Minerva University

{{Short description|Private university in California, United States}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Minerva University

| former_name = Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute

| image = Minerva Schools at KGI Seal.png

| caption = Seal of Minerva University

| motto = {{lang|la|Sapientia Critica}}

| motto_lang = la

| mottoeng = Critical Wisdom

| established = {{start date and age|2012}}

| founder = Ben Nelson

| type = Private university

| president = Mike Magee

| provost = Claire Macken

| total_staff = 130

| undergrad = 1,000

| city = San Francisco

| state = California

| country = United States

| campus_type = Global

| accreditation = WSCUC

| website = {{URL|https://www.minerva.edu/}}

| logo = File:Logo for Minerva University.png

| logo_size =

}}

Minerva University (formerly Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute) is a private residential university headquartered in San Francisco, California.{{cite web |url=https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/minerva-university/ |title=Minerva University - WSCUC |website=wscuc.org |access-date=February 25, 2022}} It was established in 2012 by Ben Nelson using $25{{Spaces}}million in venture funding from Benchmark Capital. All classes are conducted as seminars capped at 19 students. Students travel to and live together in residential housing in a new country each semester, starting their education in San Francisco, and then living in Seoul, Taipei, Hyderabad, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Berlin, and then ending their program in San Francisco.

History

=Minerva Project=

In April 2012, Minerva Project received {{US$|25000000}} in venture funding from Benchmark Capital to create the undergraduate program that would become the Minerva Schools at KGI.{{cite news|last1=Farr|first1=Christina|date=6 January 2014|title=This entrepreneur is trying to create a 'perfect university' to displace Harvard & Yale|agency=VentureBeat|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/06/this-entrepreneur-is-trying-to-create-a-perfect-university-to-displace-harvard-yale/|access-date=21 August 2014}}{{cite web|last=Buchanan |first=Leigh |title=A True Elite Education at Half the Price |url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/201211/big-idea-5-true-elite-education-half-price.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104071611/http://www.inc.com/magazine/201211/big-idea-5-true-elite-education-half-price.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |date=Oct 30, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Stephen Kosslyn joined Minerva in March 2013 to serve as Founding Dean. Before joining Minerva, Kosslyn served as Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and Dean of Social Sciences at Harvard University. Kosslyn was responsible for hiring the heads of the four colleges in the School of Arts & Science and overseeing the development of Minerva's seminar-based curriculum.{{cite web|title=Minerva Project Names Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn as Founding Dean|url=http://s3.minervaproject.com/press-releases/Minerva_Announces_Stephen_Kosslyn_Founding_Dean_Release.pdf|access-date=24 January 2015}}

=Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute=

In July 2013, Minerva Project partnered with the Keck Graduate Institute to officially launch the Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute.{{cite web|title=Minerva Project and KGI Partner to Launch the Minerva Schools at KGI|url=http://s3.minervaproject.com/press-releases/Minerva_Project_and_KGI_Partner_for_Minerva_Schools_at_KGI.pdf|access-date=24 January 2015}}

Minerva received WASC regional accreditation for five of its programs: the Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Humanities, the Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences, the Bachelor of Science in Computational Sciences, and the Bachelor of Science in Business.{{cite web|title=Statement of Accreditation Status Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences|url=http://www.wascsenior.org/institutions/keck-graduate-institute-applied-life-sciences|website=Western Association of Schools and Colleges|access-date=25 May 2015}}

Minerva admitted its first class in 2014. The school offered places to 69 students out of 2,464 applications, and 29 students matriculated. This resulted in a 2.8% acceptance rate and a 42% yield.

Starting in 2016, Minerva expanded into postgraduate education by offering a Master of Science in Decision Analysis.{{Cite web |title=Minerva University for Indian Students {{!}} Educate Online India |url=https://universities.educate-online.in/usa/san-francisco/minerva-university/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en-US}}

In 2020, Minerva created its Visiting Scholars year. The one-year program, completed remotely, offers the four Cornerstone Courses to students accepted into a leading college or university who face challenges attending in residence for the 2020–21 academic year due to COVID-19.{{Cite web|title=Minerva Visiting Scholars Year|url=http://www.minerva.kgi.edu/visiting-scholars/|access-date=2020-08-03|website=www.minerva.kgi.edu|language=en}}

In 2023, Reed Hastings, co-CEO of Netflix, donated $20 million to Minerva University.{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2023-01-12 |title=Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings Donates $20 Million to San Francisco’s Minerva University |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/netflix-reed-hastings-grant-minerva-university-1235487161/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=Variety |language=en-US |quote="Netflix founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings is donating $20 million to Minerva University, styled as a next-generation institution of higher education."}}

Academics

Courses are conducted as online seminars capped at 19 students. Minerva applies a 1972 study{{Cite journal | last1 = Craik | first1 = F. I. M. | last2 = Lockhart | first2 = R. S. | doi = 10.1016/S0022-5371(72)80001-X | title = Levels of processing: A framework for memory research | journal = Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior | volume = 11 | issue = 6 | pages = 671 | year = 1972 }} that shows that memory is enhanced by "deep" cognitive tasks. Such tasks include working with materials, applying it, and arguing about it instead of rote memorization. All classes begin with a short quiz and end with a second one later in the class; this is claimed to increase retention. Student performance is automatically recorded for tracking.

