The University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees voted on Thursday to approve the creation of a two-year college for the Minneapolis Campus.
Named after its main benefactors, the Dougherty Family College is intended to prepare students for a full four-year degree, especially for those from diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The approval from the board was the final step in a process that has been underway since April when the board of trustees issued conditional approval for the new college. Faculty and staff committees have been working on the plan for two years.
The college, which sprung from the diversity and inclusion emphasis in the university’s strategic plan, is expected to open in fall 2017. The school will initially offer an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts, allowing graduates to transition to public and private four-year institutions in Minnesota, according to a Newsroom announcement.
The inaugural class is expected to have 150 students. Applications will open as soon as accreditation is gained from the Higher Learning Commission. Applicants are not required to take the ACT to be admitted, but will need a 2.5 or higher GPA. Students must also be eligible for federal Pell Grants or state grants and pass a qualifying interview.
The university also announced that tuition could be as low as $1,000 a year for some students thanks to offsets by state and local grants, scholarships and corporate support.
“We are determined to reduce the educational attainment gap in Minnesota and prepare students to become transformational leaders in our communities, state and nation,” President Julie Sullivan said in a press release. “It is our mission to develop and be morally responsible leaders, who work to advance the common good, and the inspiration for the Dougherty Family College came from within our school and from our generous, community-minded donors.”
St. Thomas has raised $18 million in private donations to pay for the new college, including a founding gift from Mike and Kathy Dougherty, for whom the college is named.
The college is based off of a similar model, Arrupe College, at Loyola University Chicago. It will be the first of its kind in Minnesota.
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