University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus

TIRES website: www.geog.umn.edu/TIRES/

The University of Minnesota is one of America's major research universities. It regularly ranks among the top ten in the United States in receipt of federal grants for research and development. The University offers students a comprehensive range of programs, collaboration with faculty in cutting-edge research, and the opportunity to learn from colleagues drawn from around the world. The Minneapolis campus is divided by the Mississippi River into East and West Banks, each with a distinctive character.

The College of Liberal Arts, at the center of a major research university and home to 500 faculty in 30 departments, strives to provide an education that emphasizes both breadth and depth of learning in the fundamental disciplines of knowledge. The goal of CLA's undergraduate liberal arts education is to prepare the graduate to be well-rounded, broad-thinking, and fair-minded; adaptable, creative, and ethical; an analytical thinker, articulate speaker, and excellent writer. CLA endeavors to prepare each graduate to engage in dynamic lifelong learning, regardless of the individual career path.

The University of Minnesota Libraries is one of the University's and the State's greatest intellectual and capital assets. Housed in five major facilities and eleven branch sites, the University Libraries is comprised of over 5.7 million print volumes, 45,000 serial subscriptions, 5.7 million microforms, 2.6 million government documents, and 400,000 maps, making it the 17th largest research library in North America. To support such a large and complex institution as the University of Minnesota, the Libraries acquires, catalogs, and maintains information in practically every field of knowledge, in every language, from every time period, and in every conceivable format. The Libraries have outstanding collections in the history of medicine, social welfare, computing, architecture, American poetry, Afro-American literature, children's literature, history of European expansionism, cartography, British colonialism in India, Scandinavian studies, forestry, engineering and technical standards, and federal and international government documents. The Libraries serve Minnesota and South Dakota as the regional depository for all publications distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Up-to-date computer facilities are available to all students registered at the University of Minnesota at several locations around campus. The University assigns all registered students an e-mail account, and each student has access to the Internet.

The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) in the Office of International Programs is designed specifically to service international students and scholars. ISSS has a professionally trained staff to offer advice, counseling, and programs about academic, immigration, and financial matters in the United States.

Non-native English speaking international students will be able to improve their English language skills by participating in the many special organizations that exist for international students. In addition to student organizations, they may find assistance in the Minnesota English Center and the English Department. The Minnesota English Center offers classes for non-native speakers at a variety of levels. Students take an admissions test and are directed to the appropriate level of study. The classes are part of a non-credit program. The English Department's composition program offers tutoring and assistance in writing to students registered in any course at the University, on a walk-in basis.

Twin Cities of Minneapolis & St. Paul

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul blend big-city sophistication with the livability of smaller towns. Minneapolis and St. Paul are important centers of commerce and industry with major corporate headquarters in electronics, computers, food processing and milling, retailing, medicine, transportation, and forest products industries. In addition, the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota are often cited as innovators in government and public policy.

The Minnesota climate provides an ideal environment for year-round recreational activities. The change of seasons is enjoyed by natives and newcomers alike. Summer is warm and pleasant with lots of sunshine; autumn is cool and colorful; winter brings a beautiful white crispness; and spring returns with mild temperatures and welcome green landscapes. Within the Minneapolis and St. Paul city limits, you will find 31 large lakes, 243 public parks, and nearly 40 miles of Mississippi riverfront. The lakes and Mississippi River are connected by a parkway system extending over 35 tree lined miles, with separate bicycle and running paths. In the summer, the lakes are dotted with sailboats, canoes, windsurfers, and swimmers. Most city parks have skating rinks in winter, and some parks have several miles of cross-country ski trails as well. Many of the wild areas of Minnesota are close to the Twin Cities. A few hours north of the Twin Cities is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the most unsullied wilderness areas in the nation.

Music and theater play a prominent role in the life of most Twin Citians. Music lovers can treat themselves to an evening of world class orchestral music with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra at the Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul or with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. For those looking for a different beat, choices range from jazz to blues to contemporary pop music. Both cities boast lively jazz and dance clubs. Professional theaters, community theaters, and comedy clubs in the Twin Cities area are outnumbered only by New York City. No other city, except New York, spends more on the performing arts than Minneapolis and St. Paul. Of the 90 playhouses in the area, probably the best known is the internationally acclaimed Guthrie Theater. An increasingly active dance community, ranging from classical ballet companies to improvisational dance, with a very strong presence of modem dance, rounds out the offering of performing arts.

Visual art enthusiasts can find more than 130 galleries and several major museums in the metropolitan area. The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center both have extensive in -house collections and are frequently included in major touring exhibits. The University of Minnesota's Fredrick R. Weisman Art Museum, designed by internationally acclaimed architect Frank 0. Gehry, houses a significant collection of contemporary art.

Twin Citians are avid sports fans and actively support their four home teams. You will undoubtedly hear references to the Minnesota Vikings (football), Minnesota Twins (baseball), Minnesota Timberwolves (basketball), and the Minnesota Wild (hockey).