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U Of M Task Force Opposes Merger Of 2 Colleges

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A task force has unanimously recommended against a merger of the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences with its College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences.

Provost Karen Hanson said in a statement Wednesday she accepts the task force's recommendation against a merger. But she'll move forward with the 19-member committee's proposals for closer collaboration between the two colleges, which are both based on the university's St. Paul campus.

The possibility of a new college combining agriculture, life sciences and the environment had been under discussion for some time. Hanson appointed the task force last fall after the deans of both schools decided to step down.

The task force report says it received "overwhelmingly negative feedback" and concluded a merger of the two colleges would undermine their missions.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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