Interim SCSU president starts term with eye to razing several buildings, revamping campus

ST. CLOUD – Larry Dietz has spent five decades navigating funding challenges and serving students at higher education institutions across the Midwest.

That's why he's confident there are bright skies ahead at St. Cloud State University despite recent tumult, including cuts to about 90 programs and 50 faculty to help put the university back on solid financial footing after years of unchecked spending amid enrollment decline. And within his first two weeks on the job, he's already unveiled plans to raze several unused buildings as part of a proposal to reimagine the campus' footprint.

"I think the future is very bright here. I wouldn't have taken this job had I not thought that," Dietz, 76, said this week. "It's a really refreshing kind of thing to say we can be a reshaped organization and live within our means."

Dietz stepped into the role of interim president on July 1, taking over for former President Robbyn Wacker, who served for six years and then left her post in May ahead of the announcement on the drastic cuts.

Dietz retired in 2021 as president of Illinois State University. He also worked at Southern Illinois Carbondale, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Iowa State University. After Dietz retired, he and his wife, Marlene, restored a house in a historic Illinois neighborhood that was slated for demolition. He also spent time volunteering, but said he missed being part of a team and wanted to put his expertise to good use.

"I've been through a few things [SCSU] is going through, and I just want to try and help," he said, noting he was at the helm of a college in Illinois when the state Legislature didn't pass a budget. "It was tough trying to live within your means without money coming from the state."

He's also experienced the enrollment declines seen at higher education institutions across the country, which are due to changing demographics, increased competition among higher education offerings and changing ideas about the importance of four-year degrees.

"What we're going through now as an institution is not unusual — though we may be the place where it's happening the most in the state of Minnesota," Dietz said. "But right-sizing curriculum and faculty and staff and facilities is something a lot of institutions are wrestling with."

The university saw its peak of 18,300 students — both undergraduate and graduate — in 2010. It now has about 10,130 students.

Dietz said he doesn't expect enrollment to increase to what it once was but said he hopes to see stable enrollment during his two-year tenure. He's also championing a proposal crafted by SCSU leadership to redesign the campus.

"We've got more square footage than we need. We have some buildings that have closed," he said. "We need to figure out a plan to get rid of those buildings that have outlived their usefulness."

On Wednesday, Dietz presented to the campus community a proposal outlining plans to create more green space on campus, especially along the Mississippi River, as well as create more centralized walkways and gathering spaces. The plan calls for razing several buildings in the next five years, including five former residence halls, as well as the visual arts center, performing arts center, education building and engineering building.

Dietz said the plan would likely be funded through a campaign or with state dollars.

"We're going to need some help with this," he said.

St. Cloud State leaders have also faced recent criticism for a partnership with a for-profit company to provide accelerated online programs. The Minnesota State system is allowing the university to move forward with a few courses but data — including enrollment and student completion rates — will be reviewed by the system before SCSU can expand.

Dietz said online courses can be valuable for some students who have trouble getting to campus, or have careers or families.

"It serves a population who wouldn't be a part of higher education oftentimes if it wasn't online," he said. "But I think a lot of our students want an experience. And that experience really can only be had face-to-face being on campus."

Despite the recent turbulence, Dietz said he's found many people who are relieved most of the planned cuts at the university have been announced and leadership is finally dealing with the chronic budget deficit.

"I have talked to a number of folks who said, 'We knew this was coming but we didn't know whether the shoe that was going to drop was going to be a light tennis shoe or a heavy combat boot,' so I think finally having some answers on that, for those individuals, has been a bit of a relief," he said. "But I was hired to look to the future so that's where I am going to spend my time. It's an exciting time to be here — to be a part of that new vision."