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Motto | 'Commune vinculum omnibus artibus' (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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A common bond for all the arts |
Type | Public Flagship University Land-Grant Sea-Grant Space-Grant |
Established | 1851[1] |
Endowment | $3.297 billion (2015)[2] |
President | Eric W. Kaler |
Provost | Karen Hanson |
Academic staff
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3,374[3] |
Students | 50,678[4] |
Undergraduates | 30,511 |
Postgraduates | 16,294 |
Other students
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3,873 |
Location | Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. 44°58′29″N 93°14′07″W / 44.974747°N 93.235353°WCoordinates: 44°58′29″N 93°14′07″W / 44.974747°N 93.235353°W |
Campus | Urban 2,730 acres (1,100 ha) |
Colors | Maroon & Gold |
Athletics | NCAA Division I Big Ten, WCHA |
Sports | 24 Varsity Teams |
Nickname | Golden Gophers |
Mascot | Goldy Gopher |
Affiliations | |
Website | www |
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The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Minnesota; locally known as the U of M or simply the U) is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses are approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) apart, and the Saint Paul campus is actually in neighboring Falcon Heights.[5] It is the oldest and largest campus within the University of Minnesota system and has the sixth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 51,147 students in 2013–14. The university is organized into 19 colleges and schools, and it has sister campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester.
Minnesota's athletic teams at the Twin Cities campus are known as the Minnesota Golden Gophers and compete in the NCAA's Division I as members of the Big Ten Conference.
Contents
Campuses
Minneapolis campus
The original Minneapolis campus overlooked the Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River, but it was later moved about a mile (1.6 km) downstream to its current location. The original site is now marked by a small park known as Chute Square at the intersection of University and Central Avenues. The school shut down following a financial crisis during the American Civil War, but reopened in 1867 with considerable financial help from John S. Pillsbury. It was upgraded from a preparatory school to a college in 1869. Today, the University's Minneapolis campus is divided by the Mississippi River into an East and West Bank.
The campus now has buildings on both river banks. The "East Bank", the main portion of the campus, covers 307 acres (124 ha). The West Bank is home to the University of Minnesota Law School, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the Carlson School of Management, various social science buildings, and the performing arts center. The St. Paul campus is home to the College of Biological Sciences (CBS), the College of Design (CDes), the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), and the veterinary program.
East Bank
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20160311062730im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Walter_Library-20060904.jpg/220px-Walter_Library-20060904.jpg)
To help ease navigation of the large campus, the University has divided the East Bank into several areas: the Knoll area, the Mall area, the Health area, the Athletic area, and the Gateway area.
The Knoll area, the oldest part of the University's current location, is located in the northwestern part of the campus.[6] Most disciplines in this area relate to the humanities. Burton Hall is home to the College of Education and Human Development. Many buildings in this area are well over 100 years old; a 13-building group comprises the Old Campus Historic District that is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[7] A residence hall, Sanford Hall, and a student-apartment complex, Roy Wilkins Hall, are located in this area. The Institute for Advanced Study[8] is located in the Nolte Center. This area is located just south of the Dinkytown neighborhood and business area.
Northrop Mall, or the Mall area, is arguably the center of the Minneapolis campus. It was based on a design by Cass Gilbert, although his plans were too extravagant to be fully implemented.[9] Several of the campus's primary buildings surround the Mall area. The Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium provides a northern anchor, with Coffman Memorial Union (CMU) to the south. Four of the larger buildings to the sides of it are the primary mathematics, physics, and chemistry buildings, (Vincent Hall, Tate Laboratory and Smith Hall, respectively) and Walter Library. The Mall area is home to both the College of Liberal Arts, which is Minnesota's largest public or private college, and the College of Science and Engineering. Behind CMU is another residence hall, Comstock Hall, and another student-apartment complex, Yudof Hall.
The Health area is to the southeast of the Mall area and focuses on undergraduate buildings for biological-science students, as well as homes to the College of Pharmacy, the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, the Medical School, the School of Public Health, and Fairview Hospitals and Clinics. This complex of buildings forms what is known as the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Part of the College of Biological Sciences is housed in this area.
Across the street from Fairview Hospital is an area known as the "Superblock". The Superblock is a four-city-block space housing four residence halls (Pioneer, Frontier, Centennial and Territorial Halls). The Superblock is one of the most popular locations for on-campus housing because it has the largest concentration of students living on campus and has a multitude of social activities between the residence halls.
