Growing Potential: Minnesota State College Southeast Celebrates Spring Achievements

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast

Spring is finally here! In the first week of May, we have gone from barely-budding leaves to full-flung flowers and brilliant green trees. You just can't help but feel optimistic this time of year, and that's certainly true at Minnesota State College Southeast.

As the academic year comes to a close, it's a time to reflect on the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of our students. This season of growth and renewal perfectly mirrors the achievements happening across our campuses, reminding everyone who works in higher education why we love what we do so much.

Throughout our Winona and Red Wing campuses, students are completing impressive capstone projects that showcase their skills. In the Winona Mechatronics lab, a talented student team has built a working "claw machine" that demonstrates their creativity and technical competency. There's no charge to play this innovative creation, and everyone wins a prize!

Meanwhile in Red Wing, the college is celebrating a significant milestone--the 50th anniversary of the Violin and Guitar Making and Repair programs. Our dedicated students are putting the finishing touches on nearly 60 beautiful guitars, mandolins, and violins, which will be played on stage in concert by professional musicians just before Commencement.

Our students' achievements extend beyond the classroom into leadership and competitive arenas. In April, both the Red Wing and Winona Student Senates earned recognition as LeadMN Star Campuses at the LeadMN General Assembly, honoring the hard work and passion of their student senators. Congratulations to Winona Vice President Laura Scott and Red Wing Vice President Hailey Brown for spearheading the applications for this prestigious award.

In the technical fields, our students continue to excel nationally. Welding student Ian Engrav advanced to the finals of Project Manufacturing's National Welding League competition and will compete in the National Championship at Ferris State University in Michigan this June. The competition will be featured in the "Clash of Trades Welding Edition" series, bringing well-deserved attention to Ian's skills and the quality instruction provided by his teacher, Casey Mann.

Further demonstrating our technical prowess, Southeast won Gold at the State Level Auto Body Skills USA competition for the second time in three years. The event, held at the 3M Skills Development Center in St. Paul, saw student Nick Uitto emerge victorious among competitors in six different areas of Auto Body. Nick will represent Southeast at the National Competition in Atlanta this June, guided by instructor Brandon Boynton.

The first weekend of May brought another exciting opportunity as Southeast hosted Make48, a nationwide invention competition where high school teams developed ideas, created prototypes, and pitched their concepts to industry judges--all within 48 hours. Seven of our Construction Technology students served as mentors alongside career and technical faculty, offering valuable guidance on product design and development.

Speaking of Construction Technology, our students continue to gain practical experience through Southeast's partnership with Habitat for Humanity serving Winona County. This year they have advanced work on Habitat's townhouse development in St. Charles while also completing a variety of repair projects for area homeowners, directly applying their skills to benefit the community.

These accomplishments--and many others across our campuses--reflect the college's recently updated mission and vision statements. Our mission is to deliver exceptional transfer, career, and technical education that empowers learners and transforms lives. Our vision is to be the destination for generations of learners who shape thriving, resilient communities.

At Southeast, we believe college is for everyone. We believe in meeting students where they are. And we believe that every step toward reaching your educational goals should be simple and achievable, completed in the least amount of time for the least amount of debt.

The success of the Class of 2025 demonstrates how effectively we're delivering on these promises. At Commencement, we will honor more than 400 new graduates and award over 500 certificates, diplomas, and degrees. Many of these graduates will transition directly into rewarding careers, while others have earned associate degrees and will transfer to 4-year institutions to pursue bachelor's degrees.

As spring brings renewal to our landscape, our graduates embark on their own new beginnings--starting careers, pursuing further education, or embracing new personal goals and aspirations. Graduates, whatever comes next... we wish you well!

Workforce partnerships help Southeast students learn skills - both hard and soft

By Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

At Minnesota State College Southeast, we believe everyone can benefit from investing in a college education. Likewise, the State of Minnesota's investment in the public colleges and universities of the Minnesota State system provides the resources needed to build a workforce that attracts and retains business and industry in our communities.

That is why we are requesting support for the FY2026-27 Minnesota State biennial budget in the current legislative session. Fully funding the Minnesota State budget will make a critical impact on Minnesota State College Southeast and all system institutions.

Each year, the colleges and universities of Minnesota State provide education to over 2,700 businesses and 130,000 individuals. Workforce training solutions for employers are available from all 33 Minnesota State colleges and universities.

Minnesota State College Southeast is proud to be part of that system, working in close partnership with regional business, health care, and industry by providing high-quality credit and non-credit education to almost 6,000 individuals annually.

At Southeast, career and technical programs in health care, the trades, technology, and business are focused on hard skills - the specialized job-related knowledge that is needed to begin and excel in a career.

Soft skills are embedded in all our programs as well. Soft skills include, but aren't limited to, effective communication, adaptability, teamwork, active listening, and time management. Our workforce partnerships are crucial in helping us provide valuable soft skills development for our students.

Recently we held an in-depth focus group with local IT professionals and discovered that alongside technical skills, soft skills like teamwork and project management have become increasingly important.

We heard over and over the value of being able to solve problems and communicate effectively. Their input will help the college to expand the soft skills required within the curriculum for IT careers.

At Southeast, we embed soft skills by including liberal arts and sciences classes in our career and technical programs. For example, Construction Technology associate degree students take classes in communications and math along with electives in history, social science, humanities, and the arts.

Further, through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity serving Winona County, our Construction Technology students are exposed to the values of servant-leadership and empathy, gaining another prized soft skill - emotional intelligence - along with real-world construction experience.

Thanks to partnerships with local business and industry, Southeast's advanced manufacturing students learn industry-specific skills in state-of-the-art labs.

As proven by their success in national competitions, these students have demonstrated excellence in project-based learning approaches that simulate workplace scenarios, requiring them to collaborate, present their work, and manage conflicts - a testament to the spirit of teamwork they learn from their instructors.

