American Federation of Teachers President and Local Union Leaders on Terrorist Act at Pittsburgh Synagogue

For Immediate Release
October 27, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

American Federation of Teachers President and Local Union Leaders on Terrorist Act at Pittsburgh Synagogue

WASHINGTON—Statements from AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFT Pennsylvania President Ted Kirsch and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President Nina Esposito-Visgitis:

Weingarten said:

“This time, we mourn a synagogue shooting, not a school shooting, but it is no less painful or tragic. Terrorism comes in many forms. The domestic extremism that has turned Americans against one another is a reflection of the undeniable hatred plaguing our communities. This time, it’s a murderer radicalized by a hatred of Jews; earlier this week, it was a mail bomber. Our hearts break for the community of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and everyone affected by this anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant massacre.

“Most synagogues do have security, but, just like in our schools, pretending that a good guy with a gun can singularly stop people armed with assault rifles and weapons of war is magical thinking. Law enforcement, who acted heroically, could not stop this murderer. The fact that mass shootings persist in our democracy is a public health crisis that we must tackle immediately: with commonsense gun safety laws, with access to mental health services, and with a renewed commitment to teaching tolerance.

“Personally, as a Jew, when confronted by anti-Semitism, I lean into my practice of Judaism. As a teacher, I lean into our work to educate for a more tolerant and inclusive America. As an activist, I lean into the fight against hate and the fight for a better and safer nation. Let us all work for a fairer and more decent country in the memory of those who were lost today.”

Kirsch said:

“Our synagogues, our schools, and the public spaces at the center of our neighborhoods
should be safe havens, but today in America, people now feel in danger where they learn and
where they worship. When an armed citizen seeks to murder Jews and others who support
refugees, it represents a heinous assault on some of our most basic freedoms. Today, that evil
made its way to Pennsylvania, and we condemn it at every turn.”

Esposito-Visgitis said:

“The educators and school support staff of the city of Pittsburgh are devastated that a shooter
would target members of our community based on their religion and their progressive values.
We are committed to teaching Pittsburgh’s students inclusivity and tolerance, and we will not
let this act of terror cause us to abandon that commitment.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Acts of Political Terrorism, Political Environment Created by President Trump

For Immediate Release
October 25, 2018

Contact:
Marcus Mrowka
202-531-0689
mmrowka@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Acts of Political Terrorism, Political Environment Created by President Trump

WASHINGTON—Statement by AFT President Randi Weingarten on acts of political terrorism and the climate created by President Donald Trump:

“Horrendous acts of political terrorism against elected officials and the media have no place in our society. They are intended to create fear and undermine our democracy. This is a moment to join together, regardless of party or ideology, to combat these acts of violence.

“As despicable as these acts are, we must also confront the political environment that is created by a president who calls the press the enemy of the people and celebrates violence against journalists; who calls his opponents angry mobs and says Democrats will bring violence if elected. Even today, Trump continued to attack the media on Twitter.

“We are better than this. In times of terror and disaster, Americans always come together as one people to help and heal one another. If Trump won’t lead by bringing people together, it’s up to us to do so—neighbor to neighbor, community by community. We can’t allow division and hatred to pull our democracy apart at its seams.

“Parents and educators teach children every day that words matter, and we strive to create safe and welcoming environments for children and teach them how to respect one another. In this moment, it’s these same values of respect and humanity that we must all lead with to restore our bonds as one united country.”

Transfer Pathways Marketing Workgroup

April 27, 2018

Academic and Student Affairs

Transfer Governance Plan

Introduction

In 2015, the Minnesota State legislature endorsed the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Transfer Pathways Project plan.   The Transfer Pathways project is a system wide effort to improve transfer persistence and completion through the implementation of multi-campus articulation agreements.  Transfer Pathways offer students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Fine Arts degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum is designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the seven Minnesota State universities enter the university with junior-year status.

Minnesota State colleges provide open access to post-secondary education for students throughout the State of Minnesota.  Despite ready access, however, Minnesota State community college persistence and completion data mirror the national data. Six years after first enrolling, two thirds of first-time community college students have not earned a credential or degree (Baker, 2016; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2011, Table 2); Kisker, C.B., Wagoner, R.L., & Cohen, A.M., 2011).  Kisker, Wagoner & Cohen (2011) found “…positive outcomes—both in terms of greater system efficiency and increased cost savings…” when states implement systemic transfer reforms designed to facilitate seamless transfer from associate to baccalaureate degree programs.