The Athletic area is directly north of the Superblock and includes four recreation/athletic facilities: the University Recreation Center, Cooke Hall, the University Fieldhouse, and the University Aquatic Center. These facilities are all connected by tunnels and skyways allowing students to use one locker-room facility. North of this complex is the TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena, Mariucci Arena, Ridder Arena, and the Baseline Tennis Center.
The Gateway area, an easternmost section, is primarily office buildings instead of classrooms and lecture halls. The most prominent building is McNamara Alumni Center. The University is also heavily invested in a biomedical-research initiative and has built five biomedical-research buildings that form a biomedical complex directly north of TCF Bank Stadium.
East Bank notable architecture
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20160311062730im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Pillsbury_Hall.jpg/220px-Pillsbury_Hall.jpg)
The Armory, northeast of the Northrop Mall, is built like a Norman castle, with a sally-port entrance facing Church Street, and a tower originally intended to be the Professor of Military Science's residence, until it was found to be too cold. It originally held the athletics department as well as the military-science classes that it now holds.
One of the oldest buildings on campus is Pillsbury Hall, designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and built using varieties of sandstone available in Minnesota. It has a unique color that is hard to capture in a photograph. Many of the buildings on the East Bank campus were designed by the prolific Minnesota architect Clarence Johnston, including the Jacobean Folwell Hall and the Roman Renaissance Walter Library, which he considered the heart of the university.
In more recent times, Frank Gehry designed the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum. It is a typical example of his work with curving metallic structures.
Another new building is the addition to the Architecture building designed by Steven Holl and completed in 2002. It won an American Institute of Architects award for its innovative design. The Architecture building was then renamed Rapson Hall after the local modernist architect and School of Architecture Dean Ralph Rapson.
Another building that has won an award is the new Science Teaching and Student Services Building (STSS), renamed as the Robert H. Bruininks Hall on May 1, 2015. This building has been awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED measures multiple dimensions of a building's design and construction including sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.
"It's appropriate that a building that supports science education and overlooks a great river would be built with principles of sustainability at the forefront," said, U of M President Robert Bruininks at the opening of STSS in August 2010.
Highlights of sustainability in STSS include:
- Conserving water—Installation of low-flow sinks and bathroom fixtures that use 50 percent less water than a typical building of its size. Outdoor irrigation systems use a monitoring system that measures ground saturation and local weather patterns, so that irrigation only takes place when needed. Native, drought tolerant plants reduce runoff to the river and minimize irrigation needs.
- Recycling and reuse—Builders reused sections of the foundation from the Science Classroom Building that previously occupied the site to construct STSS. This saved time and money and reduced the amount of new materials used to build STSS. Recycled materials were incorporated into the carpet, tables, chairs and structural steel of STSS. In addition, 94 percent of the construction debris from the site was diverted from the landfill for reuse or recycling.
- Air quality and air flow—An innovative underfloor air distribution system allows fresh air to move into the building while pushing stale air to the ceiling. This air is then collected in air ducts and circulated outside, providing healthy and comfortable air for occupants.
- Exterior glass—The exterior glass on the west and south sides of STSS provides an aesthetically pleasing view of the river and downtown and also provides natural lighting. This feature proved challenging for those designing an energy efficient structure. They found a solution with a custom-designed white dot pattern on the glass and strategically-placed columns to maximize views, minimize glare and reduce solar heat gain by 50 percent.
- Building materials—When possible, builders used construction materials manufactured within a 500-mile radius of Minneapolis to reduce transportation emissions and to support the regional economy.
- Connections—STSS further facilitates connections to alternative transportation and the Mississippi River through its design and structure. Bike racks are located around the building to provide adequate parking. Bus stops are located conveniently near the building.
The University also has historic fraternities and sororities buildings (a "Greek row") north of Northrop Mall on University Avenue SE.
West Bank
The West Bank covers 53 acres (21 ha). The West Bank Arts Quarter includes:
- Rarig Center (Theatre Arts & Dance)
- The Barbara Barker Center for Dance
- Ferguson Hall (School of Music)
- Ted Mann Concert Hall
- Regis Center for Art
The Quarter is home to several annual interdisciplinary arts festivals.
