| Southwest Minnesota State University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1963 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Dr. Ronald A. Wood |
| Academic staff | 148 |
| Students | 3,700 |
| Location | Marshall, Minnesota, USA |
| Campus | Small City, 216 acres (87 ha) |
| Colors | Brown and Gold |
| Nickname | Mustangs |
| Affiliations | MnSCU |
| Website | www.smsu.edu |
Southwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and employs 148 faculty members. It is divided into two major colleges, the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, and the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies. SMSU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Southwest Minnesota State University was named the #1 public college in its category nine times by U.S. News and World Report.[1] Each student attending Southwest Minnesota 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.
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The university was founded in 1963 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 thirty years until adopting the current name of Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) on July 1, 2003.[2]
The University went through a severe enrollment crisis during the 1970s. During the fall quarter of 1976, on-campus enrollment dropped to an all-time low of 1,624 students.[3] This led to faculty retrenchment and concerns about the viability of the university.
The student newspaper was originally called The Impact. The name was changed to The Reader in 1974, and then back to The Impact in 1980.[4] In 2003 the name was changed again to The 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 serves as a 4,000 seat multi-purpose venue.
On January 2, 2002, a fire destroyed the Student Center, which originally featured an underground living area and a glass dome. The concrete framework for the dome was incorporated into the new student and conference center, and is still visible in the food court area. The new student center was completed in 2005. When completed, it featured a replica of the original dome with the words "Student Center Dome: 1972-2002" written on it at the Alumni Heritage Center, located near the Mustang Zone in the upper level.
In 2005, SMSU developed the first bachelors degree culinology program in the nation to be approved by the Research Chefs Association.[5]
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 a past football coach. The center is used by the Mustang football and soccer teams, as well as teams from Marshall High School, and for other regional activities (such as concerts). It took two years and $16 million to complete.[6]
Southwest Minnesota State University provides undergraduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies for the following areas: Accounting, Agribusiness Management, Anthropology, Art, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Culinology, Economics, Education, English, Environmental Science, Foreign Languages, Global Studies, History, Hotel and Restaurant Administration, Humanities, Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Justice Administration, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Rural and Regional Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Speech Communication, Theatre Arts, Wellness and Human Performance, and Women's Studies. The university also supports a Center for Rural and Regional Studies, and offers masters degrees in Business Management, Education, and Special Education. The most popular majors are Business Administration and Education.
Most of the SMSU campus was constructed between 1965 and 1973 according to a unified plan. The brick and concrete buildings are interconnected via tunnels and enclosed walkways, providing a continuous and controlled environment during both summer and winter. The residence halls unfortunately are not connected. There are many courtyards with gardens between the buildings. The campus is virtually barrier free, allowing easy access to students in wheelchairs.
The university's residence 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 astronaut, Neil Armstrong in honor of his trip to the moon in 1969. Manchester Hall was named after pop singer, Melissa Manchester after a concert she gave on campus.[7]
There are no fraternities or sororities on campus in order to promote a safe and friendly environment for all students.
The school athletic teams are the Mustangs. Their colors are the prairie colors of brown and gold.
The Mustangs compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), which is a part of NCAA Division II. SMSU has been competing since 1969, but has been a part of the conference since the Northern Intercollegiate Conference and the Northern Sun Conference merged to form the NSIC in 1992. Programs for men include basketball, wheelchair basketball, baseball, football, and wrestling. The programs for women are basketball, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The student booster club for basketball is the Mustang Maniacs. Their slogan is, "Our team loves us and our opponents fear us". An annual basketball tradition is Hawaiian Night, which usually coincides with the Winter Meltdown festival held during the second week of the Spring Semester (which lasts from early January through early May).
Intramural sports include badminton, basketball, flag football, floor hockey, broomball, racquetball, softball, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and volleyball. The Mustang Rugby Club competes in the Minnesota Rugby Union (USA Rugby) and won the Minnesota Division III Championship in 2002. Recently the Mustangs Rugby Club won the Minnesota Division IIIB championship in 2010.
Athletic Director: Chris Hmielewski [8]
Baseball: Paul Blanchard [9]
Men's Basketball: Brad Bigler [10]
Women's Basketball: Allison Kruger [11]
Wheelchair Basketball: Lew Shaver [12]
Football: Cory Sauter [13]
Golf: Ross Webskowski [14]
Soccer: T.J. Buchholz [15]
Softball: Missy Bruggeman [16]
Tennis: Charlie Kost [17]
Volleyball: Terry Culhane [18]
Wrestling: Jesse Nelson [19]
SMSU features several facilities that are open to the general public and school groups.
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