University of Minnesota, Morris
Encyclopedia
University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) is a public
liberal arts college
and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
located in Morris
, Minnesota
, United States
. A part of the University of Minnesota system
, it was founded in 1960 as a public, co-educational, residential liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts
degrees.
and later the US government. The school closed in 1909 and the campus was transferred to the State of Minnesota under the agreement that American Indians
would always be admitted free of tuition, the current UMM still follows this agreed policy. In 1910, the University of Minnesota
(at the time only the Twin Cities campus), established a boarding school
on the campus called the West Central School of Agriculture. In the 1950s, the University of Minnesota began phasing out its regional agricultural school and the people of the Morris region were able to convince the school to develop the campus into a liberal arts college. The current UMM opened in September 1960.
Several historic buildings of the West Central School of Agriculture and Experiment Station are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. The Minority Resource Center, the oldest building on campus, dates back to 1899. It was previously the Music Hall of the West Central School of Agriculture, and the boys' dormitory of the Morris Industrial School for Indians. Camden Hall, Spooner Hall, the Horse Barn, Welcome Center, Behmler Hall, Blakely Hall, Imholte Hall, Education Building, Pine Hall, and the Recycling Center all contribute to the Register. Most of these buildings were designed by Clarence H. Johnston Sr. in the Craftsman
and Prairie School
style.
According to U.S. News and World Report, the five most popular majors on campus are English language and literature, business administration and management, psychology, human services and political science and government.
In 2011, Forbes
ranked UMM 90th in the "America’s Top Colleges" list, and 16th in the "Best in the Midwest". US News listed UMM at #6 in "Top Public Schools" for Liberal Arts Colleges. In May 2011, Consumers Digest ranked UMM in the Top 5 Values in Public Colleges and Universities. During the fall of 2010, both U.S. News and World Report and Forbes ranked UMM among their “Best College” lists. Morris was ranked sixth in the Top Public Schools in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category and made the Top 100 list of Best Colleges: Most Students Studying Abroad in U.S. News.
The annual jazz
festival was founded by Jim "Doc" Carlson in 1979. World-renowned jazz artists are invited to host clinics and master classes for high school, community, and college jazz ensembles . Each night of the festival concludes with performances by student jazz combos, ensembles, and the guest artists backed by Morris Jazz I.
The following guest artists have performed at the Annual Jazz Festival:
UMM is known for its commitment to alternative sources of energy. In April 2005, a wind turbine
was installed east of campus on a ridge over the Pomme de Terre river. The turbine currently provides about 60% of the campus' electricity (however the only building currently being supplied completely with this power is the new "Welcome Center"), in addition to providing a source for research. The second wind turbine was just completed in April 2011. The two wind turbines now stand only a few hundred feet apart. UMM has also completed the construction of a biomass plant
for research and energy purposes which has been inefficient in its purpose.
In addition, UMM has recently installed solar panels around campus.
. They are the first member of the UMAC to be a public, state-supported institution - all other members over the years were private institutions, usually with a religious affiliation.
Under then-head-coach Ken Crandall
, UMM ended a major college football losing streak on September 20, 2003, by defeating Principia College
, a Division III team, in Elsah, Illinois
61-28. UMM holds the NCAA
Division II record with 46 games lost consecutively, with the previous win before September 20, 2003 being November 14, 1998.
UMM was, in 1993, the first college in the United States
to sponsor women's wrestling
as an official varsity sport. The program was cut in 2003 due to budget constraints. In 2006, a new men's soccer team was announced.
In 2006, UM Morris opened a new football stadium named Big Cat Stadium, just south of the school's Regional Fitness Center. BCS is also used by the Morris Area High School Tigers. The new stadium replaced Cougar Field which had been used from 1970 to 2005. The school's first football field, named Miller Field, was used from 1961 to 1969.
In 2006, The Cougars captured their first UMAC championship in the Hubert H. Humphry Metrodome signaling the end of coach Ken Crandall's coaching career at UMM. The last conference title for the Cougar football
program was the Northern Intercollegiate Conference
(NIC) title in 1987, the second of two straight NIC titles. Over the next three years, the Cougars suffered losing records under coach Todd Hickman. In 2010 the team overcame their preseason rating (tied for last) to end the season with a winning record (5-4) and ending in a three way tie for 3rd in the conference.
