SCSU leads the way higher ed must travel

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The article "St. Cloud State will make deeper cuts" (May 29) is misleading and does not paint the full picture of the progress made at St. Cloud State University.

As an SCSU employee who has held several leadership roles over the past nine years, and as the current SCSU president of the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty (MSUAASF), I urge readers to see the bigger picture of what's happening within higher education and the shift St. Cloud State has made to serve today's learners.

SCSU — and, frankly, colleges and universities across the country — must change the way they operate to be successful.

As someone informed about SCSU's online learning options and involved with the university's "It's Time" strategy, let me provide another perspective.

First, the claim that SCSU's cuts were "deeper" than expected is inaccurate. The proposal presented to the campus community and collective bargaining unit leadership in April actually indicated that more layoffs may be necessary; the recent budget decisions include fewer reductions. The total number of personnel reductions will be 36 for fiscal year 2023-24, down from the originally proposed 55. Additionally, it's inaccurate to project layoffs or future reductions, as those numbers are not confirmed and depend on a variety of other factors.

To address its structural deficit, the university must make changes to its portfolio. It is financially irresponsible to continue funding programs with fewer than three students enrolled (as is the case for 80% of the programs that will be suspended as part of our plan) and to ignore a large population of students who are not being served by our current model. We need to identify and expand learning options for underserved students, which is why SCSU is partnering with Academic Partnerships to create more accelerated online learning options.

This model works. Currently, SCSU collaborates with Academic Partnerships to deliver an online, accelerated Masters for Business Administration (MBA) program. The enrollment in this program has grown significantly with Minnesota residents as the primary demographic. Early numbers show an increase in women students and domestic students of color. As we work with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to accomplish the goals of Equity 2030, why wouldn't we be interested in expanding offerings that serve a diverse student body? Additionally, this program has exceeded financial targets in the first year.

Furthermore, I vehemently oppose the statement that faculty and staff have no say in online programming; many staff and faculty work incredibly hard to create rich and engaging learning environments. To minimize the work of MSUAASF and faculty members by referring to it as a "scheme" is inappropriate.

Finally, I want it to be clear: SCSU President Robbyn Wacker and the entire administration have been extremely open and transparent in communicating the plan and listening to feedback. As part of collective bargaining, unions meet with administration regularly. Prior to these meetings, we collaboratively establish an agenda that reflects membership concerns, information sharing and education around university processes.

Over the last few years, the MUSAASF leadership team and SCSU administration have worked hard to create a mutual relationship of trust and respect. President Wacker and her team have dedicated time, resources and energy into meeting us halfway to create culture change and ensure our input is heard.

I encourage everyone to look at the bigger picture and how these decisions are designed to support our ever-changing student body. We believe informed decisions and the "It's Time" strategy are putting us on the right track when it comes to the well-being of our students, our institution, the St. Cloud community and our state.