A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from KNBJ studios in Bemidji. In this first hour of program, host Rachel Reabe discusses education in Minnesota and the MnSCU merger in higher education with Senator Roger Moe, MnSCU chancellor Morrie Anderson, Bemidji State professor Tom Fauchald, and a few students.
Program includes listener call-in.
[NOTE: Audio includes news segment]
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(00:00:07) Good morning, and welcome to the special Main Street radio broadcast from Bemidji. I'm Rachael Ray be our show today is all about education. The first hour will look at our merge State University and college system in Minnesota and find out how it's working at noon. We'll be talking about teachers and what we're doing to make sure we have enough qualified people to fill the classrooms. We're broadcasting today from the Minnesota Public Radio Studios of K. NB J. And K. CR be in downtown Bemidji. This Northern Minnesota Community is home to the Bemidji Campus of Northwest Technical College and Bemidji State University until recently. The only thing these two schools had in common was that they were post-secondary institutions located in the same town in 1995 though a controversial merger brought together the state universities community colleges and technical colleges into a single system. The Minnesota state colleges and universities system or Minsk you as it's called became one of the largest public higher education systems in the country with 140,000 students enrolled in 36 schools. Our guests today are the chancellor of Minsk you more Anderson who joins us from our studio in Saint Paul and State Senate Majority Leader Roger Mo who is with us on the phone from his home in Erskine. Good morning gentlemen, and welcome to Main Street. Good morning. Our fine lines are open for your questions and comments listeners. You can reach us today at one eight hundred five hundred 75252 that toll-free number again is 1-800-585-9396 Porter's of the Minsk. You merger said a streamlined system could better compete in the educational Market Place Chancellor Maury Anderson. Have you seen that happen? (00:01:52) I think that's beginning to happen. There's no question. I think that inside the system. We have a closer working relationship. Ship we've been able to I think serve students a lot better and particularly in the issue of transferring from two-year institutions the four-year institutions and I think the the merger is also given us an opportunity to share educational resources across institutional boundaries in a way that just didn't occur before and that has also strengthened our capacity to meet the challenges of a changing educational environment. So I yeah, I think very much so the system is working (00:02:39) Senator Roger Mo you worked hard to push this merger through the legislature in 1991. Are you pleased with the way things are going? (00:02:48) Yes considering the difficulty. that has followed all of this. I'm I'm actually kind of amazed to be perfectly honest and let me quickly give credit to where I think the chancellor would would agree with me in terms of where it ought to go. And that goes right to the faculty of the various campuses. I think considering the fact that right after it was passed in 91 for the next 3-4 years legislators tried to repeal it the governor at the time. He told the special Appropriations to help with this Evolution. There's been a divided board. I think since day one commissioner Chancellor Anderson is chancellor number five or six. I can't even remember right now. I think it's six or after sex. They've had tight budgets and higher education. They've also converted to semesters during this time. So I think considering where this this single system is in light of all of those Was Challengers I think it's testimony to outstanding local leadership at the campuses. And yes, I think there they've done an outstanding job. Let me let me just say that I always feel you got to get real actual evidence of success and one of the main concerns that I think was expressed during the legislative process under this new system was how's it going to better serve students? That's really the bottom line. How do we do a better job of serving students and meeting their needs and I just want you to know that one of the one of the perennial concerns that we used to get from the student organizations was the difficulty with that transfer of credits between institutions. The student organizations have actually removed that from their list of issues now, so, I think the proof is in the pudding. (00:04:46) Our phone number is 1-800-543-8242. If you would like to call in and ask a question or lend your Into this conversation, we would invite you to do so this morning one eight hundred five three 75252 and we go to the phone lines. We have Larry on the phone with us this morning. Good morning, Larry. Welcome to Main Street morning. My question is concerning the transfer of credits with regards to the tech colleges and it appears. I'm a second year college student at (00:05:20) North West Tech in Bemidji. And from one. I have been able (00:05:24) to understand as far as the tech colleges that really hasn't happened yet, but it is I understand in process but it's maybe one of the last ones to happen is that is it going to happen the way the community colleges has Larry let's hear about your situation. You are in what program and where do you want to transfer? Well, I'm in the