The goals of the Transfer Pathways Project include:

·         Create opportunities to streamline transfer for all students who intend to prepare for the bachelor's degree by completing an associate degree at a two-year college.

·         Facilitate communication and collaboration among faculty in the same discipline at all of the system's institutions.

·         Generate savings on many levels, including cost to students, time to degree completion, and administrative overhead to maintain articulation agreements.

·         Improve completion of associate and baccalaureate degree programs.

Implementation of the transfer pathways plan began in spring 2016 with the first four pilot pathways.  Twenty-six total pathways were developed over the course of a year and a half.  Campus implementation of the pilot pathways began in fall 2016, offering the programs in fall 2017.  Implementation of the remaining 22 pathways will continue through spring 2020.

During the development and initial implementation phase of the project, Minnesota State set up a governance structure to support project work, including the development of the transfer 

pathways and oversight of that development.  This document outlines how future oversight of transfer pathways will align with general transfer matters and oversight systemwide and established governance structures within Academic and Student Affairs.

Initially, a major focus of Transfer Governance will be on the successful implementation of Transfer Pathways throughout the system while also addressing general transfer matters.  To this end, the governance team may request additional representation, a more robust structure, and human resources necessary to accomplish this work.

Transfer Governance Framework

As outlined in Figure 1, the proposed governance framework will support the work required of transfer throughout the system, including that of transfer pathways.  Under the oversight of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, the Transfer Governance and Transfer Tactical teams will oversee the strategic direction of transfer, with an emphasis on transfer pathways, as set by the Chancellor and Board of Trustees, for Minnesota State and provide expert analyses and recommendations to the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs.

The Transfer Governance Team will support the strategic direction of transfer, with an emphasis on transfer pathways, for the Minnesota State system, under the direction of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs.  The team will work in consultation with the Transfer Tactical Team and Academic Affairs Council to provide continued oversight of strategic initiatives under transfer, including transfer pathways.

Transfer Tactical Team

In alignment with the strategic direction of transfer for the Minnesota State system, as set by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and governed by the Transfer Governance Team, the Transfer Tactical Team will provide expert recommendations and analyses to the Transfer Governance Team on requested issues and projects and implement approved projects.  It is anticipated that the Transfer Tactical Team will be assigned to a number of projects specific to transfer pathways implementation.

Project Management Support:

As tasked by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, the project manager will design and apply appropriate project management standards for incorporation in the governance of transfer, including transfer pathways.  The individual will provide project management support to all work of the transfer governance and transfer tactical teams. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Transfer Governance Team responsibilities, include but are not limited to:

·         Oversee the implementation, maintenance, prioritization, and evaluation of transfer projects and initaitives (e.g. transfer of mntc, non-mntc, credit for prior learning, etc.), also including transfer pathways.

·         Lead efforts to facilitate transfer through an equity lens.

·         Establish a communication plan to engage all relevant stakeholders in transfer issues, concerns and projects.  Monitor effectiveness of identified communication plan.

·         Establish and oversee marketing of transfer related initiatives.

·         Identify and continually monitor technology needs to support transfer.

·         Identify and oversee issue resolution related to transfer, including transfer pathways.

·         Identify related policy and procedure changes that might be necessary to support successful transfer of Minnesota State students.

·         Identify transfer related training needs for campus stakeholders and oversee the execution of such training opportunities.

·         Oversee the maintenance of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

·         Provide oversight of campus implementation of transfer pathways through Phase II

Transfer Tactical Team responsibilities, include but are not limited to:

·         Carry out planning and execution of transfer projects, initiatives and training, as requested by the TGT.

·         Research transfer related issues and concerns identified by the Transfer Governance Team (TGT).  Provide recommendations to the TGT for resolution.

·         Support the TGT in the execution of the identified transfer communication plan.

Composition of Each Group

The Transfer Governance Team is a recommending body, reporting to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, with representative membership from all bargaining groups and student organizations.  Membership is balanced to ensure equal representation from colleges and universities as well as metro and greater Minnesota institutions.  The team is co-chaired by one MSCF or IFO member and one MAPE or MSUAASF member.

