Republican Eagle: Meet the Deans -- A filmmaker leading Trade & Tech, a philosopher leading Liberal Arts & Transfer at Southeast

Red Wing Republican-Eagle, July 6-7, 2024

Photo caption: Jake Griggs (left) and Adam Potthast are new deans at Minnesota State College Southeast. 

He may be Minnesota State College Southeast's new Dean of Trade and Technology, but Jacob Griggs is also an award-winning filmmaker who's working on a graduate degree in creative writing. He began his new role at Southeast at the end of February.

Meanwhile, Dr. Adam Potthast, Dean of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Transfer, has a PhD in Philosophy and is the co-author of Ethics for Dummies in Wiley's famous "For Dummies" series. He started working at Southeast early in June.

Along with their unique accomplishments, both deans bring a passion for two-year colleges and a core belief that college is for everyone to their leadership roles at Minnesota State College Southeast. 

Jake Griggs, Dean of Trade and Technology

A graduate of Houston High School, Jake Griggs comes to Southeast with over 15 years of classroom experience as a digital media production instructor and five years of higher education administrative experience. 

He leads the college's career, trade, and technology programs, such as automotive, construction technology, CAD drafting, CNC machine tool, mechatronics, truck driving, and welding, to name a few.

"Jake is excellent at building strategic relationships, and that is essential when he is connecting our technical programs with our regional business industry partners," said Mark Johnson, Southeast's Vice President of Student Success. 

Dr. Adam Potthast, Dean of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Transfer

With 22 years of higher education experience, Dr. Adam Potthast has been a philosophy professor at Park University in Missouri and has held numerous academic leadership positions, most recently at Saint Mary's University and Western Technical College. 

His philosophy as a college administrator is based on using kindness, competence, and creativity to build relationships, promote educational justice, and create higher education experiences that are better for everyone.

"Adam leads our liberal arts and sciences, transfer pathways, musical instrument repair, and human services and education programs," said Mark Johnson. "He is highly skilled in instruction, instructional design, assessment, faculty development, accreditation, and educational technology." 

Potthast is aware that his academic qualifications in philosophy and ethics may seem a bit abstract at a two-year college. "But I've found it prepared me to solve problems that require creative thinking, like designing and managing in-person courses that are as flexible as online courses, and online courses that feel as personal as face-to-face courses," he said.

Griggs said his family history and teaching background inform his role as dean of trade and technology. "My dad has worked as a construction foreman, and my mom taught mechanical design at a local 2-year college," he said. "I loved being in the classroom myself, helping students gain the confidence they needed to solve problems. My time as a teacher helps me relate to what our faculty encounter in their classrooms."

The power of community and technical colleges

Both Griggs and Potthast have found its culture of caring makes Minnesota State College Southeast a friendly place to work. They emphasized the college's belief in meeting students where they are and helping make every step toward reaching their goals as simple and achievable as possible. 

"Everyone here comes to work thinking about what's best for our students," said Potthast. "I've seen it in our leadership, in our faculty, and in our support staff who help students apply, register for courses, and connect to resources."

Griggs agreed, saying, "Everyone at Southeast cares about the students. It's a smaller school, so students don't feel like they're just another number. From the folks at the front door, to the maintenance crew, to the faculty, they all work here because they love to help people."

The deans emphasized the power of community and technical colleges to make a difference in students' lives. 

"Two-year colleges like Southeast are going to go out of their way to meet you where you are, whether you've been preparing for a college degree since the second grade or struggled with school in the past," Adam Potthast said.

"I've seen firsthand how colleges like Southeast can change a family's future," Jake Griggs concluded. "At any point someone is in need, or ready for an educational path that can change their life for the better, we are here."