History:
This board was preceded by the Higher Education Board Candidate Advisory Council, which was established in 1991. That group assisted the governor in determining criteria for, and identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for, membership on the higher education board.
From at least 1999 until 2004 the Council was referred to as the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Candidate Advisory Council.
The legislative coordinating commission provides administrative and support services for the advisory council.