By President Keith Stover
Welcome to the 2012-2013 Academic Year!
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our students, staff, faculty and administrators to the new year and all the opportunities that lie ahead. Our new employees orientation provided us the setting to introduce our college to new faculty and staff.
Early enrollment numbers appear to be on par with last year's enrollment. However, credit totals are down slightly. We will be looking forward to the fifth day totals. Thank you to Linda and the whole student affairs team.
Summer remodeling and cleaning.
Thank You Karen, Russ, Rick and all of your team members for extensive efforts in preparing both campuses for the fall semester start. In addition, thanks for all the supervision of the remodeling contracts in the bathrooms on both campuses, the Faribault SIM lab, the North Mankato Health and Human Performance areas and for your exhaustive efforts working to have our campuses ready for the start of fall semester.
Business After Hours
SCC and our Center for Business and Industry will host The New Ulm Chamber Business After Hours on Thursday, September 13, 2012, from 4:30-6:30 PM, at Lola's Larkspur Market in downtown New Ulm. Lacey Lueth is the owner of Lola's and a graduate of SCC's Culinary Arts program. The selection of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres (like all the food at Lola's) promises to be amazing!! Please join us for this special evening in New Ulm.
Priorities for the Year
Each year, SCC draws its annual work plan from the Strategic Plan. This holds the institution to a planned course of action and specific outcomes that are reported to the system office and Board of Trustees. This year, SCC will be focusing on improving "Student Time to Completion", expanding collaborations and shared services with our Southern Minnesota peer institutions and replacing the retiring President through a national search process.
Two-year college students time to completion rates often are extended because of college readiness requirements and the fact that approximately 80% of our students work at least a 20-hour shift while attending college, and 50% work as many as 40 hours per week. Many other factors extend the time from start until completion, and the college team is developing strategies to assist students with their progress in college.
The development of the Southern Minnesota Center for Agriculture, in collaborations with Minnesota West Community and Technical College, is a new project designed to expand our outreach to agricultural businesses and producers. Our two colleges are in the process of hiring a Dean of Agriculture to lead the new center.
The Presidential Search Process has begun with the designation of Laural Kubat as the college liaison and Jim Johnson, President of Minnesota State College Southeast Technical as the Chair. The hiring of a search firm will be the next step in that process and will include the development of the Search Advisory Committee. Laural will be providing regular updates as the process progresses.
