The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public, comprehensive institution. Founded as a state Normal School in 1916, it gained university status in 1971. Students looking for enrichment and an extra challenge choose UW-Eau Claire because it is a Center of Excellence for Faculty/Student Undergraduate Research Collaboration. This means students work closely with professors on research and other scholarly activities, gaining valuable experience for graduate school or a job after graduation. The Blugold Fellowship, for example, offers new freshmen a scholarship and a chance to work with a faculty member on a research project from the start. Its 333-acre campus is located in Eau Claire, 90 miles east of Minneapolis-St. Paul.