" the U-90 alternative, the prairie's only alternative" 89.7 FM (KUMM
), and produces at least three television
programs that air on PBS
stations in the state. Pioneer Public Television
carries Prairie Yard and Garden, Academic Challenge and Minnesota Rivers and Fields. UMM also has a student-run publication: The University Register
, a newspaper which is published weekly.
Since 2005, the university has held an annual film festival, referred to as the UMMys, in the spring. Past winners include: "The Amazing Adventures of Beeman", "Rumspringa
: The Musical" (a story about the forbidden love between a young Amish
girl and a robot
), and "The Chancellor's Daughter".
Faculty
Staff
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges or COPLAC is a consortium of 26 public colleges and universities in 24 states and one Canadian province...
located in Morris
Morris, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,068 people, 1,929 households, and 985 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,183.2 people per square mile . There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 482.6 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A part of the University of Minnesota system
University of Minnesota system
The University of Minnesota is a large university with several campuses spread throughout the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are five primary campuses in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Crookston, Morris, and Rochester. A campus was open in Waseca for a time. The university also operates several...
, it was founded in 1960 as a public, co-educational, residential liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees.
History
Although UMM officially opened its doors in 1960, the history of what became the current institution reaches back further. In the 1887, the Morris Industrial School for Indians, an American Indian boarding school, was formed on the site and run by the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and later the US government. The school closed in 1909 and the campus was transferred to the State of Minnesota under the agreement that American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
would always be admitted free of tuition, the current UMM still follows this agreed policy. In 1910, the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
(at the time only the Twin Cities campus), established a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
on the campus called the West Central School of Agriculture. In the 1950s, the University of Minnesota began phasing out its regional agricultural school and the people of the Morris region were able to convince the school to develop the campus into a liberal arts college. The current UMM opened in September 1960.
Several historic buildings of the West Central School of Agriculture and Experiment Station are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Minority Resource Center, the oldest building on campus, dates back to 1899. It was previously the Music Hall of the West Central School of Agriculture, and the boys' dormitory of the Morris Industrial School for Indians. Camden Hall, Spooner Hall, the Horse Barn, Welcome Center, Behmler Hall, Blakely Hall, Imholte Hall, Education Building, Pine Hall, and the Recycling Center all contribute to the Register. Most of these buildings were designed by Clarence H. Johnston Sr. in the Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
and Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style.
Academics
Morris offers 35 majors and minors and eight pre-professional programs in education, the humanities, science and mathematics and social sciences.According to U.S. News and World Report, the five most popular majors on campus are English language and literature, business administration and management, psychology, human services and political science and government.
In 2011, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranked UMM 90th in the "America’s Top Colleges" list, and 16th in the "Best in the Midwest". US News listed UMM at #6 in "Top Public Schools" for Liberal Arts Colleges. In May 2011, Consumers Digest ranked UMM in the Top 5 Values in Public Colleges and Universities. During the fall of 2010, both U.S. News and World Report and Forbes ranked UMM among their “Best College” lists. Morris was ranked sixth in the Top Public Schools in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category and made the Top 100 list of Best Colleges: Most Students Studying Abroad in U.S. News.
Music Discipline
The music discipline provides performing opportunities such as choir, symphonic winds, jazz ensembles, and recitals.The annual jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival was founded by Jim "Doc" Carlson in 1979. World-renowned jazz artists are invited to host clinics and master classes for high school, community, and college jazz ensembles . Each night of the festival concludes with performances by student jazz combos, ensembles, and the guest artists backed by Morris Jazz I.
