Positive enrollment trends at St. Cloud State University

This fall our St. Cloud State University campus community celebrated significant growth in our enrollment numbers and shared gratitude for the growing, vibrant campus community we are creating together.

In September we celebrated our first year-to-year student enrollment increase since fall 2015, thanks to the It’s Time initiative we launched in 2020 to lead and coordinate a campus-wide approach to serving a wide range of students with an education that will last them a lifetime. With student numbers up in every key demographic category, we are a campus of more than 10,000 Huskies strong!

Our It’s Time strategic framework has been the impetus for these positive enrollment trends. Through this redefinition of how we operate, despite the setbacks and upheaval of an unprecedented pandemic and other challenges to traditional higher education, we have continued to build on our academic distinctions, support teacher-scholars and individualized success of our students and extend our regional reach.

Our It’s Time initiative has successfully helped us evolve into a campus community that is bold, innovative and focused, and all our hard work has had a remarkable impact not only on the number of students we are serving, but on the quality of the educational experience they are receiving.

The advancements and enhancements we continue to make in our academic and individualized support programs are aimed at helping us achieve our mission of preparing all our students to succeed in life and in the careers they will have. We are supporting our students in greater numbers as they strive to achieve their hopes and dreams of having a wonderful college experience, fulfilling their individual potential and taking their careers to the next step.

We could not have accomplished these intentional planning and implementation efforts without the ingenuity, creativity, hard work and dedication to student success of our incredible faculty, staff and administrators and all the committed, hard-working professionals who are involved in making our campus a welcoming, stimulating environment.

As our campus continues to grow and evolve, we are meeting the needs of students in academic programs and leadership opportunities that are attracting national attention for the incredible individualized experience they offer our students. An example is our Master’s in Business Administration Program that has earned SCSU’s Herberger Business School the prestigious 2023 Innovation in Business Education Award from the MidAmerican Business Dean’s Association. SCSU’s MBA program offers both online and in-person options that consider the various work-life commitments and career aspirations of students. The program is undergoing rapid growth, with a 350 percent increase in students seeking professional growth and career satisfaction.

SCSU’s outstanding Mass Communications broadcast education program is another recipient of national acclaim, having once again been recognized by the Broadcast Education Association for being one of the top broadcast schools in the country based on the creative achievements of students. Our broadcast alumni are legendary for their incredible readiness for success in radio and behind and in front of the camera in television outlets around the country, as well as for their enthusiastic support for the broadcast students in their alma mater.

These are just two examples of the wide range of academic programs that are giving students the skills, knowledge and confidence to hit the ground running in their careers, often resulting in job offers even before graduation.

In addition to sharing the success of our academic programs, we have continued to celebrate the prowess, spirit and tradition our Husky athletes bring to campus life and to the many community and regional folks who come to cheer them on. Our Huskies continue to build on a long history of excellence among men’s and women’s teams. I am so proud to be their number one fan!

This past week we have celebrated our women’s soccer team as they moved on to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their history and our women’s basketball team as they advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. For many of our loyal fans, Husky athletics is the front door to our university, attracting enthusiastic audiences of all ages to support our long and proud Husky tradition of excellence.

Finally, our new Esports Varsity Rocket Leage team went to their first ever NACE Quarterfinals playoffs.

I can’t say enough about the quality and character of all our students who amaze us with their enthusiasm for learning and discovering their own potential for becoming the thinkers, doers and leaders who take on the challenges and opportunities of generations to come. They inspire us to continue making St. Cloud State University the best we can be.

Our alumni from near and far also are a big part of who we are as a university that continues to grow and evolve as the world around us changes and the needs of our communities and the businesses and institutions our graduates go on to succeed in. This fall as we were celebrating the signs of progress and growth among our students, we gathered for a joyous Homecoming 2023 to celebrate the present and to toast our past and our treasured memories.

It was a vibrant week and a special time to recognize the tremendous importance of our alumni and friends. Their support and, in some cases, incredible vision and generosity are responsible for creating amenities that greatly enhance St. Cloud State’s impact on students and the community. We are so very grateful for the support that our alumni and community partners offer on behalf of our students. I can’t say enough about how powerful these ambassadors are as they share the special experience of a St. Cloud State University education and our role in strengthening their communities wherever they are in the world.

For all of us at St. Cloud State I wish you all a wonderful season of gathering with family and friends and celebrating our community. Go Huskies!

This is the opinion of St. Cloud State University President Robbyn Wacker. To A Higher Degree is published the fourth Sunday of the month and rotates among the three presidents of the largest Central Minnesota higher education institutions.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: St. Cloud State University had major growth in enrollment numbers