On Wednesday, Oct. 15, SCTCC welcomed legislators, community members, and faculty and staff from the college to celebrate the Raise/Raze the Roof groundbreaking of the Wedum Center for Student Success and the Heartland Building Roof Replacement.
In 2024, the J.A. Wedum Foundation presented SCTCC with a challenge gift of $2 million, which would be matched with funding raised over the next five years. The $4 million total will support staffing and space for first-generation student support.
The Challenge
SCTCC has several student cohorts that show extra supports for college students mean they are more likely to succeed. With a more intrusive model that addresses academic difficulties before it’s too late, students in these cohorts bond with each other over their shared interests, creating a sense of belonging and lifelong friendships.
The focus on first-generation students is particularly important because 60 percent of SCTCC students have parents who haven’t earned a bachelor’s degree. The success of these students is critical for their futures and the future of Central Minnesota and beyond. When then enroll in college, they encounter obstacles that no one in their family has faced before, as well as needing to work full-time and manage financial constraints. Additional supports ensure their level of system familiarity is on par with other students.
With the J.A. Wedum Foundation challenge gift, the College was able to get started on hiring staff to support students and start raising the matching dollars.
Getting Started
The first hire SCTCC made was Becky Krystyniak, the Dean of Academic Innovation & Success. In addition to overseeing the First-Gen Cyclones Success program, Krystyniak provides direction for the Center for Teaching and Learning as well as Library Services. Soon after, the College welcomed two Cyclone Success Coordinators, Tomy Cassalom and Nena Vasovic. With staffing in place, the objectives of the Wedum Center for Student Success started to come together, and this fall semester the Coordinators began reaching out to first-generation students with focused support and resources.
The groundbreaking on Oct. 15 was the beginning of the renovation that will add much-needed student space to the second floor of the Heartland Building while also housing the three new hires as well as the Center for Academic Success. Since Heartland opened in 2016, the top floor has remained empty and in need of a new roof to meet updated building code. Thanks to legislative support of a $1.1 million HEAPR request, the roof will be repaired, after which renovation inside can begin.
President Lori Kloos and Chairman of the J.A. Wedum Foundation Board Brian Myers both shared personal stories during the groundbreaking showing how extra support for first-generation students is important. What's equally as important is the community coming together to help make it happen.
“We have to recognize our amazing local legislators,” said President Kloos, “for their advocacy and their support. We were able to leverage the $2 million gift to say, we need that $1.2 million investment, and with these two efforts—capital improvements through legislative investments and transformation programming through philanthropic investment—represent a powerful alignment of public and private support.”
Meeting Goals
When Vice President of Advancement Daniel Larson spoke to the attendees, he announced the SCTCC Foundation had not only met the challenge gift goal but surpassed it in September, not even a year after the gift was announced. Community donors have pledged $2.2 million through 2029.
The long-term success of the program relies on the success of SCTCC students. Given our knowledge of how support affects completion, the College anticipates the first-year retention increase will be 7.5%. With that projection, it’s anticipated that the program will sustain itself by winter of 2029.
“What we're doing here at St. Cloud Technical & Community College today is an example of that kind of collaboration and coordination, not for its own sake, but for a purpose, which is to make our community stronger, and to build a better future students,” shared Minnesota Senator Aric Putnam. “That's what spaces like this and the people we have at these spaces are all accomplishing.”
When students succeed, it’s not just for them and their families; it means success for the community, industry partners, the state, and society. Combined with opportunities already available at SCTCC, the new Wedum Center for Student Success will provide even more opportunities for students to succeed.
After the groundbreaking program wrapped up with a toast, those in attendance were encouraged to tour the second-floor space, a wide open room filled with natural light. The grand opening for the space is slated for fall 2026.