The collection contains the course bulletins for the University of Minnesota Technical Collection - Waseca. The bulletins cover 1971 to 1991.

The Technical College - Waseca was established as the Southern School of Agriculture in 1953. In 1969, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill to phase out the School of Agriculture and establish a two-year collegiate-level program in its place. In 1971, the Technical College - Waseca was dedicated, offering co-educational programs in the broad field of agriculture and occupational areas related to agriculture.

Debates about closing the Waseca campus began in the early 1970s and intensified in the 1990s. The University of Minnesota was in a period of financial difficulties, and one option under examination by the administration was to close a campus.

When the University announced that the Waseca campus might have to close in the fall of 1990, the public, rural businesses, alumni, and current students protested, sending letters to the President, Regents, and Legislators and organizing rallies at the Minnesota State Legislature. The University’s Board of Regents voted to close the campus in March 1991. The final graduation ceremony was held June 6, 1992.

Please review the Southern School of Agriculture collection finding aid to learn more about the school. And the finding aid for the Waseca Technical College collection will provide more information about the college.