Saint Mary's Newsroom

After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, Father James P. Burns, president, has determined the need to implement leadership changes to support our advancement initiatives, specifically our upcoming capital campaign. Audrey Kintzi, ACFRE, will no longer serve as vice president for Advancement, effective Thursday, Dec. 31. She will be applying her expertise to a new area at Saint Mary’s in the role of vice president emerita for Advancement and executive director of the Philanthropy and Development program.

Kintzi is thankfully in remission from Stage IVb ovarian cancer, and she continues to undergo treatment. This change allows her to focus her time and energy on a full and complete recovery while still contributing to Saint Mary’s mission.

We are grateful to Kintzi for her leadership these past eight years. During that time, she completely reorganized, refocused, and elevated the work being done in Development and Alumni Relations. Kintzi also oversaw Marketing and Communication for two years until this fall. Under her guidance, Saint Mary’s completed an incredibly successful Discover Inspire Lead Campaign, the largest in Saint Mary’s history. The campaign raised a record $74 million in five years, far surpassing the $57 million goal.

Under Kintzi’s leadership, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has recognized the efforts of Saint Mary’s Development team each of the past four years with Educational Fundraising Awards: a Sustained Excellence Award in 2019, an Overall Performance and a Sustained Excellence Award in 2018, and Overall Improvement Awards in 2017 and 2016.

We are fortunate to retain Kintzi’s talents as she fundraises and recruits for the internationally recognized M.A. in Philanthropy and Development program, which educates nonprofit professionals on the critical elements of a successful nonprofit organization. It’s a program dear to Kintzi’s heart as she has taught and will continue to teach many cohorts.

In addition to her 40+ years of fundraising prowess, Kintzi led her team with an abundant heart and a keen sense of humor. She also set the foundation for our upcoming campaign, which will significantly advance our strategic plan and Saint Mary’s mission. Please join me in thanking her for her tireless efforts on behalf of this university.

A search for vice president for Advancement will commence immediately, and we will share news of our progress.

In an effort to provide the best educational and, in Winona, residential experience for students this spring semester, a task force has been commissioned to review what we learned throughout the fall semester and to recommend actions to improve operations and the student experience in 2021. The work of the task force is centered on optimizing instruction and learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A series of virtual engagement sessions via Zoom for students, faculty, and staff will be held in the coming days to gather input.  The dates and times for faculty and staff are:

• Thursday, Dec. 10, at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 11, at noon
• Monday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 15, at noon

Please sign up for a session.

The engagement sessions for student leaders are being scheduled and the Office of Student Affairs will be communicating directly with participating students. The dates for students in our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs will be shared in Thursday’s CommUNITY.

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend a session as we collect feedback on everything from instruction to facilities to student services to residence life to IT support and learning resources.

The sessions will supplement input and feedback already gathered through a series of fall surveys of students and faculty at the College and SGPP that focused on the academic experience. While the survey results are positive, there is always room for improvement and we want to broaden the input. We encourage you to review the survey results, which include a narrative overview as well. We are committed to taking action where possible. One example of a change we will already make in the spring — based on the survey data we collected — is the addition of two  “wellness/mental health” days for College students to be built into the schedule. After consultation with chairs, these days are scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, and Wednesday, April 28.  We anticipate making other improvements like this based on the feedback already gathered and additional input this month.

Other resources being used to plan for the spring semester are information from the Minnesota Department of the Health, the Center for Disease Control, executive orders, and various higher education materials.

The task force consists of representatives from across the university, and the co-chairs are Ann Merchlewitz, senior vice president and general counsel; Ben Murray, executive vice president and CFO; and Brian Schmisek, provost and dean of faculties. Recommendations will be presented to Father Burns and the President’s Cabinet before Christmas break. Those recommendations that are approved will be communicated by early January.

Please see the related story on spring semester dates.

Because of the holiday and semester break, next week, Tuesday, Dec. 15, will be the last Cardinal Update for the semester. Please look ahead and make any final submissions by Monday, Dec. 14.

The spring semester is right around the corner, and there have been some questions about students who will have courses in Canvas. Some of the questions have been:

Q: What is the timeline for migrating to Canvas?
A: For information on migration to Canvas for the university please check out the migration infographic. Additional information can be found on the CELT site by clicking here.

Q: When will students have access to Canvas?
A: Students already have access to Canvas! They can go to https://smumn.instructure.com to sign in with their Saint Mary’s username and password. There will be a page posted on the community page to help guide students to Canvas.

Q: Spring semester starts in January. When will students see their Spring 21 courses?
A: Course copies for the spring semester are scheduled for Dec. 14. Once the courses are copied, instructors will need to go in and publish their course. An email will be sent to those instructors in the next few weeks with when and how to do that.

Q: I have heard about training for students in Canvas, when will that be? How will they access it?
A: The main source of training for students will be a self-paced course called ‘Canvas at SMU.’ This course is in Canvas and those students who will have spring courses in Canvas will have access to it on Dec. 14. Instructors can check out the orientation course details by clicking on the link here. There will be additional information and training, such as videos and tutorials on the Saint Mary’s community page.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to LMS@smumn.edu.

The Office of Career Services would like to congratulate all of the December graduating seniors. It was a unique semester, but we made it through as a team. You should all take pride in the hard work that you have accomplished at Saint Mary’s and enjoy the amazing memories you have made here at this university. A special thank you to all of the December seniors who responded and sent information in for this newsletter. Learn more about nine of our December graduates and congratulations to all 31 candidates for graduation!

