There are many exciting things going on as we move into mid-February. This is always a good time of the year for me. The days are getting longer and, on Valentine’s Day 26 years ago, I married my sweetie. So this time is filled with optimism and good memories. This week, I’ll cover the following:
- Trends and Highlights Meeting
- Developmental Education Conference
- Detroit Pistons DC-9 Donation to the NCTC Foundation
Trends and Highlights Meeting
Last Friday, Northland representatives (Kent Hanson, Shannon Jesme, Becky Lindseth, and I) met in Brainerd with Vice Chancellor Laura King and other representatives from the MnSCU offices of finance and internal audit. We were grouped together with Central Lakes College, Alexandria Technical and Community College and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College for a wide-ranging conversation about financial health, the allocation formula, continuing availability of higher education through rural Minnesota, and concerns about financial futures.
The biggest concern for colleges in Greater Minnesota is that we do not anticipate population growth or enrollment growth over the next decade. The recession boosted enrollment in several colleges as unemployed people came to increase their educational levels or retrain for new jobs. Now, as more people are going back to work, enrollments are returning to pre-recession levels.
Enrollment is one of the primary drivers of the formula that allocates state funding to colleges and universities. Bigger colleges in the metro area expect continuing enrollment growth. So, they reap the dual benefits of growing allocations and higher levels of revenue from collected tuition. Smaller, rural institutions, on the other hand, suffer shrinking allocations and static growth of tuition revenue.
The conversation on Friday was very good. We all appreciated the opportunity to have an open conversation with Vice Chancellor King and her staff. They all demonstrated sensitivity to and interest in the issues that were raised. Consideration of amending the allocation formula to reflect the real challenges faced by some colleges and campuses in the MnSCU system is beginning. Northland will certainly want to play an active role in these discussions.
Developmental Education Conference
Part of Chancellor Steven Rosenstone’s new framework for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is to increase the effectiveness of remedial education throughout the MnSCU institutions. This is the level of education that ensures that students are ready to do college level coursework. On Wednesday and Thursday teams of faculty members and administrators from all MnSCU institutions will gather in St. Paul to direct concentrated effort to this challenge.
The conference will have two foci: 1) what are the best practices to assist adult learners in achieving college levels of learning in reading, English, and math; and 2) what structural changes might be made to improve the success of developmental education. Structural issues include amending the cut scores for assessment tests to more appropriately place individual students in developmental courses, implementing new types of learning including lab settings and online offerings, and devising individualized approaches.
Detroit Pistons DC-9 Donation to the NCTC Foundation
Through the generosity of the Detroit Pistons NBA team, the NCTC Foundation has acquired a DC-9 aircraft. This plane was used by the Pistons from 1998-2010 and carried the 2004 NBA Championship team. This is not an ordinary commercial airliner. The plane is customized with a dining room and leather recliners that fit the dimensions of a pro basketball team.
This will be the newest aircraft in the inventory of the aviation maintenance technology program. It will give AMT students the opportunity to work on all systems. With the Foundation, we will work on giving community members opportunities to tour the plane at some time in the future.
Upcoming College Events
- Tues, Feb. 14 – 9 p.m. – Valentine’s Day Student Senate Dance – TRF Gunderson Commons
- Wed, Feb. 15 – 9 am – 3 pm – Regional Spelling Bee (NW Service Coop) TRF Gym
Pioneer Basketball vs. Fond du Lac Community College, TRF Gym
-Women’s @ 6 pm; Men’s @ 8 p.m.
- Sat, Feb. 18 – Pioneer Basketball @ Hibbing Community College; 2 & 4 p.m.
- Mon, Feb. 20 – Presidents’ Day Holiday – No Classes – College Closed
- Wed, Feb. 22 – Pioneer Basketball vs. Itasca Community College; 6 & 8 p.m.
- Fri, Feb. 24 – VEX Robotics Competition – TRF Gym
My schedule for this week:
Mon., Feb. 13 – EGF – morning, TRF – afternoon
Tues., Feb. 14 – TRF – Cabinet
Wed., Feb. 15 – St. Paul – State-wide Developmental Education meetings
Thurs., Feb. 16 – St. Paul – State-wide Developmental Education meetings
Fri., Feb. 17 – Potential vacation day
Have a wonderful week.
