MSUM students benefit from historic legislative session
Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) and its students will benefit significantly from the Minnesota Legislature’s largest investment in higher education in nearly four decades. The higher education bill and the capital investment bill, expected to be signed by Governor Walz Wednesday morning (May 24), will position MSUM to respond to the critical needs of students, promote equitable student success, and meet the workforce needs of our region.
The higher education bill includes $292.9 million for the Minnesota State System, some as base appropriations and some as one-time investments. Key provisions of the higher education bill that will benefit students:
- A tuition freeze for undergraduate degree-granting programs means tuition will stay at the 2022-23 rates through Summer 2025.
- Increased financial resources will be available for MSUM to address ongoing inflationary costs as well as one-time funding for basic needs insecurity, mental health, and other urgent services.
The higher education bill also includes other provisions that will significantly impact Minnesota State and our students. Among those provisions is the North Star Promise which creates a scholarship program for eligible Minnesota students (families with annual income less than $80,000). The program will ensure that the full cost of tuition at a Minnesota public college or university is covered for these students after grants and other scholarships are awarded.
“We are thankful to Chair Gene Pelowski, Chair Omar Fateh, committee members, and Governor Walz. These historic investments in higher education will help us respond to the critical needs of our students and keep higher education accessible and affordable for all Minnesota students,” said President Anne Blackhurst
MSU Moorhead’s Weld Hall renovation to move forward
The capital bonding bill supports the long-awaited preservation and renovation of Weld Hall, the university’s oldest campus building. It’s been years in the making. MSUM received $628,000 in 2018 for the initial project design. The $23.1 million construction project will move forward when Governor Walz signs the bonding bill.
“We are thrilled we can move forward with plans to preserve and modernize MSUM’s most distinguished building on campus. The last major remodeling in Weld Hall took place over 50 years ago,” said Brenda Norris, Executive Director of Facilities Management. “MSUM started plans to renovate Weld Hall in 2014, and now, thanks to the 2023 legislative funding, we can finally move on to construction.”
The Weld Hall renovation will address $10.26 million in deferred maintenance, accessibility and current building code requirements, provide energy-efficient building systems and create state-of-the-art, interactive teaching environments. The auditorium will be renovated into a multi-purpose auditorium/music performance venue for use as a teaching lab and lecture hall, a venue for campus film and music performances, and a space for community/workforce training events.
“The project will breathe new life into our beloved Weld Hall, which will increase engagement with the arts and humanities for both our students and our community,” said Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson, Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Humanities.
The project will also:
- adjust the campus mix of classroom sizes and types to increase space utilization,
- provide flexible technology-enriched learning studios to modernize curriculum delivery and provide for activity-based learning and collaboration,
- build a new accessible entry addition to create a public face adjacent to the street and convenient access for workforce training and community events,
- provide accessible stage access and improved exiting from the auditorium.
MSUM is collaborating with YHR Partners in Moorhead on the Weld Hall project. Construction bids will be received this fall, with the renovation expected to be completed in Spring 2026.