McGuire Academic Program Kicks Off Sunday - College Doors Opened for 134 Students
Contacts: Sue Banovetz, College of Liberal Arts, (651) 334-2837
Freshmen from economically disadvantaged communities jump start their college careers at the University of Minnesota on Sunday, Aug. 27, a week before classes begin officially, thanks to the brand new McGuire Academic Program (MAP) and the work of university faculty, staff and student mentors. The project is made possible by a contribution from the McGuire Family Foundation, with most of the donation dedicated to student scholarships.
Sunday marks the beginning of a week-long resident program in which 66 of the 134 MAP students are participating and beginning their university journey through events designed especially for them to build a community for the students, build connections between the students and faculty, mentors and staff, and familiarize them with the resources and support available on campus.
Students of MAP are entering their first year in either the College of Liberal Arts; College of Biological Science; Institute of Technology; Carlson School of Management; College of Design; College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; and College of Education and Human Development.
Key events:
10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28
Nicholson Hall, Room 155
216 Pillsbury Dr. S.E., Minneapolis
Keynote address by Alex Pate, faculty member in the department of African American and African Studies at the university, teaches courses on fiction writing, English and literature, including “The Poetry of Rap” and “Writing in the Age of Hip Hop.” Pate's novels include the New York Times best-seller “Amistad: The Novel,”which he wrote at the request of Steven Spielberg.
9-10:15 a.m. Monday, Aug 28
8-9:30 a.m. Tuesday., Aug. 29,
10:30-noon Wednesday., Aug. 30
Northrop Mall and across the Twin Cities campuses
The Amazing Race - Edge Style
Students will gather in teams each day in the middle of Northrop Mall to start another leg of their amazing race of discovery across the East and West Banks and the Saint Paul campus.