Through a four-year process of strategic program appraisal and reorganization, St. Cloud State has been refocused and restructured to move forward with a stronger identity. A new mission statement more clearly defines the university’s goals: “We prepare our students for life, work and citizenship in the twenty-first century.” What came to fruition was an organizational model that would deliver an applied curricular structure that has a solid foundation in liberal arts and science.
This new model includes academic units with a new, more nimble structure that will produce graduates who are better prepared to enter an ever-changing world. Their identity is centered around four attributes – elements that the University has determined should be part of a St. Cloud State education. They are: active and applied learning, community engagement, global and cultural understanding, and sustainability.
What does it mean for students? It’s about building a base of knowledge which will help them become critical thinkers and problem solvers.