Campus News

Bus pass gains momentum
In the September edition of The Metropolitan, we told you about the return of Metro Transit’s GoTo College Pass at Metropolitan State University. This card provides Metropolitan State students with unlimited rides on buses and light rail for an entire semester. The cards are available for fall 2009 semester, and even if you’re waiting until now to purchase yours it is still worth the money. Given the success of the subsidized version of this card during the previous academic year, the Student Senate is working on making the card available at a price comparable with the U-Pass card, which is available to students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities for a smaller cost...

Metropolitan State considering on-campus child care facility
The Metropolitan State University Student Senate’s Child Care Center Committee has a mission to implement a child care center into the St. Paul campus. Metropolitan State is currently the only school in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system that doesn’t have such a facility on campus—and is in desperate need of one. The average age of Metropolitan State students is higher than the average age of students attending the other schools...

Gateway system reorganization scheduled for 2009-10
Many students rely on Metropolitan State University’s Gateway system for more than just registration queries. Gateway staff receives questions about financial aid, advising and student accounts, among others. In an effort to better serve the student population, the Student Affairs division of Metropolitan State has recently implemented a Gateway Reorganization. They are working to devise a new system of more in-depth support and a higher level of customer...

FallFest 2009 recap
Metropolitan State University is unique among the 32 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU); it is the only state university without a residential campus and the things that usually come with it—athletic teams, a student union, fraternities and traditional homecoming activities. Since those are not part of Metropolitan State, the University Activities Board (UAB) hosts FallFest. This year’s event took place during the week of Sept. 8-11...

Maximize your college experience: Join student organizations
Metropolitan State University can pride itself on providing high quality education for over 9,000 students, 65 percent of which are part-time students. But we, as students, need to feel a sense of belonging and community. With so many students achieving their educational goals part-time or online, it can be hard to feel like a part of a community at Metropolitan State. But by joining one or more student organizations, you can maximize your student experience. According to a study done by A.W. Chickering called “Commuters vs. Residents,” joining a student organization can stimulate students with new ideas, values and beliefs while providing support and alternative gratification. When you join a student organization, you are enhancing your overall educational experience. It improves your social life and...

Planning to take a Goal IV mathematics course?
In an effort to promote student success in Goal IV mathematics and statistics courses, beginning with Spring Semester 2010, the Department of Mathematics will enforce pre-requisites for Math 110 (Math for Liberal Arts), Math 115 (College Algebra) and Stat 201 (Statistics I). Students who do not satisfy pre-requisites will be dropped from these courses. In order to enroll in these classes, a student must satisfy any of the following...

Alumna offers feedback to screenwriting students
If you take a look at Melissa Brandt’s resume, one thing becomes clear: she truly believes in higher education. After receiving a B.A. in English in the 90s, Melissa returned to school at Metropolitan State University to earn a B.A. in screenwriting in 2004. From there, she enrolled in the master’s program at Mankato State University and received a M.A. in literature and creative writing in 2008. She’s now back at Metropolitan State as a community faculty member...

Theater putting a face to modern issues
Theater Underground and the theater department at Metropolitan State University have started an ambitious project that requires the participation of Metropolitan State students, faculty and active alums to succeed. The project is called Theater Du Jour and its goal is to put a human face on the issues of today. Theater Du Jour is an expansive project collecting many different and personal stories from the Metropolitan State community and putting them on stage. Gail Smogard, director of the theater program at Metropolitan State, explains why this project is so important and unique to the university, “Unlike many traditional state universities, Metropolitan State is generally a more...