Winona State University

Quick facts Location, Coordinates ... Model School Building and College Hall of the Winona Normal School U.S. National Register of Historic Places College Hall (left) and the Model School Building (right), now Somsen and Phelps Halls Show map of Minnesota Show map of the United States Location 416 Washington Street and 151 W. Sanborn Street, Winona, Minnesota Coordinates 44°2′52″N 91°38′33″W Built 1915 (Model School), 1924 (College Hall) Architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr. Architectural style Jacobethan (Model School), Collegiate Gothic (College Hall) NRHP reference number "}]]}">No. 13000884 [ 6 ] Added to NRHP December 3, 2013 Close Winona State University was founded as the First State Normal School, an institution specifically for educating and producing new elementary school teachers. In the 1850s, Minnesota was on the American frontier and lacked trained teachers. Winona settler John Ford lobbied the Minnesota Legislature to establish normal schools and rallied more than $5,000 in local donations to establish the state's first such institution. [ 7 ] It was also the first tax-funded school west of the Mississippi River . [ 8 ] Classes at Winona Normal School began in September 1860, but the next year most of the male students as well as the principal and other staff left to serve in the American Civil War . The school closed in March 1862 due to the war, then for another two years due to the Sioux War of 1862. [ 9 ] Its first class graduated in 1866. The program soon added a laboratory school in which local children received education from faculty while students observed or, occasionally, led lessons themselves. The normal school quickly outgrew its original four-room building, but state funding and local donations of money and land led to the construction of a proper facility in 1869. [ 7 ] The campus expanded with two new wings on "Old Main" in 1894, a library/gymnasium/kindergarten building—Ogden Hall—in 1909, and a women's dormitory—Morey Hall—in 1910.

In 1915 a new building was constructed to house the laboratory school, and a second women's dormitory—Shepard Hall—appeared in 1920. [ 7 ] Winona State Normal School became Winona Teachers College in 1921 and was authorized to grant a four-year Bachelor of Education degree. [ 8 ] In December 1922 a fire broke out in Old Main and completely destroyed it. No one was harmed, as it was during a term break. Local public buildings and churches offered space for classes and administrative business until a new main building, College Hall, was constructed in 1924. [ 7 ] The 1915 Model School Building, now Phelps Hall, and the 1924 College Hall, now Somsen Hall, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 for having local significance in education. [ 10 ] They were nominated as examples of the normal school movement, which helped shape public education in Minnesota. Winona Normal School was Minnesota's first teacher training school and first laboratory school, and operated from 1860 to 1971. [ 7 ] The student newspaper has been called The Winonan since 1922. [ 11 ] Name changes Architectural sculpture above an entrance to Somsen Hall First State Normal School of Minnesota (1858) Winona Normal School (1873) Winona State Teachers' College (1921) Winona State College (1957) Winona State University (1975) The university library, named for former university president Darrell Krueger

The Winona State University main campus and its surroundings in Winona, Minnesota Quick facts Academic rankings, Master's ... Academic rankings Master's Washington Monthly [ 12 ] 294 Regional U.S. News & World Report [ 13 ] 71 National Forbes [ 14 ] RNP Close Winona State University offers 65 undergraduate programs and 12 graduate programs. It was one of the earliest universities in the country [ when? ] to offer a "Laptop University" program, now known as the e-Warrior Digital Life and Learning Program. In this program, each student, upon acceptance, is required to lease their choice of either an Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows-based laptop from the university. [ 15 ] In 2013 Winona State University became the first public university in the Midwest to offer a tablet and a laptop to all students. [ 16 ] The program's purpose is to increase the bond between education and technology. Each Winona State University student pays 43 cents per credit to fund the Minnesota State University Student Association , a student-led nonprofit that advocates on behalf of all Minnesota state university students. International education The International Services Office is the initial contact for all international students. Winona State University provides scholarship opportunities for International Students. Winona State University has established many sister school relations with colleges and universities around the world, including Tamkang University in Taiwan, Hebei University of Technology in Mainland China, Akita University , Tokyo International University , Toyo University in Japan, Soonchunhyang University , Chung-Ang University in South Korea, and universities in Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Australia, etc.

More information Race and ethnicity, Total ... Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 [ 17 ] Race and ethnicity Total White 82% Hispanic 5% Two or more races 4% Asian 3% Black 3% International student 2% Unknown 1% Economic diversity Low-income [ a ] 25% Affluent [ b ] 75% Close Housing Winona State University hosts on-campus living communities in multiple buildings on its main Winona campus ( https://www.winona.edu/student-life/housing-dining/ ). Three buildings (Lourdes Hall, Tau Center, and Maria Hall) previously formed a West Campus, which was used for on-campus living until 2021. Kirkland Hall and Haake Hall Originally named New Hall East and New Center West, Kirkland Hall/Haake Hall opened in 2010 and consists of two adjacent buildings that are mirror images of each other. [ 18 ] The coed complex has 106 units, each single-gendered.