Saint Mary's Newsroom

After a nationwide search, a new dean of the School of Education has been appointed and will be joining Saint Mary’s on March 1. Michael Lovorn, Ph.D., an accomplished leader in education and administration, comes to Saint Mary’s from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Buffalo. There, he served as assistant dean for global engagement, director of the International Graduate Program for Educators, and director of sponsored programs.

He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Tennessee in 2003. Prior to completing this degree, he taught middle and high school history, government, and other social studies courses for over a decade. Since 2003, his work has centered on teacher education, curriculum development, and international programs. He has over 10 years of experience developing and directing comprehensive traditional, hybrid, and online education programs. He has also served as an educational consultant and taught on-site graduate education courses in over 30 international schools on five continents.

A highly-regarded, well-published, and active researcher and grant writer, Dr. Lovorn’s areas of expertise include historiographical analysis and comparative histories, international education, humor in the classroom, and teaching global competencies.

With educating educators a cornerstone of Saint Mary’s mission, and in support of the university’s strategic plan “Building a Future Full of Hope 2025,” he is charged with establishing and championing an inspiring vision for the School of Education that integrates Lasallian Catholic principles and values with Character Education and Virtue Formation.

“Education is a highly-personalized process of imparting and acquiring knowledge, fostering independent reasoning skills, and developing the ability to make informed decisions,” Dr. Lovorn said. “I believe that in addition to facilitating learners’ academic and intellectual development as cognizant, competent citizens, teachers should seek to help them emerge as freedom conscious, values-driven individuals, and I think my vision aligns quite well with Saint Mary’s Lasallian Catholic mission.”

We look forward to Dr. Lovorn, an outstanding scholar, educator, and global strategic thinker, joining Saint Mary’s. With a firm focus on outcomes, Dr. Lovorn will advance our strong reputation in preparing highly skilled teachers and administrators and will look to the future in meeting the needs of students and the educational community. He will be identifying new audiences, enhancing content, and leveraging our modes of delivery that meet the needs of those audiences, including online learning and its application to undergraduate and graduate professional programs and certifications.

In his new position, Dr. Lovorn will oversee a renowned school with 200 undergraduate students and over 1,500 graduate and professional program students, both on ground and online.

Thanks to Lynn Albee, Ed.D., who has served as interim dean of the school while the search was underway. Dr. Albee will transition to senior associate dean upon Dr. Lovorn’s arrival.

Many thanks also to the search committee, chaired by Michelle Wieser, Ph.D. Other committee members included Jack McClure, Ph.D.; David Ulaszek; Tianna Johnson; Abram Hedtke; Nancy Van Erp, Ph.D.; Rod Schwarz; Father Bob Horihan, Ph.L.; and Skip Nolan, Ph.D. The process involved meetings with faculty, staff, and presentations on behalf of the finalists. The committee is to be commended for their fine work, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D, Saint Mary’s president, said, “I join our provost in thanking our search committee for its work in producing such a fine candidate in Dr. Lovorn, and I look forward to welcoming him to the university.”

Saint Mary’s University created an Ad Hoc Coordinating Team to assess fall 2020 operations related to the COVID-19 pandemic and develop recommendations for spring 2021 to sustain and enhance the effectiveness of university operations.

Based on the successes and challenges identified, the following recommendations have been made to the Pandemic Assessment and Coordinating Team (PACT) for spring 2021:

• Develop a comprehensive communication plan (including social media, timing, all stakeholders)
• Update training on protocols
• Review facilities and revise as needed
• Develop a list of wellness resources
• Develop additional guidance for virtual work
• Continue to support the CardinalFlex model

These recommendations are based on the successes and challenges identified through the assessment process which included stakeholder engagement and resources from student and faculty surveys; virtual engagement sessions with students, faculty, and staff; the Minnesota Department of Health; and the Education Advisory Board.

The Ad Hoc Coordinating Team is co-chaired by Ann Merchlewitz, J.D., senior vice president and general counsel; Ben Murray, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Brian Schmisek, Ph.D., provost and dean of faculties.

