Winona State University facts for kids
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Former names
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First State Normal School of Minnesota (1858–1873) Winona Normal School (1873–1921) Winona State Teachers' College (1921–1957) Winona State College (1957–1975) |
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| Motto | A Community of Learners Improving Our World |
| Type | Public university |
| Established | 1858 |
| Endowment | $32.8 million (2016) |
| Budget | $159 million (2019) |
| President | Kenneth Janz |
| Students | 6,165 |
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United States
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| Campus | Small city |
| Colors | Purple and White |
| Nickname | Warriors |
| Mascot | Wazoo |
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Winona State University (WSU) is a public university located in Winona, Minnesota. It started as the First State Normal School of Minnesota in 1858. This makes it the oldest school in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It was also the first "normal school" (a school for training teachers) west of the Mississippi River.
WSU offers over 80 different study programs. These are available at its main campus and at Winona State University-Rochester. About 9,000 students attend each year. Their sports teams are called the Winona State Warriors. They compete in NCAA Division II in 14 sports, mostly in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Contents
History of Winona State University
Winona State University began as the First State Normal School. Its main goal was to train new elementary school teachers. In the 1850s, Minnesota was a new area, and there weren't enough trained teachers. A local settler named John Ford worked hard to get the Minnesota Legislature to create normal schools. He also helped raise over $5,000 from local people. This helped start the state's first teacher training school. It was also the first school funded by taxes west of the Mississippi River.
Classes at Winona Normal School started in September 1860. However, many male students and staff left to fight in the American Civil War the next year. The school closed in March 1862 because of the war. It closed again for two more years due to the Sioux War of 1862. The first group of students graduated in 1866. Soon, the school added a laboratory school. This was a place where local children were taught by teachers. The students at the normal school could watch or even lead lessons sometimes. The school quickly became too big for its first four-room building. But with state money and local donations, a new, bigger building was built in 1869.
The campus grew with two new parts added to "Old Main" in 1894. A building for the library, gym, and kindergarten (Ogden Hall) was built in 1909. A dorm for women (Morey Hall) was added in 1910. In 1915, a new building was made for the laboratory school. Another women's dorm (Shepard Hall) appeared in 1920.
Winona State Normal School changed its name to Winona Teachers College in 1921. It was then allowed to give out a four-year Bachelor of Education degree. In December 1922, a fire completely destroyed Old Main. Luckily, no one was hurt because it happened during a school break. Local public buildings and churches let the school use their spaces for classes. A new main building, College Hall, was built in 1924.
The 1915 Model School Building (now Phelps Hall) and the 1924 College Hall (now Somsen Hall) are important. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. They show how the normal school movement helped shape public education in Minnesota. Winona Normal School was Minnesota's first teacher training school. It also had the first laboratory school.
Changes in the School's Name
The school has had several names over the years:
- First State Normal School of Minnesota (1858)
- Winona Normal School (1873)
- Winona State Teachers' College (1921)
- Winona State College (1957)
- Winona State University (1975)
Academics and Learning at WSU
Winona State University offers 65 programs for undergraduate students. It also has 12 programs for graduate students. It was one of the first universities to have a "Laptop University" program. This program is now called the e-Warrior Digital Life and Learning Program. In this program, every student gets to lease a laptop from the university. They can choose between an Apple Macintosh or a Microsoft Windows-based laptop. In 2013, WSU was the first public university in the Midwest to give both a tablet and a laptop to all students. The goal of this program is to connect education and technology more closely.
Every student at Winona State University pays a small fee (43 cents per credit). This money helps fund the Minnesota State University Student Association. This group is led by students and works to support all students in Minnesota state universities.
Learning with International Students
The International Services Office is the first stop for all students from other countries. Winona State University also offers scholarships to help international students.
Winona State University has many "sister school" relationships. These are partnerships with colleges and universities around the world. Some of these schools are in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Egypt, Hong Kong, and Australia.
Winona State Facilities and Buildings
Student Housing Options
Winona State University has 16 buildings where students can live on campus. Nine of these are on the main campus. Four are just east of the campus.
Current Student Housing
Kirkland Hall and Haake Hall
These two buildings opened in 2010. They are next to each other and look like mirror images. There are 106 rooms in this complex. Boys and girls live in separate rooms, but the buildings are co-ed.
Prentiss-Lucas Hall
Prentiss-Lucas Hall (often called P-L) is one of the six dorms for first-year students. Its two sides are mirror images of each other. Prentiss is for men, and Lucas is for women. They are connected by a shared lobby. This hall closed in 2019 but reopened in 2020. It was used for single-occupancy rooms because of COVID-19.
