Happy September from the University of Minnesota Crookston. Our school year is off to a great start with enrollment numbers looking strong and new faculty and staff settling into their roles.
U of M System President Rebecca Cunningham visited the Crookston campus in mid-August during welcome week. Dr. Cunningham met with senior leadership, enjoyed a tour, and spoke to faculty and staff at our luncheon. It was a great visit and we look forward to her return. Later in the month, President Cunningham and I co-authored an editorial published in area media where we touched on the importance of agriculture and how integral the Crookston campus is to the region.
Just like August, September is shaping up to be full of event opportunities for our community and October is filling up fast, too. On campus we will have an empowering event called “Change the Narrative” on mental health and suicide on September 19 in Bede Ballroom. September 23-28 there will be a gallery focused on blending art and science with a reception planned for Sept. 23 in Bede Ballroom in honor of local artist Ross Hier, who was also an adjunct instructor at the University. September 26 we will have Tres Vida chamber music and theatre with a singing actress and pianist in Kiehle Auditorium. As always, you are welcome to come to campus to attend any of these events.
October we will celebrate Homecoming 2024 with an awards ceremony and Hall of Fame, banner raising for championship teams, and parking lot party at Crookston Sports Center before the Golden Eagle hockey game. Before that, on October 2, we will be the host for the regional Meet the Candidate forum with candidates for Minnesota House of Representatives District 1B, Polk County Board of Commissioners, Crookston City Council, and Crookston School Board District 593.
Our fall sports are off to a great start with women’s golf recently finishing a tournament with their program best, men’s golf having one of their best showings in program history, women’s cross country setting multiple personal records and a school record at their debut, men’s cross country debuting with a four-mile record as a team, volleyball closing out their recent showcase with a 2-2 record, and soccer showing some of their strongest defense in their last matches on the road. Make sure to check out our athletics calendar for home games and special events such as Youth Day for each sport.
This school year we welcomed 23 new international students to add to our total of 59. Fifteen students came as transfers, three are freshmen, and four are student-athletes. They represent seven countries including Bangladesh, Canada, China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Spain, and Vietnam. Currently on campus we have a total of 16 countries represented.
Our 2025 admission application is now open if anyone you know is interested in taking the next step with their education. Whether it’s on campus or online, we have 75+ majors, minors, and certificates to choose from and our rankings show we are one of the best. In 2024, we were ranked with Niche as the #1 Safest Public College Campus in Minnesota and #1 Best Public College Dorms in Minnesota. The Niche rankings for 2025 were recently released and we have received #1 for Best Public College in Minnesota and Best Public College Dorms in Minnesota, and #2 for Best Value Public College in Minnesota, Safest Public College Campus in Minnesota, Best Public College for Business in Minnesota, Best Public College for Accounting and Finance in Minnesota, and Best Public College for Computer Science in Minnesota.
Have a great month and go Golden Eagles!