computer tech (00:05:43) program at the and I'd like to after I've completed my a s degree and continue on at BSU with computer science. (00:05:53) That's what you'd like to do in your having problems doing that. Well as I understand it some but not all of my credits will transfer. Chancellor Anderson has there been a problem with the transfers (00:06:05) there have been in the past but I would also say to Larry that first of all all of the the General Ed credits that he has if they fit within the context of the Minnesota transfer curriculum, which is an agreed-upon curriculum across all institutions in Minnesota, including the University of Minnesota. Those credits should transfer without question. They there should be no problem with any of those and so if he's having problems with those we would sure like to know about that. The other thing is that going from Northwest to Bemidji. I think that Bemidji has probably been more aggressive than any of our schools with regard to making sure that the technical college credits other than the the general education. Shin credits also transfer pretty effectively. And and so I would I can't say they're going to transfer a hundred percent but I think in Bemidji is case because one of the things that Bemidji has worked very hard to do is create a bachelor of applied science degree that says the technical college credits transfer and can be applied towards that degree. So I would encourage Larry to make those contacts and he should also know that if he has problems with that we have set up an appeal process in the central office to deal with specific issues that the students May raise so he's got a couple of recourses but I think Bemidji is going to be really accepting of what he has. (00:07:51) Thank you we go to nuam where Jerry is standing by on the phone. Good morning, Jerry. Welcome to Main Street. (00:07:58) Yes. I'd like to ask if the Little is aware that Mankato State University had to step back about seven years. I should say Minnesota State University Mankato and step back about seven years in their computerization of the programs involving enrollment and financial status of the students. There's thousands of students at this point that are not sure that they have adequate loans for their education The Faculty has to go through four to five pages of repeated documentary to Blue card a student into a field class and generally Minnesota State University. Mankato has had to step back in time (00:08:47) to enjoy saying it's gotten worse not better. That's (00:08:51) exactly right and I'll take my answer out the are thank (00:08:54) you Chancellor Anderson. How would you respond to that? Do you have to take a step back before you can take three steps (00:08:59) forward? Well, I wish That Jerry were wrong about that but he's more right than than I think is appropriate for the system right now. We have had massive problems taking three systems three computer systems three support systems and merging them into one and frankly for five years ago. There were some mistakes made along the way or it's some decisions made along the way that weren't helpful to any of us. We have I think despite all of that. We have made some Giant Steps in the last year or so in terms of correcting that but Mankato happens to be one area one school where we have a significant problem right now and it revolves around a computer system called or a software system called PC safe and I have spent very very problematic for Mankato. It wasn't designed to deal with a student body as large as man Cotto's. We have had staff on board down there for the last three weeks working with them and trying to get it corrected, but the fact of the matter is particularly in the financial aid area Mankato is in fact probably having to process some of those manually but they're working with the system but it is going to be delayed and it is absolutely unfortunate. But it is a problem that Mankato has the University of Minnesota has and I would say many of the colleges around the country as we have changed over our computer systems partly driven by Y2K issues and other (00:10:56) things now if the legislature passed the merger in 1991 You had four important years to try to figure out some of these things some people might say you had for years. Why didn't you get it ready to go by 95 Senator MO. Is it because people spent that for years trying to undo what had been done (00:11:16) certainly in the legislature. There were some legislators that spent those four years trying to undo it but I don't think that was necessarily the case among the institutions themselves. I think they are very and let me let me be very upfront with everybody. I think it's maybe this is the obvious, but it was not Enthusiastically embraced by many people in higher education when it passed again. If (00:11:47) yours was a lonely position as the supporter in the proponent of Minsk you you stood almost alone. Didn't (00:11:52) you? Well, the Senate the Senate passed it in the Senate felt strongly that there is it ought to stay in place and and it has prevailed and it is moving the direction that I think everybody expected it to move along would we have liked it to have been at a faster Pace? Yes, but again, I don't want to repeat myself. But if you think back of all of the potholes and land mines that were in place during the early years of this merged system, then you consider the enormity of the task. I mean to keep in mind this is probably the single