·         MSCF (3 members)

·         IFO (3 members)

·         MAPE (2 members)

·         MSUAASF (2 members)

·         LeadMN (1 members)

·         Students United (1 members)

·         Administration (2 members)

·         Minnesota State staff (2 members)

Initially, at least 2 members of the Transfer Governance Team must have served on the Transfer Pathways Coordinating Team (TPCT) and/or a Transfer Pathways team (TPT) and/ at least 2 members from the Transfer Oversight Committee.

The Transfer Tactical Team is a working group, with members appointed by the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, in consultation with the Transfer Governance Team to carry out the work governed by the Transfer Governance Team.  It is understood that the membership must support the nature of the work by consisting of members that have the experience and expertise to carry out assigned tasks.  The team is led by a Minnesota State staff member, who also serves on the Transfer Governance Team, and is appointed by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs.  The team may call on subject matter experts to assist in the resolution of issues or to carry out related projects, as needed.

Timeline for Implementation

As noted in Figure 2, in spring 2018, the Transfer Oversight Committee and Transfer Pathways Coordinating Team would sunset and the Transfer Governance and Tactical teams would convene in fall 2018.  Summer 2018 would be a time to get logistics in place to support the launch of the teams in September.

Figure 2. Implementation Timeline for Transfer Governance

Decision-Making

The transfer governance team will make decisions by group consensus and will be guided by data-driven recommendations provided by the transfer tactical team. If consensus is not reached, the chairs will confer with the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs.  The transfer tactical team is an advisory body, reporting to the transfer governance team.  Recommendations for the tactical team will be reached by group consensus.

Consultation

As transfer does not happen in isolation from academic and student affairs processes and strategies, the transfer governance team will ensure that all decisions are vetted through appropriate channels.  In particular, the TGT will have formalized and regular consultation with the ASA Councils.  lt will be imperative to ensure that decisions made regarding transfer take into account the feedback and opinions of those working in academic and student affairs.  Specific communication and consultation processes are built into the governance structure, as noted in figure 3.

Communication

Transfer Governance and Transfer Tactical Teams’ meeting agendas and minutes, strategies, and other related materials will be posted to the Minnesota State intranet and made available to all employees.  In addition, as noted in Figure 3, regular updates will be shared with systemwide stakeholder groups. 

Figure 3. Transfer Governance Communication Plan

Channel	Recommendations
CAOs and CSAOs/ Transfer Governance Team	•       Regular project updates will be shared at the CAO/CSAO monthly meeting. •       Feedback will be shared back with the TGT from the CAOs and CSAOs •       Person(s) Responsible: System office staff and Transfer Governance Team
AASC and Curriculum Committee Chairs	•       Regular project updates will be shared with the AASC and Curriculum Committee chairs, as identified by the bargaining units.  •       Person(s) Responsible: System office staff
Local Campuses	•       Each campus should have a plan for how they will communicate key transfer information to faculty, staff and administrators.  This should include how they communicate transfer options to students. •       Person(s) Responsible: Local Campus Identifies
ASA Connect	•       ASA connect serves multiple purposes: to share campus implementation information and resources, initiative updates, and academic programs processing updates. •       Transfer information, such as meeting minutes and agendas, transfer pathway templates, crosswalks, designated degrees and other resources will be shared and updated as needed. •       Person(s) Responsible: Transfer Project Manager
Transfer Governance Team Members/Transfer Tactical Team members	•       Transfer Governance Team members have a responsibility to share communication and gather feedback from constituent groups to inform the team’s discussions •       Person(s) Responsible: Transfer Governance Team members and Transfer Tactical Team members
Meet and Confers	•       Provides an opportunity for clarification, facilitate discussion and share information with bargaining units and student associations. •       Person Responsible: Leadership of bargaining units and student associations
ASA Councils/Transfer Governance Team	•       Transfer Governance Team will share regular updates at the ASA Councils regular meetings. •       Feedback captured from ASA Councils will be shared back with the TGT. •       Person Responsible: System Office Staff serving on the TGT.

Type of Group:   Constituted as a workgroup that serves a limited time and has an advisory role.

Charge:  The Transfer Pathways Marketing Workgroup will develop a joint marketing and recruitment campaign for the transfer pathways initiative.

