The rolling fields and green spaces of the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities overlay a truly vibrant and vital reality: a lot of the work that supports Minnesota's economy and environment occurs here. In addition to agricultural and ecological innovations and training veterinarians for animals large and small, there is cutting-edge research in biology, genomics, nutrition and more that improve human health every day.
But when Madison Wiese looks for a place to study on the St. Paul campus, the St. Paul Student Center and Magrath Library are rarely her first choices. The first-year animal science and agricultural communications and marketing major gravitates instead toward more modern study spaces.
Like many students in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, Wiese spends most of her days on a campus where many buildings are more than 60 years old. The current student center was built in the 1970s and still uses the original HVAC system. Magrath Library, the primary library on the St. Paul campus, is 73.
“If the student center was more up to date, I believe that more students would use the space, both for studying and hanging out,” Wiese says. “I think it would boost overall St. Paul campus morale.”
To address those concerns and strengthen the student experience, the University of Minnesota is proposing a major revitalization of the St. Paul campus, with a new Campus Center as the centerpiece. It's the beginning spark of a bold plan by the University to catalyze the transformation of the St. Paul campus into a dynamic environment that enriches student life, drives scholarly innovation and deepens community relationships.
Ultimately, the campus will play an even larger role in supporting Minnesota's food systems and developing innovative design solutions, by engaging the community and educating students who wish to be at a leading public research university with world-class facilities. The Minnesota Legislature will provide $35 million for the project as part of a $1.2 billion bonding bill that was passed in May.
The proposed building would combine a state-of-the-art student center with a new campus library, creating a modern hub for studying, gathering, and hands-on learning. Plans include new teaching and learning areas, student health services, meeting and event spaces, retail options, indoor and outdoor social spaces, and refreshed dining amenities.
Lisa German, dean of the University Libraries, says the project represents a forward-looking shift in how the campus supports students.
“This is an opportunity to integrate the Libraries with student services and auxiliary services so that it provides a space for the whole student,” German says. “The colleges on the St. Paul campus are such a representation of our land-grant mission. It’s crucial that we have up-to-date learning centers and a student center.”
The predesign process engaged over 600 students and 200 faculty and staff in the design process to ensure the project reflects the unique character and needs of the St. Paul community, German says.
Additionally, the St. Paul campus serves as a destination for thousands of clients and animal patients who come from around the state and nation, seeking specialized care at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Medical Center.
“The campus center will be a welcome space for the clients we serve through our Veterinary Medical Center, which manages more than 35,000 patient visits annually,” says Laura Molgaard, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Having accessible amenities nearby is essential, especially for what can often be long and stressful waits while their animals undergo diagnostic testing, procedures or treatments.”
Modernizing the St. Paul campus would keep the University competitive with its Big Ten peers and keep Minnesota at the forefront of discovery, drive innovative teaching and learning, and attract and retain top students, faculty and staff.
For third-year applied economics student Melia Lachinski, the current St. Paul Student Center usually serves as her “home base” on days she has class. She often spends her time there studying and catching up with friends. She says a campus center would make a huge difference to her campus life.
“Having a dedicated St. Paul campus library that is large enough to serve all the students who call the St. Paul campus their academic home is crucial to making sure we are able to get work done in a focused setting,” Lachinski says.
Ultimately, a new Campus Center would finally bring a modern, flexible student-focused environment to the St. Paul campus — one that students such as Lachinski and Wiese need.
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