written by || Ola Abimbola; State Chair

Students United supports any effort and initiative geared towards tackling the unacceptable opportunity and equity gaps in higher education. Supporting and investing in our students of color, first-generation students, marginalized students, and students from tough socioeconomic backgrounds is critical to the future success of our system, especially because we pride ourselves in being the most accessible and transformative higher education experience in Minnesota.

We fundamentally believe that students know the key to their own success. This philosophy is why we exist as a student-led and student-run organization. Since students are the primary stakeholders in this effort, the experiences and wisdom of students should take the utmost precedence in this endeavor. Some students can be skeptical of efforts that are bureaucratic or seem to not benefit them or their peers in the time they are in school. This may be a barrier to engagement in Equity 2030 and we look forward to supporting efforts to reduce that barrier. We are eager to support active student participation in this process and look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that student voices are at the forefront of this undertaking.

We are confident the inclusion of student voices will provide the ideas and energy needed for Equity 2030 to be successful and are optimistic that these efforts and collaborations will reduce the equity gap, making our campuses more inclusive for Minnesota State university students.

Click here to read about Minnesota State’s Equity 2030 initiative.