The Quad Residence Halls
The Quad has four dorms that form a square: Conway Hall, Richards Hall, Morey Hall, and Shepard Hall. The Quad has many common rooms where students can hang out. It houses over 500 students, mostly first-year students. Conway Hall is a four-story building just for females. Morey and Shepard Halls are connected in an "L" shape. Morey-Shepard has men and women living on different floors. Richards Hall is also four stories tall and is co-ed. The first and third floors are for men, and the second and fourth are for women. Morey Hall is the oldest dorm on campus, built in 1911.
Sheehan Hall
Sheehan Hall was finished in 1969. It is a 14-story building. It used to be only for women but is now co-ed. Most first-year students live here. Floors two through 13 are for living. The first floor has a lobby and a social area with a full kitchen.
Sustainability House
The Sustainability House was updated in 2011-2012. This house is used for a group of U.S. military veterans and other students if needed.
East Lake Apartments
East Lake was built in 2002-03 and opened in 2004. It is an apartment complex for both men and women. Upperclassmen usually live here. Students living in East Lake do not have to buy a meal plan, but they can get a "block meal" plan if they want.
Past Student Housing Some buildings that used to be student housing are no longer used for that purpose. These buildings were once part of the College of Saint Teresa. They were closed for student living in 2021 and put up for sale in 2022.
Academic and Sports Facilities
- KQAL: This is Winona State's own radio station.
- Krueger Library: The university's main library.
- Maxwell Field at Warrior Stadium: This is where the Winona State Warriors football and soccer teams play.
- Kryzsko Commons: This is the main student center on campus.
- WSU's Performing Arts Center: This building is home to the theatre arts, dance, and music departments. It also hosts the Great River Shakespeare Festival.
- The Integrated Wellness Complex: This building brings together counseling, health services, academics, and sports activities.
- Warrior Hub: This is where students can get help with financial aid, registration, advising, and career services.
Winona State Athletics
Winona State University's sports teams are called the Warriors. They compete in NCAA Division II athletics. Most sports are part of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. However, the women's gymnastics team competes in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The school won its first national championship in 1985. The gymnastics team took the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) title. They had four individual champions and 11 All-American honors. Their coach and a gymnast were also named National Coach and Gymnast of the Year. In the same year, the gymnastics team also competed in the NCAA Division II nationals. They finished in third place, which was a first for a Winona State team. The Warriors won the NAIA national title again in 1987.
The WSU football team won the NSIC conference championship ten times between 1993 and 2007. The Warriors have also played in postseason playoffs five times. They also played in the Mineral Water Bowl in 2000, 2002, and 2012.
The men's basketball team won the 2006 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. This was the university's first NCAA title. On March 7, 2007, the men's basketball team won its 53rd game in a row. This broke the Division II record. Their winning streak ended at 57 games on March 24, 2007. They lost 77-75 in the Division II Championship game. On March 29, 2008, the men's basketball team won its second NCAA Division II National Championship in three years.
Winona State's softball team played in one Women's College World Series in 1974.
Winona State's baseball team played for a national championship on June 4, 2011. They finished second in the NCAA Division II World Series.
The women's cross-country team in 2012 made it to the NCAA DII National Cross-Country Championship. They finished 9th overall. Two runners earned All-American status. They also set a new school record in the 6K race.
Notable People Who Attended WSU
- Ali al-Ahmed, a scholar from Saudi Arabia
- Austin Aries, a professional wrestler
- J.D. Barnett, a college basketball coach
- Karla Bigham, a state senator
- John Blatnik, a member of the U.S. Congress
- Josh Braaten, an actor
- David Braun, a college football coach
- Logan Clark, a wrestler
- Kyle and Lane Carlson, models
- Gregory Davids, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Dick Day, a state senator
- Jennie Ellis Keysor, an educator and writer
- Austin W. Lord, an architect, painter, and university leader
- Troy Merritt, a professional golfer
- Gene Pelowski, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Tim Penny, a member of the U.S. Congress
- Jeanne Poppe, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Jake Runestad, a composer and conductor
- Jerry Seeman, a professional football official
- Verner Suomi, known as the "father of satellite meteorology"
- Brian Wrobel, a professional football player
- James J. Mingus, a four-star Army General Officer
Images for kids
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College Hall (left) and the Model School Building (right), now Somsen and Phelps Halls.
See also
- List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Winona County, Minnesota
