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Former names | Southwest Minnesota State College (1964–1975) Southwest State University (1975–2003) |
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| Motto | Discover. Engage. Lead. |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1964; 61 years ago (1964) |
Parent institution | Minnesota State system |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
| Budget | $57 million (2019)[1] |
| President | David P. Jones |
Academic staff | 148 |
| Students | 8,718[2] |
| Location | ,, United States 44°27′16″N95°45′34″W / 44.45444°N 95.75944°W /44.45444; -95.75944 |
| Campus | Small city (rural), 216 acres (87 ha) |
| Colors | Brown and gold[3] |
| Nickname | Mustangs |
| Website | smsu.edu |
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Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) is apublic university inMarshall, Minnesota, United States. It is part of theMinnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The university has an enrollment of approximately 8,700 students and employs 148 faculty members.[4] It is divided into two major colleges, the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences and the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies.[5]
The university was founded in 1964 as "Southwest Minnesota State College" (SMSC). It admitted its first class of students on September 19, 1967. The college became "Southwest State University" (SSU) on August 1, 1975, and kept that name for nearly 30 years until adopting the name Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) on July 1, 2003.[6]
The first issue of thestudent newspaper, originally calledThe Impact, was published on May 10, 1968. The name was changed toThe Reader in 1974 and back toThe Impact in 1980.[7] In 2003 the name was changed toThe Spur to be more consistent with the Mustang theme and to spur students into action.
The R/A (Recreation/Athletic) Facility was built in 1996 and is a 4,000-seat multi-purpose venue.[8]
On January 2, 2002, a fire destroyed theStudent Center.[9] The dome's concrete framework was incorporated into the new student and conference center and is still visible in the food court area. The new center was completed in 2005. It features a replica of the original dome with the words "Student Center Dome: 1972–2002" written on it at the Alumni Heritage Center, near the Mustang Zone in the upper level.
In 2005 SMSU developed the first bachelor's degreeculinology program in the nation to be approved by the Research Chefs Association.[10]
On September 6, 2008, the new Regional Event Center officially opened on the western edge of campus. The athletic field was named Mattke Field after the old field, and in honor of past athletic director Glenn Mattke. The center is used by the Mustang football and soccer teams, as well as teams fromMarshall High School, and for other regional activities, such as concerts. It took two years and $16 million to complete.[11]
Southwest Minnesota State University provides undergraduate education in theliberal arts and professional studies. The most popular undergraduate majors are business administration and education. It also has specialized graduate programs in education, special education, and business administration.[12] The MBA program has degree options in marketing, leadership, and the general MBA.[13] Students can take classes both onsite and online. The graduate school does not have a student senate, but there is an MBA student organization.[14] A critical element of the undergraduate and graduate business programs' success is the Southwest Marketing Advisory Center, where students can do research on actual businesses.[15]
In addition to being regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, SMSU's programs are also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Minnesota Board of Teaching, the American Chemical Society and the Council on Social Work Education.[16]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71% | ||
| Black | 8% | ||
| Hispanic | 8% | ||
| International student | 5% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Asian | 2% | ||
| Unknown | 2% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 35% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 65% | ||
Most of the SMSU campus was constructed between 1965 and 1973 according to a unified plan. The brick and concrete buildings are interconnected viatunnels and enclosed walkways, providing a continuous and controlled environment during both summer and winter. The residence halls are not connected. There are many courtyards with gardens between the buildings. The campus is virtually barrier-free, allowing easy access to students inwheelchairs.
The university'sresidence halls were named by the students during the late 1960s and reflect various themes and values of the times, e.g. Aquarius, Casa Futura, Methedras and Kama Sutra. Armstrong Hall was named after astronautNeil Armstrong in honor of his trip to the moon in 1969. Manchester Hall was named for pop singerMelissa Manchester after a concert she gave on campus.[18]
In 2009 the university opened a new dorm named Sweetland Hall in honor of a late president, Douglas Sweetland.
Residence halls:
There are nofraternities orsororities on campus.
The Southwest Marketing Advisory Center (SMAC) is located on the second floor of the Science and Technology building, Room 203. SMAC is a self-funded entity within the academic marketing program at Southwest State. Its mission is to serve the marketing and research needs of southwestern Minnesota while giving real-world experience to junior, senior and graduate-level student employees.[19]
Each student attending Southwest Minnesota State University pays a 43-cent per credit fee to fund theMinnesota State University Student Association, a student-led nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of all students.
The school athletic teams are the Mustangs. Theircolors are the prairie colors of brown and gold.
The Mustangs compete in theNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), which is a part ofNCAA Division II. Programs for men include basketball, wheelchair basketball, baseball, cross country, track, football, and wrestling. The programs for women are basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and swimming.
SMSU features several facilities that are open to the general public and school groups.
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