Since St. Cloud State University opened in 1869 as a one-building campus, we have been responding to the needs of our state and anticipating the demands of the future – preparing graduates who go out and change our communities for the better.

Earl H. Potter III was inaugurated as the 22nd president of St. Cloud State University Sept. 19. Centered on the theme “A Common Goal,” the inauguration focused on University-community partnerships, relationships and impact.

The St. Cloud State educational leadership program prepares educators for licensure as K-12 principals, K-12 superintendents, special education directors and community education directors.

Adam Fuchsteiner ’05 ’07 squeezed a lot of opportunity out of his six years at St. Cloud State. Besides earning bachelor’s degrees in international business and German and a master’s in business, he explored a world of career options through internships with global companies in Germany and Minnesota.

Criminal justice graduate student Crystal Kass ’08 is typical of St. Cloud State University’s growing online student population. Her multifaceted life – wife and mom, commuter student and graduate assistant – is eased by the flexibility offered by online courses.

Junior meteorology major Matt Taraldsen believes a severe weather forecast should be more than accurate. It also should leave potential victims with a clear picture of the practical impact it might have on their lives and property.

The publication of English Professor Bill Meissner’s first novel, “Spirits in the Grass,” this fall was the culmination of a seven-year writing and editing process the author called daunting, sometimes overwhelming, but always exhilarating.

Complex and critically acclaimed 20th century novelist Sinclair Lewis was noted for his biting satire about small-town America. But when it came to Sauk Centre, the hometown he famously laid bare as dull and provincial in “Main Street,” and his Central Minnesota family, Lewis maintained lifelong ties.