Saint Mary's Newsroom
Campus ConnectionAn update from the president to alumni and parents
First Destinations report shows where graduates land after leaving Saint Mary’s
Career Services at Saint Mary’s recently released its First Destinations for the College Class of 2021 report, which provides a look into the outcomes of graduates from the Winona Campus.
According to the data, of those responding, 92% of graduates are employed full-time, attending or applying to graduate school, or participating in a long-term volunteer placement.
For respondents who are employed full-time, 92% said their jobs were relevant to the major they received at Saint Mary’s. Many of the graduates who responded received offers from leading international, national, and regional organizations, including Boston Scientific, Catholic Charities, Dallas Mavericks, Eide Bailly LLP, Fastenal, Geospatial Services, Green Bay Packers, Hope Harbor, Martin County West Schools, Mayo Clinic, Plainview Police Department, Prevention Genetics, RADIAS Health, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, St. Jude of the Lake Schools, Shanghai Art-Designing Company, Ltd., Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Bank.
Nearly 34% of the graduates who took part in the survey are continuing their education either part-time or full-time, with 77% pursuing a master’s degree, 9% pursuing a J.D. or M.D., and 3% seeking a doctorate.
One of the respondents is involved in long-term service with AmeriCorps.
Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., says the First Destinations report can serve as an excellent analytical tool for the college as it looks for new ways to reach students.
“This is very helpful and a great tool that we can add to and refine going forward,” Father Burns said. In 2022, the report will include useful data from the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs.
You can read the entire report.
Student, staff, and faculty media appearances continue to tell story of Saint Mary’s
In recent weeks, regional media have shared Saint Mary’s story with their audiences. These articles help articulate the university’s mission and brand as told by administrators, faculty, and students.
Hendrickson Forum highlighted in Star Tribune column
Following Saint Mary’s Hendrickson Forum, Star Tribune business columnist Neal St. Anthony highlighted the annual event in a recent column. St. Anthony recapped social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s keynote about the ethics of capitalism, and focused on the community work of former professional soccer player (and Hendrickson medal recipient) Tony Sanneh and his work with Saint Mary’s. He used the connection as an example of the way educational institutions and nonprofit organizations can help pave the way for “enlightened capitalism.”
Schmisek, Wieser discuss diversifying Minnesota college campuses in Twin Cities Business article
Brian Schmisek, provost and dean of faculties, and Michelle Wieser, dean of the School of Business and Technology, were interviewed for a piece in Twin Cities Business about diversifying college campuses in Minnesota. In the piece, Schmisek pointed out how not everyone is able to complete a traditional four-year degree.
“It’s maybe a mother in her 30s or 40s who now has time to go back and complete the degree that was interrupted for one reason or another,” Schmisek said in the article.
Wieser pointed to the fact that this is why Saint Mary’s works to meet students where they are at, whether they are looking for an in-person or online education. Wieser also spoke about how Saint Mary’s is working to diminish achievement barriers through innovative opportunities for students like graduate certificates and digital credentials.
Father Burns, Krull pen Winona Daily News columns
Both Father James P. Burns IVD, Ph.D., Saint Mary’s president, and senior Jonathon Krull represented Saint Mary’s in recent columns in the Winona Daily News.
In his article, Krull spoke about the opportunities that are available to Saint Mary’s students in the Winona community, from exciting local events and festivals to a host of amazing restaurants and opportunities for recreation in the bluffs and on the Mississippi River.
Father Burns penned a column speaking about the formation of students at Saint Mary’s and how once they graduate, they are able to serve the communities where they reside.
“We encourage and, in fact, expect our graduates to be beacons of light and sources of positive change in their communities and workplaces. We know they take this focus with them. That is why we know that our outstanding students and their successes are the best testimonial we have when telling the story of Saint Mary’s both to prospective students and their families as well as the broader community,” he wrote.
Robertson speaks about climate change in KIMT segment
Andy Robertson displayed the expertise of GeoSpatial Services in a KIMT segment about climate change. In the interview with the Rochester TV station, Robertson spoke about how climate change impacts the frequency and occurrence of extreme weather events.
“The randomness of change — related to climate warming — is what has the greatest impact. It could be increased precipitation, it could be decreased precipitation,” Robertson said in the segment. “It could be decreased heat. It could be cooling at the wrong time of year. So the lilac bushes were the best example of the past year where the lilacs bloomed like they normally do in the spring, but then bloomed a second time in the fall because we had a warming period and a drying period. It got them out of sync. And now the speculation is they’re not going to bloom at all this spring.”
Saint Mary’s Choirs to present Spring Concert on April 23
The IHM Schola, Saint Mary’s Chamber Singers, and Saint Mary’s Concert Choir will present their Spring Concert on Saturday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, 1155 W. Wabasha Street, Winona.
The program will feature works by Randall Thompson, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Franz Biebl, Ola Gjeilo, Patrick O’Shea, Sam Pottle, and Moses Hogan.