The Social Sciences are also on the West Bank and include the Carlson School of Management, the Law School, and the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Wilson Library, the largest library in the University system, is also located on the West Bank as is Middlebrook Hall, the largest residence hall on campus. Approximately 900 students reside in the building named in honor of William T. Middlebrook.
Getting around
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20160311062730im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Washington_Avenue_Bridge_Minneapolis.jpg/220px-Washington_Avenue_Bridge_Minneapolis.jpg)
The Washington Avenue Bridge crossing the Mississippi River provides access between the East and West Banks, either on foot, designated bike lanes, or via free shuttle service. The bridge has two separate decks: the lower deck for vehicles and the newly constructed light rail, and the upper deck for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. An unheated enclosed walkway runs the length of the bridge and shelters students from the weather. Walking and riding bicycles are the most common modes of transportation among students. University Police occasionally cite individuals for jaywalking as well as riding bicycles on restricted sidewalk areas in areas surrounding the University resulting in fines as high as $250. This is often done at the beginning of a school year or after pedestrians interfere with traffic.[10]
There are some pedestrian tunnels to get from building to building during harsh weather; they are marked with signs reading "The Gopher Way".
The Minneapolis campus is located near Interstates 94 and 35W and is bordered by the Minneapolis neighborhoods of Dinkytown (on the north), Cedar-Riverside (on the west), Stadium Village (on the southeast), and Prospect Park (on the east).
Three light-rail stations serve the University along the Green Line. The stations include Stadium Village, the East Bank, and the West Bank. The university partnered with Metro to offer students, staff, and faculty members a Campus Zone Pass that enables free travel between the three stations that pass through campus.[11]
Campus safety
Minneapolis was named the safest metropolitan area in the United States by Forbes in October 2009. Despite this distinction, shootings have occurred near and on campus.[12][13]
Because safety and security are one of the University of Minnesota's top priorities, there are many resources at the U that help students create a safer environment, such as The Step Up campaign. The Step Up campaign is a program that helps students do the right thing and prevent crimes, sexual assault, and excessive drinking by teaching students how to intervene and prevent in a positive way.[14] They do this by explaining the Bystander effect. The U of M also has a TXT-U emergency notification text messaging system that sends out a notification to all faculty, staff, and students in case of emergency.[15] Similarly, there are different resources which students are able to get help while getting home. 624-WALK, an escort to walk to adjacent campuses and neighborhoods, and Gopher Chauffeur, a van service that offers rides near and on campus. Both of these are free and open to all students, staff, and faculty.[16]
In addition, there are almost 200 AED's on campus and 200 yellow phones for emergency only calls. The University Police Station has 20 Code Blue Phones around campus that immediately connect people to their office. There are also over 2,000 security cameras being monitored 24 hours a day.[16]
St. Paul campus
The St. Paul campus is in the city of Falcon Heights, about 3 miles (4.8 km) away from the Minneapolis campus. Despite this, all campus buildings have St. Paul street addresses. The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, including the University of Minnesota Food Industry Center and many other disciplines from social sciences to vocational education are located on this campus. This also includes the College of Continuing Education,[17] College of Veterinary Medicine,[18] and the College of Biological Sciences.[19] The extensive lawns, flowers, trees, woods, and the surrounding University research farm plots creates a greener and quieter campus. It has a grassy mall of its own and can be a bit of a retreat from the more-urban Minneapolis campus. Prominent on this campus is Bailey Hall, the St. Paul campus's only residence hall. There are campus connectors running every 5 minutes on the weekdays when school is in session, and every 20 minutes on weekends, allowing students easy access to both campuses.
The Continuing Education and Conference Center,[20] which serves over 20,000 conference attendees per year, is also located on the St. Paul campus.
The St. Paul campus is home to the College of Design's department of Design, Housing, and Apparel (DHA). Located in McNeal Hall, DHA includes the departmental disciplines of Apparel Design, Graphic Design, Housing Studies, Interior Design, and Retail Merchandising.
The St. Paul campus is known to University students and staff for the Dairy Salesroom,[21] which sells food (including ice cream) produced in the University's state-certified dairy plant by students, faculty and staff, and the similar Meat Sales Room.[22]
The St. Paul campus borders the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, which hosts the largest state fair in the United States by daily attendance.[23] The fair lasts twelve days, from late August through Labor Day in early September. The grounds also serve a variety of functions during the rest of the year.
