Maverick Moments

Craig Sanderson, director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, is pleased with the NSP. “It’s reducing indebtedness, it’s helping students with the higher costs that are out there and giving them another option to pay for college… which we like to see,” he said.

Students enrolled in higher cost programs, such as nursing, dental hygiene and aviation, can benefit greatly from this scholarship and may receive higher scholarship totals. Additionally, this scholarship can be particularly helpful for non-traditional undergraduate students who file as an independent on the FAFSA and have an adjusted gross income less than $80,000.

The number of students qualifying for this scholarship highlights the significant financial need of many students at Minnesota State Mankato. This scholarship program helps with the cost of school; however, it does not cover any additional living expenses such as housing or food, which is where much of student debt comes from for college students. Other students are not wanting to borrow, or take out loans, resulting in the need to work two or three jobs to cover living expenses. Between scholarships like the NSP and donor support for other expenses, students can avoid needing to work multiple jobs and improve overall well-being with more time to focus on their studies.

“For funding from donors to come in and help with those other expenses, it can help those students maybe avoid a second or third job,” Sanderson said.  He adds that “it is important to note factoring in those additional costs, and what students are doing today with finances and the need to work more, so that [scholarships and donations] just helps them reduce their workload and focus on their studies, which is what we all want.”

Sanderson encourages all students to complete the FAFSA application to see what resources are available to them from the financial aid programs run by the federal and state governments and to determine what they might be eligible for, including the NSP. His office can help students who need it.

“[Financial Aid Services] is here to help. There’s lots of information to know about financial aid. Our Campus Hub staff are friendly and professional and know a lot about financial aid,” he says. “We also have financial aid advisors to assist families in completing the FASFA or answer any questions about financing their education. We’re here to help students and families understand how to go about securing these resources to help them with their education.”

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

Bettendorf emphasized the importance of understanding the existing dynamics within the Residential Life program and other departments on campus before developing his own vision. His first few weeks on campus included a “listening tour,” during which he met with many departments across campus to understand how they are currently running and to learn how they could further work collaboratively as a team to decide which direction to go moving forward. One recurring theme throughout this listening tour was a student-first attitude.  “Every person I’ve met with, I feel like the student is the focus,” he says. He highlighted taking a collaborative approach, believing that creating a cohesive and supportive environment is crucial for the student experience. 

While getting to know his staff and the university is important, Bettendorf noted that one huge component to Residential Life is not currently on campus: the students. A key priority for the upcoming academic year is to assess the needs and preferences of the students by engaging with various student organizations such as Residential Hall Association (RHA) and Student Government. He aims to tailor future changes based on the feedback from students to enhance their overall college experience while attracting prospective students. Bettendorf is impressed with the current state of the Residential Life facilities and considers them to be “top notch.” He wants to continue to meet the diverse needs of students and feels the University is doing a great job, evidenced by the recent renovation of pod-style restrooms that are more accessible and inclusive. Donations to the University can help keep the facilities among the best. 

As the new academic year approaches, Bettendorf is particularly excited for move-in day on Thursday, August 22. He loves the interactions and energy that comes with students moving in and the beginning of the school year, especially with first-year students. While reflecting on his past experiences within residential life, Bettendorf says, “I think back to when I was going to college the first time… the nervousness you have of leaving home and doing all of that. You get to watch that happen and know that our staff are there and that we’re engaging folks so that they will have a good experience here.”

In his short time at Minnesota State Mankato, Bettendorf has been impressed with the outstanding team of people in Residential Life. He immediately noticed the strong dedication to student success across campus. “I have been wowed by the outstanding team of people in Residential Life… their knowledge, their skills, their dedication to students,” he said. His mantra is "to make the experience the best that we can for students," which reflects his commitment to enhancing the Residential Life program. He is eager to engage with the campus community, collaborate with colleagues, and support students in every possible way.  

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

Eric Keohane, the president of the club, shared his hope for getting the word out about tryouts taking place early in the school year and believes doing so would be important in improving the team. He shared that he often hears of talented students, particularly international students, who just don’t know about tryouts until the team has been selected. Keohane highlights the importance of diversity on the team, both for raw talent and for exposure to different cultures. “What I love about soccer and particularly our club team compared to other club teams…, it’s so diverse,” he says. “There are people from all different countries coming together. It’s cool to see people from different countries who have different philosophies and see it all mesh together and try to make a cohesive team. It’s just really cool. I think soccer in particular really does that and it’s awesome to see.”

The sense of community within the team was evident, with diverse backgrounds and perspectives coming together. As Keohane explained, "there's something about sports that really brings people together." This unity and shared passion for soccer played a significant role in the team’s success.

The addition of a volunteer coach has also contributed to the recent successes. This past year marks the first time that the team has had a coach. In past years, it was truly student-led, even when it came to coaching and decision making. This coach has been committed to the team and has helped support the change of culture with higher expectation for taking the commitment seriously. Having a coach who can help reiterate that culture contributes to the team’s success. Not only does having a coach help with developing strategy and plans for games, but also serves as a leader and person of authority for the team to look to. 