Admission is free. For more information, contact Patrick O’Shea, director of choirs, at poshea@smumn.edu.
Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes
WINONA, Minn. — What do The Pink Panther, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, and The Flintstones all have in common? Yes, they were all great movies or TV shows, but it was their jazz-inspired theme songs and soundtracks that set them apart. On Sunday, April 24, at 3 p.m. in Page Theater get ready to travel down memory lane as Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes. Vocalists Erin Grams and Gunnar Ronholm will join the Jazz Ensemble to sing Misty, The Days of Wine and Roses, and Route 66.
The performance is free and open to the public with no reservations required. For more information, contact jazz director A. Eric Heukeshoven at 507-457-7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.
Saint Mary’s Concert Band spring performance planned for April 23
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band spring semester performance will be held on Saturday, April 23, at 3 p.m. in Page Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. No reservations are needed.
Directed by Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the concert will include a variety of works for full concert band, as well as smaller groupings of instruments, including a double reed quartet (oboes and bassoons), brass ensemble, and large woodwind ensemble.
Senior music education major Nathan Herr will be the featured student director for this performance. He will lead the full ensemble in Samuel Hazo’s beautiful composition In Heaven’s Air.
Other works on the program include Malcolm Arnold’s Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo, Jay Bocook’s Irish-inspired Kirkpatrick’s Muse, Adolphus Hailstork’s New Wade ‘n Water, and an unknown Sousa March, Homeward Bound. The smaller ensembles will be performing chamber music by Richard Wetzel, Leroy Ostransky, Philip Sparke, and Haydn.
The Saint Mary’s Concert Band is welcoming community members back into the band. If you’re interested in joining the band for the 2022-23 academic year, contact Dr. Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu for information. Motivated high school players, as well as adult musicians, have long been part of the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band.
Master’s degree helps Lott excel in baking, human resources
Saint Mary’s graduate school alumna Teri Anne Lott M’20 travelled often in her first professional job and didn’t have time to make a lot of friends. In her limited free time she began watching Cake Boss on cable TV and baking cakes in earnest, eventually launching Lotties Treats and Sweets as a side hustle five years ago.
“I have very fond memories of cooking and baking with my granddad in Ohio. He was an old time cook with a huge garden and did scratch cooking for days,” says Lott. “I was 4 or 5 years old when we moved to Minneapolis, and before we left I planted watermelon seeds in his yard. One day he called us and asked, ‘Why are there watermelons growing in my yard?’”
After receiving her undergraduate degree in Business Marketing from Howard University, Lott worked in marketing and sales but wasn’t passionate about her work. Wanting to become a teacher, Lott began exploring her education degree options when her brother told her about the Teacher Pathway Program, a partnership between Saint Mary’s University and The Sanneh Foundation.
The Teacher Pathway Program enables students to be paid while obtaining their teaching license and earning a Master’s degree. Lott received her Master’s of Arts degree in English as a Second Language from Saint Mary’s in 2020. Although she left teaching when the pandemic hit and now works full time in Human Resources for Target, Lott remains very involved in the community and serves as a board member for The Sanneh Foundation.
“My Master’s program was very beneficial, covering the foundation of education and how to advocate for those without a voice, and that resonates with my work at Target,” adds Lott. “A lot of people stop at diversity, and don’t include inclusion and equity. But we need to ask, ‘What more can we do to make people feel included? How do you have the uncomfortable conversations and advocate for inclusion?’”
Lott still uses what she learned at Saint Mary’s every day, and is grateful for the school and her instructors, including Dr. Shannon Tanghe, Dr. Theresa Taylor, and Dr. Rebecca Johnson. She credits them for teaching her about lesson plans, preparing for the unknown, and always being cognizant of things we can’t anticipate.
Lott’s baking prowess – all self-taught by watching baking shows and videos – grew over the years. Lott has appeared on the Food Network’s Bakers vs. Fakers as the audience tries to assess who’s who. She made it to the final round before losing to a full-time baker.
“Baking cakes takes the cake! I love the joy my baking brings people. My baking makes them happy, and it’s my therapy. I just zone out, it’s just me and my food,” says Lott. “Bringing smiles to people and the therapeutic qualities of baking are the best.”
Lott has a business and a food license for Lotties Treats and Sweets, and recently began selling her cake jars (cake layers placed in jars for single-serve treats or to share) at For Real Coffee House, the newest black-owned, woman-owned coffee shop in South Minneapolis in George Floyd Square. The coffee shop sells monthly coffee subscriptions and various baked goods, and encourages conversations about what’s happening in the community.
Her advice for would-be entrepreneurs is to go out and do whatever brings you joy. Lott believes that when you’re trying to do important things, the right people show up to help, and things line up when you put in the work.
“For those thinking about going back to school for a Master’s degree – go for it! I was skeptical, I was 31 years old and two years is so long, but the time went so fast. And my work in school applies today at Target,” adds Lott. “I had a 4.0 GPA at Saint Mary’s. The coursework is interesting, engaging and applicable. I highly recommend grad school and particularly Saint Mary’s.”
By Tom Brandes
Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen
WINONA, Minn. — What do The Pink Panther, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, and The Flintstones all have in common? Yes, they were all great movies or TV shows, but it was their jazz-inspired theme songs and soundtracks that set them apart. On Sunday, April 24, at 3 p.m. in Page Theater get ready to travel down memory lane as Jazz at Saint Mary’s presents Big Screen/Small Screen – Classic Jazz Themes. Vocalists Erin Grams and Gunnar Ronholm will join the Jazz Ensemble to sing Misty, The Days of Wine and Roses, and Route 66.
The performance is free and open to the public with no reservations required. For more information, contact jazz director A. Eric Heukeshoven at 507-457-7292 or eheukesh@smumn.edu.
Photo caption: Vocalist Erin Grams sings Drum Boogie while Mike Hegarty solos on tenor sax during last spring’s Choppin’ Wood performance.
UPPC announces new, closing, and revised programs for upcoming academic year
The University Program Planning Committee (UPPC), met on March 30, 2022, to consider available university resources and opportunities related to current and proposed programs. At the meeting, the UPPC reviewed recommendations from the school deans and curriculum committees regarding new, closing, and revised programs for the 2022-2023 academic year
Based on the data-informed discussions and UPPC recommendations, I am approving the following program launches, changes, and closures.
The following new programs are approved to begin development for Fall 2022:
- Executive Ed.D. in Education Leadership
The following degrees, programs, and specializations will begin the closing process, overseen by the appropriate school dean:
- B.S. in BIDA (degree closed and select courses moved to a specialization track in the B.S. in Business Administration)
- Management and Operations and Technology Management specialization tracks in the B.S. in Business Administration program
- MAT-Winona Elementary Ed (no longer accepting students as of Spring 2022)
The following changes are approved:
School of Business & Technology:
- B.S. in Business Administration– removing Management and Operations & Technology Management as specialization tracks and adding BIDA specialization track
- B.S. in IT – credits reduced to 36/39 (from 42/45); modality change to remote
- Accelerated MBA – removal of 1 credit “special topics” courses for single 3 credit elective course
- Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence – reduced by 3 credits
- Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics – reduced by 3 credits
- Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics – reduced by 3 credits
School of Education:
- M.A. in Education – credits reduced to 30 (from 33)
- MAT – Winona – eliminate 2, 2 credit courses to create one 3 credit course and reduce program credits by 1
- MAT – Twin Cities – modality change to remote
- M.A. in Special Education – removal of elective credits in order to reduce credits in non licensure track to 30; internal track (initial licensure) is now a remote modality
- M.A. in ESL – modality changed to remote; credits reduced to 30
- M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning – remote modality added; credits reduced to 30
School of Health & Human Services
- M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services (PY) – addition of remote cohort for Fall 2022.
For additional details, see this comprehensive spreadsheet of changes and/ or contact the school’s dean.
As a reminder, the UPPC, constituted in 2019, is comprised of academic and administrative leaders from across the university. The committee meets for regular consideration of programmatic decisions to maintain vibrant, relevant, and marketable programs in alignment with the goals in our strategic plan. This planning is especially important now, in the midst of the ongoing global pandemic and its impact on the economy. We continue to focus on student outcomes and market needs. More about the UPPC, its role and its membership is available here.
Please direct any questions you have to the appropriate school dean.
SAC awards highlight Saint Mary’s commitment to student experience
At Saint Mary’s University, providing a top-notch student life experience is paramount. Part of that effort includes providing a lively campus environment with activities that keep students connected, entertained, and active.
Saint Mary’s University’s Student Activities Committee (SAC) was recently recognized for this work during the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Conference in Saint Paul. NACA is a nationwide organization that empowers members to amplify the campus experience through inclusive learning, meaningful connections, and engaging entertainment.
A delegation from Saint Mary’s was a part of 75+ schools in attendance from all over the United States. Representatives from SAC, Student Senate, and Phi Mu Alpha from the Winona Campus attended to gain ideas and book entertainment for the 2022-2023 school year.
During the conference, Saint Mary’s SAC was recognized with two different awards.
Tricia Dobrient, Saint Mary’s SAC adviser and director of advising new student experience, was awarded NACA’s New Professional of the Year Award. The award is given each year to a professional in the field with less than 5 years of professional experience and has made a significant impact on their campus, specifically in the field of student activities.
Saint Mary’s SAC was also honored with the Outstanding Program of the Year award for its Glow Tubing Event. The award is based on student involvement, creativity, and the success of the program as determined by the achievement of stated goals.
The Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy | Site Feedback/Changes | Accreditation