Deliverables: The tasks and milestones this group will achieve, include:

·         Develop a joint marketing plan between Marketing and Communications and Colleges and Universities that includes recommendations on the following elements:

a.      Branding strategy, including a mark and style guide (pages to be inserted into the existing brand manual) for the initiative that aligns with Minnesota State branding.

b.      Key messages for students on the benefits of the transfer pathways

c.       Common approach for marketing key messages and transfer pathway options on college, university and system websites and materials.

d.      Where to focus marketing strategies in order to best promote transfer pathway options.

e.      Methods for deploying marketing strategies

f.        Content for current marketing tools including the Viewbook, program search, and other system communications

g.      Activities, responsibility (colleges, universities, and Minnesota State) and timetables for deployment of identified strategies and methods.

h.      Understand and facilitate marketing through an equity lens

Scope: 

·         In Scope:

o   Development of marketing strategies and tools to advance primary elements of the Transfer Pathways initiative.

o   Develop common messaging to complement the local brands of institutions.

·         Out of Scope:

o   Changes to the branding strategies of colleges, universities and Minnesota State.

Duration and Time Commitment: Work of this group will occur from October 2018 through January 2019.

Meeting Times and Dates:  The group will establish appropriate meeting times at the kick off meeting.  It is anticipated that the work will require 4 hours per month of meeting time.

Membership:

Workgroup Chair (1), appointment by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

           

Workgroup Members (12),

3 College Marketing Staff

3 University Marketing Staff

2 College Advisor/Transfer Specialist

2 University Advisor/Transfer Specialist

1 College Faculty Member

1 University Faculty Member

1 System Office Staff, Marketing and Communications

1 System Office Staff, Academic and Student Affairs

At least 3 member on this workgroup will have served on a Transfer Pathways Team or Transfer Pathways Coordinating Team.

Expectations of workgroup members: Members are expected to:

·         Attend and participate in all meetings as scheduled.

·         Engage in discussion, research and needed work in between group meetings.

·         Work with all members to build consensus in workgroup decisions and recommendations.

·         Conduct user testing with current and prospective students, including those from diverse communities not fully represented.

Resources:

·         Transfer Pathways, ASA Connect site

·         Minnesota State branding strategy document

Consultation Process: Work of the group will be presented to stakeholders, according to the following timeline:

Stakeholder	Date
Academic Affairs Council
CAOs, CSAOs
Key Communicator (Marketing) Group
Student Affairs Council
Transfer Governance Team
Advisors/Transfer Specialists

System Office Staff Support:

·         Nicole Merz – 651.201.1446 – nicole.merz@minnstate.edu 

AFT President Randi Weingarten Condemns Trump Attack on Transgender People

For Immediate Release
October 22, 2018

Contact:
Ori Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten Condemns Trump Attack on Transgender People

WASHINGTON—In response to the Trump administration’s leaked plan to exclude transgender people from civil rights law by changing the legal definition of “sex,” AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“Just days before the midterm elections, the Trump administration is throwing red meat to its political base with yet another egregious attack on civil rights in our country. The president has once against chosen to target certain communities with hateful political stunts, instead of focusing on bringing people together around the economy, healthcare and public education.

“The slow and thoughtful evolution about what it means to identify with a gender different from the one you’re assigned at birth is based on science, and on listening to the experiences of the transgender community. Yet this administration favors ignoring that research and those experiences in an attempt to unilaterally redefine gender identity, thereby telling the 2 million transgender people across the United States: You are invisible.

“By legally changing the definition of sex as strictly male or female, this plan would exclude trans people from critical civil rights protections in the places where people expect and need their government to protect them—public schools, hospitals, prisons, homeless shelters. Instead of looking after our most vulnerable, this proposal would enshrine hate and intolerance into law, and ignore decades of legal precedent that establishes transgender discrimination as a form of sex discrimination.

“Donald Trump and his administration believe his political agenda is more important than the rights of everyday Americans. Their insistence on putting cruelty over decency should make clear to voters whose side the GOP is on.”

Reimagining Minnesota State Materials

Forum Advisory Group Orientation

Tuesday, Oct. 9; 4-7pm

Minneapolis Club – Minnesota Room

729 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Agenda

4:00 pm Welcome and Introductions (Chair Vekich and Chancellor Malhotra)

4:20 pm Overview of the meeting and outcomes (Terry MacTaggert, facilitator)
4:30 pm Disruptions in American Higher Education (Terry MacTaggert)
4:45 pm Minnesota State: Promise, Reality and Potential (Chancellor Malhotra)
5:45 pm Reimagining Minnesota State Project Overview (Lisa Foss, Chancellor’s Fellow)
6:30 pm Charge to the Forum Advisory Group (Chair Vekich)
7:00 pm Adjourn

Note: Dinner will be served at approximately 5:45 pm.

