The Hub’s MPact Grant Story

The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) team sought to create a one-stop center to facilitate UMR student involvement in experiential, outside-of-class learning. The Hub aligns with the MPact 2025 strategic plan in their following commitments:
 

• Student Success (strengthen career outcomes and placement)
• Discovery, Innovation and Impact (increase UMN undergrad student research opportunities)
• Community and Belonging (reduce disparities among underrepresented UMR student groups)
• Fiscal Stewardship (provide timely advice and support to reduce student costs and debt)
   

UMR’s 2025 annual report acknowledges that the Hub has become a UMR fixture. Their marketing and community-building events put the center foremost in students' minds: students know where to go and feel increasingly comfortable stopping in. The Hub is rebuilding study-away support, building external partnerships, connecting students to internships and research opportunities, and supervising UMR’s student associates. UMR’s external partners, Student Success Coaches, faculty, Hormel Institute and Mayo Clinic recognize the Hub as a connecting point. The team received approval to allocate MPact funds to create a welcoming physical space, promote experiential learning opportunities and establish Hub Scholarships for Hub Student Associates’ experiential learning opportunities. These scholarships increased engagement and deep commitment to the work of the Hub. Overall, the CEI MPact grant provided a means to launch and establish this necessary campus resource center. UMR’s next step is to create a budgeting mechanism to sustain the center, and they’re well on the way to achieving that ongoing commitment.