This team is fully player-led and funded by donations, which help cover expenses like referee and league fees, equipment and travel costs. It takes a lot to create a successful program, both by recruiting talented players to try out and to cover all of the various expenses to play and compete.

Although Keohane graduated in May, he expressed his hopes for the team, saying, “I just hope we keep getting better and better. Continuing to build the culture. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

To support this club or other extracurricular experiences, follow this link.

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

“Ask Stomper” is predominantly used by prospective students and families who are seeking information about attending the University or have questions regarding financial aid and housing. The chatbot offers users assistance in Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese, which benefits some prospective students by providing information in their native language.

The chat has the highest traffic in the months of July and August, which is when incoming students are preparing to move to campus and transition into a new phase of life; their questions regarding move in, financial aid and other new student questions can to be answered by the chatbot.

Current students also benefit from the chatbot, and will soon even more, thanks to an upcoming advanced version expected in the next couple of months. The AI will be more advanced, which will allow for questions about timely matters, such as upcoming events, to be answered. The chatbot currently is comprised of pre-populated, frequently asked questions for which answers could be manually put in by departments; the new version will have a higher level of interpretation and be able to pull more detailed information from the website. IT Solutions Architect Chris Lienemann is excited about the advancements. “I think it will help our students quite a bit,” he says.

One challenge with the chatbot is that some people may assume there’s a person on the other end, rather than automated answers. There is a function that allows users to get through to a live chat or send an email to a specific department. Some departments, like the Campus Hub and Residential Life, have a live person connected during business hours more frequently; for other departments, “Ask Stomper” provides easy access by sending an email. “As AI continues to improve, that distinction may become less important,” says Lienemann.

Offering assistance 24/7 is a critical component of “Ask Stomper.” Research shows that 41% of all questions are asked outside of normal business hours for the University; the chatbot allows users to get answers immediately, enabling staff to focus on other projects, which increases efficiency. Lienemann confirms that the chatbot allows staff to “spend more time on difficult questions, on people who are physically in person, [and] they can work on other projects.” Residential Life, Campus Hub and Registrar’s office had a live chat option prior to “Ask Stomper”; since the transition, the number of live interactions has gone down significantly.

Within the last year over 79,000 questions have been asked through the “Ask Stomper” chatbot, highlighting the usefulness of this tool. It is anticipated that a more full, comprehensive service is coming in the future.

Big ideas and real-world thinking on campus and in the community.

The technological advances alone have improved exponentially from what they were when she first started her career. Through these advances, staff now have the ability to reach students where they are more effectively. The simplicity of sharing job postings online, expediting communications with students, creating connectivity amongst students and hiring managers has created countless new opportunities for students to engage with career opportunities more effectively and easily. Weller adds that although “technology has definitely helped with [being more efficient and effective],” since they are an opt-in service, they primarily see only students who proactively seek out assistance from the CDC. Weller adds that in her experience, “a lot of times those students, their parents or a family member have given them a nudge, so what ends up happening is the students most needing assistance aren’t necessarily coming through the door, attending a career event, etc.” This led Weller and her colleagues in the CDC to take a look at how they can improve visibility and access to career guidance on campus amongst all students. They want to develop a philosophy of helping those who seek out their guidance and assistance, while also reaching out to those who may not be aware of the assistance and resources available to them. Weller notes that visibility did improve in the mid-2000s when they moved into their current space in Wigley Administration Center, which is big and bright. This move is one of her favorite memories in her time at the University.

Throughout Weller’s time at Minnesota State Mankato she is most proud of a few key initiatives and programs that have been developed. Outreach to various sub-groups on campus by creating partnerships with other departments and targeted programs and career-related communications are two improvements Weller highlights. Additionally, the faculty/staff Career Champions Program, now in its second year, provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to be trained to serve as a resource to the students they work closely with in order to aid in student career development. Since the faculty and staff work more frequently and closely with the students, the staff of the CDC developed this program with a “train the trainer” mentality. Around 200 faculty and staff have gone through the training to be considered a Career Champion. A goal of the Career Champion program is to increase career integration in the classroom, academic advising and in other areas of campus with Career Champions serving as career influencers.

Weller has learned a lot both about herself and how to best provide for students over her time at Minnesota State Mankato. She hopes that students know the CDC has programs, resources and tools that can be helpful for any major. Coming from someone who has worked closely in student success and career development, her advice for students is not to equate their major with their career. “Major doesn’t equal career, and I think sometimes people get caught up in that,” she says. “Approach your career path with your eyes open. Know what the opportunities and obstacles are for the field you want to go into, and invest in your own career development.” For professionals, she shares the advice that one must “take ownership of your career because no one else is going to.” She also suggests you “respect your individual style; don't necessarily strive to be like someone else. Incorporate your style into what you’re doing because that’s the way you are going to be successful.”

As she embarks on retirement, Weller looks forward to new adventures. While she wants to stay in the field in some capacity, she is unsure of what exactly that will look like at this time. What she does know for certain, though, is that she is looking forward to traveling and seeing the world. She also plans to spend more time with family, and is excited to see her adult daughter more. Her future in the field may remain uncertain, however, her impact on student affairs and career development at Minnesota State Mankato is undeniable—a testament to her enduring legacy of excellence and dedication.