Alumni Association Home > Past Issues > 2007 > March-April 2007	Print View

This is not the University your parents (or you, if you’re beginning to gray) attended. Remember the days when nearly anyone who wanted to attend the U was admitted? Did you ever hear people call the U their backup plan if they were turned down by a first-choice, “prestige” school? And who will ever forget Intro to Psychology held in Northrop Auditorium, with hundreds of students straining to hear the professor way up on stage?

You wouldn’t recognize the University of Minnesota today! At the alumni association’s January national board meeting, we invited three University officials to share what they know about the U’s progress. It soon became obvious the U is making substantial strides toward becoming a top three public research university.

Tom Fisher, dean of the new College of Design, explained that students in his college don’t learn simply by listening to lectures and memorizing facts for exams, but rather by finding solutions to critical, real-world problems. They’ve developed new technology to reduce labor costs and improve quality in housing. By designing simple, low-cost Laundromats for disaster victims in New Orleans, they’ve helped with the recovery after Hurricane Katrina. And students have won awards with their ideas for functional clothing to protect people in hazardous occupations, such as firefighting. The University’s campaign “Driven to Discover” isn’t just a slogan; it’s what happens in purpose-driven colleges that address the major challenges of our society.

The days of almost anybody gaining admission to the University are long gone. The 2006 freshman class is the most academically prepared in U history. According to Jerry Rinehart, vice provost of student affairs, only one in six applicants is accepted into the College of Liberal Arts. I’m fortunate to not be applying for one of those openings. While the volume of applicants to the U has increased dramatically in recent years, the number of highly qualified applicants has exploded. Rinehart dispelled the myth that a high percentage of students come from other states and nations. In reality, 65 percent of U students are Minnesotans. What’s more, increasing numbers of students want to be part of the campus community. During my day, most of us lived at home and commuted to school. Today, more than 80 percent of freshman students live in University housing.

Access to the U is as important as ever, and attracting the best students requires significant public and private money. Judy Kirk, executive vice president of the University of Minnesota Foundation, explained that top students often need financial assistance to attend our university. In 2003, the foundation began its largest ever campaign to raise $150 million for student scholarships and fellowships. In just three years, 45,000 donors contributed $160 million. This resulted in a 38 percent increase in the number of students receiving financial aid since the campaign started, with each award being 40 percent greater—the average award is now $3,760.

These are exciting times on campus, with the best and brightest students working with top faculty in modern facilities. Now, with help from the alumni association, funding is being requested from the state to continue these strides, including a consistent source of funding for a major biosciences research initiative. Such commitment from the state means that, in coming years, the University can provide the research needed to solve many more of our pressing problems, discover products that improve our quality of life, educate our workforce, and continue to be the economic engine for Minnesota.

To learn how you can be a part of making the U a top three public research institution, visit www.SupportTheU.umn.edu.