Ultimately our goal at Southeast is to prepare our graduates for success, whether their plans are to earn an academic award, transfer to university to complete a bachelor's degree, or attain career skills.

Our grads are a valuable resource for area employers who need to fill job vacancies with employees who not only demonstrate mastery of their specific job-related skill set but also soft skills that enable them to interact effectively with others in the workplace.

At Minnesota State College Southeast, we meet students where they are and make every step toward reaching their educational goals simple and achievable. With the support of the Minnesota legislature in the current session, we will reach our goals as an educational institution too.

Embracing artificial intelligence in the college setting at Southeast 

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast

October 2024

Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of our society, and at Minnesota State College Southeast, we're embracing this change. While some focus on AI’s potential for academic misuse, we see it as a powerful tool for teaching, learning, and student success. And like any tool, we are learning to use it responsibly, ethically, and effectively.

As we prepare our students for the workplace of the future, we want them to develop skills in the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI). Graduates who can leverage AI will stand out when applying for jobs, be able to take on more complex projects, and can deliver work faster and more efficiently.

A 2023 survey of 1,000 high school, undergraduate, and graduate educators by higher-ed planning site Intelligent.com found that 80 percent of the survey respondents approve of student use of ChatGPT, and of that group, 84 percent have spent time teaching their students how to use it.

While academic integrity is a concern, we want students to understand that cheating won’t help them in the long run. Rather than using AI to do their work, they need to learn how to use it to help them do better work.

At Southeast, one instructor’s motto is, “Use AI, but don’t use AI to be YOU.”

Another Southeast educator says, “AI is like having a writing assistant, but it doesn’t have a conscience and it can’t check facts. Make sure that the human heart still beats in your writing.”

One innovative assignment in a class at Southeast requires students to leverage ChatGPT to assist them in writing an essay. No more than 25% of the paper can be AI-generated, and they must highlight the AI-generated material within their own written paper. Since the AI-generated content is well-structured and grammatically accurate, it gives students a solid foundation to improve their writing skills.

Another instructor asks students to use a specific prompt to generate information using ChatGPT and Google Gemini (formerly Bard). After contrasting and comparing the results, they dig deeper with further prompts, gaining confidence in using AI tools to explore a topic.

Our learners are finding that AI can condense lengthy research articles into summary bullet points, making it easier to understand and remember key concepts. Generative AI can help a student make a paper or presentation into a multimedia experience.

AI-powered speech-to-text tools help students whose first language isn’t English by transcribing spoken words into written text or translating content into other languages. Students with different learning styles are using AI to simplify complex language or create visual representations of difficult concepts.

At Southeast, artificial intelligence is becoming ubiquitous across many areas of campus, as we find we can save time on routine tasks while focusing more on hands-on instruction and student support.

Faculty and staff utilize a platform called Starfish to track student success data in real time and connect with students who need help as early as possible. Instructors use AI to develop curriculum, create multiple assessments, and draft program learning outcomes.

Tools such as Grammarly go far beyond spell check, offering suggestions to improve tone and clarity in communications. Generative AI is even helping our marketing department edit images in Photoshop and write captions for social media posts.

AI can be incredibly empowering to our students, faculty, and staff. As artificial intelligence impacts every aspect of our society, we want our learners to be able to leverage its advantages while understanding its limitations. Providing access to AI tools and training in their ethical use is helping Minnesota State College Southeast to expand our inclusive and equitable college environment.

Clarity, Connection, Community: Branding Our Belief that College is for Everyone 

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast 

December, 2024

Shakespeare famously mused that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But a brand name carries far more weight than mere words. A brand is more than a logo, a color, or a combination of words — it's a promise we make to the community we serve.

At Minnesota State College Southeast, we've spent the past three years deeply examining and strengthening our brand and institutional identity. As 2024 draws to a close, this transformation is nearly complete. A drive past our campuses in Winona and Red Wing now reveals a cohesive, intentional visual narrative that speaks to who we are and what we believe.

Our branding journey began in 2022 when we applied for the Lumina Foundation's Million Dollar Community College Challenge. Being selected as one of the top ten finalists nationwide was more than an honor — it was an opportunity. The $100,000 grant we received became the catalyst for a comprehensive strategic marketing and brand development initiative.

The first phase of our rebranding effort focused on extensive research involving surveys, focus groups, and interviews with over 350 community members and stakeholders. A critical insight emerged: Many people weren’t familiar with our name and didn’t know that Southeast is a community and technical college. Numerous name changes over the years and a mission change in 2016 had created confusion about our identity and purpose.

Determined to clarify our message, we partnered with Object, a Twin Cities design firm, to refine our institutional narrative. Our work together crystallized our core brand promise, articulating our fundamental beliefs. At Minnesota State College Southeast:

• We believe college is for everyone.
• We believe in meeting students where they are.
• We believe every step toward reaching your educational goals should be simple and achievable.

Object helped us streamline our communications, establishing a consistent naming convention. We now use the full name of the college, “Minnesota State College Southeast,” or simply “Southeast” once the full name has been established. Object also developed a modern, vibrant logo and a distinctive color palette of greens that captures our energy and commitment.

Implementing the brand refresh has involved many college departments, and I am very proud that so much of the work has been accomplished by our own staff members. Our talented employees in marketing and communications, information technology, the bookstore, and more have stretched our dollars, greatly extending the impact of the Lumina grant. Moreover, our students and employees have become brand ambassadors, proudly wearing Southeast-branded apparel on and off campus.

Local partners like Sievers Creative Sign Studio played crucial roles in our brand transition. Their expertise in designing and installing interior and exterior signage brought our new visual identity to life. At the same time, our facilities staff have been hard at work refreshing interior paint to align with our signature color palette, creating an immersive brand experience.

A particularly inspiring aspect of the brand refresh is a current student project. Instructor Casey Mann's Welding Technology students have crafted oversized three-dimensional steel Southeast logos that will be installed on our Red Wing and Winona campuses. This project perfectly embodies our efforts to provide real-world learning experience that creates a lasting impact.

