculty member in and was previously named the Campbell Leadership Chair in Learning and Human Maturation in He is also a member of the UMN Academy of Distinguished Teachers and chairs the Technical Advisory Group of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Related Articles Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer helps to make the U s music coaching rock UMN regents vote - to transfer Eastcliff to the university foundation U of M considers selling historic Eastcliff mansion to its foundation Essentia exits talks with UMN Fairview on All-Minnesota medical response Charlie Kirk event at U to go ahead with conservative Michael Knowles