Recent Program Features

Being involved in campus activities can provide students myriad benefits during their college careers. By joining a student organization on campus, students are able to build relationships, improve their leadership abilities, work on their interpersonal skills, expand their interests and feel a part of their university’s community. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, there are over 250 registered student organizations (RSOs) that students can join.

While these organizations can provide numerous benefits, it can also be challenging for students to balance being a member of these groups or running them with everything else that is going on in their busy lives.

In Fall 2019, a group of students along with Emi Menk, assistant director of Student Activities, decided there was a need to form a group that could help these students find the optimal opportunities through their organizations. Additionally, it could be a resource for students on how to run an organization, which many are doing for the first time.

As a result, the Maverick Involvement Team (MIT) was born. According to Kathryn Wirtanen, MIT’s Program Operations Coordinator, “the main goal of the Maverick Involvement Team is to enhance the leadership skills of students, but also to connect them with peer-to-peer advising with RSO officers, and to provide workshops and leadership development.”

Wirtanen, a junior Environmental Science major from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been actively involved in student organizations since becoming a Maverick. Wirtanen came to Minnesota State University, Mankato with hopes of finding volunteer opportunities, so she joined a couple of organizations her first year as a member. Then, she engaged with officers to inquire about leadership positions.

Wirtanen joined multiple organization’s leadership boards and worked her way into becoming the president of Colleges Against Cancer, the president of the Environmental Sustainability Organization and the Program Operations Coordinator of the Maverick Involvement Team

Wirtanen has gained a lot from her experiences in student organizations. “Being involved in even one student organization can really increase a lot of opportunities for [students], whether it be a social group or major group, whatever type of group there is, there is something to pick from. Just joining one group can open so many opportunities for you,” she says.

With such a wide range of student organizations at Minnesota State Mankato, there truly is something for everyone. Whether it be in Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Government, religious groups, sport clubs, language clubs, honors societies, political groups, art clubs or groups that meet based on hobbies, there are so many opportunities to get involved.

According to Wirtanen, being in a student organization can enhance “the college experience” and help students grow personally and professionally, which helps students succeed not only at Minnesota State Mankato, but in their careers after they graduate. That is exactly what the Maverick Involvement Team is hoping to accomplish.

The team provides numerous resources to do this including peer advising for RSO officers and student leaders, Leadership U workshops each week, RSO officer training, involvement fairs, RSO socials, teambuilding workshops, a student leadership conference, student leadership awards and they will also be co-sponsoring the U-Lead Conference with other organizations on campus.

Wirtanen holds dear every value of the Maverick Involvement Team, but she especially loves the idea of empowering individuals and organizations and helping students connect.

“I really like the idea of having RSOs connecting with each other to collaborate on different events, fundraising efforts or campaigns. Whatever they choose to do, the sky’s the limit. If you have the interest and the numbers, you can really grow the passion that you have. By supporting students and the initiatives they want to take, we can see those groups go farther,” she says.

Although the group is still pretty new and COVID-19 has forced it to get even more creative with student opportunities, the group is still so excited for what’s to come.

“Establishing a new group and new program can be challenging, and while that challenge has been amplified by the pandemic, the students involved with MIT have really stepped up and taken initiative to figure out how they can make the most of the situation…They’ve also really supported and uplifted each other throughout the process – as an advisor it has been an absolute joy to see how they have embarked on this process, how they’ve brought their vision to life, and the connections that have resulted from the program,” Menk says.

Good afternoon, Faculty and Staff,

Many questions have arisen about how we will handle Spring Break 2021 and I am writing today to share my decision with you. Over the past few weeks, the President’s Cabinet has engaged the campus community for input on various scenarios for modifying our traditional spring break or leaving it in place as is currently scheduled. We also reviewed Minnesota Department of Health guidance and interacted with our system peers and colleagues.

Thank you to our faculty and staff who provided their input to the bargaining unit leaders or administration directly. Additionally, our student government brought up this topic at a recent senate meeting and voted on their preferred approach. After hearing the collective feedback, and absent any clear public health guidance from MDH to the contrary, I have determined that we will not make any changes to our Spring 2021 schedule. We will start classes on January 11 as scheduled, recharge over Spring Break from March 8 to 12 and complete our semester on May 7.

In order to make this plan work, it is imperative that people continue to do everything they can to stay safe. Wear your face coverings. Adhere to social distancing guidelines. And most importantly, avoid situations, including Spring Break travel, where others are not being safe.

We will continue to be prepared, of course, to adapt to whatever comes our way during the Spring semester. If circumstances create a need to revisit this decision, we will communicate with you promptly about any changes.

