To a Higher Degree: What's in a name?

What’s in a name? Sometimes more than you imagine. Take, for example, St. Cloud Technical & Community College (SCTCC). At first glance, it represents the name of our local college. Dig deeper, and you’ll find that this name packs much more into just five words.

In 2010, St. Cloud Technical College became a comprehensive college, and the college’s mission expanded from career and technical education to include liberal arts and sciences degrees. Robust discussions took place amongst stakeholders across campus to develop a college name and logo that reflected the mission change while continuing to honor the tradition of quality career and technical education that our community had come to depend on. After much reflection, St. Cloud Technical & Community College became the agreed-upon name.

So what does it all mean? Well, let’s start with “St. Cloud.” With St. Cloud serving as an economic hub in Minnesota and as one of the fastest growing communities in the state, SCTCC’s name needed to reflect both the physical location of the college and the important role the college plays in the St. Cloud regional economy. The majority of SCTCC students come from Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Wright and Meeker counties, and when SCTCC students graduate, they typically establish careers in the St. Cloud region to live, work and raise families in the area. In fact, go to a health care provider, a manufacturing company, a construction-related industry, a technology-based company or other businesses in this region, and you are likely to find an alum from SCTCC. In addition, an economic impact study completed in 2019 indicated that SCTCC not only contributes to this region by providing skilled graduates ready to enter the labor market, but employees and students annually contribute $188.6 million to the local economy as a result of their affiliation with St. Cloud Technical & Community College.

“Technical” has a significant historical context for SCTCC and reflects the foundational components that led to SCTCC as we know it today. Originally founded in 1948 as a vocational-technical institute within the local school district, the college became the St. Cloud Area Vocational Technical Institute in 1973. In 2010, when selecting a new name to embody SCTCC’s expanded mission, stakeholders felt that it was critical to recognize the important role of career and technical education within SCTCC’s instructional program offerings and the importance of these skilled workforce pathways to our community business and industry partners. With more than 90 career majors in the program areas of business, IT, education, manufacturing, construction, transportation, health and nursing, and liberal arts and sciences, students can graduate in two years or less with the skills needed to enter high-skill, high-demand and high-wage careers in our region.

While it might seem minor, the importance of “&” cannot be overstated within the context of SCTCC’s name. Technical and liberal arts and sciences programs are critical to the mission of SCTCC and the economic vitality of our region. While there are many opportunities for students to complete a career and technical education credential, there are equal opportunities for students pursuing an associate of arts degree, associate of science degree or certificate to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree and beyond. And that is a perfect segue into the “Community” portion of SCTCC.

“Community” means SCTCC is a comprehensive college. Students have a variety of educational opportunities available to them, including liberal arts and sciences transfer degree programs. Half of SCTCC’s current student population has declared majors in a liberal arts and science degree program. It was this community demand that led to SCTCC’s mission change in 2010, and that demand continues to drive the expansion of programs at SCTCC, including transfer pathways in biology, business, elementary education, mathematics, psychology, Spanish, special education, theatre and engineering. These pathways provide students with a quality education where exceptional faculty know each student by name and provide personalized attention in small class sizes. Students find a clear pathway to completion, transfer and a fulfilling career.

“Community” also refers to the community support the college receives from business, industry, alumni and other community partners. It truly does take a village, and our students’ success is enhanced through the generosity and support of our community allies. For example, Granite Partners, a private investment and holding company, recently donated granite units valued at $1 million designating the SCTCC Foundation as the beneficiary. The annual income distribution from this gift will provide student scholarships and other direct support to develop well-trained graduates who are ready to enter the workforce or transfer as they continue their education. Community support such as this and other donations, partnerships, endowments and collaborations are critical to supporting student success and graduates’ economic and social mobility within our region.

Finally, we end with “College.” We are SCTCC. We provide the education, training, and support necessary for equitable participation in our society, economy, and democracy. We aspire to be a community of learners rooted in meaningful relationships where everyone belongs and thrives. We believe in the transformative power of education. We are proud to be a college serving the members of our community. We are St. Cloud Technical & Community College, and there is power in our name.

— This is the opinion of St. Cloud Technical and Community College Interim President Lori Kloos. To A Higher Degree is published the fourth Sunday of the month and features the presidents of the four largest Central Minnesota higher education institutions.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: To a Higher Degree: What's in a name?