Saint Mary's Newsroom

Calling all student leaders! 

Do you love Saint Mary’s? Would you consider yourself a leader on campus? Are you interested in making friends and having the best summer of your life? Then apply to be an orientation leader for 2021!

Orientation leaders work with professional staff to support all new student programs, including orientation, registration, summer programs, and Welcome Weekend. All orientation leaders must be available for the dates listed below. The right person for this position is passionate about Saint Mary’s mission and is an upstanding member of the university community. View the application for the full job description.

Qualifications

• Must have current GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Must be current first year student, sophomore, junior, or continuing senior at Saint Mary’s
  
• Students who are resident assistants, peer ministers, or admissions ambassadors for the 2021 academic year are not eligible to be orientation leaders

Required documents 

Completed application on Handshake with a résumé and cover letter (answering these questions):

• Why do you want to be an orientation leader? 
• How will you represent Saint Mary’s and the Lasallian mission as an orientation leader? 
• What skills do you possess as a leader? What skills would you like to develop as a leader? 
• Why do you want to be an executive leader?
• What has prepared you to take on a leadership role amongst your peer orientation leaders?

The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 12.

Questions? Contact Tricia Dobrient, coordinator of New Student Orientation, at tdobrien@smumn.edu or 507-457-1406.

The mailroom will have additional hours as students move in, including: Saturday, Jan. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 24, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Students collecting packages from the parcel locker systems are encouraged to do so outside of these additional hours to ensure proper social distancing in the mailroom area.

Normal mailroom hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 25.

Contact the mailroom with any questions or concerns at mailroom@smumn.edu or 507-457-1571.

Saint Mary’s is expanding the pass/no credit option for the spring 2021 semester for all schools and all programs. Students may exercise this option on a course-by-course basis after informing individual faculty members; however, the decision to move to pass/no credit should not be made lightly and only after consultation with the adviser.

Often, standard letter grades are required for those pursuing licensure, certification, or admission to graduate and professional programs. Standard letter grades are often also required by employers who reimburse the cost of tuition.

Read the pass/no credit FAQs.

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Presidents’ Council has voted to approve plans for a return to competitive athletics this winter. Cardinal winter sports of basketball, hockey, and indoor track and field will be permitted to participate in regular-season competition. To prioritize focus on student-athlete and staff safety, spectators will not be allowed at MIAC contests during the winter season. Read more.

Quarantining before arrival

We are strongly recommending that you (all students) “soft” quarantine at home for 10 days prior to arriving on campus. Please limit your contacts. Do not visit bars or restaurants and do not attend any social gatherings with more than two families or 10 people in the 10 days prior to moving back to campus.

Quarantining after arriving

From the time you arrive on campus through Wednesday, Feb. 3, you (our Winona Campus students) will be asked to continue “soft” quarantining. This means you may leave your residence halls to attend classes, study in the library or other designated spaces, eat in the dining hall, and work out. Otherwise, you should remain in your residence halls. Student-athletes may participate in practices and strength and conditioning activities as scheduled by their coaches. Students are not permitted to visit other residence halls, and commuter students and outside guests are not permitted in the residence halls at any time.

Clubs and organizations may meet, but virtual meetings are encouraged. Activities and events with small numbers of participants may occur, but the COVID-19 approval form must be completed and approved for any such activities.

These steps will help us keep transmissions low at the start of the semester and keep our learning in person. We appreciate your help in keeping our campus and the wider community safe during this critical period.

Curfew

Students must be in their own residence hall during curfew (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.). Students found outside their residence hall will be issued automatic non-compliance fines of $35, which will be placed on their student accounts. Students with off-campus employment that will affect curfew must notify the Office of Residence Life for an exception.

Guest policy

Since we are returning in level 3 (orange), no guests will be permitted in the residence halls. This means students may not visit friends in other residence halls. Commuter students or outside guests are not permitted in any residence halls. Failure to comply will result in a violation of COVID guidance, and students will go through the student conduct process.

Travel request

Students must submit a travel request to the university of any personal travel occurring outside Winona County and any overnight travel or travel to high-risk states, with the exception of day travel within an hour of campus in the state of Minnesota (like Rochester, Red Wing, Wabasha). Please review the CDC Considerations for Travel and CDC Data Tracker for high-risk travel assessment.

Submissions must be received 48 hours prior to departure for review and approval.

Failure to complete the form 48 hours in advance of departure, travel outside the designated area without university knowledge, or non-submission of the form will result in an automatic $35 non-compliance fine placed on your student account.

Students who are commuting to and from home are not required to submit a request. 

Masks

Students are required to wear a mask on campus. Exceptions are when students are in their own room with their roommate or in the shower. In residence halls with community or semi-private bathrooms, students must wear their mask when traveling to and from the bathroom/shower room. When outside, a mask must be worn unless in Saint Mary’s Park or on the trails. If in the park or on the trails, your mask must be nearby/easy to put on in the event that it is needed.

Masks should fit as snugly as possible to the face, covering the chin, mouth, and nose up to the nose bridge. Failure to wear a mask will result in an automatic $35 non-compliance fine. There will be no warnings.

Residence hall lounges and kitchens

Residence hall lounges and kitchens will be open. Students must adhere to occupancy numbers and clean the space after use. Cleaning supplies are provided for this purpose. Please inform the Residence Life staff if supplies needs to be replenished.