Coordinating team members and their areas include:

Academic Affairs and Student Services

• Andrea Carroll-Glover, vice provost for Online Strategy and Programs
• Eden Wales Freedman, Ph.D., vice provost for Faculties and Academic Affairs
• Susan Cosby Ronnenberg, Ph.D., dean of the College
• Alisa Macksey, dean of Student Success and First Generation Initiative

Student Affairs and Students

• Tim Gossen, Ed.D., vice president for Student Affairs
• Marisa Naryka, Ed.D., assistant vice president for Student Life

IHM Seminary

• Fr. Bob Horihan, Ph.L., rector, Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary

Facilities

• Jim Bedtke, vice president for Facilities
• Tim Stensgard, facilities manager

Operations and Personnel

• Gena Bilden, director of campus operations, Twin Cities
• Tianna Johnson, director of IT and User Services

Marketing and Communications

• Kelly Shannon, vice president for Marketing and Communication

Enrollment and Admissions

• Tim Albers, vice provost for Enrollment Management

Saint Mary’s has renamed its general education program as Integratus, a word with Latin roots associated with Catholic intellectual tradition. Integratus, previously known as the Integrated General Education Program (IGEP), is a form of the verb meaning to renew or make whole, which is what the general education program does.

With Integratus, each student completes one of four interdisciplinary minors to accompany their major field of study just by completing the general education requirements. This minor would be an addition to a minor or second major the student might choose; it doesn’t replace anything. The renaming comes as an effort to help the program stand out.

“The thought was not necessarily to discount the old justification for gen ed, which is to give breadth that complements depth, but to work on making that breadth meaningful and connect all the elements together — including majors, activities, and student life — rather than leaving it up to the students to make those connections on their own,” said Carolyn Ayers, Ph.D., associate dean of general education and professor of English and world languages.

Under a traditional general education model, courses are basic and do not explicitly integrate with other courses students may be taking as part of their chosen field of study. Integratus expands across all four years of a student’s undergraduate experience, integrates learning at each stage, and prompts students to reflect on their learning.

“The program is very up-to-date with current best practices in pedagogy and in the field of higher ed,” said Dr. Ayers, who copresented on this program in its early stages with Adam Potthast, interim director of Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), twice at the Association for General and Liberal Studies and once at the Association for Assessment of Learning in Higher Education.

Created over several years of faculty work through a collaborative process, the program is in its third year; the first full class to have gone through this integrated educational experience will graduate in 2021-22.

“We’ve seen really good retention rates, particularly from the first-year experience. Students are seeing it as more meaningful and integrated,” said Dr. Ayers. “We’ve gotten really good feedback. The program is very much cutting edge.”

Dr. Ayers says some schools are doing similar things but Saint Mary’s may be the only institution with an additional minor built in, which is the most innovative and unique piece of the program. Regionally, most other schools are in the old model of general education.

“As a new dean, when researching Saint Mary’s as part of the interview process, one of the things I looked at was the general education program,” said Susan Cosby Ronnenberg, Ph.D.
dean of the College. “I was very impressed by the innovation used to put this integrated program together. It’s unusual, complex, and highly beneficial for the student in terms of interdisciplinary study and adding a minor just by completing the general education requirements. It certainly has lived up to what I researched.”

The following information about spring semester safety protocols on the Winona Campus was shared with students and parents yesterday. Check out information about quarantining before arrival and a soft quarantine after arrival as well as COVID-19 testing and other safety protocols and procedures as the campus reopens.

To better communicate the COVID-19 news and updates you need to know, read your Wednesday CommUNITY newsletters. Moving forward, regular faculty and staff news and updates will continue to be shared on Tuesdays in the Cardinal Update and Wednesdays will be designated solely for COVID-19 topics. As news changes rapidly, we’ll keep you informed about the latest information about Saint Mary’s policies and procedures, event announcements, and safety protocols.

The Alumni Association has hosted over 50 virtual events since April 2020. Starting this month, a new virtual event called SGPP Alumni Conversations will be added. At these events, alumni from our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) will be invited to share their thoughts about education, careers, and more. The idea is to connect current and prospective SGPP students, alumni, faculty, and staff in thought-provoking discussions and shared experiences.

Please join us for the first session 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, featuring guest Shawn L. Williams D’19, who has worked for over 15 years in law enforcement, with police departments in Kansas City, Bloomington, and Minneapolis. During his last two years with the Minneapolis Police Department, Dr. Williams was the lead trainer, responsible for developing and presenting curriculum to over 200 pre-service and 800 in-service police officers. He began his Saint Mary’s journey in 2014. Dr. Williams is an assistant professor and professional peace officer coordinator at St. Cloud State University. Dr. Williams will share his unique vantage point from police officer to professor of criminal justice and discuss how Saint Mary’s played an integral role in his career.

Register and read additional information.