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“Although originally an agricultural college, UM has made the leap and accepted the changing times� by adding technological elements and creating stellar programs in natural resources management as well as animal science, biology, equine, veterinary, and business management. The school utilizes its rural campus to promote “hands on� learning through required internships in many fields. The school’s size allows students to get “the private school deal at a public school� with small classes. However, the small size means there are often scheduling difficulties for upper division classes “especially when pursuing a second major or minor� and that some classes involve use of “web lectures which are not helpful to the learning experience.� Professors are generally highly accessible to students, creating a “family atmosphere� because they “have the ambition and drive to help students be successful at college.� While “most professors want to . . . teach and share their knowledge,� like many schools, some professors “are there for research and don’t really care about teaching.� The administration also has regular contact with students and “knows [many of] us on a first name basis,� contributing to the homey, familiar environment.

The typical student is “outdoors[y]� and “lives a rural lifestyle;� one student said, “I fit in better here, with more animal lovers and farmers than back home.� Two-thirds of the campus is from Minnesota and 7% of the student body is international, “mostly from China and Korea.� While one student said there is “lots of diversity, [which] could be overwhelming� to many students there, most others feel that all types of students are “integrated within groups of friends and class groups.� Active groups for African American, Hispanic, Native American, and LGBT students also provide support for minorities, and while Crookston may have less racial diversity than other campuses, collaboration through “online courses with students from around the globe� provides opportunities for virtual exposure to all types of people in an academic setting. “Most people are friendly and welcoming here,� even if you don’t “listen to country music.�

In a rural environment, on-campus activities dominate student life. Alcohol is prohibited on campus, and there is very little outside bar scene, so “students drink in their rooms . . . causing many problems.� However, when students want to hit the “big city,� “people go to Grand Fork, ND . . . just 20 miles away� or they “head to Fargo.� Closer to home, “the local movie theater has two [theaters] and is fairly cheap� and once a month “the school allows us to go to the theater for free.� One student noted, “There are multiple parks [where] we hang out� and “a community pool� that is open to students on certain days. In general, though, people hang out on campus; “there are student-run activities throughout the week,� although participation levels vary, and “some people hunt [or fish] in the fall,� “cook food [to avoid] eating at the cafeteria,� “or play [lots of] video games.� Sports are also an important part of campus life, though “it would be nice if we had a winning football team� and the athletics department “only cares about athletes and not regular students.� As one student said, “Everywhere you look you see cows, it smells like a barn, and it is [a] ‘ya-sure-ya-betcha’ small-town school . . . and that’s why I love it.