University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

F
Score: 369/1400
30,734
Undergraduate students
92%
Retention rate
$15,859
Annual tuition
0.37
Diversity Index
Data submitted by: 123grad23, csinclair, Anonymous (2x)
Large Campus
Large Campus
public
Public University
Urban Campus
Urban Campus
Four-Year College
Four-Year College
Midwest Region
(Neo)Liberal Campus
(Neo)Liberal Campus
Sports Culture
Sports Culture
Noisy Campus
Noisy Campus
Graduate Students Unionized
Graduate Students Unionized

Description

All eyes were on Minneapolis in 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). That year, University of Minnesota president, Joan Gabel, appeared to be listening to the student community when she announced that U of M would be cutting ties with MPD. However, in 2022, U of M abruptly reneged on that promise and began reestablishing ties with MPD. Not only did U of M betray its students, but it missed an important opportunity to show leadership in how to invest in real community safety.

According to documents obtained by BuzzFeed News in 2020, "employees associated with the campus police department had used Clearview [facial recognition technology]" despite prior avowals from the University of Minnesota that it would never use facial recognition on its campus.

This year, U of M brought in Jeff Ettinger, the former CEO of Hormel Foods, the maker of SPAM, as interim president. Ettinger, a nonacademic with no experience in university administration, promised to "restore the U’s reputation with lawmakers and the general public." Robyn Gulley, the only regent who voted no on Ettinger's hiring, should be praised for raising valid concerns about “corporate influence in higher ed.”

In bright news this year, graduate students at U of M voted by a 97% majority to unionize.

Are all campus buildings physically accessible to students who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids?

NO

"Anderson’s geography classes are in Blegen Hall and his advisor’s office is in the Social Sciences Building, but he can’t use the skyway because there aren’t automated push plates to open the doors" (The Minnesota Daily).

Are class session recordings readily available for lecture courses?

NO

A student says that it depends on the professor. Generally, it's not something that is readily available for students.

Are students required to provide documentation of disability to qualify for receiving initial accommodations?

YES

Is there required diversity and inclusivity training for faculty/staff/and students, and does training include recognition of neurodivergence and disability?

YES

https://diversity.umn.edu/certificate

What types of student-run peer support groups exist on campus?

Disability Cultural Center

YES

Mutual Aid Networks

NO

Peer Support Groups

NO

Other

NO

Also, see: Critical Disability Studies Collective (CDSC)

Have you experienced ableism, discrimination, or witnessed stigmatizing language?

YES

A student says, "Use of the R word and justification because it was 'a medical term.'"

Are police involved in responding to student mental health crises?

YES

Does your college have a Student of Concern reporting page?

Yes (Allows anonymous reporting)

https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofMN&layout_id=7

Clery Report data: Number of sexual assaults reported on campus per thousand students.

2

*2021 data

Has the college published an official statement in support of racial justice movements?

Support for Black Lives Matter

NO

Support for Land Back

NO

https://apnews.com/article/university-of-minnesota-native-american-land-414d987d14c4adc090b673a3b7f39087

Does your college offer a Disability Studies curriculum?

NO

The university offers a few electives, including "Bodies That Matter: Feminist Approaches to Disability Studies" and "Music, Disability, and Society," but no program of study.

Does your college offer a course on Critical Theory?

NO

Does the college engage in morally questionable research?

Animal Experimentation

YES

Cure Autism

NO

Other

NO
News
Submitted by:
admin
2019-04-29

While the nature of her disability allows her some privilege as a visibly able-bodied person, she said she’s often seen as lazy or faking it.

“People will give me really dirty looks when I take disability seating, to the point where I will pass out before I ask someone to give up their seat for me,” she said. “I hate having people question my disability just because they can’t see it.”

But while her professors give her accommodations because she’s registered with the Disability Resource Center, she says her classmates don’t always understand the reality of her disability. She’s been docked in peer evaluations for not showing up to group work despite informing her classmates she physically can’t get there.

Source:Link