The University of Minnesota Board of Regents was set to finalize a new reciprocity agreement with the University of Wisconsin System Friday, but the meeting was abruptly canceled due to protesters.

The finalization was set to end a debate stemming back to last summer that could have potentially ended the 34-year pact between the neighboring states.

"The reciprocity agreement did not get its final approval today by the Board of Regents," U of M spokesperson Dan Wolter said Friday. "We are in the middle of a strike with [the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] and there was a demonstration that caused the regents to adjourn their meeting early."

AFSCME, a group representing 3,500 health care, technical and clerical employees at the U of M, went on strike Tuesday due to the failure of the U of M to match their salaries with inflation.

According to U of M Student Regent Dan Engelman, approximately 100 protesters — mostly students — walked into the regents meeting around 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Engelman said U of M President Robert Bruininks had just delivered a report when U of M Regent Chair Patricia Simmons asked if any regents had questions for Bruininks.

At that point, Engelman said, a protester yelled, "We want to know when there’s going to be a fair contract for the workers at this university."

The regents decided to recess, and as many of them attempted to leave to room, five protesters blocked the exit and were eventually arrested by the U of M Police Department, Engelman said.

The regents ultimately decided to cancel the remainder of the meeting.

Although the reciprocity deal was not completely finalized, Wolter said the agreement is much closer to being resolved.

"The agreement received unanimous approval from the committee that it passed through [Thursday]," Wolter said. "It's definitely a step closer to being finalized on the University of Minnesota end, but it still has one more step to go through."

The agreement will most likely be finalized at the next meeting, if not before, Wolter said.

The delay will not alter the current reciprocity decision in any way, as the new agreement will not become effective until fall 2008.

Connie Hutchison, executive director of the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, was also not worried about the delay, calling the approval by the U of M Board of Regents a "formal step."

"The University of Minnesota has been involved in the process from the very beginning, and I'm confident that it will be approved," Hutchison said, adding that she anticipates the agreement will be approved the next time the regents get together.

The U of M Board of Regents issued a statement regarding the incident, saying "the University of Minnesota will neither tolerate nor condone the actions of individuals who intentionally disrupt our educational or governance processes."

"As citizens, these individuals were provided with the same opportunity to attend and observe the meeting of the Board of Regents as would be afforded anyone," the statement said. "Unfortunately, once afforded this opportunity, these individuals engaged in activities that transcend freedom of expression and were illegal."

The statement also said the U of M Board of Regents believed the actions of those involved in the specific protest were not reflective of AFSCME as a whole.