Meet the Dean: Kenney White joins administration of MSC Southeast

Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, Kenney White moved to the United States to work for the American Youth Foundation in New Hampshire and later the Outdoor Wisconsin Leadership Schools.

White started his student affairs journey in 2003 as a graduate student at Minnesota State University, Mankato. 

Since then, he has worked for the University of New Hampshire and Minnesota State University, Mankato. Most recently he worked at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls as Associate Director for Community and Student Development. 

White started his new role at Minnesota State College Southeast as Dean of Students in June 2023. 

Here is a Q&A with White about his role and career: 

What drew you into a career in higher education? 

I was working in outdoor education, so I went to Minnesota State University, Mankato to start a master's degree in experiential education because I was planning to continue in that field. Then I then got a graduate assistantship working in student affairs at the college/university level. Within a few months, I changed my major and said, "This is what I want to do!"

Instead of doing three- to five-day workshops with students, I like being able to work longer term and form more impactful relationships with them. In higher education, I work with students from different backgrounds and different experiences. Sometimes it is the most impactful to see students who have struggled, grow so much over the course of a semester or a year to where they are being successful. 

Why Minnesota State College Southeast? What's special about this college to you? 

I've always wanted to work on a smaller campus and at a community and technical school where students can get the support they need. I really believe that tech and community colleges are the future of education. You're seeing more and more students go into trades, which, unfortunately, have been undervalued in society recently. And I wanted to have the opportunity to work with students who are making a very conscious decision to go to an institution that has a program that they're very specifically wanting to be a part of.   

What's the difference between being in residential life leadership at a large university and being dean of students at a small college? 

Actually, there's not a whole lot of difference. I was working with students and training staff to be there for students as they're navigating both their academic and their personal life. It's very similar here at MSC Southeast. I'm working with staff who are creating a supportive and inclusive environment that will help students fulfill their goals.

What do you like best about working with students? 

Honestly, it's watching them grow, especially students who don't think they're cut out for college. And when they come and they're successful, I think that's amazing. For some of our students, it might be the first time they've struggled. Others have dealt with adversity their whole life, and this is the first time they are finding success. Being a part of that is great.

Right now, it's a quiet time of year because there aren't many classes going on. What is keeping you busy between now and when college starts on August 21?

A lot of my time is just spent learning, doing a lot of listening, asking a lot of questions, trying to figure out how we've operated, and how we've been successful, so that I can help maintain that success. When I'm not doing that, I'm reviewing as many materials as possible to get myself ready so that when more students are on campus, I'll be a very strong advocate and resource for them as they're navigating their college career at Minnesota State College Southeast.