The branding initiative at Minnesota State College Southeast is more than a visual makeover. It’s a commitment to clarity, connection, and community. We aim to stand out in learners’ minds as a trusted, accessible higher education partner. The Southeast brand now sends a clear, compelling message of hope, trust, and unwavering support for our students and communities.

Guidelines for Public Statements from the President

July 2024

Minnesota State College Southeast's president communicates regularly with the college community and the public through a variety of formal and informal mechanisms, including Town Hall, Faculty Shared Governance, Meet and Confer, a weekly all-staff email update, and guest opinion columns in local newspapers. 

Public statements from the college president are powerful tool for communicating in both good times and bad. However, the "overuse" of the president's voice can lead to an expectation that the president should personally respond to a broad range of issues or national and world events, even those that do not directly affect the Minnesota State College Southeast community. 

The following are examples of some, but not all, of the situations that may merit a statement directly from the president. Each situation and issue is considered on a case-by-case basis. 

• Crisis situations directly affecting the college's campuses and/or students, faculty, or staff.
• A tragedy that involves direct impact to individuals or groups in the college community, such as the death of a student, faculty or staff member, or retiree.
• Matters related specifically to the college's core mission of teaching and learning or its strategic priorities (e.g. liberal arts/transfer education, career technical education, workforce education, educational access and equity, or other institutional and presidential priorities).
• At the president's discretion, where significant national or world events have occurred that impact, affect, or concern members of the college community.

Presidential communications may be delivered through a number of channels including, but not limited to:

• College-wide email directly from the president
• Statement issued through the director of communications for attribution to the president
• News release distributed to media and posted on the college pressroom web page
• Message posted to the president's web page 
• College social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X
• Other channels managed by Marketing and Communications

It is presumed that the president of the college represents the college and Minnesota State's point of view when making public statements. In certain cases, another administrator may be a more appropriate choice, such as the vice president of student success for an academic matter or the dean of students for an issue concerning students.

Adapted with permission from DePauw University: Presidential Messages Protocol

More Than First Impressions: Asset Preservation at Colleges and Universities Serves All Minnesotans

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast 

February 8, 2024

We are fast approaching the opening of the 2024 legislative session. Lawmakers bear the tremendous responsibility and challenge of addressing many competing needs within the context of limited funds. We owe them our gratitude for their hard work and their commitment. 

For Minnesota State College Southeast, and all the colleges and universities of Minnesota State, the stakes are high. The outcome of the 2024 session and the disposition of our capital bonding request will directly impact the entire Southeast community - the places where faculty and staff prepare students as our future workforce.  

In total, the academic buildings of the Minnesota State system encompass more than 22 million square feet. Facilities of this scale require a significant and ongoing investment to maintain.  

Minnesota State is requesting $200 million in asset preservation funding to provide for nearly 100 campus projects that address some of the facilities' most basic needs, including updated roofs, windows, as well as efficient and effective mechanical and utility systems.  

Asset preservation is among the most cost-effective and practical uses for our state's bonding dollars. Improving the state's building health and safety systems keeps them up to code. Energy efficiency and utility upgrades reduce on-campus energy and upkeep costs. By providing improvements that increase the longevity of our buildings, costly tear-down and replacement projects can be avoided in the years ahead. 

Of particular note is the important role that asset preservation has on improving campus teaching and learning environments. By investing in existing buildings and properly maintaining them, we can give new life and new functionality to classrooms, labs, and student service centers. Asset preservation projects are often opportunities to bring dated facilities up to date with the latest educational technology, accessibility standards, and life/safety codes. This enhances the student experience and improves safety, security, and accessibility for the students, faculty, staff, and members of the community who use our buildings each day. 

By improving the teaching and learning environment, asset preservation stands to enhance student outcomes. Without adequate asset preservation funding, colleges and universities often are forced to use campus operating funds for facility maintenance or repair, which directs funds away from student learning. Adequate funding of asset preservation keeps operating funds focused on student success.  

Minnesota State is requesting $341.4 million for 15 major capital projects throughout the state that are focused on improving core academic learning spaces and student service spaces to better meet the needs of our students. Because these projects often involve demolition or renewal of existing facilities, they also have the effect of reducing the deferred maintenance backlog - an added benefit that translates into real savings. 

We are excited that Minnesota State College Southeast is among Minnesota State's top 15 priorities. A $14.575 million capital improvement request for long-delayed renovation and renewal of our Winona campus includes plans to remodel 38,000 square feet to better serve our students in high demand programs and create easy to navigate student services spaces. We appreciate your support of this vital request! 

The 26 colleges and seven universities of Minnesota State provide essential workforce skills for many sectors of the economy, and they are tremendous assets contributing to the economic, social, and cultural vibrancy of the communities they serve.  

Minnesota State's capital request represents a critical investment in Southeast and the long-term vitality of our regional economy. Please join us in encouraging legislators to fund our bonding and asset preservation request.  

Taking care of our facilities is taking care of our students

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President
Minnesota State College Southeast

At Minnesota State College Southeast, we are called to an ideal of stewardship. Our students deserve the very best learning environment we can provide. That is why we are urging you to join us in supporting the Minnesota State legislative agenda this spring. 

Every year Minnesota State prepares a legislative request for its campus maintenance projects through HEAPER (Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement) funds. 2024 is a bonding year, which is when larger scale capital investment projects are requested. If these requests are not funded, maintenance may be delayed or funds may need to be diverted from other critical college needs, including student support.

Adequate funding will ensure that the 26 colleges, seven universities, and 54 campuses of Minnesota State are able to maintain and upgrade their facilities, improving teaching and learning environments ― and ultimately, student outcomes.

HEAPR helps with fixing roof in Winona

Recent state HEAPR allocations have helped meet our needs to upgrade and maintain our facilities. For example, the roof of our Winona campus has been in urgent need of repair and replacement for quite some time. Last summer we had water damage inside the school auditorium and several other interior areas because of the leaking roof. 

