Submitted by todd on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 07:02
TweetBy Kim Araya

Here at the University of Minnesota (editor's note: Kim is now Director of Conference Services at American University in Washington, D.C.) we’ve kept the legacy of our founding alive, touting to planners a beautiful campus full of greenery that is set away from downtown Minneapolis. Because we are a land grant campus, and continue to operate our large agricultural school at our St. Paul site, we take pride in our setting. Many of the horticulture students help us create elaborate arboretums and landscaping (we take great time to spell out the M of our university name in maroon flowers!) that makes a pleasant environment for students and conference guests.
In fact, land grant schools were some of the first to welcome conference guests. Because we are all state institutions funded by students and the government, concessions had to be made to allow outside entities of any purpose to rent classrooms, when available, at any time of the year. And over the years, new policies such as alcohol licenses and One-Stop Shop certification have been created and followed to welcome these groups more frequently.
Ultimately, the planner needs to choose what is right for them—some land grant campuses offer scenic, rural placements, with lush grounds and intimacy and some are in the midst of the downtown bustle, if that is what is needed for a particular group. Yet always one of the greatest benefits of land grant campuses are the settings; because we are in all different environments, from here in Minnesota to Florida, planners can enjoy the land all seasons of the year—and that is truly special.