MSUM’s Fourth of July celebration to be discontinued
Campus Colleagues,
Together, we have invested the time and effort to articulate our purpose, core values, and strategic anchors so they have deep, abiding meaning and provide a powerful framework for decision making. In the process, we have strengthened our shared understanding of what makes MSUM special and distinctive. We have also created a transparent framework for focusing our attention and resources on those things that will add the greatest value to our students and the communities we serve.
As we make decisions about where to focus our financial and human resources, we will be guided by MSUM’s three strategic anchors: Focusing on Student Achievement; Embedding and Supporting Diversity; and Being Indispensable to the Communities We Serve. Activities that clearly and powerfully advance all three strategic anchors deserve our full attention. Those that do not should be examined to determine their future viability.
At this afternoon’s Town Hall meeting, we talked about how this framework is being applied to budgeting and the academic master plan now under development. We also talked about how our strategic anchors relate to MSUM’s 4th of July celebration, a community tradition for more than four decades. If you missed this afternoon’s discussion, you are invited to additional Town Hall meetings tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. in Owens 201 and 10:30 a.m. in the CMU Ballroom.
After a great deal of thought and lengthy conversation, the Senior Executive team, in consultation with the President’s Cabinet, has concluded that hosting the 4th of July celebration does not serve our students or our community in ways that are consistent with our educational purpose and strategic anchors. With genuine regret—and deep appreciation for the role the celebration has played in the MSUM and Fargo-Moorhead communities—we have decided to discontinue the event. I sincerely thank all current and retired members of our campus community who have contributed to the celebration over the years.
Minnesota State University Moorhead serves best when we connect our students with the region in ways that meet community needs. The Center for Innovative Business Solutions is just one example of programming that provides students with valuable career preparation as they solve real-world business problems for regional companies. The Regional Science Center, the Children’s Theater, and the Dragon Swim School are also excellent examples, and many others are in development.
In all our decision-making, whether evaluating existing or proposed programming, every member of this academic community should expect that the discussions will be conducted strategically and with clearly defined criteria that are fairly applied. Such criteria do not limit our potential. In fact, they provide a foundation for our continued growth and service.
Anne Blackhurst
President