Richard Rush, president of Minnesota State University at Mankato, made a stop in Austin on Monday as part of his tour of southern Minnesota to meet with legislators, community leaders and alumni.

Tuesday, February 15, 2000

Richard Rush, president of Minnesota State University at Mankato, made a stop in Austin on Monday as part of his tour of southern Minnesota to meet with legislators, community leaders and alumni.

Rush, keynote speaker for the Austin Rotary Club’s meeting, presented Mankato’s plan for the months and year ahead before members at the Holiday Inn. He has been on a tour of southern Minnesota, addressing a variety of issues, but with a focus on the need to maintain the standard he promises to graduates of the university.

From a variety of internal resources, MSU-Mankato has moved to the forefront of technology and its implementation in a classroom setting, never losing sight of the goal of an institution of higher learning.

"We have a tradition of excellence," Rush told Rotary members. "A tradition of offering students opportunities; a period of growth and they look different when they graduate, from when they came to the university."

 

Colleges and universities have enjoyed success in forming partnerships with businesses in recent years. A success, because such partnerships often have been marred by conflicting opinions with the academic mission.

Through reaching out to the private sector, Mankato has burst into the global arena, such a necessity in this day of electronic business, offering students opportunities previously reserved for those with aspirations in professional athletics.

Combined with Mankato’s participation in the Global Wireless Education Consortium, a joint-venture among higher-education and Nokia, more students across the country soon will have the tools unheard of in previous academic situations.

"That’s what we are trying to do," Rush said. "We want to give students a hands-on education where they learn by doing. But we also want to further connections with business and industry so that each entity will benefit."

Yet even with outside partnerships, universities continue to struggle to attract and keep professors who can command more money at other institutions. Rush said Minnesota has been a little better than neighboring states, but recently has slipped in terms of financial support from the state Legislature. With a possible surplus this year, Mankato hopes to secure funding for the next phase of an expansion project.

Mankato’s $10 million bonding request would fund the second phase of its Student Recreational and Athletic Facilities, essential to addressing NCAA intercollegiate regulations. The first phase of the project was funded with $11 million from the 1998 state Legislature and is being used to replace an outdated field house.

The new facility will house greatly expanded health and fitness opportunities for all students, including an eight-lane track that will enable MSU to host NCAA-sanctioned events. More importantly, Mankato’s sports medicine, coaching and wellness programs will expand into newer facilities, geared with the student in mind.

The $35 million capital venture began in 1998, the largest at MSCU, raising nearly 75 percent of the money so far. Included in the fund raising was a more than $9 million donation by the Glen Taylor Foundation, used toward the Taylor Center, an arena and admissions facility.

In the classroom, Mankato’s technical writing program has earned national recognition and the business department is just one of 25 percent in the nation that is accredited.

The arts at Mankato received a boost from the opening of the Andreas Black Box Theatre, a $3.5 million facility. Currently, the theater program ranks among the nation’s top 1 percent and the university boasts a career placement for graduates of 99 percent.