Although the Falcon Heights area code is 651, the University telephone system trunk lines use Minneapolis exchanges and its 612 area code.
Commuting between Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses
During the school year on regular weekdays, the Campus Connectors operate with schedule-less service as often as every five minutes during the busiest parts of the school day between 7:00am and 5:30pm, slowing to once every 15 or 20 minutes during earlier or later hours.[24] In 2008, the system carried 3.55 million riders. Despite the fact that the shuttle service is free, it is comparatively inexpensive to operate: with an operating cost of $4.55 million in 2008, the operating subsidy was only $1.28 per passenger. Even Metro Transit's busy METRO Blue Line light rail required a subsidy of $1.44 that year, and that was with many riders paying $1.75 or more for a ride.[25]
Organization and administration
The University has 19 colleges, schools, and other major academic units:[26]
- Center for Allied Health Programs
- College of Biological Sciences
- College of Continuing Education
- School of Dentistry
- College of Design
- College of Education and Human Development
- Extension
- College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
- Graduate School
- Law School
- College of Liberal Arts
- Carlson School of Management
- Medical School
- School of Nursing
- College of Pharmacy
- Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
- School of Public Health
- College of Science and Engineering
- College of Veterinary Medicine
The University has six University-wide interdisciplinary centers and institutes whose work crosses collegiate lines:[27]
- Center for Cognitive Sciences
- Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, and the Life Sciences
- Institute for Advanced Study at University of Minnesota
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience
- Institute on the Environment
- Minnesota Population Center
Academics
The second-largest institution of higher education in the Midwest by enrollment,[28] the University offers 143 undergraduate degree programs[29] and 200 graduate degree programs.[30] The University has all three branches of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).[31]
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities as well as it's sister campuses at Crookston, Duluth, and Morris are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[32]
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is also a member of the Association of American Universities[33] which is an association of the 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada.
Rankings
University rankings | |
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National | |
ARWU[34] | 22 |
Forbes[35] | 130 |
U.S. News & World Report[36] | 69 |
Washington Monthly[37] | 29 |
Global | |
ARWU[38] | 30 |
QS[39] | 123 |
Times[40] | 65 |
The University of Minnesota is ranked among the top 25 of the nation's top research universities by the Center for Measuring University Performance.[41] In 2015, the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked 22nd out of more than 1000 international institutions recognized by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and is considered a Public Ivy, which recognizes top public research universities in the United States. The 4 International Colleges & Universities (4ICU) 2015 World University Web Ranking placed the university's web program 14th globally.[42]
The U.S. News & World Report's 2016 rankings placed the undergraduate program of the University as the 69th-best National University in the United States. It also ranked the Chemical Engineering program third-best, the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program third best, the Economics PhD program tenth, Psychology eighth, Statistics sixteenth, Audiology ninth, and the University of Minnesota Medical School 6th for primary care and 34th for research.[43] The Law School, consistently recognized as a 'Top Law School' by U.S. News & World Report, is ranked 20th in the nation, and is a national leader in commercial law, international law, and clinical education.[44] Additionally, nineteen of the University's graduate-school departments have been ranked in the nation's top-twenty by the U.S. National Research Council.[45] In both 2008 and 2012 U.S. News & World Report ranked the College of Pharmacy 3rd in the nation. In 2011,U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Public Health 8th in the nation,[46] which is home to the 2nd ranked program for the Master of Healthcare Administration degree.[47] The University of Minnesota ranked 19th in NIH funding in 2008.[48] In 2011, QS World University Rankings ranked the university 102nd in the world.[49] Its subject rankings include: 100th in Arts & Humanities, 92nd in Engineering & IT, 90th in Life Sciences & Biomedicine, 112th in Natural Sciences, and 58th in Social Sciences. In 2011, Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the School of Mathematics citation impact 4th in the world.[50]
Big Ten Committee on Institutional Cooperation
The University of Minnesota is a participant in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) is the academic consortium of the universities in the Big Ten Conference plus former conference member, the University of Chicago. The initiative also allows students at participating institutions to take distance courses at other participating institutions. The initiative also forms a partnership of research. Engaging in $8 billion in research in 2010, CIC universities are providing powerful insight into important issues in medicine, technology, agriculture, and communities.[51] Students at participating schools are also allowed "in-house" viewing privileges at other participating schools' libraries.[52] They also employ collective purchasing, which has saved member institutions $19 million to date.[53]
