Minnesota State University Moorhead

Public university in Moorhead, Minnesota, US

"Moorhead State University" redirects here. For the university in Morehead, Kentucky, see Morehead State University.

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Former names

| Moorhead Normal School (1888–1921)
Moorhead State Teachers College (1921–1957)
Moorhead State College (1957–1975)
Moorhead State University (1975–2000)[1]
Motto| Sacrifice, Service, Loyalty
Type| Public
Established| 1887; 137 years ago (1887)

Academic affiliations

| Minnesota State system
Endowment| $29 million (2019)[2]
Budget| $105 million (2019)[3]
President| Timothy Downs
Provost| Arrick Jackson

Administrative staff

| 751[4]
Students| 7,534[5]
Location|

Moorhead

Minnesota

U.S.

Campus| Suburban
140 acres (57 ha)
Colors| Red, White, and Grey[6]

Nickname| Dragons

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division II – NSIC
Website| www.mnstate.edu

Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota, across the Red River of the North from Fargo, North Dakota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019[5] and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

## History

[edit]

The plans for what would become MSUM were laid down in 1885, when the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill declaring the need for a new state normal school in the Red River Valley, with an eye on Moorhead. The State Senator who proposed the bill, State Senator Solomon Comstock, donated 6 acres (2.4 ha) and appropriated the funds that would go to form Moorhead Normal School, which opened in 1888. In 1921, the State authorized the school to offer the four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Education in order to satisfy the need for high school teachers in northwest Minnesota, and the school became Moorhead State Teachers College.

Weld Hall, the oldest building on campus, built in 1915

With the entrance of World War II, the college entered into a contract with the Army Air Corps to train aviation students. After World War II, enrollment swelled to more than 700 students and the school diversified and broadened into both a liberal arts and professional curriculum. The school began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946 and graduate programs by 1953. As a result of the broadened offerings, by 1957 the name was changed to Moorhead State College. In 1969, the school joined a cooperative cross-registration exchange with neighboring Concordia College and North Dakota State University, creating the Tri-College University. The school continued to increase its number of programs and by 1975, the State Legislature that year granted the school university status under the name Moorhead State University. In 1995, Moorhead State became part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. On July 1, 2000, the school was renamed Minnesota State University Moorhead via a request sent to the board of trustees of the system.

Minnesota State University Moorhead was rated the 18th top liberal arts college in the midwest by TIME magazine in 2008.

Lommen Hall, which houses education departments

The school has gone through many names changes with Moorhead Normal School (1887), Moorhead State Teachers College (1921), Moorhead State College (1957), Moorhead State University (1975) and finally Minnesota State University Moorhead (2000).

### Presidents

[edit]

* 1888–1899 Livingston C. Lord
* 1899–1919 Frank A. Weld
* 1919–1923 Oliver Dickerson
* 1923–1941 Ray MacLean
* 1941–1955 Otto W. Snarr
* 1955–1958 A.L. Knoblauch
* 1958–1968 John Neumaier
* 1968–1994 Roland Dille
* 1994–2008 Roland Barden
* 2008–2014 Edna Mora Szymanski
* 2014–2023 Anne E. Blackhurst
* 2023–Present Timothy Downs

## Academics

[edit]

Academic rankings

Master's
Washington Monthly[7]| 328
Regional
U.S. News & World Report[8]| 115
National
Forbes[9]| RNP

MSUM offers 76 undergraduate majors with 99 emphases and 14 graduate degree programs. MSUM's colleges: the College of Arts, Media and Communication; the College of Business and Innovation; the College of Education and Human Services; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; and the College of Science, Health and the Environment.

MSUM is accredited by 14 national accrediting and certification agencies, including the Higher Learning Commission.[10] The MSUM School of Business is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB).[11]

The Nursing program is accredited at both the baccalaureate (BSN) and master’s (MS in nursing) levels by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Additional areas of accreditation include: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Athletic Training; and Teacher Education.[12]

MSUM also collaborates with Concordia College, North Dakota State University, North Dakota State College of Science, and Minnesota State Community and Technical College on a Tri-College University program that offers students the chance to take courses between the five campuses that can be credited toward their degree.[13]

Minnesota State University Moorhead professors have been recognized with more CASE Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Professors of the Year designations than any college or university, public or private, in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa, or Wisconsin. One professor has earned CASE Carnegie United States Professor of the Year designation and eleven professors have earned designation as CASE Carnegie Minnesota Professor of the Year.[14][15]

## Publications

[edit]

MSUM operates the New Rivers Press, a nonprofit literary press founded in 1968.