Fortunately, HEAPR funding has finally been allocated to replace the roof in Winona. The pre-design phase has been completed and construction will soon be underway. Thank you to our state legislators for supporting Minnesota State's HEAPR request!

Bonding bill requested to renovate Winona campus

Minnesota State College Southeast last received major bonding support in 2005/2006 ― almost 20 years ago. This year, we are putting forward a $14.575 million capital improvement request for long-delayed renovation and renewal of our Winona campus, including plans to remodel 38,000 square feet of the main building to better serve our students.

If funded, our capital improvement request for the Winona campus will make it possible for the college to renovate outdated spaces, increase capacity to address workforce needs in high-wage, high-demand fields, and reduce maintenance and operations expenses.

Our top priorities include creating a student one-stop center that consolidates and streamlines all student services in one area; relocating and renovating our cosmetology lab; and upgrading our health sciences area to create a modern facility that aligns with industry standards.

In addition, we are concerned with student safety issues in our parking areas; updating mechanical, electrical, and restrooms; and renovating the Winona Student Commons and auditorium.

These major improvements to the Winona campus will directly improve the student experience:

• At our Student One-Stop, students will be welcomed and assisted through every step of the enrollment and registration process in one convenient area.
• Our popular Cosmetology program will be able meet increasing enrollment demands.
• High demand health care programs like nursing and radiography will be housed in state-of-the-art, modern facilities that will give students hands-on experience and graduate ready to meet today's workforce needs.
• Improving the Student Commons will provide a dedicated space for student engagement, collaboration, basic needs support, and student life activities.

Major updates on Red Wing campus

In Red Wing, HEAPR funding has made it possible to install a new HVAC system in the 100 Wing of the building and replace outdated fluorescent lighting systems with LED lighting. Not only are these improvements more cost effective, but they also provide greatly improved learning environments for our students and a better working environment for our employees.

Throughout the past year, Phase I of a major project in Red Wing has been underway to convert part of the 100 Wing to a health sciences center. The space is designed to replicate a state of the art, modern hospital unit that mirrors what our nursing students will experience in patient care settings once they graduate.

Federal congressionally directed spending and state HEAPR funds made it possible for us to complete Phase I of the project, which will open this spring. If funded, Phase II will continue with additional improvements to the entire health science wing, including potential new health sciences program space, upgraded restroom facilities, and updates to the certified nursing assistant training area. 

To help fund Phase II, we are providing opportunities for individuals and institutional benefactors to invest in the next generation of nursing and health sciences education through facility naming opportunities. Benefactors may "name" the entire wing or an individual room within the wing. Please reach out to me if you are interested.

There is much work to be done to meet the needs of our students! They expect and deserve up-to-date facilities, modern labs, and buildings that are safe and secure. We encourage your support of the Minnesota State legislative agenda to help Southeast receive the capital improvement and HEAPR funds we need to support our students.

Giving thanks for our students and communities

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

November 2023 

The holiday season is a time for giving thanks, and we have so much to be grateful for here at Minnesota State College Southeast. Community support for the college is simply amazing -- so many people are willing to give not only treasure, but also their time and talent to make the college a better place. Here are some of the reasons we are giving thanks this year.

Employer feedback

Minnesota State College Southeast is an economic driver in this region, and we rely on local employers to help make sure we're moving in the right direction. Behind every career and technical program at the college is a program advisory committee. The members of these committees volunteer to meet with college faculty and administration on a regular basis to help us identify how we can improve the relevance of our programs and better meet their needs as future employers. 

Our recent Workforce Summits helped provide general feedback in three major areas -- Advanced Manufacturing, Business and Information Technology, and Health Sciences. Thanks to all who participated!

I am also very fortunate to have my own advisory council - the President's Advisory Council. I cannot over-emphasize how much I appreciate the wisdom and guidance of those who serve in this group. Their encouragement is incredibly helpful, as is their advice.  

We thank everyone who provides feedback and insight for contributing to the success of the college and our graduates.

The trust of our students

I'm also very thankful for our students and the trust they put in Southeast. They are so conscientious and determined to reach their goals. Many are working full-time yet still manage to make education a priority. 

Some of our students are counting on us to prepare them for a career while others are preparing to earn a bachelor's degree once they transfer to university. They are all fortunate to work with such a dedicated, innovative faculty and staff at the college, who are committed to student success and genuinely care about students' well-being. 

We have seen a significant increase in enrollment this fall. We are up 11% at a time when many colleges and universities are seeing stagnant or declining enrollment. Not only traditional students just out of high school, but people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances are investing in an education at Southeast. Many employed adults are taking advantage of our non-credit courses, workshops, and continuing education offerings to upskill and reskill for career advancement.

Our students are the reason we are here, and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve them!

Promises and opportunities

This fall has seen the launch of the Red Wing College Promise and the College Opportunity Program in Winona. In total, nine area high schools are partners in these programs, which allow eligible graduates to attend college at Southeast tuition-free. 

How can we ever thank the generous individuals and businesses who have made this incredible gift possible? These partners and investors have the foresight to realize that education is the future for these young people, and nothing should stand in their way.

Last spring the state legislature allocated historic funding to public higher education in Minnesota, making it possible for us to "freeze" tuition at the 2022 level for the next two years. This will make higher education more accessible and limit the student debt incurred.

Giving

We are very thankful to everyone who gives to the college through Minnesota State College Southeast Foundation and to those who serve on the Foundation Board of Directors. Financial and in-kind donations provide scholarships, program support, and other benefits to the college. In recent years more than 70% of our own employees have donated to the Foundation during our annual employee giving campaign -- a mark of their tremendous dedication to our students. 

