Consortium Members

Bethel University, then Bethel College, was a founding member of HECUA, and had an active role in shaping the organization's priorities and mission from 1969 to 1974. Although Bethel chose to take a less formal role in the consortium after 1974, ties remained between the two organizations. Three Bethel students were awarded paid summer internships through HECUA's grant-funded Partners Internship Program between 2001 and 2010, and nine Bethel students have participated in HECUA's academic programs since the early days of the Crisis Colony.

Shaped by the Catholic Benedictine heritage, which values community, hospitality, respect, stewardship and love of learning, the College of St. Scholastica provides intellectual and moral preparation for responsible living and meaningful work. St. Scholastica emphasizes the civic mission of higher education and seeks to foster intentional learning and collaborative action so that their graduates may better serve and lead their communities. Through HECUA, St. Scholastica students have opportunities to practice and live out service and leadership for their communities and the world.

Denison University seeks to inspire and educate its students to become autonomous thinkers, discerning moral agents, and active citizens of a democratic society. As a community of learners, Denison emphasizes active learning and seeks to fully engage students in their liberal arts education. Denison University and HECUA are partners in encouraging students to have compassion that is unlimited by cultural, racial, sexual, religious or economic barriers and be effective agents of change.

Hamline University was a founding member of HECUA in 1971 and has been a leader throughout the consortium’s history, maintaining steady enrollments in programs, active participation on the board of directors, and faculty involvement in committees and collaborative initiatives. HECUA offices were located on the Hamline campus from 1985-2001, and Hamline has been integral to the administrative work of the consortium by providing transcripts for program participants who are enrolled at non-consortium schools.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota joined HECUA in 1977, just six years after the consortium was founded. The institution has been an active member with steady student enrollments, participation on the board of directors, and involvement in committees and consortium initiatives. Board members from Saint Mary’s University have served HECUA in leadership roles including Vice President of the Board, Personnel Committee, Risk Management Task Force, and Scholarship Committee.

St. Olaf College, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, seeks to provide an education committed to the liberal arts, rooted in the Christian Gospel, and reflective of diverse and global perspectives. St. Olaf focuses on critical inquiry and expression, offering a distinctive environment that integrates teaching, scholarship and creative action. As partners in learning, St. Olaf and HECUA collaborate on challenging students to be responsible and knowledgeable citizens of the world, and creating higher education institutions that foster community building and social justice.

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning, effective citizenship and pursuit of the common good. As a land grant institution, the University has a calling to open its doors as widely as possible. As a research institution, it has a special responsibility to address the economic, cultural, political, and environmental challenges that face the nation and the world. Since the beginning of HECUA, the University has played a central role in assisting the consortium in reaching students who might not otherwise be enrolled in higher education or participating in off campus programs.

Today, HECUA has two front doors into the life of the University: the Center for Communty-Engaged Learning and the Learning Abroad Center (LAC). Both the CCEL and the LAC are located on the Twin Cities campus but serve students from any campus in the University of Minnesota system.