The campus newspaper is The Advocate, formerlyThe MiSTiC. The MiSTiC was closed by university administration in 1970.[16]

The school also publishes a literary magazine, Red Weather,[17] with the support of the English Department. The yearly publication is a journal of prose, poetry, interviews, photography and art by current undergraduates and graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Students produce a weekly open-submission literary journal entitled The Yellow Bicycle, a collection of poetry, prose, essays, and reviews.[18]

MSUM produces a daily faculty/staff email newsletter called Dragon Digest[19] and a twice a year publication for its alumni and friends titled Moorhead Magazine.[20]

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning (IJGLL), a blind peer-reviewed open access scientific journal, is published twice a year by the Department of Leadership and Learning in the College of Education and Human Services. The IJGLL focuses on original research in areas related to P-12, post-secondary, and community education.

## Dragon Radio

[edit]

The school's college radio station is KMSC, an unlicensed station which airs on AM 1500\. KMSC is a student organization that has been set up to run as a Non-profit Educational radio station and serves as an in-house learning facility.[21]

## Notable events

[edit]

MSUM sponsors a Student Academic Conference annually. The Student Academic Conference provides student researchers from each of its colleges with the opportunity to present their work to faculty, administration, peers, and the general public in a formal academic setting.[22] The conference was first offered in 1998.[23]

The conference provides a formal setting for upper class students to present their research from classes required under their major. There is a possibility of the student's research being published or presented at a state, regional, or national conference. The Student Academic Conference is a great opportunity for students and MSUM to gain recognition on a larger scale. Any major or discipline can present at the conference as long as it abides by conference rules based on which forum the student chooses to present the research. There is an option to orally present using visual aids, Powerpoint, etc..., or the student can construct a poster board displaying key points and results to be presented in a more informal manner taking questions and inquiries from onlookers. The conference is kicked off by a luncheon for all the participants. For some majors, presenting at the conference is mandatory in which the student presents their discipline's research from their senior seminar or thesis class.

## Athletics

[edit]

Main article: Minnesota State–Moorhead Dragons

Minnesota State University Moorhead teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division II. The Dragons are a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The MSUM athletic teams are called the Dragons. MSUM has a wide variety of intramural sports including flag football, softball, and soccer. Club teams are also available for men's and women's rugby, men's and women's lacrosse, and baseball which compete nationally.

Men's sports include Basketball, Cross country, football, Track & field, and wrestling. Women's sports offered are Dance, Basketball, cross country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & diving, Tennis, Track & field, and Volleyball

## Study abroad programs

[edit]

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022  Race and ethnicity[24] | Total

|

White | 81%  | 81

Black | 5%  | 5

Other[a] | 5%  | 5

Foreign national | 4%  | 4

Hispanic | 4%  | 4

Asian | 2%  | 2

Native American | 1%  | 1

Economic diversity
Low-income[b] | 30%  | 30

Affluent[c] | 70%  | 70

MSUM maintains a large number of study abroad programs throughout the world. Programs organic to MSUM include the following:

### Asia

[edit]

* Nankai University in Tianjin China
* Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba Japan
* Kanto Gakuin in Yokohama Japan
* Nagoya Gakuin University in Nagoya, Aichi Japan
* Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu Japan
* Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea
* Ming Chuan University in Taiwan

### Australia

[edit]

* University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia

### Europe

[edit]

* University of Portsmouth on England's southern coast
* Keele University located between Liverpool and Birmingham, in England
* Lincoln University located in central England
* Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford, England
* Hedmark University College in southeast Norway

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Notable Moorhead State University alumni include:
* Barkhad Abdi,
B.A. 2007,
2013 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominee

* Tim Purdon,
B.A. English 1991,
United States Attorney, District of North Dakota.

