Saint Mary's Newsroom

Hey Cardinal nation — welcome back to campus!

As we prepare for the start of another school year — and another year of Cardinal athletics — here’s a reminder that there is a one-stop way to keep up with all the Saint Mary’s sports action — including previews, recaps, and all news Cardinal athletics.

Simply sign up to receive all the latest Cardinal news by visiting saintmaryssports.com/subscribe.aspx. Or, email me, Donny Nadeau, sports information director, at dnadeau@smumn.edu with “Sign Me Up” in the body of the message, and I will get you signed up.

Subscribing is the only way for you to receive up-to-the-minute Cardinal athletic news — including all game previews and recaps. So make sure to hop on the bandwagon and stay up to date on all the 2020-21 Cardinal athletic action!

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Whether you subscribe or not, Cardinal fans can always go to saintmaryssports.com to catch up on all the action.

Make sure to also like Cardinal athletics on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

As we prepare for the fall semester, we are reinstating this weekly COVID-19 newsletter. We’ll use this forum to share important news and updates each Wednesday as it relates to the pandemic and safety protocols on our campuses. If we don’t have any new information to share, we will skip that week.

Helpful information

Visit smumn.edu/covid19 for the latest information. We continue to update this website on a regular basis, including the Q&As and COVID-19 tracking dashboard. You’re also encouraged to submit your own questions or email covid@smumn.edu with any concerns.

Current protocols

We appreciate everyone remembering that masks are required on all our campuses when inside buildings and outside when social distancing is not possible. Please also remember to stay physically distanced (6 feet apart) and wash your hands frequently. We can hope that as transmission levels decline, we will be able to lift some of our current protocols.

Vaccine

As the FDA works to approve the vaccine, we know there will be many questions. We appreciate your patience, as we try to respond as quickly as possible. Remember to be kind to one another, even when others’ beliefs are different from your own. While respecting personal beliefs, Saint Mary’s will make decisions based on the health and safety of our students and in accordance with recommendations from local, state, and federal guidelines.

By staying vigilant and following protocols, we will continue to exhibit the same commitment and flexibility to support one another that we have since the beginning of the pandemic. Thank you for remaining steadfast and resilient in the coming weeks and beyond.

Ann Merchlewitz
Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Dear Saint Mary’s colleagues,

We want to extend an invitation to join us in welcoming our newest members of the president’s cabinet with an upcoming meet and greet on the Twin Cities and Winona campuses.

• Mr. Leon Dixon, vice president for inclusion and human dignity
• Dr. Matthew Gerlach, vice president for character, virtue, and ethics and endowed director of the Hendrickson Institute
• Mr. Gary Klein, vice president for advancement
• Ms. Kelly Shannon, vice president for marketing and communications

Winona Campus:

• Monday, Aug. 23, 3 to 4 p.m., Toner Student Center Lounge

Twin Cities Campus:

• Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2 to 3 p.m., University Center

Light refreshments will be provided. We look forward to welcoming Leon, Matthew, Gary, and Kelly to our community with you.

Sincerely,

Andy Dirksen, chief of staff
Ann Merchlewitz, senior vice president and general counsel

The Pell Grant has proven to be a highly successful program that has opened the doors of educational opportunity for many low- and moderate-income students across our state, including here at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Lower-income students at colleges across the nation depend on federal Pell Grants to afford college, earn their degrees, and hold down debt. However, after years of under-investment, Pell Grants are not able to help students like they used to – the buying power of the program has simply not kept up with the financial aid needs of students.

We are part of an alliance of national organizations – including the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and private and public colleges across the country – that have joined together to support the cause of doubling the Pell Grant maximum from $6,495 to $13,000. Doubling Pell Grants will:

• Increase access to higher education for more low- and moderate-income students and families;
• Increase degree completion; and
• Reduce student debt.

At Saint Mary’s, Pell Grants are critical, helping 472 (29% percent) of our undergraduate students afford their education. At DoublePell.org, you can find a wealth of information about the Pell Grant program and why it needs to be doubled now.

As a Lasallian Catholic institution of higher education, accessibility and affordability are central to our values and mission. Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, started his educational ministry in France in the 1600s to provide a high-quality education to the working class and poor. That continues to be our ministry at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Hence, our request to you today.

All of us have an opportunity to encourage our members of Congress to act. I am writing now to ask you to consider joining me and our national coalition in asking our Members of Congress to double the Pell Grant — allowing the maximum grant to grow from $6,495 to $13,000.

Please take a moment now to send your own notes to your members of Congress: doublepell.org/take-action

Contact with your federal elected officials can make a real difference.

Thank you.