University of Minnesota Rochester Receives $200,000 Gift from Strada Education Foundation for Chancellor's Fund for Innovation

The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) announced it has received a $200,000 gift from the Strada Education Foundation for the Chancellor’s Fund for Innovation to support the national College-in-3 Exchange. 

"The University of Minnesota is thrilled by Strada’s generous commitment to new designs that aspire to help more students succeed in college while also lowering their costs,” said University of Minnesota Rochester Chancellor Lori Carrell. “Thanks to Strada, we can look forward to gathering representatives from a growing number of pilot campuses across the country in April."

The gift will support the University of Minnesota Rochester’s continued co-facilitation of the national College-in-3 Exchange, with a project manager, website, a second convening of campus pilots in Boston this spring, and ongoing coaching for campus pilots as they design and seek external permission. The initiative is in its second phase and is preparing not only for several programs to launch but for a third phase of outcomes’ assessment. UMR’s prototype, NXT GEN MED, launched in fall 2022 and will begin evaluation after the first cohort graduates in December 2024. 

UMR professor and program director Andrew Petzold will be among the pilot representatives traveling to Boston for the second convening: “I’m excited about the gathering of campus pilots. We have plenty to learn from each other and so much to share from our experiences with the first two NXT GEN MED cohorts and our partners at Mayo Clinic.”

The College-in-3 Exchange has received significant national attention, including recent coverage by Forbes.  

“Innovative programs like the College-in-3 Exchange that reimagine a student’s path to opportunity through education aligns with Strada’s core values,” Ruth V. Watkins, president of postsecondary education at Strada Education Foundation, said. “ We are proud to invest in the University of Minnesota Rochester’s leadership as it co-facilitates the growth and development of the exchange across the country.”