Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the reappointment of Dr. Robert J. Jones to the Midwestern Higher Education Commission.

Jones, of Wayzata, is senior vice president for System Academic Administration with the University of Minnesota (U of M), a position he has held since 2004. His responsibilities include oversight of the University’s four coordinate campuses, system-wide academic and administration policy, planning, institutional research, analysis and assessment, biennial budgeting and legislative matters, academic capital planning, and public engagement and outreach initiatives. He has held a number of administrative positions at the University since 1986, and has been a member of the U of M’s faculty since 1978. Jones serves on numerous University and departmental committees. Jones, who has been a member of the Midwestern Higher Education Commission since 2005, is reappointed to another four-year term that expires on January 7, 2013.

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) is an interstate compact of 12 Midwest states devoted to advancing education through cooperation. MHEC is one of four compacts nationally that provides greater higher education opportunities and services in their regions. The commission is made up of five members from each state, including three gubernatorial appointees, one State Senator, and one State Representative. The MHEC member states are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.