Partnerships

Finally, a word of thanks to our community and education partners. We are grateful for all our partners who work for the betterment of our region, including economic development organizations, industry associations, nonprofit organizations, other universities and colleges, secondary schools (K-12), and local, state, tribal, and federal government agencies, to name a few.

We are thankful for all of you -- you make Southeast a better place!

Minnesota State College Southeast is celebrating a double anniversary this year - 75 Years in Winona and 50 Years in Red Wing

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

In the coming academic year, Minnesota State College Southeast is celebrating a remarkable convergence of anniversaries - 75 years in Winona and 50 years in Red Wing!

• In 1949, our Winona Campus was founded as the Winona Area Vocational-Technical School. 2024 will mark 75 years of service to the Winona community and beyond.
• In 1973, the Red Wing Campus building at 308 Pioneer Road opened its doors to the public, making 2023 our 50th Anniversary in Red Wing.

This is an opportunity for us to connect, engage, and celebrate with our communities throughout the coming year. We have many special events planned (check our calendar). 

Anniversaries mark a moment when we can pause to look back over our origins and reflect on the events that brought us to where we are today. 

There is nothing humble about MSC Southeast's beginnings. In 1944, the US GI Bill was enacted to assist service men and women returning from World War II in starting new lives, with the skills needed to support their families. 

The concept of vocational and technical education grew from there, and we continue those high ideals to this day with our commitment to education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer.

The Winona Area Vocational-Technical School started in 1949 with just two programs for adult learners at Winona High School - auto mechanics and machine shop. As the number of students expanded, the need for more space became clear.

In September 1954, an addition was built at the high school to house the "vo-tech" programs. Finally, in 1966, a separate campus for the college was opened in Winona at 1250 Homer Road. 

Programs at the new campus included auto body repair, auto mechanics, agriculture, business education, civil engineering, drafting and design, electronics, machine tool and die, practical nursing, and welding.  

Not long after that, the Red Wing Area Vocational-Technical Institute began operations in 1972 with a handful of students:  3 in secretarial/clerical studies, 4 in truck driving, and 31 in practical nursing. 

The campus on Pioneer Road in Red Wing was under construction at the time, and the doors opened 50 years ago in the fall of 1973. The vo-tech director, Ed Dunn, quickly established one of the programs that continues to make the Red Wing campus unique: musical instrument repair. Thus began the college's long legacy of attracting students from all over the world to work on violins, guitars, and band instruments. 

The two campuses continued growing and developing along separate paths for many years, but in 1991, the state of Minnesota mandated a "mega-merger" of all public technical colleges, community colleges, and state universities into one system under the Minnesota Higher Education Board. Not long after, many campuses across the state were consolidated. 

Winona and Red Wing became one college in 1992, first called the Red Wing/Winona Technical College, then changing the name to Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical in 1999.

Though the college already offered many classes in liberal arts and sciences, a change of mission was required to offer an associate of arts (AA) degree. There is an important advantage to students who attend a college that can offer an AA degree - the credits they take are readily transferred to other higher education institutions. 

With the change of mission in 2016, came a corresponding change in our name. Minnesota State College Southeast is now a comprehensive technical and community college. We are a "both/and" college - offering a wealth of career and technical programs as well as degrees designed for transfer to four-year institutions.

As Minnesota State College Southeast launches our 50 & 75 Anniversary Year, we are proud to honor those who came before us for decades of service to the southeast region of Minnesota and far beyond.

We have been looking back fondly over our past history -- while looking forward to what the future holds! Keep an eye on our website at www.southeastmn.edu/anniversary for updates as our anniversary year unfolds.

Minnesota State College Southeast - The Year in Review 

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast 

June, 2023 

At Minnesota State College Southeast, June marks the end of the fiscal year. It's a time to take stock of the past year's accomplishments even as we bask in the glow of having watched another class of students graduate in May and go forth into the world to succeed in reaching their goals.  

And 2022-2023 was a great year for the college! The Red Wing College Promise, so generously funded by the Jones Family Foundation, was announced in October 2022. This program provides Red Wing students graduating from public high schools with free tuition and fees, a stipend for books and materials, and dedicated staff support to help with navigating college. 

Already we are seeing that students who might not have otherwise considered a college education part of their future are changing their plans and enrolling at MSC Southeast for Fall Semester!  

Many of these students plan to major in fields like nursing, CNC machine tool, welding, and mechatronics that will enable them to move directly into a career with a sustainable wage after they graduate. Others have decided to earn a liberal arts or Transfer Pathways associate degree that will transfer onward to a four-year college or university, saving their families thousands of dollars and making completion of a bachelor's degree much more attainable.  

In Winona, a similar program was announced in February 2023. The College Opportunity Program will provide similar benefits to Winona school district residents graduating in 2023 - the opportunity to attend Minnesota State College Southeast tuition-free, with a stipend for books and materials, and dedicated staff support. These two programs are an amazing opportunity for Red Wing and Winona students! 

For adult learners, a three-way partnership with Workforce Development, Inc., Goodhue County, and MSC Southeast is providing free tuition for up to ten unemployed or underemployed Goodhue County residents to pursue credentials at the college. The Goodhue County Workforce Investment Program is focused on key areas of employment for the county, such as nursing, administrative support, information technology, accounting, business management, and criminal justice. 

In October 2022, we held a special event in Red Wing to adopt and dedicate a formal Land Acknowledgement Statement on Indigenous Peoples Day. We were very honored to hear a welcome message from Vice President Shelley Buck, Prairie Island Tribal Council, and a keynote speech by Broderick Dressen, an enrolled member of the Iñupiat Eskimo people of Utqiagvik, Alaska.  

In October and January, we were proud to continue offering Next Generation Nursing Assistant training. After the state met its initial goal of recruiting and training 1,000 new nursing assistants in 2022, this initiative was funded through February 2023. Through this program, students received training, books, uniforms, and the certification exam at no cost. Our "Next Gen" classes at MSC Southeast served almost 200 new nursing assistant students. 