The following guest artists have performed at the Annual Jazz Festival:
- 2011- 33rd- Eric AlexanderEric AlexanderEric Alexander is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his sophisticated hard bop and post-bop style.Alexander began as a classical musician, studying alto saxophone at Indiana University with Eugene Rousseau in 1986...
on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and Todd CoolmanTodd CoolmanTodd Coolman is a jazz bassist residing near New York City.Since moving to New York in 1978, he has performed with Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman. Coolman recently recorded “Lexicon”...
on Bass. - 2010- 32nd- Adam Rapa on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Jeff Rinear on tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, Mike TuckerMike TuckerMike Tucker is a special effects expert who worked for many years at the BBC Television Visual Effects Department, and now works as an Effects Supervisor for his own company, The Model Unit. He is also the author of a variety of spin-offs relating to the television series Doctor Who and...
on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and Bill Carrothers on pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. - 2009- 31st- Robin EubanksRobin EubanksRobin Eubanks is an American jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.-Biography:...
on tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, Adam RogersAdam RogersAdam Rogers is an American guitarist specializing in post bop, contemporary jazz, and classical music. Rogers has had a prolific and extensive session history as a recording guitarist having played on over 150 commercially released recordings...
on guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and Kenni Holmen on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. - 2008- 30th- Byron Stripling on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and Eric MarienthalEric MarienthalEric Marienthal is a Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres....
on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. - 2007- 29th- Chris Vadala on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and Allen VizzuttiAllen VizzuttiAllen Vizzutti is an American trumpeter, composer and music educator.Allen Vizzutti very recently recorded his first solo jazz album in some time. "Ritzville" which will be available November 1st, as announced by Vizzutti himself...
on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. - 2006- 28th- Reggie Watkins on tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and Nestor TorresNestor TorresNestor Torres is a jazz flautist who was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in 1957. He took flute lessons at age 12 and began formal studies at the Escuela Libre de Música, eventually attending Puerto Rico’s Inter-American University. At 18, he moved to New York with his family...
on fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. - 2005 - 27th- Jane BunnettJane BunnettJane Bunnett is a Canadian soprano saxophonist, flutist and bandleader known for her Afro-Cuban jazz melodies.In 2004, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada...
on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, Sarah Jane CionSarah Jane Cion-Biography:Sarah Jane Cion received the Boston Jazz Society Award in 1988. She graduated from the New England Conservatory in 1990. In 1991, she was chosen as one of four pianists to attend the Banff School of Fine Arts, with faculty of Steve Coleman, Rufus Reid, Kevin Eubanks, Marvin Smith, Kenny...
on pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Sherrie MaricleSherrie MaricleSharon Lee "Sherrie" Maricle is an American jazz drummer. Maricle began playing professionally, performing locally with Slam Stewart, while studying music at SUNY-Binghamton...
on drums, and Sarah Morrow on tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. - 2004 - 26th- Wayne BergeronWayne BergeronWayne Bergeron, American jazz musician and trumpet player, was born in 1958 in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up Southern California. His interest in music started on the French Horn before he switched to, his claim to fame, the trumpet, in 8th grade...
on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, and Kim Park on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. - 2002- 24th- Vaughn NarkVaughn NarkVaughn Nark is a critically acclaimed trumpeter, flugelhornist, tromboneist and exclusive Yamaha clinician from Washington, DC. With a career that includes nearly two decades as a member of the United States Air Force's Airmen of Note, Nark has performed with many of the worlds finest artists and...
on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, and Butch ThompsonButch ThompsonButch Thompson is an American jazz pianist and clarinetist best known for his ragtime and stride performances....
on pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. - 2001- 23rd- Chris Vadala on saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and Allen VizzuttiAllen VizzuttiAllen Vizzutti is an American trumpeter, composer and music educator.Allen Vizzutti very recently recorded his first solo jazz album in some time. "Ritzville" which will be available November 1st, as announced by Vizzutti himself...
on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. - 2000- 22nd- Ingrid JensenIngrid JensenIngrid Jensen is a Canadian jazz trumpet player.Jensen is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music and Malaspina University in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She has been nominated for several Juno awards, winning one with her first release, Vernal Fields...
on trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and Bruce Paulson on tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
.
