Minnesota State Board Of Trustees Has Lunch With BSU and NTC Students

The Minnesota State Board of Trustees kicked off their two day November meeting this morning with a welcome from Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College President Faith Hensrud, followed by a luncheon featuring some special guests.

Students from NTC and BSU joined the Minnesota State Board of Trustees for a private luncheon that allowed them to share their college experience and future goals.

“We’re here to be on the campus to engage with students; we’re about to have a wonderful lunch with many of them from both the technical college and the university, so the more that we come to appreciate the particular issues and opportunities for Bemidji and the surrounding are, the more effectively we can design polices that support what the community needs here,” said Jay Cowles, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees Chair.

Student success is one of the primary goals that the Minnesota State Board of Trustees focuses on. Their diligence to hear from students firsthand is one way they build connections and gain understanding on what needs to be focused on an educational level.

“Apart of it is learning, I’d say in part when we’re on campus in particular we’re here to learn and be educated. So we had a tremendous visit this morning by the leaders of the four tribal colleges in this area. We’re eager to partner with those colleges to form closer partnership and greater success for their students in their communities, so this is a part of a relationship building opportunity that we really had to come here to fully appreciate it,” said Cowles.

Several students were personally invited to attend the luncheon. Abby Halluska, a chemistry major and team player of the woman’s ice hockey team, shared what she does on a daily as well as gaining valuable advice.

“Just to always push through your dreams. I know they had talked about what they’ve done. We talked with a lawyer and a nurse and it’s just really good to relate with them in their previous endeavors and how to interact with them and it was just encouraging,” said Halluska. “It’s super honoring honestly, they were really honest and open and said it was a pleasure to talk to us, so I think that’s super cool that they’re looking forward to come talk to us and obviously, we look forward to it, too. It’s just a really big deal for us as students athletes and students in general.”

Although the luncheon was a unique way to provide opportunities for the students, members of the board also gained valuable information from a students perspective.