Our Red Wing campus draws talented and unique students from all over the country (and internationally). In March, our musical instrument repair and building students put on a superb concert for a full house at the Sheldon Theatre. Then in May, our guitar and violin program students showed off their incredible handmade instruments at the Student Guitar Show.  

And - new this year - we also held a spring showcase for our Bicycle Design and Fabrication program. It's so inspiring to see the work and talents of our wonderful students! 

Just as the academic year ended, we received word from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) that our two-year Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program was awarded initial accreditation. Our one-year Practical Nursing diploma is also ACEN-accredited. A degree from an ACEN-accredited college makes our graduates more competitive in the job market because employers prefer to hire nurses who are trained under nationally established education standards.  

Finally, I would like to make note of our college's success in maintaining and increasing enrollment in the past year. You may have read stories or heard on the news about declining numbers of college students. That has not been the case at Minnesota State College Southeast. In our communities, people of all ages are well aware of the value of education in helping them attain better jobs and a family sustaining wage. 

Thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff, we are very fortunate that students are continuing to place their trust in Minnesota State College Southeast. A college education is a promise for a better future. We look forward to continuing to deliver on that promise in the coming year! 

Commencement: Celebrating Student Success and New Beginnings

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

Spring marks the end of the academic year at Minnesota State College Southeast, and it's a time to reflect on the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of our students. It's a celebratory time, the time of year that reminds everyone who works in and supports education why we love what we do so much! 

This time of year, we have been busy with many opportunities to recognize our students for their academic excellence, leadership, and service. 

Minnesota State College Southeast Foundation held scholarship award ceremonies this spring for sponsors, scholarship recipients, and college faculty, staff, and administration. It was a chance to come together and celebrate student success. Thank you to the donors who contribute to the Foundation. Your support means so much to our students! 

We are also celebrating the success of career program students across our campuses in Red Wing and Winona. Our second-year Auto Body Collision Technology students recently participated in the Minnesota State SkillsUSA Competition for Collision Repair, and student Luke Rasmussen took home first-place gold!

This week, our CNC machine tool students have been in in Greenville, South Carolina at Project MFG's Integrated Advanced Manufacturing National Championships. We were one of the top four colleges in the nation who advanced to this level.  Bradley Bishop, Ellery  Kiesel, Joseph Schultz, Ivey  Wadman Vehrenkamp, and Austyn Warren have been demonstrating their skills in programming, CNC Machine Tool, and welding to meet detailed requirements in a manufacturing project. Their professionalism and teamwork makes us #MSCSoutheastProud.

It's the time of year students showcase their capstone projects in front of industry professionals and the college community. Our Bicycle Design and Fabrication program held an open house this week to show off student work, especially completed bike frames made by the second-year students.

The annual Student Guitar Show featured new acoustic guitars and mandolins built by our Guitar Repair and Building program students being played on stage by professional musicians. In addition to the guitars, several students in the college's Violin Making program displayed and played the instruments they made this year. We are all impressed by the extraordinary quality of the work done by students in these programs.

For many of our students, the end of the academic year means completing their requirements and earning a credential, whether it be a certificate, diploma, or an associate degree. Graduating from college marks the end of their journey at Minnesota State College Southeast but signals a new and exciting beginning - an achievement that deserves recognition and celebration.

At our commencement ceremony on May 12, we honored over 300 new graduates. Some of them will go directly into a rewarding career. Others have earned an associate degree and will be transferring on to university. 

Commencement signifies the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It is the recognition of the skills and knowledge they have acquired throughout their studies. It is a moment of pride and accomplishment, not only for the graduates but also for their families, friends, and instructors. 

It is also an opportunity to look back on the challenges they have overcome and the lifelong friendships they have made. It is a chance to appreciate the personal growth and development that has taken place during their academic career. 

From recognition events to the commencement ceremony itself, there are many ways for students to reflect on the past year and look toward the future with excitement and anticipation. It's a time for our graduates to start their careers, pursue further education, or embark on new personal goals and aspirations. Graduates, whatever comes next... we wish you well!

Support Minnesota State: Invest in workforce education to invest in your community

By Dr. Marsha A. Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

At Minnesota State College Southeast, many of our students are adults returning to college for upskilling, reskilling, or workforce education. They have homes of their own and are juggling busy lives with work and family responsibilities. 

These students need more skills-based training to find jobs that yield a family sustaining income. 

At the same time, Minnesota is facing a significant shortage of workers with the training and the talent employers need. This has become a critical concern in several sectors of the economy, including healthcare, business, construction, and manufacturing.

That's where the colleges and universities of Minnesota State come in. With 26 colleges, 7 universities, and 54 campuses, Minnesota State is the third largest system of state colleges and universities in the United States and serves 300,000 students each year. 

As a member of Minnesota State, Minnesota State College Southeast is continuing to advocate for the system's agenda throughout the Spring 2023 legislative session. 

Minnesota State's budget proposal for the next two academic years (2023-2025) includes funding to upgrade learning environments and increase Workforce Development Scholarships. Obtaining these funds will have a tremendous impact on our college and our students.

Many of today's high demand occupations are subject to rapid changes in the skills employers need. This means that the skills and credentials offered by our colleges and universities must also change to stay current. 

We are continually working to maintain and upgrade our facilities and equipment so students can have access to labs that provide "real world," hands-on learning experiences. In this effort we have had tremendous support from our business, industry, and foundation partners. 

For example, a gift from the Jones Family Foundation and Red Wing Area Fund made it possible to purchase and install a coordinated suite of new equipment in the Bicycle Design and Fabrication lab in Red Wing. This included CNC lathes and mills with full enclosure machining centers. 

In Winona, aging equipment has been replaced in the Welding lab and more equipment is being added to accommodate increased capacity. As an exercise in hands-on learning, our current students built the new booths for 12 new pulse welders -- by welding together the components! 

