Dakota County Technical College Achieves Star Campus Status

Dakota County Technical College and its 30-member student senate were recently awarded Star Campus status by the Minnesota State College Student Association (MSCSA).

In its first year of such a program, the designation was awarded to the most active student senates in the MSCSA, according to Jonathan Miller, MSCSA director of communications. 

Of the 47 two-year Minnesota State College and University campuses that are members of the organization, only six were honored by the distinction. The five other campuses that received the Star Campus award include: Anoka Technical College; Anoka Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids Campus; Central Lakes College, Brainerd Campus; Inver Hills Community College; and Lake Superior College.

Miller said the criteria for the award included active attendance at MSCSA events, participation in MSCSA campaigns (such as “Get out the Vote” efforts) and bringing students to lobby at the Minnesota Capitol.

“In the three years I have been on the Student Senate at DCTC, this past year [it] has been the strongest and most active I have ever seen it,” said Anna Voight, senator and former campus liaison.

The MSCSA represents students attending the state’s public two-year colleges, advocating for more than 100,000 students across the state.

“MNSCU recognizes the MSCSA as the official voice and organization of students,” said Voight.

Nicole Meulemans, DCTC director of student life and activities, agreed that the association is “at the political forefront … advocating at the Capitol on behalf of the students.”

According to the MSCSA website, the association “works to ensure accessible, quality, and affordable public higher education while providing students with representation, leadership development, and communication across the state.”

At the Star Campus award presentation held in April, MSCSA President Travis Johnson said DCTC winning the award was probably not a surprise to anyone.

"We were shocked when they announced us,” said Denise “Dee” Moy, campus liaison. “We were not expecting that at all.”

“[DCTC] has been a phenomenal contributor to the success of our advocacy work, and has really stood out this past year, and years prior,” said Johnson. “They bring large numbers of students to our conferences, but they make sure to include a lot of new students in those numbers.”

Voight described that the necessary 10 points they must accumulate to receive the award resulted from such involvement activities as bringing new members to conference, attendance at every MSCSA conference, a large group of students from the Senate attending the MSCSA rally day at the Capitol, having enough students attending without using any proxy votes, submitting their by-laws and a picture of DCTC participating in MSCSA activities, and exceeding their voter registration goal by 10 percent.

“With all of this we were at 9.5 points. Thus, we did not expect to win the award,” recalled Voight. “What we did not factor … was when one of our students, Jason Johnson (a veteran), testified at the Capitol, in support of funding related to the South Metro Region Higher Education Veterans Program [which earned them an extra half point]…”

She also credited Nicole Muelemans, DCTC director of student life and activities, with enabling Jason to attend by driving him there, as he cannot drive a vehicle due to brain injuries suffered during his service.

“The Star Campus award could not have been won by the involvement of one or a small handful of students,” said Voight. “It took effort, dedication, and passion from every member of DCTC's Student Senate to become a Star Campus.”

If the MSCSA offers the Star Award every year, Meulemans said it will be one of the student senate’s goals to win it for a second year. She added that a few others will include “a common hour [at DCTC], when classes will not be scheduled to allow for increased participation in clubs, organizations and events on campus. We also plan to grow our clubs and organizations on campus, encourage students to start new clubs, and increase participation in existing clubs.”