largest governmental reform in the history of the state when you take three different systems a hundred and forty thousand students bringing them under a single. Governing board single system the space of the system itself is five times larger than the Mall of America. I mean, this is an enormous task and I again, I repeat myself considering the fact that it's been able to move at along as far as they have. I think his testimony to local campuses the faculties local administration because they've been working under some some very tough circumstances (00:13:13) we go to Bridget who is standing by in st. Paul on the phone line. Good morning Bridget morning. It's my understanding that the intent of merger was to streamline Services avoid unduplicated programs of the three higher education systems in the state how much money to date has been saved and if understanding that you know, it may have some startup costs or what not (00:13:36) how much money in the future do you project (00:13:39) is has been saved. By the merger Chancellor Anderson, how would you respond to that? (00:13:43) Well, I would respond to Bridget's question. First of all by saying I think at least initially some of the savings has been relative to the central office and it was in fact, I think significantly downsized you brought three boards in the one. I think it's hard to measure probably what has happened at the legislative environment by bringing a single budget a single Capital program to the legislature as opposed to three. So I I think there are some Savings in there and there are certainly some efficiencies that were created in there. But I had also very quickly say that inside the system much of that Savings. In fact probably went to to the classroom and to the campus I think. Probably more efficient in terms of putting resources to campus space needs whether those are systems or classroom instructions. So I think we've done some of that. I don't know that anyone has stepped back and said we saved x amount of dollars. I think the issue and I think Roger can respond to this from his perspective. The issue was really about are we serving students better? Are we doing that in a more effective way and I think the answer to that is yes. (00:15:14) Sandra mode you have a response for that in terms of saving (00:15:17) money. Well Bridget, you can't I think it would be impossible to specifically quantifier dollar amount and let me quickly add to that. We that the intent was not to have the state investing less dollars in higher education to the contrary considering the dynamic nature of the work force and the need to provide lifelong learning for people. We should continue to invest more where where it's where you have to look at it is if through a system that allows students to transfer credits to move through the process in a more seamless manner without having to kind of go back to go and start over again. If you go from one system to the other it's fairly clear that a student will be able to complete their post-secondary education in a shorter period of time thus saving both that the student and the state because the state Jets, you know provides a significant amount of money per student it it goes without saying that that will be a safe. Things translated both to the student as well as to the state taxpayers, but the bottom line is that when you bring a task like this forward and all of these systems have to be brought together, you know contracts in terms of the faculty organizations the computer systems all of that it goes without saying there's there's a certain upfront costs that go along with it that's unavoidable. But in the long term, I believe that we're going to have a system that better response to the students and responds to the dynamic needs of the private sector Workforce needs in the future. (00:17:11) We have the president of Bemidji State University on the telephone. Good morning, Jim Benson. Do you feel that it's doing that is this a better is your institution better? Now for students? (00:17:23) I think we this institution. It's always been a very open and Innovative institution as the chancellor mentioned prior to even merging our faculty made the commitment to go out and develop articulated transfer agreements with the technical colleges across the system and we had all of those done except for one campus prior to merger and the Hennepin County Technical College the biggest one we got done during the first year that was a was the first but just the nature of Bemidji State and its ability to reach out and do things in different ways. I think it's been very positive. I was just looking at our extended degree programs and courses we offer across the state was amazed this fall were offering for Hundred and ten courses in 24 communities across the state and even one program into Toronto Canada and that's a very Dynamic and robust environment this I think complements the as a result of the merger gives us more opportunities to work with other campuses to deliver these programs. (00:18:36) Dr. Benson in terms of the campus of emoji State University and the Northwest Technical College, which is several miles across town. You're going to be moving perhaps much closer together physically. Are you (00:18:47) not if we have a very very exciting proposal we kind of look at it as a vision for the future Bemidji State is landlocked in a very beautiful setting on Lake Bemidji, but nowhere to go and the the local high school will be abandoned