Winona Daily News Op-Ed: Support for Higher Education Makes a Difference

Dorothy Duran and Scott Olson, Jul 2, 2017

As public institutions, Minnesota State College Southeast and Winona State University exist to serve the public good.

The programs we offer, the events we host and the campuses we maintain help us to ensure student success and in turn serve as economic, cultural and social drivers in our communities and across Minnesota.

In order to carry out our respective missions, we rely on you, the Minnesota taxpayer. The state taxes you pay make it possible for us to keep the high-quality education we offer accessible and affordable. Because of you, we can continue to serve all of Minnesota's students, no matter their income level, and we can continue to serve our community and industry partners with programs that are mutually beneficial and responsive to local needs.

Taxpayer support allows MSC Southeast to offer programs specifically designed to meet the region's workforce needs, like Electrical Engineering Technology, Medical Laboratory Technician and Diesel Maintenance.

Taxpayer support allows WSU Teacher Education programs to continue addressing the statewide teacher shortage, and helps our Engineering program to provide top-notch talent for the composite materials industry cluster right here in Winona.

Ultimately, your support of higher education translates to a bright future for our graduates. MSC Southeast has an overall job placement rate of 95 percent, and a 100 percent placement rate in many technical programs. WSU alumni are highly employable and easily secure employment after graduation, with an overall job placement rate of 98 percent.

Each and every day we're grateful for the support of Minnesota taxpayers and for the opportunity to continue to serve our region. We couldn't do it without you, and we can't thank you enough.

Dorothy Duran is president of Minnesota State College Southeast and Scott Olson is president of Winona State University.