CROOKSTON and MORRIS, Minn. (February 16, 2021)—Today the University of Minnesota Crookston and the University of Minnesota Morris announced a collaboration in the area of admissions. This collaboration will strengthen each campus’s enrollment in person and online while allowing them both to provide more effective and efficient recruitment operations.
“We are excited about our new plans and the ability of our Admissions staffs working together to enhance each institution’s enrollment,” write Chancellors Mary Holz-Clause (Crookston) and Michelle Behr (Morris) in messages shared with the campus communities.
The collaboration will create three operations teams to serve both campuses simultaneously:
- First-Year and Transfer Student Recruitment, overseen by Brian Studebaker, Morris’s Director of Admissions
- Relationship Management and Events, shepherded by Jessica Hanson, Crookston’s Interim Director of Admission
- Operations and Online Recruitment, led by Janessa Quanrud, Associate Director of Admission, Crookston
Operational changes will include implementing increased automation and workflow, shared joint positions, and centralized services.
In addition to promoting inter-campus relationships and efficiencies, this collaboration will allow each institution to focus on and leverage its distinctive strengths. UMN Crookston excels in offering hands-on-experiential learning opportunities. UMN Morris is a leader in liberal arts education.
"Through this collaboration our campuses will approach the challenges of recruitment in higher education collectively and head on,” says Chancellor Holz-Clause. “We are stronger together and will be better able to capitalize on economies and efficiencies in our day-to-day work.”
“These changes will allow us to better serve our current and future students,” adds Chancellor Behr. “They reflect our intentional and prudent use of resources for the benefit of Minnesota students. We are excited to partner with our colleagues and to serve the state of Minnesota as part of one strong UMN System.”
The two offices will begin shared recruitment work in spring 2021, with more fully combined recruitment and processing efforts secured for the fall 2022 entering class. To learn more about Admissions at UMN Crookston and UMN Morris, visit system.umn.edu/campuses.