this following year. They're building a new high school out in the bypass and we have a proposal that's supported by Minsk you to acquire that site and move the Technical College in there. And with co-located facilities really open up some new program opportunities and synergies. (00:19:23) So that would be a great thing. If you're closer together wouldn't there be some concern then if technical college students have a different tuition rate than State University students. (00:19:34) Well, the technical college students would still be enrolled in their programs and ours and ours, but you need to realize this that Northwest technical college students on in Bemidji. All of their general education courses are at this point being taught by the university. So we have a long-standing relationship going this (00:19:55) route. Dr. Benson. We had a caller earlier today saying he's at Northwest technical he wants to transfer to Bemidji State. He's having problems with his credits transferring is that an unusual situation? Do you think it's gone quite well in terms of transferring I noticed the Bemidji State University. The number of transfer students right is down this year. (00:20:15) Well the Reason it's down as primarily through our feeder system through the community colleges, which their enrollments have been down the last two years. So we're receiving less students from those kinds of programs. The other thing too is the robust environment out of the technical college graduates are looking at going to work right away rather than looking for transfer, but there should be very little problem in. I think it was Larry that called in his General Ed will be transferable is courses in his major will be matched up against the requirements for our programs here in our if there are courses that were required in the technical college that are not applicable to the University degree when they finish a course those could be used for electives or through advisement look for some other alternatives on it. (00:21:11) Thank you. Dr. Benson. You're listening to a special Main Street radio broadcast from the Bemidji Studios of Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Rachel rebn we're talking about the network of 36 state universities and colleges the makeup Minsk you my guests are the chancellor of the Minsk you system Maury Anderson and Senate Majority Leader Roger Mo mpr's Main Street radio coverage of rural issues is supported by the blandin foundation committed to strengthening communities through grant-making leadership training and convening. We've talked about the merger from an administrative and legislative point of view when we return after news and weather. We're going to find out how it works in the classroom right after the news. (00:21:53) When she was in college every day Sarah vowell watch the same movie every single day. It was The Godfather She was drawn to its strict moral code rules, like leave the gun take the cannoli, (00:22:08) you know what happened when she took the lessons that you learned from the film and headed for Sicily and what we all Learned From the Mob this week on This American Life Saturday at 3 and Sunday night at 8:00 on Minnesota Public Radio. With news from Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Greta Cunningham National Security advisor. Sandy Berger says, nothing is being ruled out as the u.s. Considers its support for any peacekeeping force in East Timor. But Berger said the emphasis will be on Military Support operations rather than troops earlier today aboard Air Force One President Clinton told reporters. It's clear that Indonesia's military is taking part in the violence in East Timor Clinton says the Indonesian government has to do everything it can to stop the violence Clinton is traveling to New Zealand to attend a summit meeting. The first of the Puerto Rican nationalists granted clemency by President Clinton has been set free a government. Spokesman says, the first prisoner was released today from the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Pentagon officials said today that the United States and Russia will sign an agreement and Moscow next week. The agreement will let their Military Officers jointly staff a center in Colorado as a new year Dawn's to watch for any false warnings of missile attacks sparked by year 2000 computer problems. The agreement will be signed. A by defense secretary William Cohen and Russian Defence Minister Igor sergeyev in Regional news. It could be weeks before authorities know for sure if skeletal remains recovered near Goodhue are those of three year old Jessica Swanson DNA test. The remains are on hold until the attorney for Dale Jensen can hire a forensic expert Jensen is accused of kidnapping Jessica who disappeared in 1995. Minnesota Farmers are expected to harvest smaller corn and soybean crops this year compared with last year's record harvest the latest crop report forecast Minnesota corn production at 950 1 million bushels soybean production is pegged at 282 million bushels a forecast for the state of Minnesota today calls for Sunshine in the southwest. Mostly cloudy skies in the Northeast this afternoon high temperatures from 58 in the north to 78 in the South tonight. Mostly clear skies. Statewide with patchy Frost possible in the Northeast low temperatures near 30 in the north to 50 in the south at this hour. It's partly sunny and Duluth and Three light rain in International Falls and 49 Rochester reports sunshine