SCSU president: University is ready and able to provide education options for all
Once again we are entering a holiday season with the continued presence of the COVID-19 virus and the challenges of a global pandemic. We are likely to be impacted by rising prices and looming shortages of everything from turkeys to toys and hospital beds to airline tickets and postage. We are all more than ready to plunge back into what our lives were before COVID-19. Despite these challenges, I am energized by the resilience of our communities and the future of St. Cloud State University.
We know that in these uncertain times potential students and their families are questioning the way they want to receive their education. It’s more important than ever for leaders in higher education to offer solutions in the form of flexible and innovative educational pathways to the life and career students of all ages really want. It’s also critical for institutions to give all students the transformative experiences they need to make the most of their college years.
Enthusiasm for change and hope for renewed progress and prosperity continue to propel our campus community forward to meet the needs of students who come from a variety of backgrounds with a wide range of expectations. Many of our incoming first year students enter St. Cloud State straight from high school graduation to gain an on-campus experience. Adding vibrancy to our community, more than 10 percent are international students. An increasing number of students are non-traditional in the sense that they are veterans, single parents, career changers and others in the over-25 age range.
Given the range of backgrounds of our student body, we continue to individualize the student experience. As part of our bold It’s Time initiative for changing the way we operate as a university, employees and faculty have a better understanding of the student experience from application to admittance and as they transition to the university. Through an innovative Husky Student Success Coach program, for example, students are guided with success strategies to help them stay on pace for graduation. Academic advisors work with students to ensure that professional pathways are cleared for students with timely registrations and building a portfolio of experiences. Faculty continue to serve not only as content experts, but as influencers and advisors as students pursue their interests and explore options.
St. Cloud State University recently earned recognition from the Colleges of Distinction for being equipped to provide a personalized education catered to students’ interests as a campus that’s student focused and demonstrates excellence in engagement, teaching, community, and outcomes. The designation recognizes St. Cloud State’s support for creating learning environments that bring together faculty, students, and industry partners. Our students benefit from our university’s partnerships and relationships with such leaders as CentraCare, public safety, local and regional school districts and outstanding scientific and technical businesses.
Our student services also have been recognized for providing exceptional resources for career preparation and military support through the SCSU Career Center and the university’s Veteran’s Resource Center. Both are services that offer the kind of support that students often need to make the most of their potential.
The Career Center specializes in helping students throughout their educational experience, from exploring majors and careers in the beginning to preparing for the process of landing a job after graduation. The Veterans Resource Center is a place for critical information and assistance as well as a much-needed welcoming space for veterans to connect with other veterans, service members and their families. The success of this service has helped earn the campus distinction as both a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon campus by the Minnesota National Guard and G.I. Jobs magazine’s recognition as a Military Friendly School.
Before COVID and other crises put the spotlight on our economic, educational, health and cultural challenges, we were reimagining our university and reassessing the way to offer educational opportunities for all to reach for new goals and grow at every stage of life.
Now we are living into those changes and moving forward with new strategies for our future and the future of our students. As part of the It’s Time framework for the future of St. Cloud State, for example, the university is a leader in four areas of academic distinction: holistic health and wellness, applied science and engineering, education, and leadership. These fields have professions that are in high demand, or meet a workforce need and present the greatest opportunity for a rewarding work and life
These also are fields that represent opportunities for tackling global challenges. Earlier this month I and Shahzad Ahmad, associate vice president of our Center for International Studies, joined Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz, and government leaders in economic development and trade, business and higher education in London and Helsinki for discussions focusing on strengthening partnerships in MedTech and Health, Environmental Technologies, Agriculture and Food, and Higher Education. I had the opportunity to showcase our Integrated Science and Engineering Laboratory Facility (ISELF) which is used by global leaders to develop prototype and products in partnership with faculty and students. This unique facility provides experiential learning opportunities for students in a mentored environment where they gain relevant professional experience early in the learning process.
Our world and our university are at a historic juncture, and we are thankful for both the responsibility and the opportunity to continue preparing a wide range of students for life, work and citizenship.
On behalf of all of us at St. Cloud State, I wish you all a happy holiday season.
— 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 features perspectives from presidents of Central Minnesota's four largest institutions of higher education.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: SCSU president: University ready and able to provide education options
