Mankato History
The city's original name was Mahkato, a Dakota Indian term meaning "greenish blue earth". An early spelling error which was never corrected caused the name to become Mankato. In 1862, a conflict between the U.S. and the Dakota Indians (known as the "Sioux Uprising" in reference to the Dakota tribe's alternate moniker of Sioux) resulted in the largest mass execution in the nation's history when 38 Dakota Indians were hanged in Mankato. The city received its charter in 1868, the same year that Minnesota's second Normal School was established in the city. A teacher's college until after World War II, the school expanded its curriculum to include science and fine arts courses and became Mankato State College and later Mankato State University before being renamed Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1999.
The unique history of Mankato is preserved in many registered historic sites, and the talents of its students and residents support a thriving fine arts community. The city's location amidst Minnesota’s famed waters and woodlands also affords visitors and residents an easy escape to hiking/biking trails, golf courses, lake fishing and recreation, and winter skiing.
Minnesota State University's athletic teams are known as the Mavericks. The men's and women's ice hockey teams both compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) along with four other Minnesota-based college teams. The other Maverick teams compete in the North Central Conference of NCAA's Division II. The University is also the current site of the summer training camp for the Minnesota Vikings National Football League team.
MSU Overview
- Founded in 1868
- 100,500 alumni worldwide
- Approximately 14,000 students
- More than 500 international students from 68 countries
- 1,300 faculty and staff
- 600 full-time instructional faculty, 80 percent with terminal degrees
- Six academic colleges:
- 158 undergraduate programs of study, including 16 preprofessional programs
- 82 graduate programs
- Accredited by 25 national accrediting agencies including the North Central Association of Colleges
Facilities
- $8.4 million in renovations to student recreation/fitness center completed in 2005, with the nation's only "TechRec" facility (40 aerobic machines, each with high-resolution screens and instant access to e-mail, Internet, web radio and cable TV)
- $11 million renovated Myers Field House with eight-lane NCAA-sanctioned track
- Privately-funded $17 million Taylor Center, with 4,800 seat Bresnan Arena for Maverick basketball, volleyball, and wrestling; commencement ceremonies; high school tournaments; major concerts and lectures
- $11.4 million Centennial Student Union addition completed in 2005
- $52 million Trafton Science Center remodeling in progress
- Privately-funded $3.6 million Andreas Theatre completed in 2000
- 25,000 square-foot Technology Center, Casual Computing Lab and Global Learning Lab in Memorial Library
- Library Services houses 1.2 million items and provides electronic access to more than 190 databases and online collections
- Wireless access in most campus locations
- Andreas Observatory houses state-of-the-art astronomy equipment including a 20-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope, one of Minnesota's largest
- Three residence halls with capacity for 2,900, featuring Maverick Hall for first-year students, Learning Communities, and special-interest floors
- New semi-suite style 608-bed residence hall projected to open in summer 2008
- Beautifully landscaped campus, awarded the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System Excellence in Facilities Management Award five years in a row
- Enclosed passageways connect most academic buildings and campus is accessible to students with physical disabilities
- Home of Minnesota Vikings Summer Training Camp for more than four decades
Opportunities
- Bachelor's, master's, associate, and specialist degrees; undergraduate and graduate certificates; applied doctorates anticipated in fall 2007
- Most popular programs: Nursing/Pre-Nursing; Elementary Education; Management; Marketing; Construction Management; Computer Information Science; Law Enforcement; Accounting; Psychology; Biology
- Distinctive programs: Accelerated Option Nursing; Automotive Engineering Technology; Civil Engineering; cross-disciplinary undergraduate and graduate degrees; MFA in Creative Writing; MFA in Forensics/Speech Communication; Rapid Response Teacher Education; Technical Writing Graduate Certificate; BFA in Musical Theatre
- First Minnesota State institution accredited to offer all degrees online
- One of only four MBA programs in Minnesota accredited by AACSB International
- Named one of the nation's top master's degree producers of student Fulbright awards in 2004
- Home of the Minnesota Center for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, Center on Aging; Center for Continuous Learning; Center for School-University Partnerships; Force Science Center; Kessel Institute for the Study of Peace and Change; and Water Resources Center
- Partnerships include Public Achievement program with Dakota Meadows Middle School; Job Skills Partnerships with the Department of Trade and Economic Development and Condux/MICO; Healthcare Education Industry Partnership; MSU/CADA partnership against domestic violence; and SpeechGear computerized voice recognition partnership
- Information Technology Initiative for students and faculty in the College of Business
- Language Learning for Academic Success program for non-native English-speaking students
- Study Abroad program for Minnesota State Mankato students and Host Family program for international students
- Faculty conduct alternative energy research; athletic training and exercise science research in campus labs; renal research through a partnership with Mayo Clinic; and Cyclotron and nuclear physics research with Indiana University
- More than 500 student athletes
- Division I WCHA men's and women's hockey
- Division II NCC men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming, tennis, track, and wrestling
- Division II NCC women's basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball
- More than 200 academic student groups, intramural sports, leadership and religious organizations, honorary and professional fraternities and sororities, and special interest groups
- Cultural Diversity Center; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center; and Women’s Center
- Nationally-ranked forensics team, Clean Snowmobile team, Formula SAE Collegiate Design team, E-museum, men's track & field team, wrestling team, women's golf team
- Recognized as one of the 100 Best Campuses for LGBT students by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the first comprehensive campus guide to highlight the 100 most LGBT-friendly campuses in the United States
- Award-winning EMuseum and Weather Analysis Laboratory websites
- Recent lectures and concerts include Dave Anderson, Maya Angelou, LeVar Burton, Yolanda King, Bobby McFerrin, Janet Reno, Mo Rocca, Elie Wiesel, Black Eyed Peas, Blues Traveler, Counting Crows, Fuel, Hoobastank, Live, Switchfoot, Three Doors Down.
- Recipient of the 2003 Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce Business Education Partnership Award
- Hosts the annual International Festival, Pan-African conference, Rube Goldberg competition, world’s third-largest Science Fair, Undergraduate Research conference, and Women and Spirituality conference
Support
- Annual budget: $185 million
- Annual tuition and fees: $5,840 (undergraduate in-state)
- $80 million in scholarships, grants, work-study, and other support awarded annually to more than 11,800 students
- $8.9 million in federal grants, $6.75 million in state grants, $4.6 million in institutional grants/scholarships
- $1.75 million in non-institutional scholarships/grants, and $1.5 million in third-party funding (employer-paid tuition, etc.)
- $49.6 million in federal loans, $5.4 million in state loans, $9.8 million in private loans, and $1.7 million in federal and state work-study
- Top private fund-raiser in the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System—$39 million, $4 million over goal, raised in the University's first campaign (1997-2002)
Location
- Approximately 85 miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MSU sits atop 303 acres overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. Greater Mankato has a population of nearly 50,000
Leadership
Dr. Richard Davenport
President, 507-389-1111
Dr. Scott R. Olson
Vice President for Academic Affairs, 507-389-1333
Ms. Marilyn Delmont
Vice President for Technology and CIO, 507-389-6651
Mr. Rick Straka
Vice President for Finance and Administration, 507-389-6621
Dr. Patricia Swatfager-Haney
Vice President for Student Affairs, 507-389-2121
Mr. David Williams
Vice President for University Advancement, 507-389-2021