I am proud of the way our Maverick community has responded to this ongoing crisis. Right now, our infection rates remain very low and it is clear that everyone is being responsible and taking appropriate precautions. I know many people are experiencing “pandemic fatigue”—but we cannot let up. As the weather turns colder and we are indoors more, it becomes even more important to be careful. Please seek medical evaluation if you are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, and let us know if you test positive so we can support you and keep our Maverick family safe.

As always, thank you for all you do. If you have any questions about this Spring Break decision, please email Interim Provost Cecil at provost@mnsu.edu.

In closing, I would encourage you to join our Virtual Town Halls tomorrow, Thursday, October 22 to interact with the President’s Cabinet on any questions or concerns you may have. Registration for the town hall can be found here:

• Staff Town Hall:  9 – 10 a.m.
• Faculty Town Hall:   10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Please continue to be safe and well.

Richard Davenport
President

Good morning, Faculty and Staff,

Today, I write to share additional COVID-19 testing opportunities now available to you:

1. All Minnesota State employees will receive a notification from the system that they can now request a free saliva test kit from Vault Health. A single saliva test kit for COVID-19 will be provided free of charge to all faculty and staff currently working in the Minnesota State system. This initial program is currently available through December 31.

To order a kit, employees will retrieve a link provided online via Minnesota State’s Employee Home application. To access Employee Home, login using your Star ID and password online. After logging into Employee Home, you will see the message “Free COVID Test Kit Available until December 31”. In the displayed message window, click the hyperlink to be redirected to Vault Health’s website to request your test kit. You will need contact information, identification and insurance information to request a test kit on-line. You will not be charged if your insurance does not cover the cost of the kit.

The test is conducted by collecting a saliva sample during a Zoom-enabled, HIPAA-compliant, supervised visit with a Vault Health professional. The visit is necessary to ensure enough of a sample is produced from the appropriate individual. After a sample is collected, it is sent to a Vault Health laboratory for testing.

More information on the saliva testing kit from Vault Health can be found here: FAQ

2. Minnesota Department of Health launched a free saliva testing site in Mankato at the former Gander Mountain location, 1940 Adams Street. This is the state's fifth semi-permanent site for COVID-19 PCR saliva testing and will give Minnesotans an additional barrier-free COVID testing option. 

The Mankato site opened last Friday and will be open Monday, Tuesday and Friday, noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. While it is open to walk-ins, people are encouraged to make an appointment if possible, to prevent crowding and long lines. That information and the scheduling link can be found here.

If you choose to get tested, here's what you need to know:

- You'll be asked to register briefly on the iPad with name and contact information.

- While the test is 100 percent free for you, you will be asked for your insurance information, as the state is working to recover as much of the cost of the tests as possible. If you're uninsured, you can simply say that. 

- You can't eat, drink, chew or smoke anything 30 minutes prior to the test.

- It typically takes around 8-10 minutes to generate enough saliva to be tested.

More information regarding the MDH Testing Site can be found here: FAQ

3. Local health systems also offer testing: 

• Mayo Clinic Health System has moved its COVID-19 testing site to Madison East Center, 1400 Madison Avenue. Those with COVID-19 symptoms who want to be tested should call the COVID-19 Nurse Line at 507-293-9525 or contact their primary care provider.
• The Mankato Clinic testing site is also available at the Madison East Center, 1400 Madison Avenue, Suite 40. Appointments are required. Call 507-389-8548.

I hope these additional resources are helpful to you and your loved ones.

Please continue to be safe and well.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President

Dear Faculty and Staff:

This week, we are launching a new partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health to conduct free saliva testing on campus each of the next two Thursdays, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. We want our students and employees to be able to go home for the holidays confident that they will not unknowingly spread coronavirus to their families and friends.

The testing event this Thursday, Nov. 12 will be from Noon – 6pm in the CSU Ballroom. The location and time for the Nov. 19 event is still being confirmed and will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

Participants will register for 30-minute timeslots through their smartphones or provided iPads at the event.

What you need to know about the saliva test:

• You must not eat, drink, chew or smoke anything for at least 30 minutes before taking a saliva test.
• A health care professional will tell you how to take the test, but you will do it yourself.
• You will spit into a funnel attached to a tube. Producing the required amount of saliva usually takes <10 minutes.
• You will get your results in about 48-72 hours; negative results will be delivered via email and/or text, and positive results will be delivered with a phone call.

It’s important to note that these test sessions are open to students and employees who are not currently experiencing symptoms; our hope is that these tests will help identify asymptomatic cases. Anyone who is currently experiencing coronavirus symptoms should not come to campus; instead, they should schedule a test as soon as possible at one of the local health care facilities.

Questions about these upcoming testing events should be directed to provost@mnsu.edu.

Thank you for all of your efforts to keep the University operating this fall.

Sincerely,

Richard Davenport
President