Save St. Cloud State

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As someone who grew up in Minnesota, who works in Minnesota and who represents almost 4,000 faculty members across the state, I know that each Minnesota State College and University is important and distinctive. St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is one such campus that has served its students and community for decades. Central Minnesota residents understand that SCSU is one of the most important institutions for the community's success.

However, St. Cloud State is in real jeopardy due to poor leadership.

The SCSU administration recently announced that as many as 100 faculty jobs will be cut, and 83 academic programs will be closed before 2028. These unprecedented layoffs and cuts will destroy SCSU's legacy, negatively impact all students and hurt the broader St. Cloud community.

One clear example of the failed leadership of SCSU President Robbyn Wacker was her decision to sell the university to the highest bidder. In 2021, Wacker signed a seven-year, $32 million contract with a predatory for-profit company that is paid by taking 50% of student tuition dollars. This type of tuition-share agreement was illegal until 2011 and it is only a loophole in federal regulation that allows this kind of company to exist.

The administration is forcing changes to SCSU's current curriculum with pre-recorded, low-interaction, accelerated online courses. Professors continue to do their best to redesign their courses under the threat of being laid off. If faculty don't comply, they are being told they can be replaced by lower-paid, temporary faculty. However, the watered-down curriculum being demanded by the administration is designed to be taught to an infinite number of students across the country. The courses are conducted impersonally — without valuable interactions between students and faculty. Simply put, this deal will turn SCSU into a degree factory and will mark the end of its storied history as a top regional university.

To add insult to injury, Wacker has said that her job elimination plan is part of the "It's Time" campaign. Her use of a snappy slogan to announce layoffs that will negatively impact students, our colleagues, mentors, neighbors and friends is dehumanizing and tone-deaf. Unfortunately, this follows a pattern we have seen from the SCSU administration.

The decisions to lay off faculty and close programs were made without input from stakeholders and did not follow required shared governance protocol. Wacker's actions have led to an SCSU community that feels angry, excluded and voiceless. Morale at SCSU is at an all-time low. How can we continue to recruit and inspire students while simultaneously reducing the quality of the education we provide?

SCSU faculty's commitment to students sustains the university. With the loss of 100 faculty, who will mentor students, help them find meaningful careers and ensure that diverse members of our community are valued? SCSU provides an excellent educational opportunity, but the future of the institution is bleak with Wacker's vision of decimating faculty and reducing the quality education SCSU provides. SCSU needs a change of leadership.

I'm proud to help lead a new campaign — counter to "It's Time" — called "Save St. Cloud State." It's a collection of passionate students, faculty, staff and community members who want common sense and human decency to prevail. And those of us who know SCSU also know it can be saved. To do that, we need a president we can trust — one who commits to transparency, respects and practices shared governance and upholds a culture that puts people first. President Wacker's decisions continue to undermine the vibrant learning community of SCSU, but this isn't the end of the story.

I envision SCSU as a university that values its educational offerings, students, faculty, staff and community members and one that is free from for-profit pariahs. For this vision to become a reality, we would require a leader who is committed to our mission of positively transforming our students and the community where we live and work. Please help us Save St. Cloud State.

Jenna Chernega is professor of sociology at Winona State University and president of the Inter Faculty Organization, which represents faculty at the seven state universities, including St. Cloud State.