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February 17, 1999 - MnSCU Board Approves Rochester Plan
In the spirit of continued cooperation with the University of Minnesota,
the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees on Wednesday
approved a set of principles designed to establish a stronger academic
program at the University of Minnesota in Rochester.
The board took the action at the request of Rochester citizens who for
years have said they want a stronger University of Minnesota presence
in their area. Winona State University and Rochester Community and Technical
College will continue to deliver programming in Rochester, but under the
new plan, the University of Minnesota will be the lead institution at
University Center, Rochester.
"The spirit of cooperation is alive and well among Minnesota's two
systems of public higher education," said Michael Vekich, chair of
the MnSCU Board of Trustees. "We signed a cooperation compact with
the University of Minnesota one year ago, and this is another example
of our commitment to developing joint programs." Rochester and Olmsted
County provide a strong economic engine for Minnesota. In the next 20
years, the growth of high technology and health service companies like
IBM and the Mayo Clinic are expected to create thousands of new jobs,
many of them in areas of allied health, computer science and engineering.
The present mix of higher education programs available in Rochester will
be expanded and revised to fit community needs.
A new U of M branch campus in Rochester will need operating money from
the state, and the plan's success depends on the Legislature appropriating
funds to hire faculty and administrators. The branch is not intended to
be a residential campus and MnSCU and U of M officials said no dormitories
will be constructed.
"I want everyone to understand that no one teaches to a higher standard
than our MnSCU institutions, " said Morris J. Anderson, chancellor
of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. "We have provided outstanding
academic programming in Rochester for over 20 years. This is a way to
expand that capacity through a partnership with the University of Minnesota."
MnSCU Trustee Nancy Brataas, a former state senator from Rochester, said
the agreement is a long-awaited step in the right direction. "Rochester
is a critical center of the state economically and culturally," she
said. "It deserves a high level of post-secondary opportunity."
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system consists of 36 state
universities, community and technical colleges and a campus in Japan.
The system serves approximately 230,000 students a year with a fall 1998
enrollment of about 140,000.
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