Copyright Star Tribune
The accelerated online classes are helping bolster enrollment as the college digs out from a deficit. By Jenny Berg The Minnesota Star Tribune October 20, 2025 at 11:00AM People walk out of Atwood Memorial Center at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud in February. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune) The strongest selling point for Bartlett — a wife, parent and grandparent — was the convenience. “I really love being able to log on at 2 in the morning if I have the opportunity,” she said. “And the way the technology is, if you want it to be, it can be on your phone ... so you can make it as relevant in your life as you want.” SCSU's first three accelerated online undergraduate programs — RN-to-bachelor of science in nursing, software engineering and business — have helped bolster enrollment, an official said, and three more programs in finance, marketing and management were added this fall. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune) In August, the university announced plans to merge its five colleges into three next year: the College of Business, Engineering and Technology; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Education, Health and Human Services. The restructuring should help tackle a projected $14.5 million budget shortfall over the next two years. It will lead to about 90 reductions of full-time positions — including at least six administrator positions — but about two-thirds of the cuts will be absorbed through existing vacancies, Pattit said. Leaders at SCSU say the most drastic cuts are behind them, but they continue to look at how to best balance the budget and align program offerings with student interests, which have moved away from the humanities towards science and business in recent years. SCSU also plans to shutter on-campus child care and move its Plymouth campus to a metro community college to save money.
