Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes

As we close out the calendar year before a well-deserved break and blessed Christmas season, we are looking ahead to the spring semester. At this time, we continue with the plan that was shared on Sept. 24 in CommUNITY.

For SGPP, there are no changes to the spring semester schedule or terms, but in consultation with the deans of each school, a hybrid approach is planned, allowing some in-person instruction for select programs with online learning for others.

For the College, the plan remains for students to return to the Winona Campus and begin in-person classes on Monday, Jan. 25. Details, including dates for returning to campus and safety protocols, will be shared as soon as we have more information. Faculty are encouraged to continue to develop their classes using the Cardinal Flex model.

Though we plan to start in person Jan. 25 in Winona and foresee no interruptions to coursework for SGPP students, we are mindful that much is and will remain uncertain. Our plans are contingent on conditions in January, guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control, and possible executive orders at the state and national level.

For the College, we will share more details as information becomes available and hope to have a final determination by Jan. 11, pending state and national guidelines. Please know we will communicate with our entire community as quickly as possible with any updates. The COVID-19 planning webpage, Steadfast and Resilient, continues to be the best source of information on campus plans and guidelines.

As we have all learned during this pandemic, changes can occur quickly and it’s impossible for us to make guarantees about the spring this far in advance. We have also realized more clearly that the Saint Mary’s community is resilient and nimble. We have had to shift and adapt, doing so very well, while we continue our shared educational mission. Together we are Saint Mary’s.

Please see the related story on spring semester planning and listening sessions.

With students on break, the Winona Campus mailroom hours will change starting today, Dec. 7, to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the week of Christmas and New Years (Dec. 24-Jan. 3), the mailroom will only be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 30.

Please email mailroom@smumn.edu with any questions or concerns.

The Student Activities Committee remains committed to providing events and entertainment to students, even if we all are not on campus. Please join us for our winter break virtual events, and you may even win some prizes!

Please see the schedule below. All students, staff, faculty, and families are welcome.

Holiday Trivia

Thursday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.

Let’s come together to celebrate all the holidays of the season! From Hanukah to Christmas to Kwanza, let’s celebrate holidays from around the world. Trivia will be individual play, but feel free to have multiple people join using one Zoom. Test your knowledge, and play for your chance to win one of three top prizes!

Sign up for Holiday Trivia

2020 Recap Trivia

Monday, Dec. 28, at noon

It was an interesting year, wasn’t it? Let’s review all the crazy things that happened and test our knowledge of 2020, the year students will study in the future! Trivia will be individual play, but feel free to have multiple people join using one Zoom. Study up on 2020, and play for your chance to win one of three top prizes!

Sign up for 2020 Recap Trivia

New Year Bingo

Thursday, Jan. 2, 2021 at 7 p.m. 

Bye 2020! Celebrate the new year with some Bingo! Play for your chance to win some amazing prizes, shipped right to your door! All players must be signed up in order to play and win!

Sign up for Bingo

Saint Mary’s University is proud to be participating in the 32nd annual 10 Days of Giving food drive this year, coordinated by Merchants Bank of Winona. The 10 Days of Giving benefits Winona Volunteer Services and works to make sure no one in Winona County goes hungry each winter. Normally, our Winona Campus puts out a collection barrel this time of year, but with the shift to online learning, we are encouraging you to support the drive in other ways between Dec. 1-10. With increased use during this pandemic, the food shelf needs our support more than ever.

We hope you’ll consider contributing, as you are able, by:

• Making a donation directly to Winona Volunteer Services online at https://www.winonavs.org/.
• Attending one of the 10 Days of Giving special events; including a Carry-Out Only Fish Fry Dinner, Kick Off Carry-Out Lunch, and Pack the Bus. Find more details about these events.

With the Winona Campus classes complete next week, and semesters on all our campuses coming to a close, Dec. 15, will be the last Cardinal Update until mid January. If you have timely news that needs to be shared during this time period, please let Marketing and Communication know via our newsletter submission form.

Band Together Against the Flu

• It’s not too late to get your flu vaccine. Flu “season” typically peaks between December and February but can continue as late as May!
• Help prevent further overwhelm of our healthcare system.
• Keep your family and your community healthy.

Supplemental funding from the CDC has made influenza vaccination free at many sites across the state. For information on where and how you can get your free or low-cost flu vaccine see the Vaccination Clinic Web Map. Check out more information about why this vaccination is important.

“No matter who you are or what your style is, it’s more important than ever this year to band together against the flu with a flu shot. One arm at a time. One bandage at a time. Let’s band together to control this year’s flu – for all of us.”  — Minnesota Department of Health