COUNTDOWN: THE YEAR’S MAJOR WINONA NEWS
No. 3: Winona State slippage.
For eight years Winona State’s enrollment had been slipping, but nobody outside the university’s executive offices much noticed. There were no news releases from image-obsessed university. By 2020, however, with enrollment off 22% from 2013, university President Scott Olson reached out publicly to faculty, students – indeed anybody—for idea on what to do. Projections showed further declines — down to 6,300 students in 2023 from the 2013 high of 8,400. Winona State was not alone. Fewer students were in the high school pool for recruiting. Low-overhead online colleges were thriving. Traditional residential colleges were increasingly competitive, some slashing tuition and creating imaginative incentives.
Olson.Searching for answers.
Scroll down to No. 4: Defund the police?” No, augment