This week on Tuesday, October 19, the College of Science and Engineering celebrated its 75th anniversary!  Take a look at our gigantic banner decorating the Mechanical Engineering building:

We had a celebration on Northrop Mall for all U of M students to celebrate the amazing innovations which have been produced in the College's 75 years of existence. There were free sandwiches, songs from the U of M alumni marching band, and some CSE students and faculty even showed off their dance moves!

I had a great time watching the dean of CSE walk through the crowd of dancers wearing a U of M scarf! The video of the dance will be posted on the CSE YouTube channel early next week--be sure to check it out.

To learn about some of CSE alumni's accomplishments in the last 75 years, take a look at this video:

At the University of Minnesota, we pride ourselves on innovation and discovery. This is especially evident in the way biology is taught to undergraduate students.Students in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota learn biology by doing biology in the Foundations of Biology course (required of all freshmen biology majors). This innovative sequence of courses introduces students to the many disciplines in the biological sciences and research starting their first two semesters on campus. Through collaborative activities in a high-tech classroom, students learn to apply the scientific method to real-world problems. In fact, this course has gained national recognition as a model for undergraduate education.

On October 13th, Tim Post of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) covered a story on the University of Minnesota's new active learning classes and how students and faculty feel about this innovative teaching method. In the story, title "Short lectures, lots of interaction in U's new classrooms," MPR explores the Foundations of Biology course. Take a look, and see what you might soon be experiencing here at the U of M as a biology student!

If you are interested in a pursuing a music, theatre, dance, or art major at the U of M, here is some important information about each department and the application process:

All students must submit their application materials including the application form, application fee, official high school transcripts, and official ACT or SAT scores to the Office of Admissions by December 15th, 2010, to be given priority consideration. 

Students interested in the four art disciplines may also be required to submit additional materials or may be required to audition for a specific program (you do not need an admission decision in order to audition for any of the programs). 

If you are interested in any of the art disciplines, check out the following links. You can also find great information about the coursework within each of the majors at the University Course Catalogs.

Art:

Degree programs requiring a portfolio:

Bachelor of Fine Arts: Art
Art majors may apply to the B.F.A. degree program after completing the five preparatory core courses required in the major. Application is made by submitting a portfolio to a faculty committee for review. A faculty adviser is chosen upon admission to the B.F.A. program.

Degree programs not requiring a portfolio:

Bachelor of Arts: Art
Bachelor of Arts: Art History

Dance:

Both the Bachelor of Arts in Dance and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance require an audition.

Music:

Degree programs requiring an audition:

Bachelor of Music: Music
Bachelor of Music: Music Education
Bachelor of Music: Music Therapy

Degree program not requiring an audition:
Bachelor of Arts: Music

Theatre Arts:

Degree program requiring an audition:

Bachelor of Fine Arts: Acting

Degree program not requiring an audition:
Bachelor of Arts: Theatre Arts

October 22nd and 29th are Fall for Minnesota Days! Fall for Minnesota Days is a special event for high school students and their families who are interested in learning what it would be like to be a student here at the U of M. The College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences will be having a special visit set up for students who are interested in our college.

Students attending the CFANS event will be attending a tour of the St. Paul campus, which will be lead by our very own St. Paul Ambassadors. Along with the tour, they will attend a CFANS information session and hear from one of our top faculty members. Lastly, students will meet with an adviser from the department in which they are most interested. (Other colleges are hosting their own special visits as well--you can see all options on the registration page.)

You can sign up for Fall for Minnesota Days online or by calling the VISITLINE at 1-800-752-1000. 

I hope to see you on campus soon!

Every year, the University of Minnesota welcomes performers and speakers from all over the world to our campus community. In the past, we have had special appearances by Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Bob Dylan, Jerry Seinfeld, and the Russian Ballet, just to name a few.

This spring, the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing and the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota will welcome the Dalai Lama to the U of M campus. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, will be speaking on May 8th & 9th, 2011, in Northrop Auditorium. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear one of the most influential figures of our generation!

As a student, I enjoyed attending special events on campus. I saw Kal Penn speak to students about voting and supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. I also saw the New Zealand-based musical/comedy group Flight of the Conchords perform. I highly recommend taking advantage for these very unique opportunities while you are a student on campus. (And of course, tickets are offered to students at greatly discounted prices!)

The photo above is labeled for reuse with modification at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:14th_Dalai_Lama via Wikimedia Commons.