* Collin Peterson,
B.A. 1964,
U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 7th congressional district

* Dane Boedigheimer, B.A. 2003, Annoying Orange creator.

* Barkhad Abdi, actor, film director, and producer
* Bob Bartels, college swimmer and swim coach[25]
* Bob Bowlsby, college athletics commissioner
* Todd Brandt, Co-host of The Todd and Tyler Radio Empire
* Leif Enger, author
* Rod Halvorson, politician in the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives
* David Joerger, professional basketball coach[26]
* Nikita Koloff (Nelson Scott Simpson), professional wrestler
* Gary Love, Chief Risk Officer, United Nations
* Jan Maxwell, actress
* Douglas Medin, research psychologist
* Larry Munson, radio announcer for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football for forty-two years
* Collin Peterson, Congressman of Minnesota's 7th district
* Tim Purdon, 18th U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota
* Adam Quesnell, stand-up comedian
* Ed Schultz, television and radio personality
* Kevin Sorbo, (attended but did not graduate) actor
* Neal Tapio, businessman and Trump presidential campaign director for South Dakota
* Marc Trestman, professional football coach
* Chris Tuchscherer – wrestler and mixed martial artist[27]
* Jonathan Twingley, artist, illustrator, and author
* Jerry verDorn, actor
* Patrick Volkerding, founder of Slackware Linux distribution

## Notable faculty

[edit]

* Roland Dille (1924–2014), Professor of English, Dean of Academic Affairs, then President for 26 years
* Flora Frick (1889–1957), head of women's physical education department from 1919 to 1957
* David Mason (b. 1954), Poet & writer
* Thomas McGrath (1916–1990), Poet, Rhodes scholar, and Professor of English
* James Wright (1927–1980), Poet
* Mark Mostert (1992–2000) Program Coordinator for Programs and Licensure in Learning Disabilities. Professor, of Special Education at Regent University author and lecturer on Eugenics, Facilitated Communication and "useless eaters".[28]

## See also

[edit]

* United States portal

* List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
* Higher education in Minnesota

46°51′59″N 96°45′43″W﻿ / ﻿46.8663522°N 96.7620251°W﻿ / 46.8663522; -96.7620251[29]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Minnesota State University Moorhead's History". mnstate.edu. Minnesota State University Moorhead. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
2. ^ "Minnesota State University Moorhead Alumni Foundation, Inc. Financial Statements June 30, 2019 and 2018" (PDF). Minnesota State University Moorhead Alumni Foundation. Minnesota State University Moorhead Foundation. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
3. ^ "2019 Minnesota State Legislative Databook" (PDF). Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System website. Minnesota State System. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
4. ^ "2019 Minnesota State Legislative Databook" (PDF). Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System website. Minnesota State System. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
5. ^ a b Hertel, Nora (October 22, 2019). "How has enrollment at Minnesota State schools changed in a decade?". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
6. ^ MSUM Visual Identity Guidelines by MSU Moorhead. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
7. ^ "2024 Master's Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
8. ^ "2023-2024 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 18, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
9. ^ "America's Top Colleges 2024". Forbes. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
10. ^ "The Bulletin 2011‐2012: Accreditation/Certification. Minnesota State University Moorhead. 2011.
11. ^ Ponzillo, Amy. "Minnesota State University, Moorhead Earns AACSB International Accreditation." AACSB International News Release. 2010-01-07.
12. ^ [1] Minnesota State University Moorhead. 2013.
13. ^ "Tri-College University adds two community colleges, keeps na..." Retrieved 2018-05-08.
14. ^ "U.S. Professors of the Year." Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Accessed 2011-08-31.
15. ^ Johnson, Jessie. "Dragons on Fire." OPEN Magazine, pp. 48–53, Fall 2009.
16. ^ Shafer, Richard. "Spinning the Zip to Zap: Student Journalist Responsibility and Vulnerability in the Late 1960s." North Dakota Journal of Speech & Theatre. 2000.
17. ^ Red Weather. Minnesota State University Moorhead, Department of English.
18. ^ The Yellow Bicycle: an Open-Submission Weekly Literary Journal for MSU Moorhead.
19. ^ Continews. Archived 2011-08-23 at the Wayback Machine Minnesota State University Moorhead.
20. ^ Alumnews. Minnesota State University Moorhead Alumni Foundation.
21. ^ KMSC Dragon Radio: About.
22. ^ "Student Academic Conference 2011." Minnesota State University Moorhead. 2011-04-19.
23. ^ "Student Academic Conference: History." Minnesota State University Moorhead. 2011-04-19.
24. ^ "College Scorecard: Minnesota State University-Moorhead". United States Department of Education. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
25. ^ "Legacy Obituary for Robert L. "Bob" Bartels". Columbus Dispatch.
26. ^ "Archived copy". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2014-04-20.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
27. ^ "Chris Tuchscherer MMA Bio". Retrieved 2016-09-26.
28. ^ Mostert, Mark P. "Mark P. Mostert Vita" (PDF). Regent University. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
29. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Minnesota State University - Moorhead

