As officials clear debris from the weekend's homecoming rioting in Mankato, Minn., authorities are seeking ways to prevent it from happening again — including changing the way people party in this southern Minnesota college town.

Nearly 3,000 revelers attending a Minnesota State University, Mankato homecoming celebration rioted late Saturday night, setting cars and trash bins on fire and hurling bottles and rocks at police officers. At one point, they impeded rescue workers responding to a medical emergency. Forty-five people were arrested; 21 are students at Mankato who may face expulsion.

"These types of destructive behaviors are not tolerated by our university community and our response was immediate," university president Richard Davenport said in a letter to alumni and friends Monday afternoon.

University officials have begun talks about preventive measures with the Mankato community and other colleges that have experienced rioting. A few state lawmakers want to cut financial aid to students convicted of riot-related offenses. And university officials are considering several moves, from stepped-up efforts to teach students what sanctions they face if involved in such cases to tightening party restrictions in town.

The city also wants to educate students on possible penalties, Mankato Public Safety Director Jim Franklin said. And public safety officials will review their own actions and resources.

Several ideas are being considered relating to student partying, from ways to evict problem tenants to setting up party guidelines that could include hosts creating a security plan with security officers.

Authorities are seeking videotapes and photographs taken during the alcohol-fueled rioting to help identify suspects in the incident, which followed North Dakota State's defeat of Minnesota State, 20-9, in the homecoming contest earlier in the day. The Mavericks are 0-6 for the season.

Rioters injured 16 people, including four of the nearly 160 police officers called to scene. Along with the destructive fires, fences and street signs were torn down, signs were vandalized and windows were broken. Damages range between $100,000 and $200,000, said Franklin, who also noted that damage reports were incomplete.

Of the 45 arrested, two were charged Monday in Blue Earth County District Court. Austin Patrick Carey, 21, of Ham Lake, and 20-year-old Nolan Michael Siemers of Faribault, Minn., were charged with fourth-degree assault and third-degree riot, both gross misdemeanors. The maximum sentence for a gross misdemeanor conviction is one year in jail. According to university officials, Carey is not a student but Siemers is.

Carey is accused of throwing a rock at North Mankato police officer Chris Hendrickson and hitting him on the head. Siemers is accused of taunting and throwing bottles at officers trying to control the scene. Most of those arrested were issued citations and ordered to appear in court.

Workers at Highland Hills Apartments spent Sunday and Monday repairing about $1,500 in damage caused to building.

After experiencing large homecoming celebrations in the past, the 527-unit complex had security on staff Saturday, said general manager Greg Rommes. Rommes said property owners need to take responsibility for their tenants. The owner of the apartment complex where the partying began did not return a phone call Monday afternoon.

On Saturday, the first call came in at 10:30 p.m. when two police officers responded to a disturbance at an off-campus apartment complex where 200 revelers were drinking and damaging automobiles. Police called for backup. The revelry grew and became more confrontational, according to authorities. It took 160 police officers from more than 40 departments to disperse the crowd early Sunday morning.

"This sort of thing is an anomaly for our students; most are just appalled and shocked," said Mary Dowd, director of students rights and responsibility.

Student body president Rhys Gaffer said the Minnesota State Student Association will hold an open forum to hear student concerns, likely on Thursday. He said some students may say that police unfairly targeted them when 199 people were arrested on alcohol-related charges during the first weekend of the school year. But he worries the scrutiny the school has come under may hurt future state funding, as well as tuition costs.

"This certainly doesn't help us or give us any legitimacy," he said.

On Monday, state Rep. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, said she will reintroduce a measure in 2004 to withhold state financial aid money to students convicted of property and personal crimes related to riots.

"There should be consequences for such actions," said Nelson, a member of the House Higher Education Finance Committee.

State Sen. John Hottinger, DFL-St. Peter, said he will co-author legislation similar to a proposal that failed last year that called for higher tuition rates on students convicted of rioting.