Kristin Burke
Elementary education major, psychology minor

Favorite memory: My favorite memory at Saint Mary’s has been my weekend movie nights with my friends. We would always get together on the weekends to do homework and watch movies. While I would often doze off at some point during the movie, I always enjoyed the fun comments and jokes that we made along the way. 

Plans for the future: After graduation, I will be returning to my hometown to pursue a long-term substitute teaching position for the duration of the year. I will be continuing my teaching career through the coming years. 

Message to campus: Never stop making this campus feel like home. The friendly Lasallian feeling of home is what brought me here to this campus and kept me going these past years. Don’t underestimate how much students rely on the community and support from the faculty, staff, and students of this campus, and never lose sight of our Lasallian ideals.

Alec Rudh
Sport management & business intelligence and analytics major

Favorite memory: One of my jobs at the school was to broadcast all the home sporting events. My favorites memories came from the men’s hockey games on Friday and Saturday nights. There would just be so much hype, and I would love to see the students support. Hockey is also my favorite sport.

Plans for the future: I will be moving to Florida to work for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus in Orlando. I will be working with the events department running various events and tournaments. Also, I will be virtually scouting hockey for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the United States Hockey League.

Message to campus: One thing I would like everyone to know is that I appreciate all of your passion for what you do. Having passion for something in life is something that I believe in, and it seems like everyone at our university believes in that. So I would just say do not give up on your dreams because all of you motivated me to not give up on mine.

Grace Wilson
Biology major

Favorite memory: My favorite memory was being in Brother John Grover’s cross country ski class. Something about skiing while it is sunny and snowing in the Saint Mary’s bluffs is pretty magical.

Plans for the future: I hope to take a gap year and work in a lab and then return to graduate school in the health sciences field.

Message to campus: There are no words I can put together that amount to my gratitude for my Saint Mary’s professors. Not only have you taught me valuable lessons in school, you have shown me what it means to be a good person and serve others. Thank you. I will take these lessons with me wherever I go.

Amanda Pohlman
Performing arts and marketing major

Favorite memory: My favorite memory at Saint Mary’s was studying abroad in London with some of my fellow classmates. Seeing top-notch shows on the West End, taking professional dance classes at Pineapple Dance Studios, learning about London’s rich history, and visiting exquisite churches are all memories I will forever cherish. 

Plans for the future: I am returning home to Omaha, Neb., and searching for jobs in marketing and advertising. Once it is safe for theatres to reopen, I plan to work in arts administration. 

Message to Campus: Saint Mary’s is such a special place! The professors and staff know not only your name but your aspirations and are ready to help you pursue your dreams. You cannot walk from one end of campus to the other without saying hello to at least one person. I am greatly going to miss the community and bond among Saint Mary’s students!

Mackenzie Waters
Biology pre-physical therapy major, Spanish minor

Favorite memory: My favorite memories at Saint Mary’s have been getting to play soccer with some of my very best friends. As teammates, we spent so much time together both on and off the field, and it builds a really special bond. From riding the bus six hours to Concordia while blasting mildly inappropriate music, to creating our own board games like True American, to team dinners where we had to rush over still sweaty from practice to make sure the chili didn’t burn, my favorite memories are with the soccer family. 

Plans for the future: Hopefully, I will matriculate into dental school and become a dentist.

Message to campus: I want to say thank you for all the faculty and staff for the time they dedicate to preparing us for life after college. I know several professors who would come in on the weekends to make sure that students were keeping up with their research, or even just to run study sessions that students needed. Thank you for making this experience at Saint Mary’s an unforgettable one. To the students at Saint Mary’s, I would say this is the time to try new things! Get involved, and if something seems interesting to you, go for it. COVID-19 has made this a little bit difficult, but I believe with some creativity we can foster an awesome college experience. 

Erica Camarato
Biology and Spanish major

Favorite memory: Sitting in the plaza on a warm, sunny day with my friends attempting to do homework and being a part of the final MIAC swim team at Saint Mary’s.

Plans for the future: After graduation I will be working at the Mayo Hospital in La Crosse, Wis., as a laboratory assistant. I was also accepted into the Medical Lab Science program and intend to start the program in July.

Message to campus: Thank you to everyone with whom I have had the opportunity to meet and work. My life would be completely different without the friendships I have made these past three years.

“Whatever you do in this life, it’s not legendary unless your friends are there to see it.” – Barney Stinson

Casey Hanson
Finance and management major, creativity and inquiry minor

Favorite memory: My favorite memory is of my first year on campus playing ultimate Frisbee and ping pong with all of my friends. 

Plans for the future: My next step is to start training at the Home Depot to become an assistant manager. 

Message to campus: Work hard even when it hurts to do so; it is worth it in the long run.

Bryttany Wener
Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement Major

Favorite memory: One of my favorite memories is being a part of such a great community. Community is a really important factor for me when it comes to looking at what I will do next. When I first started here I knew that campus felt like home and that was really important to me.

Plans for the future: Once I graduate, I will be moving on to RCTC to complete my SKILLS training and get my POST. After that I hope to get hired by a police department in the near future.

Message to campus: To the faculty and staff of Saint Mary’s, I want to thank you for the last four years. I appreciate your time and the consideration you have given and all your hard work to provide us with the best education possible. And to the students, I want to thank you for creating a safe environment for me to learn in. I appreciate the strong community you have created for me and future students of Saint Mary’s.

Mariah Bell
Biology pre-physical therapy major, psychology minor

Favorite memory: Making memories with great friends while experiencing what the town has to offer. 

Plans for the future: Attend grad school for an accelerated nursing program. 

Message to campus: Thanks for all the memories, support, and honesty over these past three and a half years!