AGB -Top Strategic Issues for Boards

Enterprise Minnesota Magazine - Bob Kill's Interview with Devinder

Context SPM Report

Minnesota State Data and Background Information

October Update: Reimagining Minnesota State

October 15, 2018

To: Board of Trustees
Leadership Council
Tom Torgerud, AFSCME
Brent Jeffers, IFO
Jerry Jeffries, MAPE
Gary Kloos, MMA
Kevin Lindstrom, MSCF
Tracy Rahim, MSUAASF
Frankie Becerra, LeadMN
Kayla Shelley, Students United

From: Michael Vekich, Chair
Devinder Malhotra, Chancellor

Re: Reimagining Minnesota State October Update

We appreciate your thoughtful discussions about the Reimagining Minnesota State initiative
that have occurred over the past few months. Your feedback and suggestions for improvement
have informed the ongoing development of the project.

The first Forum session will be held on December 10 at Minneapolis College. In the first Forum,
we will engage the Forum Advisory Group and the Minnesota State community in a
conversation about The Forces Impacting Higher Education and how we might proactively
manage those forces to improve on key outcomes of student success through innovation. We
have scheduled the first Forum session for December to provide the Forum Advisory Group
additional time to learn more about Minnesota State and the important work of our colleges
and universities and to provide input into the strategic questions and topics that will guide our
Forum discussions.

Attached is the October 2018 Reimagining Minnesota State Update, which provides additional
information about the progress of Reimagining Minnesota State planning efforts and Forum
sessions. Please share this update broadly with your constituents and communities. We will
send out a Reimagining Minnesota State Update each month as one way to keep the leadership
of Minnesota State informed about the project. We will be sharing additional information in
advance of the public launch and as the details of the December 10 Forum session are finalized.

We welcome your ongoing engagement in this important initiative.

Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State

October 2018 Update

Forum Advisory Group Members Finalized

Full bios of the Forum Advisory Group will be posted to the Reimagining website. Members are:

·         Kathy Annette, MD, President and CEO of the Blandin Foundation

·         MayKao Hang, President and CEO of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

·         Kenneth Holmen, MD, President and CEO of CentraCare Health

·         Neel Kashkari, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

·         David Mortenson, Chairman of M. A. Mortenson Company

·         RT Rybak, President and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation

·         Michael Vekich, Chair, Minnesota State Board of Trustees

·         Roger Moe, Trustee, Minnesota State Board of Trustees

·         Alex Cirillo, Trustee, Minnesota State Board of Trustees

·         Devinder Malhotra, Chancellor, Minnesota State

The Advisory Group to the Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State met on October 9 and will meet again on November 5 for an orientation to Minnesota State and the Reimagining Minnesota State initiative. As preparation for the October 9 meeting, we shared data and information about Minnesota State, the demographics and backgrounds of our students, and our financial position, as well as larger demographic, workforce, and education trends in Minnesota. The materials shared with the Forum Advisory Group will be sent out in a separate email.

Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State Dates and Locations

The dates and locations of the five Forums have been set. They are:

Date	Time	Location	Tentative Topic
Monday, Dec. 10	8-9:45am	Minneapolis College	The Forces Impacting U.S. Higher Education
Monday, Jan. 14	10-11:45am	St. Cloud State University	The Digital Age: The impact and future possibilities offered by data and technology
Monday, Feb. 4	8-9:45am	Normandale Community College, Bloomington	The Nature of Work: Changing careers, competencies, and credentials in the future

Wednesday, March 6	10-11:45am	Minnesota State University, Mankato	The Student: Competition, emerging populations, and changing expectations
Monday, April 8	8-9:45am	To be announced	Innovative Models: Meeting consumer expectations, improving outcomes, and reducing costs through innovation

Additional detail on each Forum, including confirmed topic and speakers, will be shared in advance of the Session. The Forum Sessions are open, and members of the Minnesota State community are encouraged to attend. We also will be live streaming each Forum Session so that individuals can join remotely.

Share recommendations on Forum Session speakers and materials

We are in the process of identifying speakers who can represent unique perspectives and expertise on each Forum topic. We also are gathering current articles and research reports that can be used to develop background materials and the Briefing Paper and Guiding Questions. If you have recommendations for possible speakers or have articles or research reports that you believe are relevant to the topic, please submit your names and materials to Lisa Foss, Chancellor’s Fellow, at Lisa.Foss.2@minnstate.edu.

