Maverick Moments

The main responsibilities of these students are to table around campus, consult with Student Government and work with the Student Events Team. They have applied for democracy challenges including the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which allows the university to compete with other colleges to see who can get the most students to register to vote. Riesenberg shared that although it would be nice to win any of these challenges, a perk to joining them is that they receive feedback about the initiatives they are already doing, along with other ideas to improve.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, these students partnered with the Women’s Center for the Mavericks Lead the Vote voter registration drive to encourage people to register to vote both on campus and in the community. The Vote Coordinators also partnered with the Student Events Team to host a viewing of the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1.  

This year the University has received clearance to provide data to the county about elections for all students living on campus and within 10 miles of Mankato, which allows for an easier voting process for students this year. Riesenberg shared that students living on campus will “have their names already on the county election list and they can show up to the polling station with their MavCARD or another form of identification with a photo… things should be a lot easier this year, which I am excited about.”  

Leading up to the presidential election, they are planning to table weekly in various locations around campus to push the information and encourage students to register to vote. Various informational websites will be shared with students closer to the election date, which will make it easy for students to find out where their voting location will be, especially if they live off-campus. Additionally, signage has been placed on campus to remind students of the Voter Registration Deadline on Oct. 15; after that date,  the focus will shift to how to vote in-person. 

“The state has been very invested in voter education,” Riesenberg says. “There have been more mandates that came out in 2023 within the state… Minnesota has been more active as a state, and we want to make sure students are seeing these things in front of them and they are being educated on them so they can make decisions.” Riesenberg adds that getting Student Voter Coordinators into classrooms, learning communities and Recognized Student Organization meetings are among a few things he wants to push for if future donations come in. 

Craig Sanderson, director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, is pleased with the NSP. “It’s reducing indebtedness, it’s helping students with the higher costs that are out there and giving them another option to pay for college… which we like to see,” he said.

Students enrolled in higher cost programs, such as nursing, dental hygiene and aviation, can benefit greatly from this scholarship and may receive higher scholarship totals. Additionally, this scholarship can be particularly helpful for non-traditional undergraduate students who file as an independent on the FAFSA and have an adjusted gross income less than $80,000.

The number of students qualifying for this scholarship highlights the significant financial need of many students at Minnesota State Mankato. This scholarship program helps with the cost of school; however, it does not cover any additional living expenses such as housing or food, which is where much of student debt comes from for college students. Other students are not wanting to borrow, or take out loans, resulting in the need to work two or three jobs to cover living expenses. Between scholarships like the NSP and donor support for other expenses, students can avoid needing to work multiple jobs and improve overall well-being with more time to focus on their studies.

“For funding from donors to come in and help with those other expenses, it can help those students maybe avoid a second or third job,” Sanderson said.  He adds that “it is important to note factoring in those additional costs, and what students are doing today with finances and the need to work more, so that [scholarships and donations] just helps them reduce their workload and focus on their studies, which is what we all want.”

Sanderson encourages all students to complete the FAFSA application to see what resources are available to them from the financial aid programs run by the federal and state governments and to determine what they might be eligible for, including the NSP. His office can help students who need it.

“[Financial Aid Services] is here to help. There’s lots of information to know about financial aid. Our Campus Hub staff are friendly and professional and know a lot about financial aid,” he says. “We also have financial aid advisors to assist families in completing the FASFA or answer any questions about financing their education. We’re here to help students and families understand how to go about securing these resources to help them with their education.”

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

Bettendorf emphasized the importance of understanding the existing dynamics within the Residential Life program and other departments on campus before developing his own vision. His first few weeks on campus included a “listening tour,” during which he met with many departments across campus to understand how they are currently running and to learn how they could further work collaboratively as a team to decide which direction to go moving forward. One recurring theme throughout this listening tour was a student-first attitude.  “Every person I’ve met with, I feel like the student is the focus,” he says. He highlighted taking a collaborative approach, believing that creating a cohesive and supportive environment is crucial for the student experience. 

While getting to know his staff and the university is important, Bettendorf noted that one huge component to Residential Life is not currently on campus: the students. A key priority for the upcoming academic year is to assess the needs and preferences of the students by engaging with various student organizations such as Residential Hall Association (RHA) and Student Government. He aims to tailor future changes based on the feedback from students to enhance their overall college experience while attracting prospective students. Bettendorf is impressed with the current state of the Residential Life facilities and considers them to be “top notch.” He wants to continue to meet the diverse needs of students and feels the University is doing a great job, evidenced by the recent renovation of pod-style restrooms that are more accessible and inclusive. Donations to the University can help keep the facilities among the best. 

