Everything is on the table.

That was the message that Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone told the system’s board of trustees when he addressed them after a retreat with college presidents for strategic planning.

His message was a step in a different direction — away from the heavy-handed approach from the system’s strong central office.

Rosenstone told the Winona Daily News Editorial Board, if centralized planning worked so well, Silicon Valley would be much closer to Moscow.

And so Rosenstone has decidedly broken with the system’s recent history and envisioned MnSCU’s role training workers for the immediate, pressing needs of the state’s economy. It’s not that higher education needs to be justified; it’s that if higher education is doing its job, that question shouldn’t come up often, if at all.

Rosenstone is refreshing, sharp and visionary.

Look at what he told the board of trustees. He talked about consolidating courses; more hands-on business partnerships; he suggested looking at the number of campuses. And he even committed intellectual blasphemy when he suggested that there might be partnership with the University of Minnesota (gasp), a place Rosenstone called home prior to MnSCU.

For years we’ve been hoping the system examines how it does business and how it can serve Minnesota even better. Rosenstone’s approach appears to be spot on and refreshing, proving that even a system leader doesn’t have to be entrenched. There are good things that a central office might do — like technical support, legal support and bill processing. But, Rosenstone’s gathering of campus presidents also proved that there are good and capable leaders at the local campuses who need the freedom and flexibility that is hard to come by in a central office.

While Rosenstone spoke to the Daily News, he mentioned three important factors for moving MnSCU forward — enhancing academic quality, becoming the partner of choice for Minnesota businesses and being the most cost-effective choice in higher education in the state.

Rosenstone is a leader with a clear vision. But it’s not about vision alone, it’s also a matter of how he’s setting about to work. Rosenstone is clearly communicating his ideas to Minnesota. He’s enlisted the help of very capable campus leaders. And, he’s focusing on the right elements, bridging the inevitable gap that seems to exist between academia and the needs of Minnesota.

For less than 60 days on the job, Rosenstone’s tenure has already been impressive.

We’re excited to see what the next 60 bring.

— Winona Daily News, Sept. 24