History and Mission
History
The University of Minnesota was founded as a preparatory school in 1851, seven years before the territory of Minnesota became a state. Financial problems forced the school to close during the Civil War, but with the help of Minneapolis entrepreneur John Sargent Pillsbury, it reopened in1867. Known as the father of the University, Pillsbury, who was a University regent, state senator, and governor, used his influence to establish the school as the official recipient of public support from the Morrill Land-Grant Act, designating it as Minnesota's land-grant university.
William Watts Folwell was inaugurated as the first president of the University on December 22, 1869. In 1873, two students received the first bachelor of arts degrees. In 1888, the first doctor of philosophy degree was awarded. The Duluth campus joined the University in 1947; the Morris campus opened in 1960, and the Crookston campus in 1966.
See also: U of M Administration
Mission
The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people
are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of
learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge
through education for a diverse community; and to the application
of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation,
and the world. The University's mission, carried out on multiple
campuses and throughout the state, is threefold:
- Research and Discovery
Generate and preserve knowledge, understanding, and creativity
by conducting high-quality research, scholarship, and artistic
activity that benefit students, scholars, and communities across
the state, the nation, and the world.
- Teaching and Learning
Share that knowledge, understanding, and creativity by
providing a broad range of educational programs in a strong and
diverse community of learners and teachers, and prepare graduate,
professional, and undergraduate students, as well as non-degree-seeking
students interested in continuing education and lifelong learning,
for active roles in a multiracial and multicultural world.
- Outreach and Public Service
Extend, apply, and exchange knowledge between the University
and society by applying scholarly expertise to community problems,
by helping organizations and individuals respond to their changing
environments, and by making the knowledge and resources created
and preserved at the University accessible to the citizens of
the state, the nation, and the world.
In all of its activities, the University strives to sustain an
open exchange of ideas in an environment that embodies the values
of academic freedom, responsibility, integrity, and cooperation;
that provides an atmosphere of mutual respect, free from racism,
sexism, and other forms of prejudice and intolerance; that assists
individuals, institutions, and communities in responding to a continuously
changing world; that is conscious of and responsive to the needs
of the many communities it is committed to serving; that creates
and supports partnerships within the University, with other educational
systems and institutions, and with communities to achieve common
goals; and that inspires, sets high expectations for, and empowers
individuals within its community.
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