The Daily Digest, TGIF edition

The Daily Digest is here to give you a glimpse at University-related news from around the metro and state. The segment will provide a window into how other media outlets cover campus, as well as nuggets of news that might not make the day's paper. Enjoy!

*It's budget day! This morning, the Regents unanimously approved President Bruininks' budget, which calls for an increase of $141.2 million over the next two years. The Star Tribune notes that the request may be a tough sell to the Legislature, but the president remains confident. The Daily today reports that a majority of the request is directed toward retaining faculty and staff.

*Also from the Regents today, the University of Minnesota-Rochester had its first undergraduate degree program approved. Previously, the campus was for upper division and graduate students. "I would call it a hallmark moment of becoming a coordinate campus," UMR Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle told the Rochester Post-Bulletin. UMR hopes to have full enrollment by 2009.

*Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will be coming to Minnesota Monday to help Ashwin Madia, the Democratic candidate in the extremely close 3rd District race, WCCO reports. Madia, a former University student, and his competitors, Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon, all visited campus this past week.

*Speaking of politics, Norm Coleman, Al Franken and Dean Barkley held their third debate last night at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Recent polls show Franken with a slight lead in the race for U.S. Senate.

Mike Rose
City editor