and 62 and in the Twin Cities Sunshine a temperature of 65 degrees. That's a news update from Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Greta Cunningham. Welcome back to our Main Street special live from the Minnesota Public Radio Studios of K. NB J. And K. CR be in Bemidji. I'm Rachel rebn were talking about the merger of Minnesota state colleges and universities this massive system of two and four-year colleges and universities includes 36 schools that cover the state of Minnesota for more than 10 and Winona in the South to International Falls and Ali in the north listeners. You can join our conversation today by calling us at 1-800-501-7737 talked about the merger from an administrative and legislative point of view. But how does it work in the classroom? We've asked a couple of students and a faculty member to join us this morning in the Bemidji Studio to talk about the new system Sue Miguel Maria tens Northwest Technical College Scott's Erica. Rolled it Bemidji State University. We also have a professor here from Bemidji State Tom fossil chairman of the business department. Welcome to all of you Scott, you're president of the student Senate it Bemidji State University. Would you say the merger has been an improvement for you and your 4300 fellow students? (00:25:42) Well, obviously, I can't speak from a stance that I remember the old system being that it was a little bit before my time, but overall, I think that the Minsk you system is working pretty good. I think that the students as a whole in a general pattern are are pretty happy. I think there's some individual concerns that that need to be addressed but I think Minsk you at least is listening and I don't think that that that is always there but I know that as far as our student organization down in the cities the Chancellor's been very good about meeting with them and kind of a deep kind of dealing with our issues and I think that if with a little more student input that the overall transition or the Kind of finalization of the transition could be a lot smoother. I think that the students are happy and I think that a lot of them don't even realize what's going on behind the (00:26:31) scenes, but let's talk about student input because before with the State University system, it was Bemidji and six other state universities much much smaller system and perhaps more of an opportunity to voice your opinions. When you have a hundred and forty thousand students 36 institutions and aboard that's overseeing this huge system. Do you feel like it's more difficult. I know you were very critical when you testified in front of the Minsk you board about why students at Bemidji weren't aware that they were going to be hit with a 12 percent tuition increase this fall. Do you think that's because things have gotten so big that perhaps they didn't have time to tell the students up in Bemidji at one of those 36 institutions. Well, I think that with any with any type (00:27:19) of government when you get larger, you do lose a little bit of that that The arity between the schools and and the administration and even the legislature at that point. But as far as Minsk you they are they are listening and I think they demonstrated that even as we were speaking to him this Summer about our tuition increase. I think that it might be better that if they outlined a little more the procedures that the University Administration and and the students can go through when they want to channel their opinions, but overall, I think it I think it is good and I think that maybe with a little work they could create better channels more formalized channels written into the Minsk you policy that would allow students to voice their opinion on a regular basis rather than when it's convenient or when it when it happened. So I think that's a big concern with at least the students at Bemidji (00:28:08) State. So Miguel Murray you attend Northwest Technical College here in Bemidji year a third year student studying legal Administration and Library information and technology has the merger major life any easier or any more difficult I believe the merger has helped me because of the couple of the college classes that I am required to take. I do not have to worry about getting over to the BSU campus. The professor's teach those classes over at the Vo-Tech in I can take my classes right there. I'm in one building. I don't have to worry about running clear across town and making it in time to get to class. So that's made it easier. It's made it a lot easier. It's made it a lot more convenient. You're not having to leave class early at the Vo-Tech to make it across town to get to the BSU campus to get to your class. Excuse me, and then walk in late. Hmm now going to the Technical College in Bemidji is sort of a family affair for you. Your son's gonna go your daughter went your daughter-in-law went what have been their experiences. Well now my daughter-in-law were she's going to have an advantage is now she's in went into the nursing field. And if the Vo-Tech goes into the high school the nursing will stay all in one building and and the rest of the Vo-Tech will go into the old Bemidji high school so they can keep everything that they have to do in one building myself. With the computer labs there and with the library, I'm getting everything I need right there in the Vo-Tech. Now my son he's gone into the plumbing program and he's very excited about that and my daughter she graduated out of there with an