Students initially take four "Cornerstone Courses" that introduce "Habits of Mind" and "Foundational Concepts" that cut across the sciences and humanities. The four "Cornerstone Courses" are Empirical Analyses, Formal Analyses, Complex Systems, and Multimodal Communications. In Empirical Analyses, students learn about evaluating and analyzing scientific methods and use that knowledge to build problem-solving proposal. In Formal Analyses, students learn to evaluate and perform data analyses, and perform design thinking skills using game theory and classification method. In a humanities class, students learn the classical techniques of rhetoric and develop basic persuasive skills. Finally, in social science class, students learn about the characteristics of complex systems (intended to represent social interaction), and leaderships, self-awareness, and negotiation. Minerva encourages students to use massive open online courses to learn what is typically taught in first-year courses.

Professors are trained to use Minerva's proprietary learning platform, the Minerva Forum.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/08/the-future-of-college/375071|title=The Future of College?|last=Wood|first=Graeme|date=August 13, 2014|publisher=The Atlantic|access-date=2014-08-16}} Faculty retain intellectual property rights to their research.{{cite news |last1=Roush |first1=Wade |date=18 April 2014 |title=Minerva's Plan to Disrupt Universities: A Talk With CEO Ben Nelson |url=http://www.xconomy.com/national/2014/04/18/minervas-plan-to-disrupt-universities-a-talk-with-ceo-ben-nelson/2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109163428/http://www.xconomy.com/national/2014/04/18/minervas-plan-to-disrupt-universities-a-talk-with-ceo-ben-nelson/ |archive-date=2019-11-09 |access-date=21 August 2014 |agency=Xconomy}}

Facilities

Minerva maintains one residence

{{cite web |title=San Francisco - Student and Intern Housing |url=https://www.foundstudy.com/sanfrancisco |website=FOUND Study |access-date=30 August 2022 |language=en}}
{{cite web |title=How (un)safe is 16 Turk Street? |url=https://emmastiefel.github.io/16-Turk-Crime-and-Safety-Data/ |website=emmastiefel.github.io |access-date=30 August 2022}}
{{cite web |title=FOUND Study San Francisco - Student Housing Apartments - 16 Turk St, San Francisco, CA 94102 |url=https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/16-Turk-St_San-Francisco_CA_94102_M98543-76106 |website=realtor.com® |access-date=30 August 2022}}
{{cite web |title=Student Housing |url=https://16turksf.com/ |website=16 Turk SF |access-date=30 August 2022}}
{{cite web |title=Hotel Metropolis |url=http://upfromthedeep.com/2011/07/06/metropolis/ |website=Up From The Deep |access-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909061402/http://upfromthedeep.com/2011/07/06/metropolis/ |archive-date=9 September 2015}}

hall in San Francisco, California, on Turk{{cite web |author1=Minerva Quest |title=Left On Turk (Full documentary) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TirWnAJ9nXM |website=YouTube |access-date=30 August 2022 |location=San Francisco |language=en |date=May 7, 2022}} Street,{{cite web |title=Minerva Schools at KGI Annual Security Report |url=https://minervaschools-production-cms-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Annual-Security-Report-2018-19.pdf |access-date=2 April 2021}} as well as ones in Seoul,{{Citation|last=Minerva|title=Global Immersion: Seoul|date=2018-01-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PhPk0BDdcw|website=YouTube |access-date=2018-07-03}} Hyderabad,{{Citation|last=The Minerva Quest|title=Cross-Class Vlog: End of Hyderabad|date=2018-05-12|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQrXf4fzzAI|website=YouTube |access-date=2018-07-03}} Berlin,{{Citation|last=Minerva|title=Global Immersion: Berlin|date=2017-01-31|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSTHz18E49s|website=YouTube |access-date=2018-07-03}} Buenos Aires,{{Citation|last=Minerva|title=Global Immersion: Buenos Aires|date=2017-05-09|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS6V-odaCa4|website=YouTube |access-date=2018-07-03}} London, and Taipei.{{Cite web|title=Minerva Schools at KGI|url=http://www.minerva.kgi.edu/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=minerva.kgi.edu|language=en}}

Minerva has no classroom facilities, since all classes are conducted through an active learning platform developed by the school, where students participate in seminar classes of up to 19 people.{{Citation|last=Minerva|title=Active Learning Forum: A New Way to Learn (short film)|date=2015-09-24|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7s8tCSDHE&t=2s|website=YouTube |access-date=2018-07-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://dukeahead.duke.edu/events-announcements/events/de-sigduke-presents-minerva-active-learning-forum|title=DE SIG@Duke presents The Minerva Active Learning Forum |website=DukeAHEAD.duke.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-07-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://brightsparks.com.sg/magazine/higher-education-2017/features/minerva-schools-at-kgi/a-school-for-the-intellectually-adventurous.php|title=a-school-for-the-intellectually-adventurous|website=BrightSparks E-magazine|access-date=2018-07-03}}

Notable alumni

Jade Bowler, British YouTuber known as Unjaded Jade; attended Minerva 2019–2023.{{Cite news|last=Rumbelow|first=Helen|date=2020-06-03|title=The studytuber Jade Bowler, aka Unjaded Jade and her virtual uni: no campus, no wild parties|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/technology/article/the-studytuber-jade-bowler-aka-unjaded-jade-and-her-virtual-uni-no-campus-no-wild-parties-6rpmrpm9w|access-date=2022-01-01|issn=0140-0460}}