Green campus
In August 2009, Mother Jones Magazine chose the University of Minnesota Morris as one of its top 10 "cool schools" in the United States, stating that the school is great for alternative energy enthusiasts.UMM is known for its commitment to alternative sources of energy. In April 2005, a wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
was installed east of campus on a ridge over the Pomme de Terre river. The turbine currently provides about 60% of the campus' electricity (however the only building currently being supplied completely with this power is the new "Welcome Center"), in addition to providing a source for research. The second wind turbine was just completed in April 2011. The two wind turbines now stand only a few hundred feet apart. UMM has also completed the construction of a biomass plant
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
for research and energy purposes which has been inefficient in its purpose.
In addition, UMM has recently installed solar panels around campus.
Athletics
UMM's athletic teams have experienced varied success during the school's history. The 1970s were marked by success in basketball and football. Olympic wrestler, Dennis Koslowski, wrestled for the Cougars in the early 1980s. After a move in the early 1990s as a non-scholarship Division II and a brief experiment with athletic scholarships, Cougar athletics found a more appropriate home in NCAA Division III's Upper Midwest Athletic ConferenceUpper Midwest Athletic Conference
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is a college-level athletic conference. The UMAC is a member-conference of the NCAA Division III. The UMAC was formerly affiliated with the NAIA. Corey Borchardt is the current commissioner of the UMAC, and was appointed to the position in 2008...
. They are the first member of the UMAC to be a public, state-supported institution - all other members over the years were private institutions, usually with a religious affiliation.
Under then-head-coach Ken Crandall
Ken Crandall
-External links:*...
, UMM ended a major college football losing streak on September 20, 2003, by defeating Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
, a Division III team, in Elsah, Illinois
Elsah, Illinois
Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the village had a total population of 673. Cyrus Bunting is the the village's current acting mayor.Elsah is a part of the Metro-East region and the St...
61-28. UMM holds the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II record with 46 games lost consecutively, with the previous win before September 20, 2003 being November 14, 1998.
UMM was, in 1993, the first college in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to sponsor women's wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
as an official varsity sport. The program was cut in 2003 due to budget constraints. In 2006, a new men's soccer team was announced.
In 2006, UM Morris opened a new football stadium named Big Cat Stadium, just south of the school's Regional Fitness Center. BCS is also used by the Morris Area High School Tigers. The new stadium replaced Cougar Field which had been used from 1970 to 2005. The school's first football field, named Miller Field, was used from 1961 to 1969.
In 2006, The Cougars captured their first UMAC championship in the Hubert H. Humphry Metrodome signaling the end of coach Ken Crandall's coaching career at UMM. The last conference title for the Cougar football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
program was the Northern Intercollegiate Conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. Nine of its members are in Minnesota, with two members in South Dakota and one member each in the states of Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. It participates in the NCAA's...
(NIC) title in 1987, the second of two straight NIC titles. Over the next three years, the Cougars suffered losing records under coach Todd Hickman. In 2010 the team overcame their preseason rating (tied for last) to end the season with a winning record (5-4) and ending in a three way tie for 3rd in the conference.
Media
The university operates the radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
" the U-90 alternative, the prairie's only alternative" 89.7 FM (KUMM
KUMM
KUMM is a radio station broadcasting an Alternative format. Licensed to Morris, Minnesota, USA. The station is currently owned by University of Minnesota Morris.The station is a member of Minnesota's Independent Public Radio network...
), and produces at least three television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs that air on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations in the state. Pioneer Public Television
Pioneer Public Television
KWCM-TV is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for southwest and west-central Minnesota. The station is licensed to the town of Appleton, and airs on digital channel 10, which is also its virtual channel. It operates a full-time satellite, KSMN-TV in Worthington...
carries Prairie Yard and Garden, Academic Challenge and Minnesota Rivers and Fields. UMM also has a student-run publication: The University Register
The University Register
The University Register is the official campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota Morris, and is published weekly during the academic year. It primarily serves the University of Minnesota Morris campus and the greater Morris community...
, a newspaper which is published weekly.
Since 2005, the university has held an annual film festival, referred to as the UMMys, in the spring. Past winners include: "The Amazing Adventures of Beeman", "Rumspringa
Rumspringa
Rumspringa Pronounced A- generally refers to a period of adolescence for some members of the Amish, a subsect of the Anabaptist Christian movement, that begins around the...
