Instead of acting like a random collection of campuses, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities must become a more strategic system.
This "bold shift," outlined in a new report released Wednesday, could require further campus and center mergers, relocating academic programs and offering a single portal to the system's online offerings.
The report is meant to be strategic and doesn't delve into specifics. But some of its concepts could prove to be controversial.
The 35-page draft report is the result of seven months of work.
In November, Chancellor Steven Rosenstone charged three work groups — with a total of 46 presidents, staff, students and others — with creating a plan to confront "wicked questions" around the future of higher education and the system itself.
Next, the groups will get feedback, debate other ideas and submit final recommendations to the board of trustees in October for a vote.
"The process does not end today; it actually begins today," Rosenstone said Wednesday.
Read the report and submit feedback at www.mnscu.edu/strategicworkgroups.
One interesting recommendation: Have a statewide standard for awarding credit for the learning students do before enrolling, such as military training — or the massive open online courses known as MOOCs that more students are taking for free.