Plans for fall 2020 course delivery in Saint Mary’s Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) are taking shape. The university has decided to offer a majority of its SGPP courses online with some specific programs being offered on-ground. Courses being offered on-ground include those courses in the DBA program and select courses in a few graduate programs. Program directors are continuing to assess the needs of faculty and students and adjust accordingly.
Students should check the FA20 course schedule in the student portal at student.smumn.edu — or check with their program directors — if they have any questions about fall academic delivery.
The decision to continue with online courses was made to avoid potential disruptions to the learning experience in the wake of COVID-19 and to promote safety and well-being of our more than 5,500 non-residential adult learners. Saint Mary’s is actively working to prepare to transfer the handful of in-person courses to online experiences, should additional stay-at-home periods be implemented.
Building on its longstanding tradition of personalized online learning, Saint Mary’s continues to support and enhance the online learning experience by offering a newly developed faculty online instructor certification series. This four-week course will continue to provide faculty with online teaching skills and prepare them to deliver an enhanced student experience informed by best practices in online education. Additionally, a new student course is in development to continue to support students and provide best practices for their success in an online course environment.
All SGPP faculty, regardless of delivery modality, are dedicated to providing quality educational activities and opportunities. Program directors and faculty continue to be available to meet and advise students virtually during this time of remote delivery, and look forward to the continued academic success of our students.
We are committed to helping our adult learners fulfill their academic, career, and life goals and are working to ensure their academic experience exceeds their expectations.