An exuberant and welcoming energy filled the room as students and staff sang along to Bruno Mars’ song “Billionaire”, marking the beginning of the third general assembly of the Hamline Undergraduate Student Council (HUSC). The meeting began with a land acknowledgment by Internal President senior Oliver Engstrom, followed by an executive board roll call, led by secretary and sophomore Anna Beaudry.
Representative reports followed roll call. Food and Basic Needs Representative sophomore Kaitlynn Fuller announced to attendees that Food Resource Center (FRC) coordinator Sadie Berlin will be stepping down to focus on graduate school, which may lead to changes on the administrative side, such as ordering and shipping. Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and Student Organization Committee (SOC) chair and senior Alexandra Kretsch reminded attendees to vote in the upcoming fall HUSC elections. Public Relations Committee chair and junior Mohamed Abdirahman announced a collaboration event with Hamline Cheer, which includes a spirited game of kickball. Engstrom announced that he had met with Project Coordinator Dan Eisenrich and Director of Facilities Operations & Construction Management Rob Johnston to discuss updating the furniture in the commuter lounge, located in Sorin Hall, as a way to make the space feel more “homey.”
Once all representatives finished their reports, Hamline alumni and Presidential Search Committee Chair Cindy Gregorson took the floor. She invited students attending the meeting to offer feedback regarding qualities the new president should have, as well as where they see the university going in five to 10 years.
Current president Kathleen Murrary is the interim, meaning that her contract is much shorter than that of a typical president. Her term began in Jan. of 2024 and will end in May 2025. The Presidential Search Committee has invited a search team composed of students, staff, faculty and Board of Trustee members to assist them with reading applications. Gregorson predicts at least 60 candidates will apply for the position, which they will narrow down to 16 following their first round of interviews. The committee will then narrow down those candidates even further to eight. These candidates will be invited to Hamline for a semi-finalist round of interviews. Around Thanksgiving, Gregorson hopes to select four candidates for a final interview. By Dec. 2025, the search team will recommend at least two candidates to the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The board will read their bios and references and choose their final candidate for the position. The new president will be announced in early Jan.
Gregorson then turned to the General Assembly attendees for their input on qualities they would like to see in the future president and where they see the university heading in the future.
Attendees had an abundance of responses about what they wanted to see in the new president. The responses reached far and wide, including someone who has experience in education, as well as conflict resolution skills. Students expressed that not only do they want to see a president who will listen to students and see their goals, but a president who is aware of the multicultural environment they are in and has experience with a diverse student body. Students also urged Gregorson to look for a candidate who prioritizes transparency and stakeholder involvement in the creation of new policies and practices.
In the next five to ten years, current students hope to see that Hamline has improved for future students and that students feel comfortable and driven enough to get involved and make a difference. Current students also hope that within the next decade, they will hear more good things about Hamline rather than controversy.
Additionally, students urged Gregorson to search for a candidate who is open to adding new degree programs, such as nursing, majors within science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), women’s studies, theater studies, computer science, language and more diverse history studies – which currently only cover western and colonial history.
Gregorson thanked the general assembly for their time and with the swing of a gavel, the HUSC general assembly was adjourned.