The SMSU Podcast

Next week, November 8th, is National First-Generation Student Day! SMSU is celebrating our first-generation students on November 5th! The event highlights and recognizes the hard work these students have done to reach this point in their educational journey. Many first-generation students don’t know where to go or who to talk to with questions and concerns about college hurdles. Be sure to come ou...

This week, we are highlighting the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra’s upcoming performance, “Rachmaninov Reverie”, with internationally acclaimed pianist Denis Evstuhin! Orchestra Music Director Daniel Ripple invited Denis Evstuhin to perform with the SMO. The performance will take place Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4 pm at the Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts at Marshall High School. Admission i...

This week, we bring on the Director of the show, “Come From Away”, Professor of Theatre Shelia Tabaka, and cast member and SMSU student, JJ Ostenson, to talk through what went into the decision to perform “Come From Away”, and all the work in and out of the theatre!  With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 this fall, the Entertainment and Theatre Arts program felt it necessary to perform a show about th...

This week, we're joined by Director of Admissions Charlotte Wahle to walk through how SMSU is making the college admissions process easier for future Mustangs! We have a big admissions event coming up on Friday, October 16th, where you can register here: https://www.smsu.edu/admission/discover-day.html . You’ll get a sense of what day-to-day life at SMSU will be like! You’ll tour campus, experienc...

This week, we bring on Assistant Professor of English/Director of Creative Writing Jessica Hennen to talk about a series the creative writing program puts on once a semester titled “Creative Conversations.” For the fall semester, the Creative Writing program partnered with the Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program and brought in Stephen Markley, an author and writer for Only Murders in the Buildi...

This week, Jasmine DeSmet, Director of Alumni Relations, joins the Campus Update to go over the exciting activities planned for Homecoming week at Southwest Minnesota State University! For a full breakdown of the week's activities go to: https://www.smsualumni.com/homecoming/homecoming-schedule.html

This week we're talking about another SMSU tradition: Family Weekend! It’s an opportunity for family and friends to experience campus and the community your student enjoys while attending SMSU. The weekend is packed with events. Check out the full breakdown here ➡️ https://www.smsu.edu/family/weekend.html

This week, we discuss one of SMSU’s volunteer days during homecoming, September 30th! The Mustangs Give SMSU Day of Service offers a wide variety of projects throughout Marshall and is open to anyone who wants to help out! Melissa also oversees the SMSU Careers in Agriculture, Business, and Tech Career Fair. This will take place on October 20th, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Upper Stud...

This week, we look at what SMSU does on campus in the world of agriculture with Sarah Jacobs, Agriculture & Business Outreach Coordinator, and SMSU student Lauren Hunt, majoring in Agricultural Education with a minor in Agricultural Business. Our Agriculture programs are worth looking into for a variety of reasons, starting with our faculty-to-student ratio! You work one-on-one with your ag pr...

Last week, Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications at Southwest Initiative Foundation and Cindy Verschaetse, Board Chair of the SMSU Foundation, highlighted the Women's Leadership Conference, Lead with Intention: Clearing the Noise, Claiming Your Power. The conference aims to empower women of all ages by building networks and connections! The speakers at the event are Rachel Raths, Senio...

This week, SMSU’s Vice President of Athletics, Travis Whipple, highlights the wide variety of momentum athletics has moving into the Fall sports season. Soccer takes on Ferris State at 1 pm, and then Football goes head-to-head against Valley City State at 7 p.m., with the game-day roundup starting at 5 pm. Make sure to get out to the games and show your support for Mustang Athletics!

This week is Gold Rush Days! The weekend kicks off with move-in on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Mustang Movers helping students move into their rooms from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The weekend doesn’t stop there, though! The full list of weekend events is linked below! Sarah, JJ, and Emily go through the weekend and what to expect, along with what brought them to SMSU! We are all excited to see stu...

This week, Josh and Marcy go through highlights from past year’s guests and some of the exciting things SMSU does throughout the year!

This week, we talk about the Graduate studies programs here at SMSU, and more specifically, the Education Learning Communities that provide a unique experience for educators looking to further their careers! The program is designed where students meet once a month for a weekend in a cohort, the program takes two years to complete and you learn in your area with educators from your area! For more i...

This week, we have Michael Van Keulen, Associate Director of Student Success, to talk about getting ahead through SMSU! Michael touches on how SMSU encourages the 15-credit-per-semester model so that undergraduate students graduate within the 4-year window while not feeling overworked with a heavy class schedule! The other way SMSU helps students get ahead or catch up is through our summer courses...

This week returning guest Dr. Daniel Rieppel joins us to highlight the Schubert Festival performance that runs from April 23rd-26th with Thursday’s performance taking place at the Campus Religious Center at 7:30 pm, Fridays performance also taking place at the CRC starting at 6:30 pm, Saturday’s performance is a round table discussion running from 2-4 pm at the CRC and Sunday the Festival wraps up...

This week, we have so many things going on that we have a double guest feature! Kim Gunther, Assistant Director of Development, joins to talk about M4L, which is on April 16th, 2026, starting at Midnight and running the full 24-hour period on Thursday! Make sure to donate at www. M4Lday.com Our second guest this week is Dr. Heather Moreland, Professor of Mathematics, talking about the 2nd annual S...

This week, we dive into the world of theatre with the Professor of Theatre and director of SMSU’s spring mainstage production, Tartuffe—joined by Peder, a lead actor in the show and an Entertainment and Theatre Arts major. Together, they share how Tartuffe was selected for the season, what it’s like bringing a classic comedy to life, and what students can expect from the Entertainment and Theatre...

Southwest Minnesota State University will welcome author and survivor advocate Danielle Leukam to campus on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in Bellows Academic 102 for a public presentation titled “Take Back Your Power: My Experience, My Message.” Leukam is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and advocate whose work centers on healing, resilience, and empowerment for survivors of trauma. Drawing...

The Mustang Market Coordinator, Joyce Robinson, discusses how the Mustang Market came to be on campus and the purpose it serves. Mustang Market is SMSU’s permanent food and resource pantry, located in Bellows Academic 154. The market is open on Thursdays from noon to 7 pm. All food and supplies are free to our on- and off-campus community for those seeking the resources we offer.

Assistant Professor Jessica Hennen previews the creative writing’s Visiting Writers Series with Jennifer Eli Bowen and Michael Kleber-Diggs. Along with the Visiting Writers Series event, the Fine Arts Roundup and the Fine Arts Celebration will feature students majoring in English who will showcase their work.  Fine Arts Roundup- https://www.smsufoundation.org/finearts

This week, Dr. John Ginocchio joins the SMSU campus update to go over upcoming performances during the fine arts celebration, along with other concerts being performed leading up to the month-long celebration! Below is the link to the full Fine Arts Celebration lineup! Also don't miss out on the Fine Arts Roundup on March 27th, 2026 at 6pm sign up at the link below!  Fine Arts Roundup- https://www...

The 11th president of Southwest Minnesota State University is Dr. David Jones! Dr. Jones has devoted his career to education, including over three decades of experience in higher education both in the classroom and leadership roles.   He has a proven record of developing innovative enrollment management strategies leading to enrollment growth and strong retention numbers as well as a commitment to...

Sonya and Kala go through what the process was like going through getting the SMSU School of Education seven year accreditation. Make sure to check out the SMSU School of Education if you are interested in becoming a teacher!

Director of Natasha Boe discusses the importance of financial aid and where to start. Natasha goes through the different opportunities for grants and scholarships that provide free aid you don’t have to pay back.