Greek life, professional and honor societies
The number of fraternities and sororities at the University of Minnesota is extensive. Including defunct branches, the Greek System numbers more than 200 organizations. More than half of these remain active today, whose pioneers have had a presence on the Twin Cities campus for over 140 years.[54] The University's Greek societies include the highly visible residential Academic and Social chapters. Although, membership in the Greek System has also extended to a wide variety of different types. This has included traditionally unrelated or unaligned Professional Fraternities, Honor Societies and Service Fraternities. Many of these built and occupy historically significant "Fraternity Row" homes along University Ave. SE, 10th Ave. SE, 4th Street SE, and 5th Street SE, all in Minneapolis, or along Cleveland Ave. near the St. Paul campus.[55]
According to self-produced studies from the University of Minnesota Greek Society and the Greek Society office, Greek System participants are more likely to graduate than the average student, are most likely to graduate with a higher GPA, and Greek alumni contribute more money than their percentage of population.[56][57][58] Although significant differences exist in the average GPAs, participation rates and contributions between professional, academic, honorific societies and those of the traditional social fraternities.[57] As of June, 2014, approximately 2,800 system members made up about 8% of the campus population. Minnesota hosts 38 academic fraternities, 20 academic sororities, 56 honors societies, 31 professional societies, and two service-focused chapters.[59][60]
Media
The Minnesota Daily is published in print Monday through Thursday during the normal school season, and only online on Fridays. It is printed once each week during the summer. The Daily is operated by an autonomous organization run entirely by students. It was first published on May 1, 1900. Outside of every day news coverage the paper has also published special issues such as the Grapevine Awards, Ski-U-Mah, the Bar & Beer Guide, Sex-U-Mah, and others.
A long-defunct but fondly remembered humor magazine, Ski-U-Mah, was published from about 1930 to 1950. It launched the career of novelist and scriptwriter Max Shulman.
A relative newcomer to the University's print-media community is The Wake Student Magazine, a weekly magazine that covers University-related stories and provides a forum for student expression. It was founded in November 2001 in an effort to diversify campus media and achieved student group status in February 2002.[61] Students from many disciplines do all of the reporting, writing, editing, illustration, photography, layout and business management for the publication. The magazine was founded by James DeLong and Chris Ruen.[62] The Wake was named the nation's best campus publication (2006) by the Independent Press Association.[61]
Additionally, the Wake publishes Liminal, a literary journal that began in 2005. Liminal was created in the absence of an undergraduate literary journal and continues to bring poetry and prose to the University community.
The Wake has faced a number of challenges during its existence, due in part to the reliance on student fees funding. In April 2004, the needed $60,000 in funding was restored, which allowed for the magazine's continued existence after the Student Services Fees Committee had initially declined to fund it.[62] They faced further challenges in 2005 when their request for additional funding to publish weekly was denied[63] and then partially restored.[64]
In 2005 conservatives on campus began formulating a new monthly magazine named the Minnesota Republic. The first issue was released in February 2006, and funding by student service fees started in September 2006.
Radio
The campus radio station, KUOM "Radio K", broadcasts an eclectic variety of independent music during the day on 770 kHz AM. Its 5,000-watt signal has a range of 80 miles (130 km), but shuts down at dusk because of Federal Communications Commission regulations. In 2003, the station added a low-power (8-watt) signal on 106.5 MHz FM overnight and on weekends. In 2005, a 10-watt translator began broadcasting from Falcon Heights on 100.7 FM at all times. Radio K also streams its content at www.radiok.org. With roots in experimental transmissions that began before World War I, the station received the first AM broadcast license in the state on January 13, 1922, and began broadcasting as WLB, changing to the KUOM call sign about two decades later. The station had an educational format until 1993 when it merged with a smaller campus-only music station to become what is now known as Radio K. A small group of full-time employees are joined by over 20 part-time student employees who oversee the station. Most of the on-air talent consists of student volunteers.
Television
Some television programs made on campus have been broadcast on local PBS station KTCI channel 17. Several episodes of Great Conversations have been made since 2002, featuring one-on-one discussions between University faculty and experts brought in from around the world. Tech Talk is a show meant to help people who feel intimidated by modern technology, including cellular phones and computers.
