Tim Wynes Named President of Dakota County Technical College

Appointment makes permanent a shared presidency of both DCTC and Inver Hills Community College

ST. PAUL, Minn., June 17, 2015 – The Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities today appointed Tim Wynes to serve as president of Dakota County Technical College (DCTC). He has been serving as interim president at DCTC since 2013. Wynes will also continue to serve as president of Inver Hills Community College which he had led since 2010. This appointment makes a shared presidency for the colleges permanent, effective July 1.

Tim Wynes

“Under President Wynes’ leadership, the two colleges have been on a remarkable path of collaboration,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. “President Wynes is committed to continuing his work with the leadership, the faculty, and the staff of both colleges to provide an extraordinary education for Dakota and Scott counties.”

Collaboration between the two colleges has provided substantial financial savings and directly benefited students and the community. The colleges currently share 18 positions in the areas of administration, customized training, student services, workforce planning, and institutional support efforts such as marketing, saving $759,000 annually. Continuing Education/Customized Training went from losing over $131,000 in 2011 to generating $518,000 in 2014. The colleges are working together with community partners to expose underrepresented students in middle school to STEM careers and provide mentorships and internships. Said Rosenstone, “Collaboration between these colleges and the financial savings it has generated has strengthened both colleges and has maximized the resources each college can commit to its students, to its faculty, and to its academic programs.”

Nonetheless, Rosenstone made it clear that the colleges will continue to operate as separate and distinct institutions. “The shared president is neither a merger nor a formal alignment. The colleges will retain their separate identities, separate budgets, and separate accreditation.”

DCTC’s accomplishments under Wynes’ leadership include creating transparent scholarship procedures, improving accountability across all sectors of the college, commissioning and implementing the findings of a college-wide athletics task force, and implementing a CRM system to track and communicate with students.

Dakota County Technical College has been carrying out its mission of "education for employment" in the Minneapolis-St. Paul south metro area since 1970. Located in the lush surroundings of Rosemount, DCTC offers a sprawling campus rich with activity and diversity. The college serves more than 4,000 for-credit students and 5,000 non-credit students each year through a variety of programs in high-skill, high-demand fields. An equal opportunity employer and educator, DCTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Inver Hills Community College is a comprehensive community college offering more than 20 degree options in career-related areas or for transfer. The campus is located on 90 acres of stunning wooded hills and wetlands in Inver Grove Heights, offering the nearby amenities of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as well as the majesty of Minnesota's natural resources. The college serves more than 8,000 students and offers flexible scheduling, affordable tuition, and abundant student life programming. Inver Hills is an equal opportunity employer and educator and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

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