As the new academic year approaches, Bettendorf is particularly excited for move-in day on Thursday, August 22. He loves the interactions and energy that comes with students moving in and the beginning of the school year, especially with first-year students. While reflecting on his past experiences within residential life, Bettendorf says, “I think back to when I was going to college the first time… the nervousness you have of leaving home and doing all of that. You get to watch that happen and know that our staff are there and that we’re engaging folks so that they will have a good experience here.”

In his short time at Minnesota State Mankato, Bettendorf has been impressed with the outstanding team of people in Residential Life. He immediately noticed the strong dedication to student success across campus. “I have been wowed by the outstanding team of people in Residential Life… their knowledge, their skills, their dedication to students,” he said. His mantra is "to make the experience the best that we can for students," which reflects his commitment to enhancing the Residential Life program. He is eager to engage with the campus community, collaborate with colleagues, and support students in every possible way.  

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

Eric Keohane, the president of the club, shared his hope for getting the word out about tryouts taking place early in the school year and believes doing so would be important in improving the team. He shared that he often hears of talented students, particularly international students, who just don’t know about tryouts until the team has been selected. Keohane highlights the importance of diversity on the team, both for raw talent and for exposure to different cultures. “What I love about soccer and particularly our club team compared to other club teams…, it’s so diverse,” he says. “There are people from all different countries coming together. It’s cool to see people from different countries who have different philosophies and see it all mesh together and try to make a cohesive team. It’s just really cool. I think soccer in particular really does that and it’s awesome to see.”

The sense of community within the team was evident, with diverse backgrounds and perspectives coming together. As Keohane explained, "there's something about sports that really brings people together." This unity and shared passion for soccer played a significant role in the team’s success.

The addition of a volunteer coach has also contributed to the recent successes. This past year marks the first time that the team has had a coach. In past years, it was truly student-led, even when it came to coaching and decision making. This coach has been committed to the team and has helped support the change of culture with higher expectation for taking the commitment seriously. Having a coach who can help reiterate that culture contributes to the team’s success. Not only does having a coach help with developing strategy and plans for games, but also serves as a leader and person of authority for the team to look to. 

This team is fully player-led and funded by donations, which help cover expenses like referee and league fees, equipment and travel costs. It takes a lot to create a successful program, both by recruiting talented players to try out and to cover all of the various expenses to play and compete.

Although Keohane graduated in May, he expressed his hopes for the team, saying, “I just hope we keep getting better and better. Continuing to build the culture. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

To support this club or other extracurricular experiences, follow this link.

Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.

“Ask Stomper” is predominantly used by prospective students and families who are seeking information about attending the University or have questions regarding financial aid and housing. The chatbot offers users assistance in Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese, which benefits some prospective students by providing information in their native language.

The chat has the highest traffic in the months of July and August, which is when incoming students are preparing to move to campus and transition into a new phase of life; their questions regarding move in, financial aid and other new student questions can to be answered by the chatbot.

Current students also benefit from the chatbot, and will soon even more, thanks to an upcoming advanced version expected in the next couple of months. The AI will be more advanced, which will allow for questions about timely matters, such as upcoming events, to be answered. The chatbot currently is comprised of pre-populated, frequently asked questions for which answers could be manually put in by departments; the new version will have a higher level of interpretation and be able to pull more detailed information from the website. IT Solutions Architect Chris Lienemann is excited about the advancements. “I think it will help our students quite a bit,” he says.

One challenge with the chatbot is that some people may assume there’s a person on the other end, rather than automated answers. There is a function that allows users to get through to a live chat or send an email to a specific department. Some departments, like the Campus Hub and Residential Life, have a live person connected during business hours more frequently; for other departments, “Ask Stomper” provides easy access by sending an email. “As AI continues to improve, that distinction may become less important,” says Lienemann.

Offering assistance 24/7 is a critical component of “Ask Stomper.” Research shows that 41% of all questions are asked outside of normal business hours for the University; the chatbot allows users to get answers immediately, enabling staff to focus on other projects, which increases efficiency. Lienemann confirms that the chatbot allows staff to “spend more time on difficult questions, on people who are physically in person, [and] they can work on other projects.” Residential Life, Campus Hub and Registrar’s office had a live chat option prior to “Ask Stomper”; since the transition, the number of live interactions has gone down significantly.

Within the last year over 79,000 questions have been asked through the “Ask Stomper” chatbot, highlighting the usefulness of this tool. It is anticipated that a more full, comprehensive service is coming in the future.

Big ideas and real-world thinking on campus and in the community.