Photo by Jenny Kirk Carmen Wilson, one of three finalists vying to be the next president at Southwest Minnesota State University, engaged in conversation with students, staff, faculty and community members throughout the day on Tuesday.

MARSHALL — Carmen Wilson, the first of three finalists to interview on campus, believes the next president of Southwest Minnesota State University should be someone who can really build on the institution’s successes.

“What appealed the most to me about SMSU was the great opportunity to work with a team to build on the successes that you’ve already achieved here,” Wilson said. “It would be a real privilege to be the next leader to help build on the excellent work that has been done and to help develop the next chapter of excellence.”

Wilson, who has served Dickinson State University (North Dakota) as provost since 2016 and as vice president for Academic and Student Affairs since 2017, said SMSU should continue showcasing its strong sense of community as well as its many partnerships throughout the city, state and region.

“Last night, we had dinner with some of the cabinet members and after dinner, my husband and I went back to the hotel, put on our civilian clothes and came back and talked to students at the Student Center,” Wilson said on Tuesday. “We asked what is it that brought you to SMSU and what do you like about it? And every student mentioned something about the community and how wonderful the community was, along with the faculty and staff and the relationships they build, and that’s a real opportunity for the institution to highlight.”

While she had learned a great deal online about SMSU, Wilson said it wasn’t until she spoke with actual students on Monday evening and engaged in various conversations with students, faculty, staff and community members on Tuesday that she realized what a gem the university really is.

“The people here have a great energy and clearly are passionate about the success of the institution and the institution,” she said. “When I ask people — the faculty and staff, too — what led them to SMSU, they all say the same thing: ‘It’s the community. It’s the community of Marshall. It’s the family community at SMSU. So that’s been something that’s been very pleasant to learn.”

Wilson pointed to the fact that 25 percent of the SMSU employees are alumni.

“That’s amazing,” she said. “(In conversations on Tuesday), I was extremely impressed with the eagerness of the faculty and staff to move forward. Everybody has been extremely excited and energized.”

From SMSU Athletic Director Chris Hmielewski, Wilson said she learned that the community support has been tremendous for several years.

“He said you go out in the community and everybody’s wearing Mustang gear,” Wilson said. “It’s wonderful to hear because without strong community support, it’s very difficult for a university to thrive.”

Wilson noted that Dickinson State University had struggled with its first- and second-year retention rates.

“We were hovering in the mid-50s, so we’re bringing in two students and losing one of them,” she said. “That’s just not sustainable. One of the things that I’ve done since I’ve been there is really focus on building community and a sense of belonging. And we’ve made multiple changes around that, but really focusing on the student and their success. Some of the changes we’re making aren’t things that some of the staff were super happy about, but it was better for the student. We are there for the student, so we’re really focusing on that.”

Wilson believes there is certainly an opportunity to increase first- and second-year retention rates at SMSU, as well as improve on its “pretty good graduation rate.”

“You can always get better,” Wilson said. “I have found that small, rural-serving institutions lead to a special opportunity for students. But it comes with its own challenges, too, that institutions of greater size don’t have.”

Wilson said DSU’s enrollment has surged 6 percent since the university made some internal changes and also hired professional recruiters.

“We’ve really ramped up our recruiting efforts,” she said.

Wilson also stressed the importance of creating and maintaining relationships outside of campus that lead to countless opportunities for students.

“I think those relationship are critical, especially with the area businesses and organizations for internships and service learning experiences,” Wilson said. “Those are really important for both the community and the campus.”