MARSHALL — Southwest Minnesota State College (SMSU) has introduced a partnership with North Star Mutual Insurance coverage Firm, of Cottonwood, Minnesota, that may result in an funding of $3 million within the SMSU Faculty of Enterprise. The funding will set up the North Star Mutual Faculty of Enterprise and supply funding for tutorial programming, services, and scholarships that may create new alternatives for college students.
The $3 million funding will present funds that may make each a right away impression for college students and set up an endowment to supply ongoing help. The partnership will strengthen the present faculty of enterprise by enhancing services and rising funding for applications at SMSU. As well as, new scholarship and internship alternatives can be established as a part of the North Star Mutual partnership to assist help college students of their tutorial endeavors and profession growth. North Star Mutual will obtain naming rights to the enterprise faculty and keep a job on a particular advisory committee made up of each faculty college and native enterprise representatives.
“We’re grateful to North Star Mutual and their management group who see the worth in additional investing within the subsequent era of SMSU college students,” mentioned SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya. “This partnership will assist us broaden alternatives for college students in southwest Minnesota which is essential to our mission and permits us to proceed assembly the workforce wants of our regional employers.”
Southwest Minnesota State College is a public college in Marshall, Minnesota at the moment providing four-year levels in liberal arts {and professional} research. The North Star Mutual Faculty of Enterprise will home applications in Accounting, Finance, Administration, Advertising, and Enterprise Administration whereas additionally supporting applications reminiscent of Agribusiness and Hospitality Administration. SMSU will even be enhancing the curriculum in Danger Administration as a part of the brand new partnership. This funding will make a major and quick impression on college students at SMSU and create a direct hyperlink to the enterprise group in Southwest Minnesota.
“We’re very excited to be able to help Southwest Minnesota State College on this manner,” mentioned Pete Hellie (SMSU Class of ’84), President and CEO of North Star Mutual. “We see it as an funding within the development and growth of future leaders, and finally, the communities of southwestern Minnesota and past.”
North Star Mutual, a Midwestern property-casualty insurer, has referred to as the world “dwelling” for greater than a century and has seen regular development and monetary success through the years. The corporate, now serving over 375,000 policyholders, lately reached two main milestones, recording over $1 billion in belongings and $500 million in annual written premiums. North Star Mutual at the moment employs a employees of 280 full-time staff: 220 at their dwelling workplace in Cottonwood and roughly 60 within the discipline all through their eight-state working territory.
“SMSU is a superb faculty and attracts folks to our space from everywhere in the Midwest and different components of the world,” mentioned Hellie. “For us, and lots of different space companies, it’s vital to contribute to the success of the college and the following era of people that can be making a distinction in our world and in our industries.” North Star Mutual at the moment employs 55 SMSU graduates, who work in a number of completely different capacities together with underwriting, claims, accounting, IT, and analysis and growth.
“We’re very lucky and grateful to have a regional companion like North Star Mutual publicly supporting SMSU and affirming the standard of our college, employees, and college students. We’re very excited for what the long run holds throughout the North Star Mutual Faculty of Enterprise and stay up for constructing upon our partnership,” mentioned Jayasuriya.
