Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
Strategic Positioning
The University of Minnesota strives to be one of the top three public research universities in the world. At the core of this goal is the University’s commitment to recruit, educate, challenge, and graduate outstanding students who will become highly motivated lifelong learners and involved citizens. Strategic positioning has identified a focused set of initiatives, strengthening the University’s ability to offer a distinctive education that equips students for their place in a complex global society. Examples of such initiatives include:
Liberal Education
All baccalaureate degrees offered by any of the colleges on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus include a set of liberal education requirements. The Council on Liberal Education, a body composed of faculty and student representatives, is responsible for administering the requirements. CLE has made recommendations designed to strengthen the quality of liberal education at the University; the recommendations were approved by the Twin Cities Assembly in April 2008 and will go into effect for students entering the University in fall 2010. Read the Council’s report.
University Honors Program
Top students belong at the University of Minnesota. Beginning in Fall Semester 2008, the University will inaugurate a campus-wide University Honors Program that integrates the current collegiate-based honors program into an exciting, unified program. The University Honors Program will be designed to attract the very best students, and strengthen, expand, and diversify the honors opportunities for all undergraduate students on the Twin Cities campus.
Undergraduate Research
Through study at a large, research university, undergraduate students have the opportunity to witness and participate as new knowledge is created. By participating as apprentice researchers with active scholars, students share in cutting-edge discovery and learn the possibilities and limitations of inquiry. Expansion of undergraduate research opportunities is a key element in a broader strategy to insure that all undergraduate students will have a mentored scholarly, creative, professional, or research experience.
Writing Enriched Curriculum
The University of Minnesota seeks to provide world-class, comprehensive writing instruction throughout the undergraduate years. In Fall Semester 2007, the University established a new Department of Writing Studies in the College of Liberal Arts. This new department provides intellectual leadership in research and teaching of writing by bringing together faculty, staff, and graduate students from across the University who share a common passion for and scholarly interest in writing, rhetoric, and composition. The University is also enhancing collaborative efforts in writing support and will infuse writing across campus in our commitment to becoming a national leader in writing instruction, curriculum, and research.
Student Support Services
Students need a variety of services to support their learning both in and out of the classroom. Through expanded peer learning services in our SMART Learning Commons, coordinated career services that interface with academic advising and the curriculum, a new six-day Welcome Week introduction to campus as well as strengthened opportunities for community engagement, University of Minnesota students are provided the tools necessary to successfully complete and enrich their undergraduate program.
The University's first Welcome Week was Aug. 27-Sep. 1, 2008.