When COVID-19 forced Minnesota State University, Mankato, to effectively close its campus and move to an entirely online course delivery format, it was hard for all of the more than 14,000 students enrolled. But the changes were particularly hard on our 1,266 international students from 92 countries, most of whom stayed in Mankato to finish the spring semester and many even the summer to weather the pandemic. As an institution that has had success recruiting and graduating international students (top 10 among Midwest regional institutions, top 15 nationally among master’s institutions for international student population), we take their concerns and needs seriously. Our response to them has demonstrated the kind of commitment we believe it will take for higher educational institutions to continue to successfully recruit and graduate students from outside the United States.
Why We Need to Fight for Our Students: The Example of Stephanie Land
It is a commonplace to say that our campuses need to be “student centered.” That we need to “meet students where they are” and recognize that our students are less
Constance C. Relihan
January 2, 2024
