Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer

Higher Education Committee
Thursday, March 12, 2026
3:00 PM, G-15 Capitol

Minutes



Present: Senator Omar Fateh - Chair, Senator Aric Putnam - Vice Chair, Senator Zach Duckworth - Ranking Minority Member, Senator Doron Clark, Senator Robert D. Farnsworth, Senator Robert J. Kupec, Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten, Senator Paul J. Utke

Absent: Senator Keri Heintzeman

Senator Omar Fateh called the meeting to order at 3:08pm

Call to Order


S.F. 1474: Senator Gustafson: Public high schools requirement to participate in the direct admissions program.

Senator Oumou Verbeten moved the A4 amendment, MOTION ADOPTED The following individuals testified on S.F.1474: -Matt Shaver, Senior Policy Director, EdAllies -William Luther, Director of State Affairs, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Undergraduate Student Government -Josiah Schaffhausen, Senior at Eagan High School

Senator Duckworth moved that S.F. 1474, as amended, recommended to pass and re-referred to the Finance Committee. - MOTION ADOPTED.

S.F. 3707: Senator Mann: University of Minnesota Medical School request to prohibit curriculum control by for-profit entities.

-Dr. Sara Hartfeldt -Dr. Allison Leopold -Carson Knoer, 2nd year medical student

Senator Fateh moved that S.F. 3707, be laid over. - MOTION ADOPTED.

Informational Hearing on the Impact of Operation Metro Surge on Minnesota's Colleges and Universities

The following individuals testified on Informational Hearing on the Impact of Operation Metro Surge on Minnesota's Colleges and Universities: - Paul Pribbenow, President, Augsburg University -Mark Grant, MCSF -Suleiman Adan, Deputy Executive Director, CAIR-MN -Nagwa Haddad, Grad Student, Metro State University Foundation

S.F. 3570: Senator Clark: Postsecondary campus access by federal immigration officers limitation provision and educational data access provisions modifications.

Senator Clark moved the A3 amendment, MOTION ADOPTED The following individuals testified on S.F.3570: -John Boehler, Policy Counsel, ACLU -Jenna Chernega, President, Inter Faculty Organization -Andrea Kimlinger, Student, Hennepin Technical College -William Luther, Director of State Affairs, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Undergraduate Student Government -Julia Covert, Student, University of Minnesota – Duluth

Senator Clark moved that S.F. 3570, as amended, recommended to pass and re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. - MOTION ADOPTED.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:40pm


 
                                                                      
Senator Omar Fateh, Chair
                                                                      
Chris Meyer, Committee Administrator