St. Cloud State University and the Community Advisory Board hosted Forward Together: An Inaugural Stewardship Gathering on Nov. 2 at the Paramount Center for the Arts.
700 people were in attendance to listen to St. Cloud State and community leaders give updates on the state of the university and what changes need to happen to ensure future success for SCSU and the region.
“We are being open and honest about where need to improve and the steps we are taking to make things right,” SCSU President Dr. Gregory Tomso said. “It’s about getting back to the basics: student success, enrollment, our people, our community and workforce, financial discipline and accountability. It’s about rebuilding the foundation.”
That foundation includes the university being a partner that is innovative, easy to work with and committed to serving the community’s workforce needs.
“Over the last year, we have shifted our attention and energy away from looking backward,” said Granite Partners CEO Rick Bauerly, who helped establish the Community Advisory Board in 2026 to help community leaders become better stewards of the university. “We are moving forward together to empower students succeeding, workforce growing and community thriving.”
The Community Advisory Board has already logged over 50 short-term wins to advance the university’s reputation, athletics, enrollment, workforce development and fundraising in 2026. This includes over $7.5 million in community pledges to the university in the past six months.
With this renewed momentum, SCSU’s new strategic plan aims to overcome the university’s challenges in stabilizing enrollment, building financial stability and realigning curriculum to meet Central Minnesota’s needs. With the region experiencing positive trends in population and projected labor force, it is an essential time for a new kind of relationship to form.
This work is already underway. SCSU is working with St. Cloud Technical and Community College to make transfer pathways easier and with District 742 to build seamless career and educational pathways. They are partnering with CentraCare to help young people research topics related to rural health and collaborating with the City of St. Cloud to think differently about the campus footprint and how the university connects physically and economically to the community.
Attendees were given a final challenge as the night ended: put this revived concept of stewardship into action. Advocate. Volunteer. Invest.
“We are building a new kind of relationship between our university and the region: all for one, and one for all,” Tomso said. “But we can’t do it alone; that’s why this event is called Forward Together. Because that is the only way it works.”
How to get involved
Volunteer or attend an event
Review the Community Partner Directory to find other opportunities to partner with SCSU
