St. Cloud State University facts for kids
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Former names
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Third State Normal School (1869–1921) St. Cloud State Teachers College (1921–1957) St. Cloud State College (1957–1975) |
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| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1869 |
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Parent institution
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Minnesota State system |
| Endowment | $30.3 million (2019) |
| Budget | $223 million (2019) |
| President | Robbyn Wacker |
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Academic staff
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783 |
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Administrative staff
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773 |
| Students | 10,401 |
| Undergraduates | 8,581 |
| Postgraduates | 1,820 |
| Location |
,
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United States
45°33′0″N 94°9′0″W / 45.55000°N 94.15000°W |
| Campus | Urban 100 acres (40 ha) campus |
| Colors | Spirit red, Black and White |
| Nickname | Huskies |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division II – NSIC NCAA Division I - NCHC NCAA Division I - WCHA |
| Mascot | Blizzard T. Husky |
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St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It was started in 1869. SCSU is one of the biggest schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In 2021, about 10,000 students went to SCSU. Over 120,000 people have graduated from the university.
Contents
A Look at SCSU's History
St. Cloud State University first opened in 1869. It was called the Third State Normal School. A "Normal School" was a place where people learned to become teachers.
The school started in one building, an old hotel called the Stearns House. The state bought it for $3,000. There were five teachers and 53 students at first. Most of the first students were women. As more women joined, the Stearns House became a women's dorm in 1874. Male students lived in a nearby house.
In 1898, the school started offering college-level classes. By 1921, its name changed to St. Cloud State Teachers College. This showed its focus on training teachers. In 1925, the school gave out its first bachelor's degrees. These are the degrees you get after four years of college.
Later, in 1953, they started offering master's degrees. These are for students who want to study even more after their bachelor's degree. In 1957, the word "Teachers" was removed from the name. This was because the school offered many more subjects than just teaching.
Finally, in 1975, St. Cloud State became a full university. It had five different colleges and a graduate school. In 1987, the men's hockey team became a top-level NCAA Division I team. Two years later, they moved into a new arena called the National Hockey Center.
How SCSU's Name Changed Over Time
- Third State Normal School (1869–1873)
- State Normal School at St. Cloud (1873-1921)
- St. Cloud State Teachers College (1921–1957)
- St. Cloud State College (1957–1975)
- St. Cloud State University (1975–present)
What You Can Study at SCSU
SCSU offers more than 200 different majors and minors. A major is your main area of study. A minor is a second, smaller area of study. These programs are spread across six colleges and schools.
SCSU is the only university in Minnesota with a special engineering program. It focuses on manufacturing engineering. They also have great programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. These programs are approved by ABET, which means they meet high standards.
The School of Graduate Studies offers over 60 programs for students who want to continue their education. These include master's degrees and even doctoral degrees.
Colleges and Schools at SCSU
St. Cloud State has eight main colleges and schools:
- College of Science and Engineering
- College of Liberal Arts
- School of Education (for future teachers)
- School of Health and Human Services
- Herberger Business School (for business studies)
- School of Computing, Engineering and Environment
- School of the Public Affairs
- School of Arts
Student Life and Organizations
SCSU has over 250 student groups you can join! At the start of each school year, there's an event called "Mainstreet." It's a showcase where you can learn about all the different clubs and activities. Students are encouraged to get involved. For example, there's an Investment Club where students manage real money.
Students can also join one of nine Greek houses. These are like social clubs called fraternities (for men) and sororities (for women).
- Sororities*
- Delta Phi Epsilon
- Delta Zeta
- Kappa Phi Omega
- Theta Phi Alpha
- Fraternities*
- Delta Sigma Phi
- Acacia
- Tau Kappa Epsilon
- Phi Beta Sigma
Student Media
Students at SCSU can get involved in media.
KVSC 88.1 FM is the university's radio station. It started in 1967. KVSC is famous for its 50-hour trivia contest, which has been happening since 1980.
UTVS is the school's TV station. Students create all the shows. You can watch shows like "Husky Mag," "UTVS News," and "Crunch Time." UTVS also broadcasts hockey games.
Student Government
Student government at SCSU helps make decisions for the campus. They also decide how student fees are spent. For example, they help fund sports teams and technology for students. The student government president often meets with the university president.
Students vote for their leaders and other positions. This helps students have a voice in how the university is run.
SCSU Sports: Go Huskies!
SCSU has 19 sports teams that compete in NCAA Division II. They are part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The team name is the Huskies, and their mascot is Blizzard. In 2014, the university updated its Husky dog logo.
In 2019, SCSU decided to stop its men's football team and men's and women's golf teams. To follow rules about equal sports opportunities, the university is adding a men's soccer team.
Ice Hockey: A Big Deal at SCSU
Both the men's and women's ice hockey teams play in NCAA Division I. This is the highest level of college sports. The men's team is in the NCHC. The women's team is in the WCHA.
In the 1986–87 season, Herb Brooks became the coach for the men's Huskies team. He was famous for coaching the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team. He helped the Huskies become a Division I team. He also helped build the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, which is named after him.
In 1998, a women's hockey team was added.
The men's Huskies Hockey team has played in the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship 19 times. In 2013, they made it to the "Frozen Four," which is like the semifinals. A player named Drew LeBlanc won the Hobey Baker Award that year. This is the top award in men's college hockey.
Wrestling Success
The Huskies Wrestling team has won the NCAA Wrestling Championship many times. They won in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. They also placed second in other years.
Basketball Highlights
The Women's Huskies Basketball team was very strong from 1982 to 1990. They won many games and made it to the NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Tournament quarterfinals three times. In 2020, they won the NSIC Championship.
The Men's Huskies basketball team started in 1901. They have played in the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament 10 times. In 2010, they made it to the semifinals.
Famous People Who Went to SCSU
Many successful people have graduated from St. Cloud State University. Here are a few:
- Grayce Kaneda Uyehara – She worked to get an apology and money for Japanese Americans who were held in camps during World War II.
- John Stumpf – He used to be the head of Wells Fargo & Company, a big bank.
- James B. Bullard – He is the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, which is part of the US financial system.
- Leo Kottke – A Grammy-nominated guitar player known for his unique style.
- Richard Dean Anderson – An actor famous for playing MacGyver on TV.
- John Hawkes – An Oscar-nominated actor in movies and TV shows.
- Haley Kalil – A model who has appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Athletes Who Went to SCSU
Many athletes who played for the Huskies went on to play professionally:
- Tyler Arnason – Professional hockey player
- Matt Cullen – Professional hockey player and Stanley Cup winner
- Jim Eisenreich – MLB baseball player
- Bret Hedican – Professional hockey player, Olympian, and Stanley Cup winner
- Ryan Malone – Professional hockey player
- Mark Parrish – Professional hockey player
- Van Nelson – An Olympic track and field athlete
Notable Teachers and Staff
- Herb Brooks – Former St. Cloud State and U.S. Olympic men's hockey coach.
- Bruce Hyde – An actor who was in the original Star Trek TV series.
See also
- List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
