Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
Students vlog while distance learning
A few of our undergraduate students are sharing a glimpse into life during a pandemic — how they stay organized, stay on top of their classes and jobs, stay active, and stay connected — all while being away from campus. Watch this series of short videos to get an inside look into what life as a college student while distance learning is like.
First ever virtual commencement held
Graduating seniors were honored on May 22 in a virtual ceremony, the first of its kind for Saint Mary’s. Faculty, staff, students, their families, friends, and supporters took part in celebrating our 198 graduating seniors and all of their academic accomplishments. The ceremony can be viewed at smumn.edu/commencements2020. Congratulations to our Class of 2020!
Chartwells, Saint Mary’s to renovate Cardinal Club, provide expanded meal plan options
Saint Mary’s has partnered with Chartwells for more than a decade to provide student food and catering services on the Winona Campus. Over the past year, Chartwells has worked with Saint Mary’s to develop plans for renovations and expanded meal plan options. Plans include significant investments by Chartwells to the Toner Student Center, specifically the renovation of the Cardinal Club, including a market and new food concept (summer 2020) and a refresh of the Dining Hall (summer 2021). Based on student input, meal plan options will also be expanded to provide greater flexibility.
Updates to Winona Campus front entrance
The signs at the front entrance of the Winona Campus are being removed in preparation for construction of a more extensive remodel and upgrade to the campus entrance thanks to private philanthropy from an anonymous donor. The four components to the front entrance remodel include:
- The signage at the main entrance. The six pillars will be replaced with two 45-foot stonewalls, one on each side of the main entrance road.
- Upgrading the reception booth (guardhouse). It will be closer to the highway and increase in size.
- The wall surrounding the garbage dumpsters on the west end of the Toner Center. The dumpsters are being hidden behind a new stonewall.
- Work in the plaza. The plan calls for removing concrete and increasing the amount of grass area to increase student use and for better ecological response.
Honoring Student Life Award winners and Outstanding Seniors
Saint Mary’s recognized outstanding students, faculty, and staff during a virtual awards ceremony May 15. Individuals who have exhibited outstanding leadership and service through co-curricular activities at Saint Mary’s are recognized annually. Visit smumn.edu/studentawards2020 to view this year’s ceremony.
For the past 52 years, Saint Mary’s has honored two seniors, one man and one woman, who have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, service to colleagues and the university community, as well as genuine concern for the needs of others. This year’s Outstanding Senior Awards were presented to Michele Remer and Ben Borash (pictured above).
Students honored for academic achievements
Saint Mary’s recognized outstanding students by awarding several academic honors. These awards, which include honors from various academic departments, are typically given out at Honors Convocation during the Celebration of Scholarship event. View the list of award recipients and please join me in congratulating them.
Saint Mary’s announces plan for fall academic programming
MINNEAPOLIS/ROCHESTER/WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University officials have announced they will welcome students to their Winona and Rochester campuses as scheduled in August 2020 for in-person instruction and a modified on-campus fall experience. A hybrid approach, allowing for in-person instruction for certain programs and online learning for others, is being developed for the Twin Cities Campus.
“We are devising a flexible plan of action that prioritizes the health and safety of our faculty, staff, and students, while allowing students to continue receiving the highly interactive and personalized education for which Saint Mary’s is known,” said Ann Merchlewitz, general counsel and university secretary, who is co-chairing the Fall 2020 Planning Coordinating Team. “Although we know that aspects of the campus life experience will change significantly due to COVID-19 safety protocols, we are committed to providing an excellent living and learning environment, supporting our community through these changes, and continuing to follow safety guidelines set forth by the Minnesota Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Under the leadership of the Fall 2020 Planning Coordinating Team, university officials are developing a fall plan that is adaptable, taking into account community members who fall into high risk categories, and preparing for the possibility that public health guidance could change as the school year progresses.
Specifics about self monitoring, safety protocols by department and location, academic calendar adjustments, and more details are being added to the university’s COVID-19 webpage, which can be accessed from Saint Mary’s main website, smumn.edu.
“We are looking forward to welcoming undergraduate and graduate students back to our campuses this fall,” said the Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s president. “I am thankful for the careful planning that took place to allow us to open on schedule. We know that continued understanding, care, and consideration will be most helpful as we navigate this challenging new era in higher education.”
Saint Mary’s announces plans for fall 2020
As you may have read in my letter yesterday, Saint Mary’s is excited to welcome you back to the Winona Campus for in-person instruction and on-campus experiences as scheduled in August 2020. This return will be accompanied by accommodations to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to promote the health and safety of our Saint Mary’s community.
The return-to-campus plan for Winona will feature a condensed fall schedule. Classes will be held on Labor Day, Sept. 7, and during what would have been the October break (Oct. 12-13), thus eliminating any breaks and thereby providing continuous in-person instruction and on-campus engagement until Thanksgiving week. You will be able to begin to return home after classes on Nov. 24. Remaining coursework and final exams or papers will be completed online by Dec. 4.
You are strongly encouraged to stay on campus throughout the entire term. We expect that the modified schedule will limit exposure from visits home for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will also help mitigate the effects if an outbreak were to occur during finals, which coincides with the traditional start of the flu season.
Detailed strategies for operational changes and facilities modifications to guide our work as we prepare for your return to campus are being compiled. In addition, risk assessments and contingency plans have been created to help the university effectively address any outbreaks should that occur. We will continue to work on planning not only for this fall, but for January and the spring semester. You can find more details about these plans on our website.
Please be assured that as we prepare to welcome you back to our campuses in August, we will continue to be guided by our Lasallian Catholic heritage. This includes our ability to be innovative and resilient while remaining steadfast to our commitments, and mindful that our most significant commitments are to the physical health, mental well-being, and spiritual support of our students, faculty, and staff.
Responding to racism: A Lasallian dialogue
On Thursday, June 25, the Lasallian Association of Colleges and Universities (LACU), in collaboration with the Office for Lasallian Education at Christian Brothers Conference, District of Eastern North America, Midwest District, and District of San Francisco New Orleans, will host Responding to Racism: A Lasallian Dialogue.
The virtual panel discussion is an initiative of the six Lasallian colleges and universities throughout the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN). Continuing the work of the annual Lasallian Higher Education Colloquies on Racial Justice, which started in 2017, and in light of the national and international dialogue taking place now on the sin of racism following the killing of George Floyd, LACU invites the Lasallian and Catholic family to come together for discussion and action, to work for racial justice and equity.
Panelists and facilitators for Responding to Racism: A Lasallian Dialogue:
- Hayden Greene, M.A. (panelist), is the founding director of Multicultural Affairs and the coordinator for the Multicultural Center at Manhattan College.
- Kristi J. Kelly, Ed.D. (panelist), is the chief diversity officer and director of Multicultural Student Services at Lewis University.
- Maureen O’Connell, Ph.D. (panelist), is an associate professor of Christian Ethics, Department of Religion and Theology at La Salle University.
- Luisa Marcela Ossa, Ph.D. (panelist), is an associate professor of Spanish and area chair of the Undergraduate Spanish Program at La Salle University.
- Brother Ernest Miller, FSC, D.Min. (moderator), serves as vice president for mission at La Salle University.
- Frances Sweeney, Ph.D. (moderator), serves as a professor of Spanish and vice president for mission at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Above photo courtesy of Peg Hodapp, DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis
The event is sponsored by:
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
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