GlobalHistory of International Students at UMN
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First International Students Attend
1874
The first international students attend the University of Minnesota. Andrew Russell Cass, from L'Original, Canada, graduated in 1875 with a Bachelor of Arts in the College of Science, Literature and the Arts. He became a farmer in Brainerd, Minnesota. University Archives only record the name and place of origin of the other international student, Hans Hansen of Prasto, Denmark.
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First Chinese Students Enroll
1914
The first three Chinese students enrolled at the University of Minnesota: Pen Wen Ping, Pan Wen Huen, and Kwong Yih Kum (Harding). They all played on the University soccer team and helped the team win the championship during the 1914 season.
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Students Stranded by War
1942
One hundred or more international students — the majority from Asia — were “orphaned” by World War II, unable to return to their home countries and in most cases unable to receive money from home. The University lobbied the State Department to relax visa restrictions preventing the students from working to earn money. The University also accepted donations to help provide emergency funding to the students.
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First International Student Adviser Assigned
1943
The University's first international student adviser, Forrest Moore, was assigned as part of counseling services in Eddy Hall. Dr. Moore and a young graduate assistant, Josef Mestenhauser, would become national leaders in developing international student programs and services, helping to found and develop the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA) in 1947 and the Minnesota International Center (MIC) in 1953.
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Minnesota Agriculture Student Trainee Program Established
1948
The Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee (MAST) program was established to provide students from abroad with University training and on-farm work experience.
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Growing International Student Population
1950
During and after World War II, the number of international students on campus rose dramatically. By 1950, Graduate School registration showed 560 international students from 59 countries; by 1960 the number would grow to over 1,000.
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American Brother and Sister Program Prepares New Students
1950
The American Brother and Sister program began to help students who were new to the U.S. get settled on the University campus. American students wrote letters to incoming international students about what to expect upon their arrival in Minneapolis. The current students also helped the new international students register for classes and find places to live. The International Buddy Program is a similar initiative today.
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First Exchange Program Launched
1952
The University creates its first reciprocal student exchange, with the Free University of Berlin.
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Partnership with Seoul National University
1954
The University of Minnesota is selected by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to advise and assist in rebuilding and modernizing Seoul National University after the Korean War. More than 90 faculty members from Seoul studied at Minnesota.
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Minnesota English Center Opens
1968
The Minnesota English Center, the official program for English as a Second Language (ESL) students, opened in 1968. Since then, thousands of students have studied in the ESL programs at UMN, many continuing on to undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Today, ESL is offered through the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP).
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Partnership with Morocco
1969
The first of three USAID-funded projects was awarded to the University of Minnesota to train and develop a network of agricultural and veterinary sciences researchers and educators. The "Minnesota Project" educated nearly 250 Moroccans, who then returned to Morocco to create a world-class research and teaching institute.
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Iranian Student Numbers Drop
1979
The largest group of international students in the U.S. — and at UMN — were from Iran. After the Islamic revolution and the U.S. political response to the hostage crisis, numbers of Iranian students dropped to almost nothing.
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Cross-Cultural Discussion Groups Begin
1980
International Student and Scholar Services launched Cross-Cultural Discussion Groups in the late 1970s as a social support program for the spouses of international students and scholars. In the 1980s, the program shifted to primarily serve international students, offering a space for them to reflect on various topics including food, friendships, relationships, taboos/stereotypes, culture shock, and much more.
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Number of Students from Asia Rises
1985
An increasingly large proportion of international students came from countries in Asia. Forty-four percent of all University international students came from Asia in 1985, compared to 36 percent in 1980. Much of the increase was driven by surges in the number of students from South Korea — the top country of origin in 1985 — and China.
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International Buddy Program Launches
1989
The International Buddy Program began in 1989 as a peer mentor program for new international students. Current students, both international and from the U.S., sign up to help a new undergraduate transition to campus.
In 1994, the International Buddy Program hosted its first Thanksgiving dinner, a tradition that continues today.
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U.S. Lifts Ban on Gay, Lesbian Visitors
1990
The U.S. lifted a ban on visas for gay and lesbian visitors. Under the law, gay or lesbian international students were labeled as “sexual deviants” and subject to visa denial or deportation. Today, International Student and Scholar Services offers a group specifically for LGBTQIA+ international students to find community.
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Culture Corps Draws on International Student Perspectives
1998
International Student and Scholar Services launched the Culture Corps program to bring international students’ unique perspectives to the wider campus community. Students receive monetary awards for projects that enrich cross-cultural understanding.
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Enrollment Decreases After September 11
2002
In the wake of the September 11 attacks and increased scrutiny of international students, the University saw an 18 percent decrease in new international students and scholars from the previous year.
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U.S. Launches SEVIS
2003
The U.S. launched the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to track international students, as required by the USA Patriot Act of 2001. International Student and Scholar Services required all international students to attend a SEVIS information session to help them understand the new regulations.
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Council of International Graduate Students Created
2014
The Council of International Graduate Students is created. The group collaborates closely with University administration and services to ensure that international graduate and professional students' needs are met, and their voices heard.
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International Student Advisory Board Forms
2016
The Office for Student Affairs and International Student and Scholar Services launched the International Student Advisory Board in 2016. The board strives to enrich campus experiences through reviewing and providing feedback to support services, discussing ways to increase opportunities for meaningful engagement with U.S students, and exploring strategies to increase the sense of belonging at the University.
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COVID Pandemic Impacts International Students
2020
Many international students returned to their home countries during the COVID pandemic. The U.S. government temporarily changed its visa rules to allow international students to take all their courses online.
Some students were unable to return home, however. The University of Minnesota kept residence halls open to ensure these students had a place to stay.