Minnesota State University Moorhead President Tim Downes told the Moorhead City Council on Oct. 27 that the university plans a $125,000,000 investment in campus facilities and programming and is pursuing partnerships with local schools and employers to strengthen regional workforce pipelines.

Downes said MSU Moorhead’s freshman class grew 31% this year compared with last year and credited aggressive marketing, faculty engagement and programs such as the Morehead Scholars initiative for driving enrollment. "When people came to this community and they met the people on campus, our faculty, staff, and our students, they said, 'I'm going to Moorhead,'" Downes said.

The presentation highlighted three program areas the university is expanding: nursing, an Institute of Applied AI, and a regional partnership framework. On nursing, Downes said MSU Moorhead has a memorandum of agreement that helps students progress from a two‑year program into a four‑year bachelor’s degree; he described the clinical and employer demand for nurses in the region. "Whatever we can do to develop nurses," Downes said, "...the jobs are there for every student that chooses to do that." He noted the campus is about 1.2 miles from clinical partners as part of that pathway.

Downes also described the new Institute of Applied AI and related faculty training. He said about 10 faculty are learning to integrate AI into teaching and that a campus AI summit held the same day involved roughly 20 regional corporations and outside experts to explore business applications and workforce training.

Council members and residents asked questions about program outcomes and partnerships. Council member Nicole Matson and other speakers described positive experiences from students participating in Moorhead Scholars and accelerated graduate pathways. Downes said the Morehead Scholars program increased the number of Morehead High School graduates who enroll at MSU Moorhead from roughly 45 to about 135, a threefold increase.

The presentation emphasized community partnerships: Downes said MSU Moorhead seeks collaborative projects with Morehead Area Public Schools, local employers and other higher education institutions to keep graduates in the region and to supply area employers with trained professionals.

The university presentation concluded with an invitation to city leaders to engage with campus programs and to identify specific partnership opportunities.

Questions and further detail requests were raised during the council’s question period; Downes invited ongoing contact and said he would return with updates in future meetings.