Computer
The University developed Gopher,[65] a precursor to the World Wide Web which used hyperlinks to connect documents across computers on the internet. However, the version produced by CERN was favored by the public since it was freely distributed and could more easily handle multimedia webpages.[66] The University also houses the Charles Babbage Institute, a research and archive center specializing in computer history.The university's Computer science department established in 1967 is considered to be in the top 100 best Computer Science departments in the world.[67] The department has strong roots in early days of supercomputing with Seymour Cray of Cray supercomputers.[68] Notable faculty of the department are Yousef Saad, Vipin Kumar, Jaideep Srivastava, John Riedl, and Joseph Konstan. Some notable alumni of the department are Ed Chi, Imrich Chlamtac, Leah Culver, Jeff Dean, Mark P. McCahill, Arvind Mithal, and Calvin Mooers.
Mobile
There are multiple ways in which students can connect with the University via their devices. Free and secured wireless internet is abundantly available throughout the campus to any individual with valid University credentials.[69] In additional, there are applications that can be downloaded that relate to the University and surrounding areas. Such applications include Groupon, Foursquare, and ByMe, an application exclusive to the University of Minnesota area.
Athletics
The University's intercollegiate sports teams are called the Golden Gophers and are members of the Big Ten Conference and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since the 2013–14 school year, the only Minnesota team that does not compete in the Big Ten is the women's ice hockey team, which competes in the WCHA. The Gophers men's ice hockey team was a longtime WCHA member, but left when the Big Ten began operating a men's ice hockey league with six inaugural members. The current interim athletic director is Beth Goetz who took the position after Norwood Teague resigned in August 2015 amid sexual assault allegations. Teague replaced Joel Maturi.
The Golden Gophers' most notable rivalry is the annual college football game against the Wisconsin Badgers (University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin) for Paul Bunyan's Axe, the longest continuous rivalry in NCAA Division I football. The two universities also compete in the Border Battle, a year-long athletic competition in which each sport season is worth 40 points divided by the number of times the teams play each other (i.e. football is worth 40 points because they play each other only once, while women's ice hockey is worth 10 points per game because they play four times a year). Conference and post-season playoffs do not count in the point standings.
Goldy Gopher is the mascot for the Twin Cities campus and the associated sports teams. The gopher mascot is a tradition as old as the state which was tabbed the “Gopher State” in 1857 after a political cartoon ridiculing the US$5-million railroad loan which helped open up the West. The cartoon portrayed shifty railroad barons as striped gophers pulling a railroad car carrying the Territorial Legislature. Later, the University picked up the nickname with the first University yearbook bearing the name "Gopher Annual" appearing in 1887.
The "Minnesota Rouser" is the University of Minnesota's fight song. It is commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games. It is among a number of songs associated with the University, including the Minnesota March, which was composed for the University by John Philip Sousa.
Football
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college-football history. They have won 7 National Championships and 18 Big Ten Conference Championships. The Golden Gophers played their first game on September 29, 1882, a 4–0 victory over Hamline University, St. Paul. In 1887, the Golden Gophers played host to the Wisconsin Badgers in a 63–0 victory. With the exception of 1906, the Golden Gophers and the Badgers have played each other every year since. The 124 games played against each other is the most-played rivalry in NCAA Division I FBS college football.
In 1981, the Golden Gophers played their last game in Memorial Stadium. Between 1982 and 2008, the school hosted their home games in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis until they moved back to campus on September 12, 2009, when their new home, TCF Bank Stadium, opened with a game against the Air Force Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Basketball
The Golden Gophers men's basketball team has won two National Championships, two National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championships and eight Big Ten Regular Season Championships. They also have six NCAA Tournament, including a Final Four appearance in 1997 and three Sweet 16 appearances. However, because of NCAA sanctions for academic fraud, all postseason appearances from 1994 to 1998—in the NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1995, and 1997 and NIT in 1996 and 1998—were vacated. Most recently in April 2014, the Golden Gophers defeated SMU to win the NIT championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Golden Gophers women's basketball team has enjoyed success in recent years under Pam Borton, including a Final Four appearance in 2004. Overall, they have six NCAA Tournament appearances and three Sweet 16 appearances.
