Board of Trustees Chair Doron Clark was sworn into the State Senate on Feb. 3, 2025, following his victory in the special election for Minnesota Senate District 60. The special election was held promptly to fill a vacancy left after Senator Kari Dziedzic passed away from cancer in December.
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Andrea Mowery, believes that this involvement in Minnesota politics is a direct reflection of Hamline’s ideals and community.
“I think that this is in a few ways just a natural extension of who Hamline is at its core. We have really involved, caring students at Hamline, we have involved and caring alumni and now we are seeing that transfer to public service,” Mowery said.
Clark’s district represents many students with both the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University falling in District 60. However, Hamline University is not included in his constituency. He may face some issues while representing the University of Minnesota and Augsburg while also playing a prominent role at Hamline, outside of his district. Political Science Professor David Schultz foresees a potential for friction.
“He may have to navigate some conflicts of interest potentially because he is on the board for Hamline University. If he pursues things solely for the benefit of Hamline University, will that put him at odds perhaps with let us say his role with somebody he is representing in his district?” Schultz said.
Clark believes his dual roles work hand in hand. Universities and colleges in Minnesota have similar concerns. Typically an issue or a success for one university is a reflection of a general theme in higher education as a whole.
“We all do well when we all do well as colleges and universities … we are thinking across the entire state. So Hamline does exceptionally well when the University of Minnesota is doing exceptionally well. It’s not a competition piece, it is symbiotic,” Clark said.
This year in the Senate is a bi-annual budget year and the amount of funds designated to infrastructure, education, human services and many other areas will be up for debate. The current national political climate creates added tension for the Minnesota Senate as they create a budget.
“There is going to be pressure across the board to make cuts. Also, keep in mind that the state of Minnesota receives a lot of money from the national government, and with Trump and the Republicans in charge there could be potential cuts coming,” Shultz said.
Clark intends to prioritize education, housing and human services this budget year and believes the state will have a balanced budget despite concerns about cuts. A specific issue in the higher education realm that caught Clark’s attention is the Minnesota College Grant Program and helping students continue to afford college.
“For me, the primary piece where I am focused is the Minnesota College Grant Program. Last year, we underfunded that as a state of Minnesota and a whole lot of folks got surprised about that this summer when the grants they were expecting were getting pushed down,” Clark said.
As Clark enters these discussions as a member of the higher education committee, he will be able to use his knowledge of the inner workings of Hamline. His time as an involved student and alumni has given him a deep understanding of the history of higher education.
“He just really knows Hamline. When I am like, ‘How has that been done in the past, what is the context behind that Doron, what is the history?’ He seems to know it, and I appreciate that. He has a keen balance of honoring tradition, history and learning about where we came from, but also being very open-minded to what today's students need,” Mowery said.
Clark understands the importance of higher education and how college can change someone’s life. He hopes to help others access the opportunities and memories that Hamline provided him.
“Hamline, for me, gives me joy. Hamline is a place that changes lives and that is, you know, it changed my life,” Clark said.
