UMR celebrates success and looks forward to the future

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The University of Minnesota-Rochester strives to create graduates who are ready to enter the workforce in health sciences or move on to medical school.

Today, it held the State of the Campus, with events happening at the Hilton and One Discovery Square.

With two health science majors, UMR currently enrolls 859 students. Its next milestone is to reach a thousand students, but keeping class sizes small and providing facilities is the main focus.

“We want to grow carefully and with good stewardship, having the facilities and human resources we need to be able to supply the same kind of world-class education that we’re creating right now,” said UMR chancellor Lori J. Carrell.

The downtown campus expansion has been a gradual process for UMR.

However, even with it growing in size, the school’s learning communities created a tight knit environment benefiting many students.

“I did tour other universities as well but there was just something very unique about UMR that I loved,” said current student Maha Siddiqui. “I loved the small classes. I loved that everyone was focused towards the same goal.”

UMR boasts an average class sizes of 21, with a student to faculty ratio of 12 to 1.

“They’re really out of their offices and engaging with students and making sure students understand the material,” Siddiqui said.

In addition to the professors, student success coaches, like Jennifer Hook, have also made impacts in students’ lives.

“She’s an academic coach but she’s been so much more that that,” said recent graduate Anthony Young. “She’s been a friend throughout these four years and always been there for me to bounce idea off of.”

The student body is comprised of 60 percent underrepresented students.

“We’re learning lessons that are applicable on every campus in the system and part of the national conversation about closing achievement gaps,” said University of Minnesota president Joan T.A. Gabel.

UMR also takes pride in having 100 percent of students employed or in medical or professional school.

For recent graduate Anthony Young, who scored in the 98th percentile on his MCAT, hard work and studying are only part of the success.

“But honestly it wouldn’t have been possible without the people who have been supporting me along the way,” Young said.

Through a three-part plan, UMR hopes to eventually reach an enrollment of 2,500 students. While it currently does not have plans to add new majors currently, it will reassess the job needs in the community when it reaches a thousand students.