: The Musical" (a story about the forbidden love between a young Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
girl and a robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
), and "The Chancellor's Daughter".
Residence halls
The residence halls on campus are- Clayton A. Gay Hall (Gay Hall) - Underclassmen Residence Hall also home to Student Health Services.
- David C. Johnson Independence Hall (Indy Hall) - Underclassmen Residence Hall
- Pine Hall - Underclassmen Residence Hall
- Blakely Hall – Upperclassmen Residence Hall
- Spooner Hall - Upperclassmen Residence Hall
- On-Campus Apartments - Upperclassmen Apartment Housing
Notable people
Alumni- Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven GildeaLorie Skjerven GildeaLorie Skjerven Gildea is an attorney and the current Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She served as an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 2006 to 2010, and as a district judge for Hennepin County in the Fourth Judicial District from 2005 to 2006.-Early life and...
1983 - Chief Justice for Minnesota Supreme Court - Tim Goodmanson 1986 - Emmy winning art director for "As the World Turns"
- Bruce JohnsonBruce JohnsonBruce Edward Johnson is an American lawyer and Republican politician who was appointed the State of Ohio's 63rd Lieutenant Governor on January 5, 2005, to complete an unexpired term. Johnson concurrently served as Director of the Ohio Department of Development.Johnson's rise in Ohio was swift...
1971 - president and CEO, Porchlight Entertainment - Rusty Kath 2003 - stadium emcee, Tampa Bay Rays baseball
- Tony WilliamsonTony WilliamsonTony Williamson may refer to:* Tony Williamson * Tony Tallarico, comic book artist who used the pseudonym "Tony Williamson"...
1987 - founder, Ajasa Technologies. Selected as the 2009 Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) Charles W. Poe Jr. Entrepreneur of the Year Award. - Dennis AndersonDennis AndersonDennis Anderson is a professional monster truck driver. He is the creator and driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, he now resides in Poplar Branch, North Carolina. In Poplar Branch, he has his own shop where he signs autographs and shoots...
1973 - journalist, Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bruce Helmer 1982 - owner, Wealth Enhancement Group. WCCO radio personality
- Duane Koslowski 1982 - Olympic athlete
- Dennis Koslowski 1981 - team chiropractor, Minnesota Vikings. Owner, Koslowski Chiropractic Inc.
- Cy ThaoCy ThaoCy Thao is a Laotian-born Hmong politician from Minnesota and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 65A, which includes portions of the city of Saint Paul. A Democrat, he was first elected in 2002...
1995 - State of Minnesota House of Representatives - Joseph Basel 2009 - Arrested at Senator Landrieu's office for phone-tampering, then convicted of entering federal property under false pretenses.
- Aaron Perrine 2002 - Music composer
- Dana VethDana VethDana Matthew Veth is a former Bahamian footballer, who currently works as Assistant coach of Spring Hill Badgers.-Early life:Veth was born in the Bahamas but has dual American-Bahamian citizenship...
2006 - Bahamian footballer
Faculty
- PZ MyersPZ MyersPaul Zachary "PZ" Myers is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris and the author of the Pharyngula science blog. He is currently an associate professor of biology at UMM, works with zebrafish in the field of evolutionary developmental biology , and also cultivates an...
- Associate professor of biology, prominent atheist blogger - John Stuart IngleJohn Stuart IngleJohn Stuart Ingle was an American contemporary realist artist, known for his meticulously rendered watercolor paintings, typically still lifes. Some criticism has characterized Ingle's work as a kind of magic realism...
- Artist - Vicente Cabrera FunesVicente Cabrera FunesVicente Cabrera Funes is an Ecuadorian writer living in Morris, Minnesota, where he is also the head of the Department of Latin American Culture and Literature at the University of Minnesota in Morris.-Essays:...
- Author
Staff
- Jim HallJim Hall (programmer)Jim Hall is a computer programmer and advocate of free software, best known for his work on FreeDOS. Hall began writing the free replacement for the MS-DOS operating system in 1994 when he was still a physics student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls...
- Director of Information Technology/CIO