About CFANS

Our Calling

Hilariia Ponce studies flowers

In the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences (CFANS) we look at the bigger picture. When we envision a better tomorrow, it includes disease-resistant crops, products that protect our health, lakes free from invasive species, and so much more. We use science to find answers to the world’s grand challenges and solve tomorrow’s problems.

Every day our students, faculty and staff use science to create a world that will feed our growing population while sustaining the natural resources upon which we depend.

Few other public universities come close to the breadth of our expertise, allowing us to tackle challenges in novel ways. We develop leaders that see more possibilities and produce solutions that work for real people. This creates a powerful force for change.

Our Reach

Hirsch in cornfield

Twelve academic departments and 10 research and outreach centers make up our college, along with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the Bell Museum, and dozens of interdisciplinary centers.

As part of a major urban university located in the heart of the Twin Cities, we also provide immersive study opportunities across the state. Our living laboratories allow students, faculty, and staff to study throughout Minnesota’s diverse ecosystems.

Undergraduate students can choose from 14 majors and more than 25 minors. We also have 13 graduate programs. Our students complete their degrees and leave here well prepared for the workforce because of our emphasis on hands-on learning, internships, and global perspectives.

Almost 93 percent of students who earn CFANS undergraduate degrees find jobs in their career field or enter graduate school within six months of graduation.

With a legacy of innovation — both the Honeycrisp apple and the process of artificially inseminating dairy cows were born here — our research has made a difference, both large and small, in many lives.

Learn about how we deliver bold science to Minnesota (.pdf)

Don Wyse (center), Adrian Hegeman (right), and A. Cece Martin (left) with native plants whose flowers are being tested for cosmetic uses in addition to their primary use as biomass fuel. Project funded by Aveda Corp.

Our Mission

To inspire minds, nourish people, and enhance the natural environment.

Our Vision

To advance Minnesota as a global leader in food, agriculture, and natural resources through extraordinary education, science-based solutions, and dynamic public engagement that nourishes people and enhances the environment in which we live.

Strategic Plan

CFANS will transform education to lead the next era of the land-grant mission in Minnesota and beyond. Public Trust | Bold and Interdisciplinary Scholarship | Infrastructure Renewal & Strategic Investment | People and Culture | Transformative Teaching and Learning

The CFANS Strategic Plan reflects our shared vision as One College and our enduring commitment to our land-grant mission. 

Together, these five interconnected pillars will guide our priorities, strengthen our impact and position CFANS to serve Minnesota for generations to come. 

View strategic plan PDF.

 

CFANS Strategic Pillars

 

TRANSFORMATIVE
TEACHING & LEARNING

Transform education by preparing students to lead meaningful change. 

  • Drive strategic enrollment growth through targeted pathways.
  • Anchor the CFANS experience in community-engaged, global, and experiential learning.
  • Expand the First-Year Experience focused on leadership and belonging.
  • Reward and elevate undergraduate and graduate teaching excellence.
  • Optimize curricula and embed career readiness and civic engagement.

 

BOLD &
INTERDISCIPLINARY
SCHOLARSHIP

Expand the impact of interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses complex challenges.

  • Build structures that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Align incentives to elevate high-impact interdisciplinary research, teaching and extension work.
  • Identify cross-cutting issues as strategic opportunities.
  • Build collaborative teams and identify critical expertise gaps.

 

PUBLIC TRUST

Earn and sustain the trust of all Minnesotans by demonstrating the impact and value of CFANS in advancing the mission of Minnesota’s land-grant university.*

  • Strengthen statewide engagement on issues that matter.
  • Deepen partnerships with Tribal Nations.
  • Expand outreach to students across Minnesota.
  • Increase fundraising and state investment.
  • Elevate visibility of public impact.

 

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Cultivate a culture of inclusion and belonging where people and purpose thrive.

  • Attract, engage, and retain faculty and staff talent from day one.
  • Foster inclusion, connection, recognition, and agency for belonging
    and success.
  • Invest in leadership and professional development, particularly
    supervisory skills.
  • Advance fair and equitable policies, practices, and systems.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE
RENEWAL &
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT

Modernize CFANS infrastructure to support education, research, and growth.

  • Develop a long-term statewide capital investment strategy.
  • Advance a portfolio of strategically aligned capital projects.
  • Optimize shared facilities, governance, and infrastructure.