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May 24, 1999 - State College Name Change Approved

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees has approved changing the name of Red Wing/Winona Technical College to Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, effective July 1.

Jim Johnson, president of Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, said the new name will give the institution a regional identity while maintaining its technical college identity. Johnson said community residents and college personnel have attended more than 20 meetings to discuss changing the institution's name.

"People outside of Minnesota may not recognize Red Wing or Winona, but they do know about the quality of Minnesota public education," said Michael Vekich, chair of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. "Having the college or university name begin with "Minnesota' gains wider recognition for the institution."

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is made up 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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