Men's ice hockey
Ice hockey is one of the most strongly supported athletic programs at the University of Minnesota, referred to by the University as "Minnesota's Pride on Ice."[70] The high amount of support is due to the State of Minnesota's high affinity for the sport of ice hockey at all levels.[71]
The Golden Gophers men's ice-hockey program has won five Division I National Championships and 13 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Regular Season Championships, most recently in 2012. They have won 14 WCHA Tournament Championships and have 20 NCAA Frozen Four appearances. A Golden Gophers hockey tradition is to stock the roster almost exclusively (sometimes completely) with Minnesota natives. Home games are played at Mariucci Arena. The Golden Gophers' big rivals are the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of North Dakota.
Women's hockey
The Golden Gophers women's hockey team has also won five National Championships, most recently in 2015, and six WCHA Regular Season Championships. They have also won four WCHA Tournament Championships and have eleven NCAA Frozen Four appearances. They play their home games in Ridder Arena. They were the first collegiate women's hockey team to play in an arena dedicated solely to women's ice hockey. In the 2012–2013 season they finished undefeated at 41-0, and are the first and only NCAA Women's Hockey team to do so. After winning the NCAA tournament their winning streak stood at 49 games, dating back to February 17, 2012 when they lost to North Dakota.
Student government
Minnesota Student Association
The Minnesota Student Association (MSA) is the undergraduate student government at the University of Minnesota. It advocates for student interests on local, state, and federal levels, and focuses on efforts that directly benefit student population.
"Gopher Chauffeur," originally the MSA Express, is a student-operated late night ride service and is a demonstration of MSA's varied initiatives.[72] Piloted by MSA, the 2007–2008 administration of Emma Olson and Ross Skattum began the process of transitioning the service to the University's Boynton Health Services.[73] This was done to ensure its longevity. Student response was overwhelmingly positive,[74] and the program was expanded in recent years due to campus safety concerns.[75]
MSA was instrumental in passing legislation in the 2013 Minnesota legislature for medical amnesty, and has focused more heavily on legislative advocacy in recent years.[76]
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) is responsible for graduate and professional student governance at the University of Minnesota. It is the largest and most comprehensive graduate/professional student governance organization in the United States. GAPSA serves students in the Carlson School of Management, the Dental School, the Graduate School, the Law School, the Medical School, the School of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Public Health, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Education and Human Development. GAPSA is also a member of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.
The University of Minnesota has the second largest number of graduate and professional students in the United States at over 16,000. All registered graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota are members of GAPSA. It was established in 1990 as a non-profit (IRS 501 (c)(3)) confederation of independent college councils representing all graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota to the Board of Regents, the President of the University, the University Senate, the University at large and wider community. GAPSA serves as a resource for member councils, as the primary contact point for administrative units, as a graduate and professional student policy-making and policy-influencing body, and as a center of intercollegiate and intra-collegiate interaction among students.
Demographics
According to the University Office of Institutional Research, as of Fall 2015 there are 30,511 undergraduates at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Out of that number, 5,771 are first-time degree seeking freshmen. There are 12,659 graduate students.
The racial/ethnic breakdown of the student population is: 65.3% White, 4.3% Black, 9.2% Asian, 3.1% Hispanic/Latino, 12.7% International Students that are undesignated race/ethnicity, 1.2% American/Native American Indian, and 4.2% Unknown.
The average age of all students is 21.
The gender breakdown of the student population is 51.5% women, 47.3% men and 1.2% other or unknown.
63% of matriculants to the university are considered Minnesota residents, and 37% of matriculants are considered out-of-state residents.[77]
Notable people
Notable University of Minnesota alumni include eight Nobel Prize laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, and two Vice Presidents of the United States, Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale. Faculty have included twelve Nobel Prize laureates.
See also
References
- ^ "Board of Regents Policy" (PDF). University of Minnesota. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ As of June 30, 2015. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2014 to FY 2015" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers and Commonfund Institute. 2016.
- ^ "University of Minnesota: Employee Head Count". University of Minnesota Office of Institutional Research.
- ^ Campus and Unit Enrollment by Academic Level for Fall 2015 University of Minnesota Office of Institutional Research
- ^ "About Us". University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Campus Knoll". University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
- ^ "University of Minnesota Heritage Trail". Archived from the original on February 9, 2012.
- ^ Institute for Advanced Study IAS
- ^ Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. pp. 127–128. ISBN 0-87351-540-4.
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- ^ a b "Safety and Security". University of Minnesota. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
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- ^ "Dairy Salesroom". Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota. January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
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- ^ "2006 Detailed Daily Attendance". Minnesota State Fair. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ University of Minnesota. "Campus Connectors".
