UMR’s New “Campus and Climate Action Plan'' Presented to the University’s Board of Regents

On June 13 Chancellor Carrell presented UMR’s new “Campus and Climate Action Plan'' to the University’s Board of Regents for their review. This new plan is a catalyst for the next, Bolder phase of UMR’s history, as UMR continues to innovate and expand academic programs in concert with the health care workforce needs at Mayo Clinic, across Minnesota and beyond. The plan supports UMR as the campus strives toward its Vision, “to inspire transformation in higher education through innovations that empower graduates to solve the grand health challenges of the 21st century.”

UMR’s plan was crafted over the last academic year, with input from students, faculty, staff and many community partners including the City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center. 

The purpose of the “Campus and Climate Action Plan'' is to provide a framework for future expansion while simultaneously moving UMR toward the University’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Once approved, this 2024 “Campus and Climate Action Plan” will replace the 2014 “Campus Master Plan.”

“I’m so grateful to the Rochester community for your valuable input, as we worked with consultant Sasaki to create a flexible future plan,” shared Chancellor Carrell.

There are nine “big ideas” in UMR’s Campus and Climate Action Plan that will guide decisions over the next ten to thirty years. The near term priorities are specified for the next three years, including:

• Creating functional, healthy and accessible UMR spaces in the Heart of the City, updating and expanding active learning classrooms and other mission-critical facilities.
• Planning with partners for new specialty spaces including a Heart of the Campus central gathering area; an Instructional Development Center to share our educational innovations broadly; an Internship and Career Center; facilities to enhance recreation and student life; and other high-tech, high-touch spaces to support new academic programs for the evolving environment of digital health. 
• Committing to progress toward carbon neutrality in everything we do, including a new approach to “green leases.”   

Longer range expansion includes sustainable development in the Education District, soon-to-be connected by Discovery Walk to UMR’s other facilities in Discovery Square and the Heart of the City.

“As we pursue strategic investment to make UMR’s next-phase expansion a reality, I remain grateful to our partners, who have made this campus possible and together we contemplate the unbound opportunities yet to come,” shared Chancellor Carrell.