Counterpoint: 'Code-red' focus on St. Cloud State is a cheap shot

Well, here we go again — another story about poor St. Cloud State University (SCSU). The focus on SCSU in the recent article, "'Code-red moment': Fewer people going to college in Minnesota could reshape higher education, workforce" (April 17), is shortsighted and, frankly, a cheap shot at one of the top universities in the state.

The article, which highlights a national enrollment decline in higher education, puts an oversized focus on SCSU as the poster child for these trends and, more important, completely neglects to tell the reader of the transformational changes we are making as an institution to address the challenges we face.

Enrollment decline is not only an SCSU or Minnesota problem. Since 2010, regional universities in states such as Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Maine, Pennsylvania and New York all report significant and double-digit enrollment declines (e.g., Central Michigan University is down 43% since 2010) driven primarily by the decline in the number of high-school graduates in these states.

Simultaneously, state doctoral research universities are taking more of the shrinking, college-going market, and out-of-state mega-universities (like Arizona State University) move into markets across the country with online options.

This is an alarming nationwide trend as regional universities like St. Cloud State play a pivotal role in serving underrepresented and first-generation students, promoting economic mobility and driving economic development.

There have been many articles highlighting how businesses are adapting to changing demographics and changing customer demands, celebrating these changes as innovative. However, this article leaves the reader to believe that at SCSU, unlike other innovative businesses, we're simply wringing our hands and doing nothing to address the challenges we are facing.

This couldn't be further from the truth. When I arrived at St. Cloud State in 2018, I did call our enrollment figures a "code red" moment. That is exactly why we launched our "It's Time" framework in 2019 that ripped up the old playbook and redefines what it means to be a university and to take an innovative approach serving today's students.

It was time to transform the student experience (from admission to graduation) and invest in new markets and new programs to align with the changing needs of the state. We've not wasted any time and didn't let the pandemic derail our future.

We changed the traditional advising model to a model where every admitted student is now assigned a student success coach in addition to their faculty adviser. These student success coaches work with students the entire time they are at SCSU, helping every student navigate the college experience, work through scheduling issues, gain study tips and balance demands and responsibilities. Our focus on individualized student support acknowledges and celebrates the racial, ethnic and international diversity of our students.

At SCSU, we are intentionally hiring faculty who not only excel in the classroom but are also top scholars in their field. Our undergraduates actually have a working relationship with their faculty and participate in cutting-edge innovation and problem-solving — opportunities usually reserved for graduate students. Our newly launched Minnesota Institute of Technology is bringing innovation and technology to all students regardless of their major.

Workforce development has always been a hallmark of our university, as industry leaders like CentraCare and GeoComm work alongside our faculty and students to create innovative approaches and products for the marketplace. These are just some examples of the changes happening at SCSU.

Yes, enrollment trends are different from a decade ago, not just at SCSU but across the country — and we are making sweeping changes to meet the realities of today and the future.

Instead of pointing out that the enrollment trends that were predicted a decade ago have materialized, let's shift our perspective to what is going right. Let's start hearing more stories about what is happening at SCSU and across the Minnesota State system to address these shifts in higher education, and what we are doing to address new and pressing needs in our communities and around the world. Let's stop looking in the rearview mirror and focus on what's next.

In closing, SCSU remains the third-largest university in the state and yes, it's time to go beyond the headlines to see that we are boldly changing the higher education experience right in your backyard. Go Huskies!

Robbyn Wacker is president, St. Cloud State University.