Winona State University

School mission (as provided by the school):

The mission of Winona State University is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve. We offer undergraduate programs based on the traditions and values of the arts and sciences and an array of graduate and professional programs that are especially responsive to the needs of the Upper Midwest. We prepare our graduates to serve generously, lead responsibly and respond imaginatively and creatively to the challenges of their work, their lives and their communities. Winona State University is a community of learners improving our world.

The oldest higher education institution in Minnesota, WSU is a vibrant institution embodying the spirit and essence of a regional comprehensive university. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and learning opportunities that respond to an increasingly diverse population that comes to postsecondary education at different life stages with varied educational goals.

Today more than 8,500 students work with nearly 400 faculty in more than 80 disciplines on three campuses: two in Winona and one forty miles to the west in Rochester. The main campus, nestled in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, is a garden oasis in the City of Winona, compact and beautifully landscaped, and adorned with every native species of Minnesota tree. The non-residential campus in Rochester offers a variety of baccalaureate, post baccalaureate and graduate programs to meet the needs of predominantly adult learners.

WSU is nationally recognized for offering high quality academic programs at a reasonable cost. WSU students choose to pursue studies in five colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Science and Engineering. The university offers: 62 undergraduate degree programs, 10 pre-professional programs, 18 Master's degree programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, and several licensure and specialist degree programs. In addition to university accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, many WSU academic programs are accredited, recognized or approved by national agencies or professional societies.

WSU offers a portfolio of broad and diverse educational opportunities, ranging from programs guided by our liberal arts tradition, complemented with a purposeful selection of professional and graduate programs that align with the needs, resources and expertise found in our region.

Among our distinctive initiatives and signature programs are: Leaders in technology-infused learning - Learning at WSU is an anytime, anywhere experience; Nursing and Health-related sciences - Our RNs have achieved a 95 percent first-time state certification pass rate, and our graduate nurse practitioners have achieved a 99 percent pass rate; Education - We are undertaking a comprehensive redesign of our teacher education program that will fundamentally change the way we recruit, prepare and support teachers for success in all types of learning environments; Composites Materials Engineering - WSU has the only undergraduate program in the nation in composite materials; National Child Protection Training Center - The Center's goal is to end child abuse in three generations. In partnership, WSU created the first model undergraduate Child Advocacy Studies curriculum; HealthForce Minnesota - A collaborative partnership of more than two dozen education, industry and community organizations dedicated to increasing the number and quality of healthcare workers throughout Minnesota; Integrated Wellness Complex - The complex aligns counseling, health, academics, intramurals, fitness and athletics into a single state-of-the-art facility, providing new opportunities for learning, research, hands-on experiences, activity, and outreach; and Sustainability - WSU was an early signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, committing our university to climate neutrality.