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
2. ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
3. ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* MSUM Athletics website

* v
* t
* e

Colleges and universities in Minnesota

Public: University of Minnesota System|

* University of Minnesota
* Duluth
* Crookston
* Morris
* Rochester

Public: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system|

* Bemidji State
* Metropolitan State
* Minnesota State, Mankato
* MSU Moorhead
* St. Cloud State
* Southwest Minnesota State
* Winona State

Private institutions|

* Adler
* Augsburg
* Bethany Lutheran
* Bethel
* Carleton
* Concordia (Moorhead)
* Concordia (St. Paul)
* Crossroads
* Crown
* Dunwoody
* Free Lutheran Bible College
* Gustavus Adolphus
* Hamline
* Luther Seminary
* Macalester
* Minneapolis College of Art and Design
* Martin Luther
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* Northwestern
* Northwestern Health Sciences
* Oak Hills
* St. Benedict/St. John's
* St. Catherine
* Saint Mary's
* St. Olaf
* St. Scholastica
* St. Thomas

Community/technical colleges|

| Minnesota North College|

* Hibbing
* Itasca
* Mesabi Range
* Rainy River
* Vermilion

|

* Alexandria TC
* Anoka TC
* Anoka-Ramsey CC
* Central Lakes
* Century
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* Fond du Lac Tribal CC
* Hennepin TC
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* Normandale CC
* North Hennepin CC
* Northland CTC
* Pine TC
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* Ridgewater
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* Rochester CTC
* St. Cloud TCC
* Saint Paul CTC
* South Central
* White Earth Tribal CC

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Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system

Four-year universities|

* Bemidji State University
* Minnesota State University, Mankato
* Minnesota State University Moorhead
* Metropolitan State University
* Southwest Minnesota State University
* St. Cloud State University
* Winona State University

Community and
technical colleges|

* Alexandria Technical and Community College
* Anoka Technical College
* Anoka-Ramsey Community College
* Central Lakes College
* Century College
* Dakota County Technical College
* Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
* Hennepin Technical College
* Hibbing Community College
* Inver Hills Community College
* Itasca Community College
* Lake Superior College
* Mesabi Range College
* Minnesota State Community & Technical College
* Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical
* Minneapolis Community and Technical College
* Minnesota West Community & Technical College
* Normandale Community College
* North Hennepin Community College
* Northland Community & Technical College
* Northwest Technical College
* Pine Technical and Community College
* Rainy River Community College
* Ridgewater College
* Riverland Community College
* Rochester Community & Technical College
* St. Cloud Technical and Community College
* Saint Paul College
* South Central College
* Vermilion Community College

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Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

Members|

* Augustana Vikings
* Bemidji State Beavers
* Concordia Golden Bears
* Mary Marauders
* Minnesota State Mavericks
* Minnesota State–Moorhead Dragons
* Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
* Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
* Minot State Beavers
* Northern State Wolves
* St. Cloud State Huskies
* Sioux Falls Cougars
* Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs
* Wayne State Wildcats
* Winona State Warriors

Future full members|

* Jamestown Jimmies (joining 2025)

Associate members|

* Parkside Rangers (wrestling)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
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