Advanced manufacturing equipment is available to students in our credit-based academic programs as well as adult learners who are sponsored by employers for training through our Customized Training and Workforce Education division. 

But we can't stop there. Additional state funding to support our campus-wide need for improvements in technology and equipment will benefit our students by providing them with access to a state-of-the-art learning environment in all of our programs.

College affordability remains an important issue. Funded by the state legislature, Workforce Development Scholarships have been proven to have a powerful and positive impact on our students. Minnesota State is requesting additional funding to provide more than 12,000 scholarships over the next two years, helping three times as many students to get workforce training.

These scholarships make education more affordable, provide incentives that improve student success, and encourage students to enroll in high-demand fields to meet the state's workforce needs.

Additional funding would also be used to add eligibility for three new degree fields --construction, education, and peace officers/public safety. This would impact students in our Construction Technology, Early Childhood Education, and Criminal Justice programs. 

Workforce development is a vital issue for the Southeast region and beyond. That's why we are asking for your support of the Minnesota State funding request. Investments in the colleges and universities of Minnesota State are investments in your community and it drive Minnesota's economy.

Thank you for supporting Minnesota State and our system of public higher education during the legislative session this spring!

A Promise is A Promise

By Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

October 13, 2022

Published in the Red Wing Republican Eagle

By now, you've likely heard the good news about the Red Wing College Promise! Thanks to the Jones Family Foundation, the Red Wing College Promise will make it possible for qualifying Red Wing public high school students who live in the school district to attend Minnesota State College Southeast at no cost for tuition and fees for up to two years. 

College promise or tuition-free college programs are becoming a popular tool across the country to help make college more affordable and to encourage local economic development. There are now more than 350 college promise programs spread across 44 states. 

One of the very first such programs was the Kalamazoo Promise Program in Michigan. Since it was launched in 2005, the local school district experienced student enrollment increases, higher numbers of teachers applying to work in the schools, and improvement in the school climate. Overall, community support for the public school system was enhanced. 

What's more, the results in Kalamazoo grew beyond the school district. College enrollment, persistence, and completion increased. Local businesses and development grew as new families moved into the community so that their children could attend college tuition-free.

College promise programs often unify the community around the future success of their youth. These programs are very diverse in nature; however, they all share three common goals:

• To make pursuing a postsecondary education degree, credential, or license affordable, especially to those who might not otherwise consider it or think it is a possibility within reach; 
• To address concerns about student debt; and
• To proactively invest in workforce development to support a vital and sustainable workforce and economic climate.

Promise programs help families understand that college is attainable and affordable because tuition will not have to be paid from constrained family finances, and that, with the right preparation, their children can afford to go to college if they choose to do so.

Plus, college promise programs deliver a high economic return for each dollar spent. A study by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research showed that each dollar spent provided $4.60 in increased economic activity for the local community.

Most promise programs include basic requirements that students must meet to participate and remain in the program. These can include grade point average, level of enrollment, time since high school graduation, and residency requirements, among others. 

However, keeping eligibility requirements to a minimum makes it possible for those who stand to benefit the most to participate. The focus on should be on need-based rather than merit-based aid.

To maximize access and overall success, promise programs usually target students who are less likely to enter college directly after high school ¬-- low-income students, first generation college students, and students identifying as a member of historically underserved racial or ethnic group. 

It's important that promise programs cover fees as well as tuition. Fees are often hidden costs that form genuine barriers to consistent participation in college. Plus, funding to cover additional costs such as textbooks is offered in many promise programs. 

College promise programs have been proven to work because the message is simple and clear: You CAN go to college! Thanks to the Red Wing College Promise, we hope many more students will be able to walk through the doors of Minnesota State College Southeast and get the education they need to earn a family sustaining wage.

Veterans Find Support at Minnesota State College Southeast

By Dr. Marsha Danielson, President

November 11, 2022

As the nation honors Veterans Day this month, we at Minnesota State College Southeast want to take time to recognize our faculty, staff, and students who have served in the military or are active service members. 

MSC Southeast is proud to have been named an official Military-Friendly College for 2022-2023. The college is also a Hiawatha Valley Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Company. Both designations reflect our commitment to serving the needs of our veterans and armed forces service members. We are grateful for your service to our country!

Nearly 5% of students at public community colleges are veterans, according to a 2019 report from the American Association of Community Colleges. Military veterans are more likely to complete postsecondary programs than their non-veteran peers, a 2018 report by Veterans Education Success found, but tend to take longer to do so. 

Many men and women join the military in part to pay for post-secondary education after their service is complete. However, veterans moving from active service to a college environment may need help making the transition. Like other adult learners, veteran students are more likely to have responsibilities outside of college. They also face challenges in navigating financial aid and accessing veteran education benefits. Disabled veterans face additional barriers to completion. 

If you are a veteran, service member, or dependent using your veteran benefits to attend college, you will fit right in at Minnesota State College Southeast. Veterans Centers on both the Winona and Red Wing campuses provide dedicated space for socializing, studying, relaxing, and meeting other students in a similar situation to your own.

At MSC Southeast you will find faculty, staff, and administrators who are committed to ensuring veterans and service members have what they need to succeed. Our counselors and advisors make sure veterans and service members adapt to college life and achieve their goals. 

MSC Southeast proudly supports our veteran and active-duty military students by recognizing the value of the many foundational training and leadership experiences provided by the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and National Guard.

The college awards applicable credit for validated military service training, occupations, experience, or coursework. We review service members' Joint Services Transcript (JST) and recommend college credit for formal courses offered the military. Boot camp, basic training, officer training school, and other courses offered by the military are often eligible for college credit as well.

We support our military in many other ways. In the past year we were thrilled to welcome a group of 20 National Guard members who were activated and deployed to our campus for emergency certified nursing assistant training. It was an honor to provide the education and training needed for them to serve Minnesota's long-term care facilities during a staff-shortage crisis. 