Reimagining Minnesota State Website

A website for Reimagining will be launched later this week. The website contains the bios of the Forum Advisory Group members, Forum dates and locations, and background information. In the future, the website will include a link to RSVP to attend the Forum sessions in-person or by live stream. http://www.minnstate.edu/board/reimagining.

OVERVIEW 

What is Reimagining Minnesota State?

During the fall of 2018 the Board of Trustees of Minnesota State launched Reimagining Minnesota State, a multi-year project by which Minnesota State will:

·         reaffirm our unique value proposition to the people of the State of Minnesota,

·         clarify our key outcomes of student success and economic and social mobility , and

·         foster and support a culture of innovation across our system that empowers our people to experiment with and collaborate on innovative approaches to move the needle on our key outcomes.

As a result of Reimagining Minnesota State, our goal is to make significant progress on key outcomes of student success and economic and social mobility and be recognized as the state’s strategic partner in the social vitality and economic prosperity of Minnesota.

Reimagining Minnesota State will unfold in two phases.

Phase I: Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State

The Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State will be a time of in-depth study of the disruptive forces currently facing higher education and the specific potential impact on Minnesota State and its students and communities. With insight and guidance from the Forum Advisory Group, the Minnesota State community will explore how organizations are navigating the demands of our rapidly changing world through strategic innovation and how these models might inform Minnesota State’s efforts to improve on our key outcomes of success.

Timeline: Sept. 2018-April 2019

Phase II: Design an Innovation Strategy for Minnesota State

Using the outcomes of Phase I, Minnesota State will create an approach to innovation that will engage leaders from all levels within the System in the practical work of identifying the organizational and operational changes that must occur to make progress on our key outcomes of success and creating the structures, policies, procedures and funding that will:

·         Recognize and accelerate the innovative approaches already occurring on our campuses

·         Identify and bring promising practices to scale throughout the system

·         Identify and support innovations that are beyond the capabilities and resources of a single campus

·         Make innovation integral to the operational structures of the board, system office and campuses

Timeline: Beginning in May 2019

Why are we engaged in Reimagining Minnesota State?

Like most industries, higher education is facing disruptive forces that cannot be fully addressed through traditional processes, existing organizational structures, or incremental change. Demographics and enrollment patterns predict a downward pressure on enrollment and will change the profile of the students we serve. Advances in technology is changing how people work and learn and their expectations for service delivery. Limits on state funding and tuition revenues will require changes to business models to maintain our financial sustainability. And finally, the public is questioning the relevance and value proposition of higher education.

We are Reimagining Minnesota State because even as the world around us changes, we must ensure that we are delivering on our unique value proposition to the State of Minnesota and that all of our students benefit from high quality education that positions them for future success. This will require Minnesota State to expand our capacity to be more creative, nimble and innovative.

How will the Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State work?

The Forum on Reimagining Minnesota State will create opportunities for the Forum Advisory Group and the Minnesota State community to examine different forces that are impacting Minnesota State and how those forces will influence our ability to deliver on our value proposition and key outcomes of success.

Each Forum Session will include four parts:

1.       Background: Prior to each Forum Session, research and information will be gathered and consolidated into a Briefing Paper that will provide background on the Session Topic and its context within Minnesota State. The Briefing Papers will include a set of Guiding Questions that will be used to frame each Session.

2.       Forum Sessions: National and local speakers will provide brief presentations on different perspectives on the topic after which there will be a panel discussion with the Forum Advisory Group, with opportunities for questions from the audience. Forum Sessions will be open and will be available via technology for those interested in viewing remotely.

3.       Deliberations: After the Forum Sessions, the Forum Advisory Group will meet to discuss the Session Topic, informed by the Briefing Paper and Forum Sessions and using the GuidingQuestions as a discussion guide. Other groups across the Minnesota State community, including bargaining unit and student leadership and campus-based groups, are encouraged to engage in discussions using the same materials and guiding questions and share their responses through the Reimagining Minnesota State website. Individuals also are welcome to respond.

         4.        Output: Following each Forum Session, a Report will be developed that includes the contributions from the Forum Advisory Group and other groups and individuals that submit responses.

The Forum Session Reports will serve as input into the Interim and Final Reimaging Minnesota State reports that will be shared with the Minnesota State Board of Trustees. The tentative timeline for the final report is May 2019.