- ^ "2009 Transit System Performance Evaluation". Metropolitan Council. 2009. Archived from the original on May 19, 2010.
- ^ "Academics and Research". University of Minnesota.
- ^ "Academic Affairs and Provost, University of Minnesota". Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Enrollment of the 120 largest degree-granting college and university campuses, by selected characteristics and institution". Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Fall 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Admissions". Regents of the University of Minnesota. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ "Degree Programs". Academics webpage. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)". Regents of the University of Minnesota. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
- ^ University of Minnesota Accreditation
- ^ "Member Institutions and Years of Admission". http://www.aau.edu/. Retrieved December 6, 2014. External link in
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(help) - ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015: USA". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ "America's Top Colleges". Forbes. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ "Best Colleges". U.S. News & World Report LP. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- ^ "2015 National Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. n.d. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ "QS World University Rankings® 2015/16". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ "World University Rankings 2015-16". THE Education Ltd. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ "Research- The Center for Measuring University Performance" (PDF). Mup.asu.edu. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "4 International Colleges & Universities (4ICU) 2012 World University Web Ranking". 4ICU: Your Gateway to World Universities and Colleges. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ "University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Overall Rankings | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
- ^ "See the 2016 Best Law Schools". US News. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
- ^ Newton, H. J. "NRC Rankings in each of the 41 Areas". Texas A&M University. Retrieved December 22, 2006.
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- ^ "QS World University Rankings". Topuniversities. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ "Top institutions in Mathematics".
- ^ "Sharing Access to Courses". Cic.net. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ "Reciprocal Library Borrowing - Introduction". Cic.net. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ "Purchasing and Licensing". Cic.net. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ For examples, see any edition of the Minnesota Gopher Yearbook, which prominently featured fraternities and sororities during its century-long publication run. Website accessed 30 June 2014.
- ^ Carole Zellie (2003). "University of Minnesota Greek Letter Chapter House Designation Study, prepared for the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission". Author's firm: Landscape Research, St. Paul, MN: 3–4 of 180, and throughout by chapter entry.
- ^ Greek Community Strategic Task Force Report, 16 December 2012, accessed 9 June 2014
- ^ a b Harrold, R., et. al. 'The Greek Experience: A Study of Fraternities and Sororities at the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN: Student Organization Development Center, 1987
- ^ Greek Village Summary Presentation, by CSHI (Community Student Housing, Inc.), as presented to the Board of Regents at their May 2011 meeting. David Salene, author
- ^ The University of Minnesota / Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life annual report, accessed 27 May 2014
- ^ University of Minnesota, List of student organizations.
- ^ a b "2008–2009 Student Organization Student Services Fees Request" (PDF). January 25, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ a b Krogstad, Jens (April 7, 2004). "Official Restores Wake's Funding". The Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on June 25, 2004. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ Haugen, Bryce (February 18, 2005). "Wake Awaits Fees Decision". The Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on February 20, 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ Haugen, Bryce (March 10, 2005). "Final Recommendations In". The Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on March 12, 2005. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ Anderson, Nate. "The Web may have won, but Gopher tunnels on". Ars Technica. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ Waters, Darren (2008-04-30). "BBC article". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ "Top 100 QS World University Rankings for computer science and information systems 2011". London: The Guardian. September 5, 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ "Cray's Mark Remains Speed With Simplicity". University of Minnesota Update, Spring 1983. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ "WiFi Network". IT@UMN. University of Minnesota. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- ^ "University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site - University of Minnesota". Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "NCAA men's hockey: Minnesota the capital of hockey nation". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "Hitch a ride with MSA". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Boynton to run MSA Express". Minnesota Daily.
- ^ "Shuttle Service Provides 'U' Students Security". Wcco.com. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Taking them home: The U’s Gopher Chauffeur service helps keep students safe at night.". umn.edu. November 20, 2013.
- ^ Nelson, Cody (July 31, 2013). "Under medical amnesty law, underage drinkers will get new legal protections: Underage drinkers will be able to call 911 without fearing a citation.". Minnesota Daily.
- ^ "OIR : Enrollment Headcount Data: All Data". University of Minnesota Office of Institutional Research. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
External links
- Official website
- University of Minnesota Athletics website
"Minnesota, University of". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
"Minnesota, University of". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
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