Chancellor Community Letter April 2026

Greetings from the University of Minnesota Crookston!

We are into the final stretch of the semester, and the campus is buzzing with energy as we have a full lineup of events and activities through commencement.

Our commencement is slated for Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. There are four-hundred-and seventy students who are eligible for graduation, seventy more than last year, with approximately 200 that will participate in the graduation ceremony; 110 on campus and 80 online. One of my favorite times of the year is seeing our students transition to from students to graduates and open a new chapter of their lives.

Our strength has always come from the connections we share-with one another and with the broader Crookston community. On Monday, April 20th we will celebrate and recognize alumnus Les Nielsen. The campus wellness center will be named the Nielsen Family Wellness Center in recognition of their generous financial contribution, with a dedication event scheduled for April 20, 2026 at 3:30. Their gift is the largest donation in our campus history.

Les Nielsen and his late wife, June, have been long-time supporters of UMN Crookston. Since the 1990s, they have funded scholarships benefiting hundreds of students, including a recent full tuition scholarship for students from several Minnesota communities: Red Lake Falls, Grygla, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Goodridge, and Euclid. Ten years ago, the couple donated $1 million to the wellness center project in memory of their son Mitch Lien Nielsen.

This year's Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) request to the Minnesota Legislature would fund 50 projects in 45 buildings across Minnesota to address building accessibility needs, fire protection systems, leaky roofs and windows, asbestos abatement and other core maintenance issues that must be corrected to provide safe and usable spaces. Here at the Crookston campus that includes roof replacements on multiple buildings, and a structural analysis and remediation of Lysaker Gymnasium.

For a second year in a row, the Strengthening Education for an Engaged Democracy (SEED) Coalition has recognized UMN Crookston and its collaborative community partnerships with the 2026 Community Partner Award. This year's recognition highlights the collaborative effort among local businesses and organizations behind Crookston's annual National Night Out celebration, locally known as Night to Unite. Special thanks to all that engage, plan and deliver an event that is one of the Crookston's largest community gatherings. The SEED Coalition is a network of colleges and universities across Minnesota and Iowa recognizing outstanding civic and community engagement initiatives that strengthen campuses, communities, and the relationships between them.

To those friends who attended this year's International Dinner featuring Diane Ciligne showcasing South Africa and the Women's History Lunch and Learn in March, thank you! It was great seeing so many community members and as we charge on through the end of the month, I hope you'll take a moment to step away from the day-to-day, connect with colleagues and students, and join us in celebrating all that makes our campus community so special.

You can find all that is going on on our Campus Today page: Crimes, Capers and Corruption film series @ The Grand Theatre on April 15, Pancakes and Ponies is slated for April 19, our Horticulture Department's Annual Bedding Plant Sale begins April 22 and of course our Golden Eagle Sports.

Last month we announced the addition of men's and women's track and field as NCAA Division II sports competing in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Crookston has added men's and women's cross country, trap, hockey, and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field since 2019.

The programs build off the men's and women's cross country teams and have grown in success each season since the program commenced. The Golden Eagle men's and women's teams are each coming off their best season in program history in 2025, as the Minnesota Crookston men's squad placed top five at the NSIC meet for the first time ever. The women's team also had their best-ever finish at the NSIC Championship, placing seventh of 16 teams. In the past our men's and women's cross country runners have been competing at indoor and outdoor track and field meets as unattached runners. This will allow those runners to officially represent UMN Crookston at meets, and run as a part of NSIC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Golden Eagle Sports continue to persevere even if Mother Nature continues to remind us who's in charge. The Golden Eagles baseball team is currently tied for second place in the NSIC standings with a 14-8 conference record. They recently split a doubleheader against the University of Sioux Falls on April 13.

Our softball team is currently ranked 11th in the Northern Sun Conference standing The team's record is 5-11 in the NSIC conference.

Tennis is closing out their regular season and is poised for their third-consecutive NSIC Tournament appearances. Our Trap team opened their spring season in the USACCTL and Men and Women's Golf are wrapping up their regular season play.

We remain committed to supporting student success, engaging with local partners and fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus environment. We continue to provide a high-quality, accessible education while maintaining the financial health of our institution, and now more than ever we are committed to strategic priorities that position our campus for continued growth.

Elevate Extraordinary 2030 is the strategic roadmap for the University of Minnesota emphasizing collaboration and innovation to elevate the University's contributions to Minnesota, the nation and world. The initiative aims to transform the university's direction and impact focusing on the preparation of student engagement, the future of learning, serving communities through knowledge creation and exchange in the arts, health, healthcare and the economy while strategically investing in our talented workforce, operations and facilities.

Thank you for attending our events and being so welcoming to our students.

Sincerely,
Mary Holz-Clause
Chancellor

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