Universities and Colleges

Universities and Colleges

Educational institutions have been involved with the effort to protect, study, and inform the public about ongoing water quality issues in the basin.  Examples of this effort include the establishment of the Water Resources Center at Minnesota State University in Mankato and water-related studies by both professors and students.  The University of Minnesota has also focused a lot of attention on the Minnesota River, in particular through research on all types of pollutants.  Out on the western end of the basin, the University of Minnesota Morris is creating a buzz from its sustainability program and environmental-focused major.   These institutions offer workshops, events, and classes on environmental issues for the public.

Minnesota State University Mankato – Water Resources Center
Created in 1987, the Water Resources Center (WRC) serves as a regional center for environmental research and information exchange.  The mission of the WRC is to gather, interpret, and distribute data of environment significance to help citizens enhance the quality of regional lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater.  This is accomplished through faculty and student applied research, educational programming, technical assistance, and water resource planning.  Since its beginning, the WRC has participated in over 100 research, educational, and planning projects involving partnerships with dozens of public and private organizations. 
Contact: 507-389-5492 - http://cset.mnsu.edu/wrc/

University of Minnesota – Water Resources Center
Affiliated with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, the Water Resource Center at the University of Minnesota, provides leadership in freshwater management through cutting-edge research, educational opportunities for students and professionals, and community outreach.  The Water Resources Center provides students a critical link to water-resource professionals and access to all the University’s water-related programs.  For citizens and professionals, the Water Resources Center provides oversight of community-based programs and training and assistance with issues related to impaired waters, storm water management, agricultural practices and global water issues.
Contact: 612-624-9282 - http://wrc.umn.edu/index.htm

University of Minnesota Morris
Where the skies are big, classes are small, and living green is second nature is the motto of the small University of Minnesota Morris campus.  A University of Minnesota campus, Morris is a unique higher education institution combing its small campus with the resources of a large top 10 public research university.  The mission of Morris is to provide a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education, preparing its students to be global citizens who value and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship.  Morris is one of the first public colleges to generate on-site renewable power from local sources including a biomass gasifier, wind turbine and solar thermal panels.
Contact: 888-866-3382 - http://www.morris.umn.edu/

Southwest Minnesota State University
This four-year public university offers a high quality education in the liberal arts and professions to prepare you for a life that is successful personally and professionally.  Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) offers over 45 undergraduate and three master degrees and grown into a university with high national rankings.  One of the features at SMSU is a Natural History Museum, which uses a multimedia approach to introduce visitors to the history of plants and animals, particularly those native to Minnesota.  The campus also supports a 22-acre Environmental Learning Area encompassing prairie, woodlands, and water.
Contact: 1-800-642-0684 -  http://www.smsu.edu/

Gustavus Adolphus College
Founded in 1862, Gustavus Adolphus College is a highly selective, private, coeducational, residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Gustavus Adolphus College has valued its Lutheran and Swedish heritages throughout its history and is guided by five core values: community, excellence, faith, justice and service.  For over forty years, Gustavus Adolphus College has put on the well respected Nobel Conference to bring cutting-edge science issues to the attention of an audience of students and interested adults and engage in a moral and societal impact discussion centering on these issues.  The campus also features the Melva Lind Interpretive Center and 135-acre Linnaeus Arboretum. 
Contact: 507-933-8000 - https://gustavus.edu/

South Central College
Located on two campuses in Faribault and North Mankato, South Central College (SCC) is a Minnesota Community and Technical College with a history of academic excellence since 1946.  The vision of SCC is to the region’s leading institution for transitioning individuals into the college environment, educating students for technical careers, and building student capacity for future study through inclusive student-centered programs and services.  More than 50 technical career programs are offered at SCC including those related to agriculture, arts, business, engineering, health science technology and human services.
Contact: 800-422-0391 (Faribault Campus) and 800-722-9359 (North Mankato Campus) - http://www.southcentral.edu/

Minnesota West Community & Technical College
A comprehensive community and technical college, Minnesota West Community and Technical College has five campus locations at Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone and Worthington with three learning centers in Fairmont, Luverne and Redwood Falls.  Students have the opportunity to earn an Associate Degree, Diploma, or Certificate in more than 60 disciplines.  The mission of the Minnesota West Community and Technical College is dedicated to serving the varied educational needs of our diverse populations in affordable, accessible and supportive settings.   
Contact: - http://www.mnwest.edu/