Metropolitan State University

This article is about a university in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. For information on the college in Denver, Colorado, see Metropolitan State College of Denver

Metropolitan State University
Motto	Where life and learning meet
Established	1971
Type	Public
President	Sue K. Hammersmith
Academic staff	652 community faculty 168 resident faculty
Students	11,000[1]
Location	St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, USA
Campus	Urban
Colors	Navy blue and white
Nickname	Metro State, MSU
Mascot	Muskrat
Affiliations	MnSCU
Website	www.metrostate.edu

Metropolitan State University is a four-year public university located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, United States. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.^[2]

History

Metropolitan State University's New Main Great Hall on the Saint Paul Campus

Metro State was founded in 1971. The school admitted 50 students in 1972. David E. Sweet was the university's first president.^[3] The university initially followed a non-traditional course: Students could design their own degree plans, instructors wrote 'narrative evaluations' instead of using traditional letter grades, and much of the teaching was done by 'community faculty' who had advanced degrees as well as extensive practical work experience in their respective fields. Although Metro State adopted a more traditional format in the 1990s, it has still retained a college named 'First College' which allows students to design individualized and/or interdisciplinary degree plans. First College students are allowed to select their own majors (they are typically referred to as 'focuses'). The individualized degrees are a popular alternative for students who are not interested in seeking traditional 'structured' degrees.

When Metro State began, it was a college for working adults. It was strictly an upper-division college, so students could only complete their junior and senior years there. The university didn't begin admitting freshmen and sophomores or calculating grade point averages until fall quarter 1994. Prior to the fall of 1998, Metro State operated on the quarter system. MSU currently operates on the semester system. During the 2009-2010 school year, Metropolitan State enrolled 10,000 students. This accomplishment elevates Metro State to the top 12% of colleges ranked by size in the U.S.A.^[4]

Academic profile

Metro State offers 58 'structured' undergraduate degrees, a self-designed B.A. degree in liberal arts and individualized B.A. degrees through its five colleges and one school: The College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Management, The College of Professional Studies, The College of Nursing and Health Sciences, The School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and First College.^[5]

Metropolitan State's University shares a campus with Minneapolis Community and Technical College in downtown Minneapolis

MSU offers ten structured master's degree programs and an interdisciplinary master of arts degree in liberal studies. The university also offers seven graduate certificate programs. In 2007, Metro State began offering an applied doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. Metro State's B.A. and M.S. programs in technical communication are among the largest programs of their kind in the country.

Metro State launched the first applied doctorate of business administration program in the history of the MnSCU system during fall semester 2010. Although a number of schools in the region -- such as the University of MN -- offer Ph.D.s in business administration, only 4 colleges in the entire Upper Midwest offer Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degrees. Metropolitan State University is the only public school in the Upper Midwest that offers DBA degrees. The three private schools that offer DBA degrees are Argosy University (Eagan, MN), St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA) and Capella University (a completely online school based in Minneapolis, MN). Metro State's B.S. in accounting program is the largest in MN and it's widely recognized as one of the best accounting programs in MN.

Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Council on Social Work Education.^[6]

Student accommodations

The Metropolitan State University and Dayton's Bluff Library on the Saint Paul Campus

Metropolitan State University accommodates the needs of working adults by scheduling many of its classes in the evening and on weekends. The number of daytime course offerings have been increasing in recent years because of the growing demands of students. It is possible for recent graduates of Minneapolis and St. Paul public high schools to attend Metro State tuition free.^[2]

Each student attending Metropolitan State University pays a .43 cent per credit fee to fund the Minnesota State University Student Association, a student-lead non-profit that advocates on behalf of all Minnesota state university students. In 1995, Metro State won a highly-coveted national (Theodore) Hesburgh Award for innovative and outstanding faculty development. Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony. In 2002, the Minnesota legislature approved funding for the construction of a library at the St. Paul campus; the building opened during spring semester 2004. The new library and learning center also houses a branch of the Saint Paul Public Library. This is the only university/public library partnership in the state of Minnesota and one of only a few nationwide.

Notable alumni

MSU's first graduating class consisted of 12 people on 2/1/73. As of May 3, 2011, Metro State has 31,175 alumni. Notable alumni includes:

• Minnesota state Senator Sandy Pappas
• Minnesota state Senator Ken Kelash^[7]
• Former Minnesota state Senator Leo Foley
• Former MN state Representative Char Samuelson
• Screenwriter Martin Musatov
• Former Minnesota Viking & NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller
• Former Chair of the Metropolitan Council Peter Bell
• Samuel Sam-Sumana, the honorable chief and vice president of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
• American news anchor on WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Don Shelby

References

1. ^ "Metropolitan State University". http://www.mnscu.edu. http://www.mnscu.edu/campuses/profiles/metrostate.html. Retrieved 2011-06-19. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Metropolitan State University: Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
3. ^ "Dr. David E. Sweet, 51, Dies; Head of Rhode Island College". The New York Times. 1984-09-18. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E3D6163BF93BA2575AC0A962948260. 
4. ^ Metannrp.Qxd
5. ^ "Undergraduate Catalog". Metrostate.edu. http://www.metrostate.edu/catalog/col_schools.html. Retrieved 2010-08-30. 
6. ^ "Undergraduate Catalog". Metrostate.edu. http://www.metrostate.edu/catalog/univ_info.html. Retrieved 2010-08-30. 
7. ^ "Senator Kenneth S. Kelash DFL District 63". Senate.mn. http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1162&ls=. Retrieved 2010-08-30. 

External links

• Metropolitan State University website (metrostate.edu)
• MNSCU Website (mnscu.edu)