accounting degree and went right into work. So it's been good for us. I think it's been a good step for all of us to take so there has been a sense in the past that students at a two-year institution somehow. They didn't quite measure up to those students at a four-year institutions feeling of we are the poor Country Cousins here. We don't really have a full place at the table. Now that you are in one system. Do you feel like very much a part of the university and colleges system? Oh, yes, I do the few times that I've now. I had to take my ethics class over at the BSU campus Because I took it during the summer and I felt very welcomed there. I felt very welcome going into the library the library system over there. You're felt. It's like a big family feeling. Excellent Tom fossil. Let's talk about it from your point of view. You chair the business department at Bemidji State and you were very active in the state in our faculty organization during the planning and the implementation of the merger. Would you say your fellow University faculty members supported the merger or did you just think this is going to be a disaster as this thing was those four years that it was in progress? Well, we hoped it wouldn't be a disaster. I don't think it's necessarily turned into a disaster. Although as it's kind of sad to hear the story about Mankato State earlier, but I think that the State University faculty as a whole were opposed to the merger for what read what was the primary reason? Okay. Well, I think you gave probably the best example you were alluding to with the student earlier in that was the board issue to where we right now. We're a huge system with a with a board that's for a hundred and some thousand students before we were a system that had about 40 45 thousand students very similar in enrollment. For example The University of Minnesota but yet and we had a close relationship with our board our board in the old system would actually come to each campus during the year and have a board meeting and that's gone and I think the faculty to this state still regret kind of losing that relationship with that board. So I think that's a negative is that was one huge concern. Well with the other one second one, which I still think is going to come out and play more. I the one thing I'm still active in is is in budgeting at the system level and working with those things is the two radically different cultures. We kind of merged together the State University culture probably of are tenured faculty proximate about 80% of them have have doctorates and and very academic orientation technical colleges different whole different culture. Very oriented towards employment lot of the faculty have a great deal of work experience. Typically not near The Graduate degrees if at all and melding those two cultures Together I think there's some real concerns and I would guess there's probably some current concerns not only on the part of the State University faculty, but maybe even the technical college fact, I'm kind of interested to see if we have some technical college faculty calling to comment on that because I've heard from some technical faculty that they're that they're worried about that same kind of thing of losing their cultural identity a little bit kind of blurring it mixing it into a big Melting Pot to two different things. And of course in the middle is a community colleges that are a little bit of both in that. They have a liberal education tradition plus a also have some technical course tradition to do you agree with the supporters of the merger who say the lines must be blurred between two and four year institutions if we are to remain competitive in the educational Market Place, I think that what's happened over time and you've seen it for example in the technical colleges is when I first I've been here since 1982 1982 there were very few technical colleges. I think the only one was Alexandria Tech that was north-central accredited at this point in time almost all of them are so I think that there's been movement both ways on that to where it has blurred somewhat. I think we're a lot more friendly with transfer at least at our campus than we used to be surprisingly enough the most of the transfers don't come play take place between the technical colleges in the state universities. It's mainly Jim Benson was mentioning earlier feeder schools. The main feeder is a community colleges in the mix. So, how's morale at the Bemidji faculty level? Getting better getting worse. Oh, I think that that in contrast to the to the to the emergere. I don't know. I think the morale isn't particularly High. I don't know if it's necessarily with the merger or not. We've had some enrollment problems in the past in our school and I think we've turned that around that's maybe had some more impact on some morale issues. We've had some bad publicity about some embezzlement things on campus that's probably affected either. So I don't know if that's necessarily tied to but I do think if we were to take a vote of our faculty at the state universities and Bemidji State included, you know, I think they would vote to to to go back to the old system because of the board and because of the mixed cultures. Well, let's talk about the board Senator Mo you have been a real critic of the way the board is set up for Minsk you you said that the three boards kind of came together, but perhaps not in the best way. What do you What's wrong with the board set up the way it