July 11, 2003

 

Senator Max Baucus
Room 511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

 

Senator Conrad Burns
Room 183 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Representative Dennis Rehberg
Room 516 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Max, Conrad & Denny,

On behalf of the Board of Regents, thank you for your service to our country, our state and to the Montana University System. Your many efforts to assist higher education are greatly appreciated.

I am writing today at the request of the Board of Regents asking you to participate with us in an expanded and more direct working relationship. The Board wants to take an active role assisting and working with other Montana leaders in setting a positive and coordinated agenda for Montana's future. In that regard, the Board would like to meet with the delegation, face to face, twice each year. These meetings would have specific agreed upon agendas. In addition, the Board would like the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to have a monthly conference call with designated members of each of your staff to keep our partnership on track.

This is not just about working on higher education issues or requests for funding. The Board is sincerely interested in also understanding the many difficult challenges you each face in your jobs and to offer our assistance, as well as that of the Montana University System. We want to increase our efforts and join yours in improving the Montana economy.

It is our understanding that the delegation meets together every 4 to 6 weeks. We ask that you place our request on your agenda and let us know what you think.

Thank you.

 

Ed Jasmin, Chairman