Greetings from the University of Minnesota Crookston. The spring semester has come and gone, and we celebrated more than 150 graduates and their families this past weekend at Commencement ceremonies and had more than 350 students who will receive their degrees as some of them could not attend in person. It was a wonderful event filled with excitement and thoughts about what the future holds. Students from 11 countries, 30 states, and two provinces were eligible to walk across the stage to receive their University of Minnesota diplomas. Choosing the Crookston campus to accomplish that life goal means the world to myself, and our dedicated faculty and staff. We will miss those who graduated yet look forward to next school year with the return of some familiar faces and an introduction to the next generation of Golden Eagles.
U of M Crookston showed a 10 percent increase in enrollment this past school year, the only campus in the system at that and one of the few in the upper Midwest that had enrollment growth. Our Admissions department says applications for the 2024-2025 school year are up from last year. We recently had a gathering for some of our newly admitted post secondary enrollment options (PSEO) students and those numbers are encouraging as well. The hard work our campus has put in to show the region and the world what a great place U of M Crookston is has started to shine through.
Speaking of shine, our Golden Eagle student athletes have been in the spotlight this spring. Our tennis team had their best season in history and went to their first ever NSIC Tournament. Our baseball team ended their regular season on a nine-game winning streak and set a record for the most conference wins in a season. They head to the NSIC Tournament May 8. Our trap team is currently in first place in the USA College Clay Target League and will have one final week of their season. Our softball team had their best three-year stretch in program history under the guidance of Coach Nick Weinmeister. We couldn’t be prouder of all our teams and athletes. We hope you can join us for our next season of home athletics.
A special note about Associate Professor Emeritus Jerry Knutson who received the 2024 University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service. He will be honored on May 10 at the Board of Regents meeting and the Crookston campus had the pleasure of recognizing him during our annual faculty and staff awards ceremony on May 7.
This summer we have some great events planned including golf tournaments, alumni gatherings plus U of M Day at the Twins game, student camps, and more like the public Art & Garden Tour event August 29. Make sure to watch our events calendar for what you’d like to attend.
Have a great summer.
Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause