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Campus Connection

An update from the president to alumni and parents

Practical hands-on education for the real world

David Dahlstrom B’10 remembers his Strategies presentation like it was yesterday.

“I remember I didn’t sleep the night before,” he said. “I remember how much time and effort we put into it and how many times we flip flopped on our strategy. And I remember the relief when it was completed, and the nap I took post presentation.”

In the required Strategies course, business students at Saint Mary’s are grouped together to work on a real-world scenario. After completing extensive research, they present to a team of business professionals, as well as faculty, in a boardroom. As in the real world, the questions are unrehearsed and unpredictable.

Now director of investor relations for Hormel Foods, Dahlstrom returns to his alma mater three times a year, twice a year to judge the Strategies competition. Today, he’s the one asking the tough questions. “It remains the most real life experience Saint Mary’s does,” he said. “I prepare presentations all the time. Rarely do you get to walk through a presentation beginning to end. Things get off track, and it becomes less about you presenting and more about answering questions. People can review slide decks on their own time. What they want are answers to their questions about risk and return. When I reflect back, it matches the real world 100 percent.”

Dahlstrom, who double majored in accounting and human resource management, also comes back to Saint Mary’s once a year to talk with students in a cost accounting class about Hormel Foods’ internship opportunities, which he knows first-hand can turn into a full-time position. Dahlstrom interned with Hormel Foods in 2009 before joining the company full time in 2010.

“A gentleman interned the summer before me. I was in this pipeline, and another five or six Saint Mary’s students have also interned, and five or six alumni have come on full time,” he said. “I’ve made it my personal mission to keep the pipeline strong. We’re talking about an accounting class of maybe 20 a year and I know there’s an opportunity for one or two of them to join a growing Fortune 500 company. That’s very important to me. That’s how I got here.

“I hope to continue that in the future. As long as I keep getting invited back to give my spiele; I speak about Hormel Foods, run through an example of a real-world cost accounting project, answer questions about the industry and my experience, and about certifications they may want to consider.”

As director of investor relations at Hormel Foods, Dahlstrom is responsible for building and strengthening relationships with the investor community; leading the preparation and presentation of quarterly earnings materials; the interaction with equity research analysts, investors and other third parties; communication of insight to executive management regarding company perception and peer performance; and the creation of the company’s annual report.

“I have had opportunities to have multiple jobs,” he said. “My current role is a mix of financial acumen and interpersonal skills. I enjoy the financial and business aspect, but I also like to talk to people and tell the Hormel Foods story. It’s a great match of interests and my skills.”

Dahlstrom admits he wasn’t sure what his career path would be when he enrolled at Saint Mary’s.

“Initially, I knew I wanted to continue playing baseball, and five minutes after stepping on campus, I knew this was where I wanted to be,” he said. “I figured I would study something business oriented, but I never considered accounting until I took my first class. It sparked a love for the financial world and numbers.”

He believes his accounting classes prepared him well for his career. “You have four years of learning theory, and the application is wide. I think Saint Mary’s did a fantastic job,” he said.

But, he adds, Saint Mary’s — as a whole — also instills in students personal accountability from day one.

“In the professional world, we are held accountable for our actions, our work, every day. At Saint Mary’s, you couldn’t miss a class without receiving a phone call or an email. There was no ability to just blend in. You had professors and coaches who cared about you, classmates who cared about you. If anything in your life became imbalanced, someone would reach out. From day 1, (baseball) coach Nick Whaley told us, ‘If you don’t go to class, I’m going to hear about it.’ You had to show up and participate and answer to someone if you didn’t. That four-year development is so helpful in the real world.”

It’s because of this real-world preparation that Dahlstrom says Saint Mary’s interns and alumni have historically done well at Hormel Foods and why he’ll continue to help students get a foot in the door.

“The school did so much for me. So in return, I need to give back,” he said. “Advocating on behalf of the current students and using my voice to say, ‘We can get really good people, people willing to work hard and be accountable, if you give me an opportunity to go down there.’ I’m advocating on behalf of (students) I don’t know personally but having gone to Saint Mary’s, and being married to someone who went to Saint Mary’s, I know who those people are, and they can do great things for the company.”

Student Senate Executive Committee shares response letter

Dear Saint Mary’s Community,

In light of the recent restructuring of programs by the University, we the 2022-2023 Student Senate Executive Board are writing an open letter to you on behalf of the Saint Mary’s student body. The Executive Board consists of students from a variety of majors, class standing, and post-graduate plans, and each of us was individually elected to our respective roles to represent the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota student body.

This letter pertains to the wide variety of responses to the recent news of the 11 programs that will be phased out from the Saint Mary’s undergraduate course offerings. We have heard, and as current students at the heart of the Saint Mary’s experience, we deeply understand your frustration. We understand the tremendous level of concern and the anxiety around the unknown future of the University, and we are doing everything we can as student leaders to advocate for the best possible solution to the multiple issues that many private colleges are facing, particularly the looming enrollment crisis and resulting monetary issues.

We at Saint Mary’s are not alone in being forced to make major changes to the operations of our university in order to remain viable now and in the future. This past spring, students were informed that although we are experiencing a financial deficit, we are the only university in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) that does not possess a significant amount of debt. However, this is becoming a common trend across the nation as private colleges are closing their doors due to financial and enrollment issues. (1) Data from Inside Higher Ed shows that from the 2018 academic year to the conclusion of the 2021 academic year found that there were 579 fewer colleges/universities in the United States. Of those, 35 were four-year private institutions. These figures signal the crisis higher education faces. (2) Saint Mary’s continues to aim to be regionally dominant and nationally prominent, which can be seen by the launch of our new nursing and health humanities program last year. The university is continually looking to improve our offerings and to provide students with the best opportunities possible.

The majors that are slated to be phased out affect a broad swath of programs mostly in the arts and theology. As disappointing as that may be, there is still a broad array of Lasallian Catholic liberal arts education opportunities being offered at Saint Mary’s. As previously mentioned, we have been assured that the majors will be phased out gradually, allowing current students opportunities to finish the one they are currently declared as. Additionally, students outside of these majors will continue to receive a top-of-the-line liberal arts experience through our general education program and we are confident in the upper administration’s continued commitment to a Lasallian Catholic education.

We urge alumni and the Saint Mary’s community to stay committed in their support of the university. This is not an issue that we are facing alone, and things may take time to improve. It is forecasted that college enrollment in the United States will drop nearly 15% after 2025. (3) These changes to programs, however painful, will allow for the preservation of the Saint Mary’s experience for the future. It is important to follow the Lasallian call, “together and by association”, as students and the university now more than ever need alumni’s support, involvement, and commitment, so that there can continue to be graduates of Saint Mary’s for generations to come. We know that there is much work happening to plan and refine aspirations regarding these changes and we look forward to updates from the university.

Thank you for your continued care and support of our university,

Sophia O’Neil, Student Senate President
Jose Trejo, Student Senate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Joseph Schauf, Student Senate Vice President for Financial Affairs
Riley Hall, Student Senate Vice President for Public Affairs
Maggie Newhouse, Student Senate Vice President for Campus Affairs
Catherine Pierpont, Student Senate Vice President for Student Affairs
Anne Carmean, Student Senate Vice President of Media and Communications
Sophie Cave, Student Senate Vice President for Multicultural Affairs
Morgan Brown, Student Senate Executive Assistant

Author: Brent Solomon, “An Illinois College Closing Its Doors for Good Friday,” ksdk.com, May 13, 2022,
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/illinois/lincoln-college-closing/63-e0055e6b-8bdf-42e1-8377-2568ef45db27#:~:text=LINCOLN%2C%20Ill.,ransomware%20attack%20prompted%20the%20decision.
“Number of Colleges Shrinks Again, Including Publics and Private Nonprofits,” Number of colleges shrinks again, including publics and private nonprofits, accessed June 14, 2022, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/08/02/number-colleges-shrinks-again-including-publics-and-private-nonprofits.
Jill Barshay, “College Students Predicted to Fall by More than 15% after the Year 2025,” The Hechinger Report, April 8, 2021, https://hechingerreport.org/college-students-predicted-to-fall-by-more-than-15-after-the-year-2025/.

The Saint Mary’s rebrand, mid-summer update

As we continue with the slow rollout of our new brand, it’s exciting to see it appear in various channels and places, such as during Reunion Weekend, the current website updates (with new website launching next month), advertising, and new banners on the Winona Campus. But wait, there’s more!

New interior banners at the Rochester Campus will be installed in late July
New signage for the Rochester Campus is being developed
New exterior banners for the University Center on the Minneapolis Campus are in development
On-air messaging began running on The River in the Winona area on July 1.
On-air messaging will begin on Minnesota Public Radio stations on Aug 1.
NEW billboards will be installed around Winona and on I-90 in Rochester beginning on Aug. 1.
NEW billboards will be installed in nine locations around the Twin Cities in late August (in development).

The Winona Admission team and MarComm have also been partnering on recruitment marketing, working with our external vendor, Liaison, to incorporate new brand messages and our updated visual identity into their emails, brochures, and website custom landing pages.

See examples of the work to date.

It is also wonderful seeing new business cards, name tags, and other materials.

Because we are taking a staged approach to the rebrand in the spirit of fiscal prudence, it can feel a bit like “Where’s Waldo” at times, but rest assured it’s already having an impact. We saw a 24% increase in conversion rates on our website in June when compared with May. (Conversions refer to people taking an action on the site, i.e. completing a form, which is exactly what we want to see, as engagement is critical when looking to grow enrollment.) And another stat to end this update with, we saw a 29% increase in form submission on our SGPP admission page alone. Remember, the new branding is all about building awareness and interest as we support our goals of increasing reputation and revenue.

We will report on more progress in the coming weeks

Important calendar dates for 2022-23 academic year

As the 2022-23 academic year is approaching, the President’s Cabinet would like to provide faculty and staff with a number of events that can be added to calendars. Additional information will be shared as available.

August:

Aug. 16 – University Picnic – Minneapolis Campus (Park Avenue lawn by University Center, noon)
Aug. 23 – University Convocation (Page Theatre, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) An email with a detailed schedule is forthcoming.
Aug. 24 – University Faculty Workshop (location TBD, morning with College faculty meeting reconvening at 1:30 p.m.) An email with a detailed schedule is forthcoming.
Aug. 24 – University Picnic – Winona Campus (plaza, noon)

September:

Sept. 14 – Mass of the Holy Spirit
Sept. 23-25 – Family Weekend

October:

Oct. 4 – State of the University
Oct. 22 – Lasallian Day of Service

December:

Dec. 1 – Cardinal Update Live
Dec. 1 – Christmas Celebration – Winona Campus
Dec. 8 – Patronal Feast
Dec. 13 – Christmas Celebration – Minneapolis Campus

January:

Jan. 21 – SGPP Commencement

February:

Feb. 9 – Cardinal Update Live

March:

March 11 – Cardinal Excellence Fund Dinner
March 13-19 – De La Salle Week
March 14 – Founders’ Day

April:

Date to be determined – Hendrickson Forum
April 13 – Cardinal Update Live
April 27 – Spring Social – Winona Campus
April 29 – Undergraduate Commencement – Winona Campus

May:

May 3 – Spring Social – Minneapolis Campus

College future state summer implementation planning July update

From: Dr. Matthew Gerlach, interim provost and dean of faculties

Several academic project teams have been hard at work this summer planning for the transitions necessary to ensure student learning and success in light of our future academic portfolio plans. This important work — by many of our colleagues at the College — began in June. (For the last update, see the June 28 Cardinal Update article.) Work plans developed by the teams were created and approved by The BRAVE (Budgeting and Redesign for Academic Vitality and Enrollments) Implementation Steering Committee.

Project #1: Teach-out Process and Plans for Majors & Minors Being Phased Out

Affected students will receive an email Aug. 8 updating them about 1-1 advising support, offering the registrar and student success as contacts for questions, along with other pertinent information. We are clear that these students will be able to graduate with their declared majors and minors. As stated previously, incoming freshmen will be allowed to declare one of the majors or minors slated for phase out this year only.

The team is working on short-term and longer-term staffing of the classes required for the majors and minors. For the short-term, securing quality term-faculty to teach unstaffed courses is a priority. The team is committed to coordinating specialized advising training for these faculty (and in some cases staff) who may serve as primary or secondary advisers for our students. We also plan to work with the registrar, deans, and department chairs on course projections and staffing of classes that the students will need over the next few years.

In September and October, deans and departments will finalize the Spring 2023 class schedule based on projections of the courses needed. Advisors will meet with all affected students, including new students, for successful Spring 2023 class registration. Advisors, department chairs, and deans will be working together to ensure students are properly advised on the majors of those being phased out.

Project #2: General Education Redesign & Teach-Out

The teach-out of Integratus requires cooperation with team #1 and is dependent on student and faculty data that will be more complete at the start of the fall semester. The intent is to have all current and incoming Fall 2022 students complete Integratus, rather than moving current students to a new program.

Course projections and a more detailed plan will need to be in place in time to inform scheduling and staffing for Spring 2023 and for subsequent terms.

A new liberal arts-based, mission-centered general education program will be brought to the Curriculum Committee during the Fall 2022 semester. This will be in time for an approved program to appear in the catalog and be implemented, beginning in Fall 2023.

The project team will continue to consult with a variety of individuals and groups, especially the directors’ of the Honors Program, Transfer Operations, Writing Services, and (once on contract this fall) program directors and chairs. Possible adjustments will be made before the plan can be shared, but the goals are to retain the current outcomes of Integratus in the new model, maintain approximately 40 credits of coursework, and use courses already in the catalog where possible.

Project #3: College Operational Effectiveness

This project team has begun identifying critical areas in need of improvement related to the college structure and overall operations (policies, procedures, systems, etc.). The goal is to be able to recommend particular, concrete solutions for greater educational effectiveness – keeping the student at the center. While planning is underway, more significant changes are not expected to materialize until June 1, 2023. Smaller improvements may occur this academic year but the basic organizational structure of the schools and departments is expected to remain the same throughout 2022-2023. Anything that would require a faculty handbook change would go through the appropriate approval and change process.

Project #4: New Ideas AND Enriching Co-Curriculars (focus: fine and performing arts)

As mentioned in earlier communications, this critical effort will officially get underway in early fall. We will be looking to disseminate a fuller plan for fall ‘23 and beyond. There has been initial outreach through various communications channels and meetings with Winona arts organizations. We have received affirmation about a desire to continue our partnerships and build on what will be most valuable and appreciated by students. To that end, engagement sessions are being scheduled starting in September to bring together students, faculty, and the local arts community to develop a vision and plan for co-curricular arts programming for the 2023-2024 school year. Planning sessions will continue through the fall and proposals will begin being drafted with the fall 2023 launch in mind.

We are grateful for the work of so many college faculty and academic leaders this summer as implementation of the BRAVE work is critical. Special thanks goes to the Implementation Committee co-chairs, Dean Darren Row and Dean Michelle Wieser. I continue to welcome input and discussion about the future direction of the College. The many conversations I have had have been enlightening and valuable and are impacting our future state and the student experience.

Ed.D. program hosts annual summer residency

Earlier this month, Saint Mary’s University’s Doctor of Education in Leadership program hosted its 13th annual summer residency.

The summer residency, held this year from July 6-10, allows online students the opportunity to come to Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Ccampus and meet their cohort and faculty. This year, students came from around the world, including Rome and Panama, as well as from New York, Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida, and Iowa.

The five-day residency included classes, workshops, guest speakers, and the annual closing dinner and ceremony, which is always a highlight. Students from three cohorts had an opportunity to share their experiences and learn from one another.

“Events like the summer residency are important to remind people of what it is like to be together,” said Jack McClure, program director for the Ed.D. program. “We value our online experience; however, face-to-face learning has become so valuable. We all, both students and faculty, left the event feeling invigorated in our work.”

Efficiency and student service at the center of academic changes

In alignment with the university’s strategic plan, particularly as it relates to stewarding resources (goal 5), while supporting excellence in Lasallian Catholic education, the Academic Affairs department has made the following organizational changes to better serve our students:

University Library services across all campuses have been re-structured with a focus on enhanced technology to support student library services. The Libraries reconfigured several positions after a full organizational review and after recent resignations and retirements. The result is innovative librarian roles that will better support student needs and ensure that Saint Mary’s Libraries remain agile in support of the university. We are pleased to announce that Rachel McGee has accepted the position of Director of Libraries. In this role, Rachel will support academic success with a focus on student-centered services and faculty collaboration.
The registrar’s office, under the direction of Chris Verch and his team in Winona and Alison Block and her team at SGPP, are moving to Academic Affairs from Enrollment Management. This strategic move will better support university-wide policies, student support, and allow Enrollment Management to concentrate fully on recruitment.
We are pleased to announce that Emma Erdahl has been promoted to administrative director of academic affairs. In this role, Emma is responsible for the coordination of our university-wide Institutional Review Board, facilitation of SGPP adjunct contract administration, and project management of major initiatives from the office of the vice provost for faculties and academic affairs.

“These decisions were made with the students of Saint Mary’s University in mind,” said Dr. Matt J. Nowakowski, vice provost for faculties and academic affairs. “The goal for all of the units of Academic Affairs is outstanding student service in the new academic year and beyond.”

Administrative and academic changes support strategic initiatives

To further support and advance our strategic plan goals, with a particular and critical focus on enrollment growth, academic success, and stability, three senior members of the organization have agreed to take on new roles in vital positions.

Tim Gossen, Ed.D.

Dr. Tim Gossen, will serve as the new senior director of admissions and dean of summer programs. Dr. Gossen has proven leadership skills in the areas of student life, including athletics, as well as a results-oriented approach and experience supporting enrollment strategies for the last year. He brought many ideas to light while serving on the Presidential Enrollment Commission and will guide and unify our admissions team and the efforts ahead as we continue to address the national headwinds impacting our enrollment. Dr. Gossen will also work on building and launching a robust summer program on the Winona Campus that will highlight our academic prowess and support revenue goals as an additional effort to drive future enrollment. His role began Aug. 1.“Tim’s vast institutional knowledge, his creative and energetic approach, and his demonstrated commitment to Saint Mary’s mission and every student is invaluable,” said Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., president. “We need the best and brightest minds working together to impact enrollment and launch successful summer programs in this highly disruptive time for higher education. Dr. Gossen has the talents and gifts to contribute to these efforts from day one.”

Marisa Naryka, Ed.D.

Dr. Marisa Naryka, has graciously agreed to add the areas of student affairs, athletics, food service, career services, the wellness center, and campus safety to her current responsibilities as vice president of mission and ministry. Her new title is vice president for mission and student Affairs. This move will more strategically and intentionally align our Lasallian Catholic mission with our student experience. Previous to her current role, Dr. Naryka served as assistant vice president of student affairs. “We consistently state two things that make this organizational change a strong and strategic one: our mission is our North Star and drives all of our collective work, and students are at the center of how we deliver on our mission each day,” said Father Burns. “Dr. Naryka’s deep student life experience is a great asset as we align student affairs and mission.”

Darren Row, Ph.D.

Dr. Darren Row, who was appointed dean of the John C. Parmer School of the Sciences, as well as dean for Arts and Humanities in May, has been appointed dean of the College as well. As noted in the May announcement in the Cardinal Update, Dr. Row’s background and breadth of experiences at Saint Mary’s — as a student, faculty member, and academic leader — will be invaluable as he leads significant academic areas of the college. “Dr. Row stepped in at a critical time this summer to support the College as we work through implementing planning for our future academic portfolio,” said Dr. Matthew Gerlach, interim provost and dean of faculties. “I am grateful for his willingness to serve and his abiding commitment to our mission, faculty and students.”

An education within reach

As a staff accountant for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Abby (Zimmer) O’Brien B’08 sees herself as a problem solver. And she’s felt that way in the myriad of positions she’s held in her professional career since leaving Saint Mary’s.

For O’Brien, it’s the education she received at Saint Mary’s that set her up to fulfill that role.

“My experience at Saint Mary’s helped me be able to critically think and be able to handle and troubleshoot any problems that came up throughout my entire career,” she said.

The ability to access such an education, according to O’Brien, was made easy by Saint Mary’s in a variety of ways, from the assistance that made seeking a higher education affordable to faculty who are available to students and prioritize their success.

When looking at colleges, O’Brien was unaware of Saint Mary’s and had planned to apply to other schools. However, during a visit to Winona with a high school friend, she was instantly drawn to the city. Thinking Winona State was the only college in town, she was pleased to find Saint Mary’s tucked away in the bluffs. After a tour of campus and a taste of student life that included Gaslight, an on-campus variety show, O’Brien knew where she wanted to spend her next four years.

“A lot of little things added up that made me say, ‘Yeah, this is the right place for me,’ ” she said.

One aspect that made Saint Mary’s the right place: the cost of tuition. Compared to the other schools O’Brien had been considering at the time, Saint Mary’s was the most affordable. O’Brien also was awarded a number of merit-based scholarships through the university.

“It really allowed me to focus on school instead of focusing on how burdened I could have been by student loans,” O’Brien said. “So it was also great that my hard work in high school paid off and then continued to pay off in college.”

Another cost-savings option made readily available to O’Brien was the opportunity to hold work-study positions throughout her college career, which included checking student IDs at the Recreation and Athletic Center and helping the Sports Information Department with basketball statistics. O’Brien says she benefited from the two work-study opportunities in multiple ways.

“My work-study helped further engage me with the school because I was attending athletic events,” she said. “It also made it so I didn’t have to find a job off-campus.”

The idea of having an education within reach did not stop at the affordability of the school for O’Brien. As is echoed by many students and graduates of Saint Mary’s, she valued the small class sizes and the availability of her professors.

“I had friends who attended larger schools and would have their gen ed classes in a lecture hall with 300 other students,” she said. “But that was never the case at Saint Mary’s. Whether it was a gen ed class or something for your major, the classes were always small and personable. And that definitely made education accessible. And the professors were always able and willing to connect with you, whether it be during office hours or over email.”

One door Saint Mary’s opened for O’Brien, a highlight of her college experience, was the opportunity to study abroad in London. For her, this was an opportunity to experience England and other parts of Europe, all while earning credits toward her business minor and needed general education courses.

“That was an experience I wouldn’t change for the world,” she said. “It was amazing to experience life outside of this country while not falling behind.”

Access to extracurriculars was also an essential part of O’Brien’s college experience. An active high school student, she continued that trend at Saint Mary’s, getting involved in numerous organizations including the student newspaper, Habitat for Humanity, choir, and band.

“There was a lot I was involved in,” she said. “And it was great to be able to connect with my classmates and cohorts outside of the classroom.”

To O’Brien, her time at Saint Mary’s seemed like “the best of both worlds.”

“I was able to enjoy small class sizes, develop amazing friends, and have all these clubs and extracurriculars I could be a part of,” she said. “I truly enjoyed it.”

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Email: chahn@smumn.edu