Minneapolis College Graphic Design Instructor Samantha Sather remains on alert for ways to create real-world experiences for her students, even with digital only classes because of the pandemic.

When the opportunity presented itself to collaborate with Able Seedhouse + Brewery for her class to submit label designs for a newly branded can for launch of the  Not Quite Forever sour ale, she and her students dove in.

Minneapolis College Instructor Kristine Heykants worked with the Hennepin Theatre Trust and students of FAIR School in Downtown Minneapolis to create images surrounding the topic of Identity. Heykants teaches in the Photography and Digital Imaging Department and led a workshop for the teenagers to explore identity through photography.  

The FAIR School’s dedication to equity and social justice inspired Heykants to center the workshops around this subject.

The new Minneapolis College spirit mark is intended to be a fun extension of our brand used as a focal point for student and community pride.

Over the past year, the Spirit Mark Working Group has collected suggestions and feedback to narrow the options for a new mark down to 2 choices: Minneapolis College City Lights or Minneapolis College Skyliners.

“In the downtown Minneapolis area alone, hundreds of corporations and businesses are looking for people with a degree and tangible skills to fill vacant positions,” said Tiffni Deeb, chief information officer at Minneapolis College, who was recently interviewed by EDUCAUSE for their CIO Minute.

Minneapolis College is poised for online learning. Well known for its award-winning faculty, the College quickly shifted to this learning model in the spring with the onset of COVID-19.  More than 50 faculty spent 2 weeks this summer fully immersed in training in how to teach online to ensure students continue to receive a high-quality education whether they engage in person or in a virtual environment.

George Floyd’s murder sparked protests, civil unrest and critical dialogue across the nation as a well as the world. Murals and memorials have been created in his honor around the Twin Cities, specifically at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where Floyd took his last few breaths.

New Dawn Theatre Company, alongside many Minnesota artists, created the documentary, “A Breath for George,” to honor Floyd's life. The creation of the film began as a dialogue about his death and systemic racism amongst the theatre company’s founding members.

In the 4th grade, Key Rose had a picture of her older sister, dressed in her college graduation regalia, taped to the inside of her planner. “It was motivation for me,” she says, as she reflects on the memory. Now, on her own college journey, Rose hopes to provide this same motivation and support to her fellow students.

Annual Welcome Week activities serve as a kick-off to the year that is meant to energize and engage new and returning students, staff and faculty.

This year, the Student Life department has been hard at work trying to answer one important question: how can we come together and build community in this time of physical distancing?

“Limited access to state-of-the-art technology can be a significant hurdle for many of our students,” said Tiffni Deeb, Vice President of Information Technology Services.

“COVID-19 changed the trajectory of our world and immediately made it difficult for students to access computers on campus. We knew we needed to do something different to ensure students have laptops, internet service and access to specialized software.”

As President of the Somali Student Association, Abdullahi Aden saw first-hand the struggle many first and second-generation East African students face in navigating post-secondary education.