Amazingly, more than 50 years ago an astute group of educators and legislators from the Fargo-Moorhead area had a vision for collaboration between the Fargo-Moorhead colleges that would maxmize educational collaboration. The partnership required legislative approval from both North Dakota and Minnesota plus approval of numerous accrediting agencies. Through the years, a number of special initiatives have been launched under the Tri-College University umbrella.
1965 & 1969 Legislation authorizing formal cooperative relationships across state lines passes in Minnesota under the leadership of Senator William B. Dosland and Senator Douglas H. Sillers, and in North Dakota under the leadership of George A. Sinner.
1970 Tri-College University is incorporated
1995 Tri-College University celebrates its 25th Anniversary with almost 30,000 students having taken more than 90,0000 courses.
2020 Tri-College University celebrates its 50th Anniversary, having served more that 50,000 student through the course exchange. It is estimated that since 1970, over $300 million dollars has been saved by students and families by being able to take "Tri-College classes." A significant change occured in Tri-College's 50th year with the addition of two colleges - M State and NDSCS, bringing to 35,000 the number of students served through the Tri-College partnership.
For more details read Tri-College University - History through the Decades .