Since the 1980s, members of the Marine Corps have been trained in band instrument repair right here in Red Wing. Most Marine Corps installations that have a band now have their own instrument repair facilities. Our Red Wing campus is the exclusive location for training their technicians. Each year at least two members of the Marine Corps come to Red Wing for training in our world-renowned band instrument repair program.   

MSC Southeast is committed to ensuring today's service members and tomorrow's veterans are supported in their transition to education and employment. We strive to give back and create a welcoming environment for veterans on our campuses. Veterans and service members -- we thank you for your service!

Planning for the Future: MSC Southeast's 2022-2023 Strategic Plan

September 2022

The future at Minnesota State College Southeast is bright! The work we do is more important now than ever. Our students are tomorrow's workforce, citizens, and leaders. We are a local engine for social and economic mobility. MSC Southeast is well-poised to grow, to build on its success, and to accelerate the pace of continuous improvement.

Our vision moving forward is all about the positive impact we make on our students and the communities we serve. But to make sure we're moving in the right direction, we need a roadmap. That's why over the past several months, the college has engaged in a strategic planning process based on data, input, and feedback from internal and external stakeholders. The result is our newly completed Strategic Plan, which will guide us over the next three years.

The college's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan focuses on four theme areas: Community Impact, Student Success, Teaching and Learning, and Infrastructure and Resource Stewardship. The success of each theme area has a bearing on the others. To make a positive impact on our community, we must graduate successful students. To produce successful graduates, we must focus on excellence in teaching and learning. To support all these efforts, we must be wise stewards of limited resources.

Related to these four theme areas, the Strategic Planning Committee developed eight key goals as guideposts for the next three years. Their work ensured that equity and inclusion are embedded in each of these goals; emphasized that recruitment, retention, and completion are the responsibility of every MSC Southeast employee; and reinforced that as a college we will continue to advocate that all programs lead to a living-wage career.

Community Impact: MSC Southeast will serve the community by increasing the size, breadth, and diversity of the region's skilled workforce. We will also impact the community by being an employer of choice, an organization with an inclusive and equitable culture where students, faculty, staff, and community members feel safe, valued, and can be their genuine selves.

Student Success: The college will focus unwaveringly on successful student goal attainment across all groups of students, whether that be completion of a degree or credential, transfer to another college, or mastery of career skills. We will attract, recruit, and enroll adult learners and student of diverse backgrounds and identities. We will offer personalized and technology-enabled services to students through our MSC Southeast "Culture of Caring" efforts.

Teaching and Learning: MSC Southeast will develop and deliver curriculum that supports instruction through various delivery methods -- in person, online, and hybrid. We will engage with workforce partners to guide curriculum development and new technologies, so that we graduate career-ready students with knowledge, skills, and abilities compatible with developing employment trends. We will implement high-impact practices that strengthen transfer pathways and increase bachelor's degree outcomes for transfer students.

Infrastructure and Resource Stewardship: We will effectively and responsibly use our resources to enhance and improve the college. The college will use data, evidence, and high-impact practices to build up its fiscal, physical, and technological resources. We will strengthen the college through engaging partners who will help us positively impact regional economic and social vitality.

In the coming months, Minnesota State College Southeast will facilitate a campus and community process to develop new mission, vision, and values statements that push the college to its highest-level purpose and aspirations. Keep an eye out for a community survey that we will conduct to assess local perceptions of the college. We value your input!

I am thankful for the opportunity to work alongside the dedicated, innovative, solutions-minded faculty and staff of MSC Southeast, and I value the incredible assistance we receive from our community partners, all in support of our students and the communities we serve. Working together, we will continue to see Minnesota State College Southeast grow and thrive in the years to come.

"Where the needs of students and community come first"

Guest Column by Dr. Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

April, 2022
Winona Daily News, Red Wing Republican-Eagle

Since becoming president of Minnesota State College Southeast last July, I've learned so much about our college. The MSC Southeast community is versatile, resilient, innovative, and tenacious. The college's greatest asset is our dedicated faculty and staff who are passionate about helping our students.

The work we do is more important now than it has ever been. Our students are the workforce, citizens, and leaders of tomorrow. As a college, we are an engine of social and economic mobility. We are the hope for the future for our students.

I want to share with you my vision for success at Minnesota State College Southeast. From my point of view, what matters most is to be a college where the needs of the students and community come first. I honestly believe that if we use that as our motto, everything else will take care of itself.

I want to lead a college that focuses unwaveringly on the goals of its students, whether that be completion of a degree, entry into the workforce, or transferring to another college. Using data, evidence, and high-impact practices, we must continuously improve student learning outcomes, developing and delivering curriculum that measurably improves learning for all of our students.

We need to be student ready -- ready to meet students where they are, help them to reach their goals, and inspire them. We will match our high academic expectations with high levels of support, so students can stay on the path to completion of their goals.

We will work together to reduce the achievement gap for traditionally minoritized individuals. Ours is a college with an inclusive and equitable community culture, a place where students, faculty, staff, and community members can feel safe, can feel valued, and where they can be their genuine selves.

MSC Southeast must be dedicated to working adult learners, providing education that will enhance their careers. This will require changes in how, when, and where courses are offered and student services are provided. At the other end of the spectrum, due to demographic shifts, there is a declining population of high school graduates. We need to focus on recruiting the 40% of high school students who don't currently chose secondary education after high school.

Every day on the news we hear that there isn't enough workforce available to fill available positions, and every business that I visit says their number one need is for more qualified

workers. We will engage our business, industry, and education partners to help us positively impact the economy and social vitality of our region. We will increase the number of our grads prepared for high-wage, high demand jobs and transfer to university so that our region can continue to prosper.

Realizing this vision will take courage and persistence. I hope Southeast will be a college that has a solutions-oriented mindset, values action over inaction, starts with "yes" and asks, "why not?"

Together, we will grow the success of Minnesota State College Southeast by always putting the needs of the students and the community first. You deserve no less from us. It's why we're here.