|
The University of Minnesota is a large university with several campuses spread throughout the state of
Minnesota, USA. There are four primary
campuses: Twin Cities, Duluth, Crookston, and
Morris. In addition, University services are available in
Rochester, and a campus was open in Waseca for a time.
The University is referred to locally as The U or The U of M. The phrase U of M is
also used to refer to any of several other universities; the article titled U of
M is a disambiguation page.
The University of Minnesota was founded in Minneapolis in 1851 as a college preparatory school, seven
years prior to Minnesota's statehood. As such, the U is not officially a unit of state government. The school was closed during
the American Civil War, but reopened in 1867. Minneapolis businessman John Sargent
Pillsbury is known today as the "Father of the University", and aided the campus through financial troubles as a regent,
state senator, and governor. The Morrill
Land Grant Colleges Act also helped provide funding for the U.
In 1869 the school reorganized and became an institution of higher education. William
Watts Folwell served as the first president of the University.
The colors of the University are Maroon and Gold.
Holidays are not observed at the University as often as they are at most other
schools, and it is not common for classes to be cancelled on account of weather.
During the traditional autumn through spring year, classes are not held on Thanksgiving
Day or the Friday after, and the school traditionally has an extended break covering Christmas and New Year's Day. Classes often don't
resume in January until after Martin Luther King Day. A
week-long spring break sometimes coincides with Easter. Evening classes are cancelled once a year to allow students, faculty, and staff to attend the
Minnesota caucuses.
Twin Cities campus
The Twin Cities campus is
the largest in the system, with over 45,000 students, making it one of the largest three campuses in the United States. This
campus is actually divided into a few parts. The Saint
Paul campus (which is actually located in the city of Falcon Heights) is where a lot of agricultural education takes place, and is located next to the
state fairgrounds.
The Minneapolis campus sits astride the Mississippi River, and
the halves are referred to as the East Bank and the West Bank. The Minneapolis and St. Paul
campuses are connected via a dedicated bus transitway. The buildings on each campus are
connected by an underground city of tunnels called The Gopher Way.
Because of the large size, the name "University of Minnesota" is often used to refer specifically to the Twin Cities
campus.
The mascot for the Twin Cities campus is Goldy the Gopher, and the sports teams for this campus are called the Golden Gophers or just The Gophers. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big Ten
Conference. Its hockey program competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey
Association.
Other campuses
- The Duluth campus joined the
University system in 1947. Their nickname is the Bulldogs.
- The Crookston campus joined the University system in 1966. Their mascot is Regal the Eagle, and the school nickname is Golden Eagles.
- The Morris campus joined the
University system in 1960. Their nickname is the Cougars.
- The Rochester campus has offered classes since 1966.
- Waseca opened in 1971, but was closed in 1992.
External links
|