St. Cloud State Asks Community What They Want in Next President

ST. CLOUD -- St. Cloud State University is reaching out to the community as they search for their next President.

On Monday community members met with Minnesota State Interim Chancellor Devinder Malhorta to address concerns they have. School Board Chair of Stride Academy Sara Fromm says Central Minnesota is different from any other area in Minnesota and the next President should be aware of that.

"What I would love to see a president that is connected to the community, who spends a good six months just learning and knowing the community, listening to the stakeholders. Not just the mayor but people from diverse groups, people from different racial, cultural and gender backgrounds."

Fromm says the university has the potential to impact the area in many ways, but we need a leader who understands the community and who will encourage us to engage with it.

Access to scholarships is another top concern for St. Cloud State students. Student Benjamin Uecker says a lot of new students he’s talked with have found that the scholarship opportunities are limited.

"One of the things the next president needs to focus on is continuing to engage those scholarship opportunities. Making sure that a broad variety of students and not just niche groups have access to these."

Uecker says it’s also important to engage with alumni so they can bond with the university and help contribute financially to current students.

Current Interim President Ashish Vaiyda will finish his time at SCSU on June 30. He recently accepted a president's position at Northern Kentucky University.

This story was written by WJON Intern: Jacob Lundy