is now and how could it be improved? (00:35:24) Well, I think those comments relate back to when the when this Evolution first took place, as you know, in a legislative process you sometimes have to do things to you have to make compromises to get something done in the short run that probably if you had a chance to do it over again, you wouldn't do it the same way twice and what happened when this initial trance transformation took place is that we gave each of the three boards the Community College Board the technical college board and the State University board. We gave the new the newly created Minsk you board would be made up of I think three members from each of those and what that did I in retrospect. I wish that we hadn't done that because what that did is it really just simply kind of brought. Kind of notion that they were there simply to protect their system and not really look at the overall system of higher education in the state. I think that is evolved now to the point where I believe in most in most cases the point of the existing board members have a Statewide View and so that those comments really related to when this initially took place. However, I you know, in terms of the board. I think it's fairly clear that the board is never seem to have been totally together. There's in the least in the past. There's been stressed between the board and the Chancellor's and that's I don't think is good for the system (00:37:09) either Chancellor Maury Anderson. You certainly have had your own difficulties with the Minsk you bored. How would you change (00:37:16) it? Well, I'm not sure that I should go there today. But I think first of all if you look at the board and I don't want to concentrate specifically on the board, I think but there are some positive aspects. First of all the student participation on the board I think is a positive aspect. It's one way that we really ensure that the students have representation in this system. And so I think that's that's been important. I also think that for the most part today the board does bring a Statewide perspective and I think there is actually some balance relative to the policy issues on the board that they really do not try to over balance towards technical education or frankly to the four years or In between so I think there's there's some balance in that regard. I think where there is some disconnect the disconnect is maybe back through the chancellor and through to the president's I don't know that we have used as much of the resource base that is in the the president's as we should in terms of the policy development. Now, we're in the process of changing that and and having the president's much more active with me through committee structures, but I think in the past that has been a weakness of the system the presidents have kind of been looked at as being outside of the management structure and the policy setting structure. (00:39:10) Scott you have a comment about that. Well as far as setting the (00:39:14) policies in referring to, you know, getting presidential involvement with you looked into the option of maybe trying to draw from the student base at all. Try and get some student input because I know some of the issues that that I have written down as I was kind of thinking about what I wanted to say today. I know that a lot of them could have been resolved if students would have been asked and kind of conferred with just two to get their opinion at the very least on some of these policies. I don't know I would just say to that first we do have three students on the board representing technical community and to four-year environment. So we do have that we also I think at least since I've been here we try to have students involved in every committee that we structure around whether it's process related things relative to The campus whether it's facility, we had students involved in our budget making process. And also I think in in the allocation process that we've got underway, we have reached tried to reach out and have students participate in almost all of our committee structures that really support the input to policy. (00:40:32) Our phone number this morning is one eight hundred five three 75252. If you'd like to be part of this conversation, give us a call we go to Roberta who has been patiently waiting and Gilbert. Good morning, Roberta. Welcome to Main Street. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I am whenever I hear conversations like this it it makes me ever so much sure that the powers that be and the people who are getting the services are definitely on two different planets. My daughter is presently participating in The Paramedic program a thing called which is umbrellas under the program. From Northwest Technical College in East Grand Forks. Some of the courses are at st. Cloud State. Some of them are things are Technical College and it has been a virtual Comedy of Errors for the past year and a half frankly. I think if this were happening in the business sector has would have rolled by now up until a few hours before yesterday. My daughter didn't even know who is teaching. Your micro class wasn't in the computer. Nobody knew what was going on. There are so many. I should say bugs that had not been worked out when the program was created and I'm wondering is there some sort of push the top to develop and you know bigger and better without doing some real serious planning to make sure that the foundation of those programs is real