University of Minnesota-Crookston

In 1895, the Minnesota legislature appropriated $30,000 to construct experimental research farms at Morris and Crookston . The Great Northern Railway , under the guidance of James J. Hill , donated 476 acres (193 ha) , and the Northwest Experiment Station was established. In 1905, the Minnesota legislature appropriated $15,000 to establish the "Northwest School of Agriculture" (NWSA), a regional residential agricultural high school. Affiliated with the University of Minnesota, the school provided training in "the technical and practical business of agriculture and in the art of homemaking." The school year began in October and ended in March to accommodate farm students. In 1906, the Northwest School of Agriculture officially opened. In 1963, the University of Minnesota Bureau of Field Studies began examining the need for a two-year institution of higher education at the NWSA and, in the fall of 1966, the "University of Minnesota Technical Institute", a two-year (associate) degree granting institution, opened its doors to the first incoming class of 187 students. For two years the NWSA and the Technical Institute shared the campus. In the spring of 1968 a torch was passed—figuratively and literally—from the 60th and final graduating class of the NWSA to the first graduating class of the Technical Institute, now an official coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota. In all, 5,433 students completed their high school education at the NWSA. Later in 1968 the name of the campus was changed from the University of Minnesota Technical Institute to the "University of Minnesota Technical College". By 1977, the University of Minnesota Technical College had nearly 1,000 students taking classes in a range of degree options in the areas of agriculture; business; home and family services; and hotel, restaurant and institutional management. In 1988, the name was changed to the University of Minnesota Crookston.

In 1993, the University of Minnesota Crookston became a baccalaureate degree granting institution. That same year, the university launched its "Laptop U" initiative, providing laptop computers to all students and faculty. It is recognized as one of the first programs of its kind in the United States. Over the next few years, more than 100 colleges and universities from across the U.S. and Canada visited the campus to learn more about this innovation. Some of these adopted programs modeled closely after the one at UMN Crookston. Chief Executive Officers 1966-1985 - Stanley D. Sahlstrom, founding provost 1985-2003 - Donald G. Sargeant, chancellor 2003-2004 - Velmer Burton, Jr., chancellor 2004-2005 - Joseph Massey, chief executive officer 2005-2012 - Charles H. Casey, chancellor 2012–2016 - Fred E. Wood, chancellor 2017 (January through June) - Barbara Keinath, interim chancellor 2017–present - Mary Holz-Clause, chancellor

More information Race and ethnicity, Total ... Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 [ 3 ] Race and ethnicity Total White 71% Black 7% Hispanic 7% International student 5% Asian 4% Two or more races 4% Unknown 3% American Indian / Alaska Native 1% Economic diversity Low-income [ a ] 31% Affluent [ b ] 69% Close Quick facts Academic rankings, Liberal arts ... Academic rankings Liberal arts Washington Monthly [ 4 ] 94 Regional U.S. News & World Report [ 5 ] 115 National Forbes [ 6 ] RNP Close As of November 2023, the University of Minnesota Crookston offers 75+ majors, minors, and certificates, and four program options: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Business; Humanities, Social Sciences and Education; and Math, Science and Technology. Since 2004, the university has gained approval from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to offer additional majors in additional subjects. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission . [ 7 ] As of spring semester 2019, sixteen degree programs are offered entirely online (as well as on campus.) In January 2011, the New Century Learning Consortium (NCLC), founded at the University of Illinois at Springfield , added the University of Minnesota Crookston as its 10th member. [ 8 ] The NCLC is designed to assist universities in implementing high quality, large-scale online and blended learning programs.

Aerial view of the UMC campus in 2023 The 108-acre (44 ha) campus is located on the northern edge of the city of Crookston. Including the research plots for the Northwest Research and Outreach Center gives a 237 acre total. The campus itself includes fine specimens of numerous tree species, as well as flower gardens bordering a spacious mall. Less than a mile away lies a natural history area that contains a rare fragment of virgin prairie land with native grasses. Facilities built or renovated within the last 20 years include a student wellness center (2016), three new residence halls (2006, 2009, 2013), an immersive computer visualization and informatics lab (2010), various biology and chemistry labs (2010 and 2012), the centrally located Sargeant Student Center (2005), renovated Kiehle Building (2002), an indoor animal science facility with an equine arena and stables (1993 with addition in 1998), a recreational and athletic complex, a horticulture complex (1997), an early childhood education center (1999), and a controlled environmental laboratory facility (1998). In July 2016 construction was completed on a $15 million wellness center adjacent to the current UMN Crookston Sports Center. Intended to offer students opportunities to engage in many activities involved with wellness, this new facility features a two-court gymnasium, a suspended walking and running track, a multipurpose room with fitness-on-demand equipment, a classroom, and areas with both cardio and strength training machines. In addition to facilities dedicated to its undergraduate educational mission, the Crookston campus is home to a variety of partner organizations and agencies, most of which are affiliated with the University of Minnesota system: The Northwest Research and Outreach Center acquires, interprets and disseminates research knowledge for agricultural and other constituencies.