We believe that everyone has a right to quality higher education no matter their socioeconomic circumstances. Higher education is proven to be a key factor in breaking cycles of incarceration while strengthening students’ self-confidence and connections to their families, communities, and the world at large.

Continuing Metropolitan State University’s 50-year history of meeting students where they are as they work toward their educational goals, the TREC Program enrolls students at MCF-Stillwater in a full-time bachelor of arts (BA) degree pathway in Individualized Studies. In September 2021, the inaugural two student cohorts (40 students) began a full slate of courses that meet Minnesota Transfer Curriculum requirements.

What We Do

The TREC Program extends Metro State’s inclusive, anti-racist, innovative education to students incarcerated at MCF-Stillwater. With a foundation in praxis-based liberal education and a core commitment to exploring with students what it means to be an educated person, TREC creates learning spaces where faculty and students support and challenge one another in rigorous academic inquiry. TREC students are held to the same academic standards as all Metro State students and will graduate with Metro State Individualized Studies degrees. The TREC also partners with the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts to offer cocurricular opportunities including study groups, academic skills workshops, and guest lectures.

Courses Offered in Spring 2024

• GNDR 375: Intersectionality
• HIST 351: Europe: The Global Power, 1789–Present
• HUM 390: Perspectives on Health and Medicine
• PRSP 499: Capstone
• PSYC 302: Adult Development and Lifelong Learning
• TCID 599: Advanced Topics: Business Writing
• WRIT 359: Creative Writing