solid and then the vending of services which include Financial are taken care of. Thank you Chancellor Anderson. How would you respond to that? (00:42:19) I don't know first of all the specifics of that program and and I do know that there is a coordinated program across those campuses or cooperative program, maybe not coordinated as she describes it I would ask. First of all to have her daughter call me and talk to me about what the problems are because that's clearly one way to get it fixed. I do know that we have had we've had I'm leadership problems on in in one of these areas, which I think we have corrected. We have also continued to have some technology issues in terms of the distance learning aspects of some of these programs and but I was of some understanding that at least those had been worked out or resolved, but I would have I would love to hear from Roberta's daughter and I'll sit down with those three institutions and see if we can't make this a better (00:43:25) program. Now, we're going to get some action. Let's talk to Liz who was on the phone in Monticello. Good morning. Liz two quick questions. When will the issues with technology and computer systems be resolved second question is since the system is so large and some institutions are seen to be stronger than others are the larger institutions and stronger institutions being asked to subsidize the ones that aren't doing as well as Doesn't that lead to mediocrity across the system and I'll take my answer off the air. Thank you. Good question Liz. Is that a problem Chancellor Anderson with 36 institutions that the stronger subsidize the weaker? (00:44:03) I don't think that's the case. We really have an allocation process built in that I think recognizes all of the institutions and the role they play and I don't think it's biased. I don't think that we're asking the larger institutions to in fact subsidize. The smaller matter of fact, if you look at what the legislature suggested to us this past year is that we really needed to allocate some more money to some of the larger institutions and we did that. So I think that in fact has happened one of the benefits of the merger however has been that we've been able to draw on some of the educational Says of the larger institutions to help us provide programming to the smaller institutions and I think that's appropriate. First of all, the legislature has said very clearly to the Minsk you system that access has an important issue. It's is important in International Falls as it is in Minneapolis. And so we have an obligation to provide educational access in all of Minnesota. And I think we do that in in a pretty balanced way (00:45:26) Senator mo why haven't other states followed suit If this was such a brilliant cutting-edge idea that was done in Minnesota to bring the two-year in the four-year institutions together shouldn't someone else be following us or we looking around wondering why nobody's coming behind us? (00:45:45) I don't know what's going on all over the country. I do know that that certainly in some states this kind of a system was already in place. I believe I'm not mistaken. The University of Wisconsin is all a single system their post-secondary. I do know that I've had visited visits from the governor's office and I think it's Kentucky and Kentucky moved somewhat in this direction and try in terms of trying to pull together their higher education systems. I suspect it has to do with the existing higher ed structures in those States and then the various cultures all I know is this without advanced state of the art of post-secondary Education in this state a state of four point seven million people. We're not going to be able to compete in this global economy of 6 billion without a like I said without a state-of-the-art post-secondary education system and the ability to offer that that post-secondary education to not only traditional students but also to the incumbent Workforce which is going to require ongoing training on a continual (00:47:11) basis, Senator MO. Is there any going back we still here talk that as soon as you leave office this is going to be dismantled and it's going to be back to life as usual or life before the merger. Is that going to happen or are we past that (00:47:24) point? Oh, but all due respect this has nothing to do with me. This (00:47:35) can we go back though, or is it just forward Full Speed Ahead? (00:47:40) Well, I think I think the faculty in the local leadership campus presidents. I think they have decided it's Full Speed Ahead and they're going to make things work just as they have made enormous progress considering some of the land mines that I said that have been placed in front of them. I'm I'm convinced that there is no turning back regardless of the personalities involved. (00:48:04) We are now halfway through this Main Street broadcast from the Studio's of Minnesota Public Radio in Bemidji. My guests have been Bemidji State University Professor. Tom Foss hold Bemidji students Scott sirak and Sue Miguel Marie Minsk you Chancellor Maury Anderson and state. Senator Roger Mo. I'm Rachel rebe next hour. We're going to turn our attention to Minnesota's teaching force with more teachers retiring and a record number of students. It's been a challenging year for school districts trying to hire enough teachers. Talk to the people who train teachers and the people who hire them it's all ahead. Is this Main Street special from Bemidji continues after the news?