WINONA Minn. – The chief academic officer at Winona State, Darrell Newton, says the university should be judged less by plummeting enrollment than by the institutional commitment to student success. Newton said the university is evolving and innovating, no matter the enrolment, to better support both prospective and current students. “Today’s college students have different needs than any generation that came before them,” said Newton. “Their lived experience is vastly different. Their preferences and perspectives are unique, as are their life circumstances and individual challenges.” Newton’s comments coincided with the release of Winona State fall enrollment data – down 9.7% from a year earlier. Newton offered examples of Winona State’s flexibility and innovation to meet student needs:
> Online course delivery during the Covid pandemic.
> Recruiting shifts to virtual visits so prospective students could visit at appropriate comfort comfort levels.
> New online support services as well as telehealth and telecounseling appointments.
> Helping students toward their academic goals, and potentially reduce overall college debt.
> A winter “mini-semester” for students catch up, keep up or get ahead.
Earlier: Prez lays out vision for WSU to weather numbers woes
Verbatim
Newton: “Given what we know about the challenges facing today’s college students, we need to acknowledge that the typical college student journey is no longer typical. Similarly, colleges and universities are somewhat in uncharted terrain. What a student needs and where we meet them on their educational journey might look different moving forward. But what remains the same is that Winona State will.”
Newton: In second year as Winona State provost.