Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterSaint Mary’s University of Minnesota engages K16 Solutions and Canvas as new innovative technology providers
K16 Solutions’ revolutionary LMS migration technology helps launch Saint Mary’s strategic initiatives on embracing innovation and global online learning with a move to Canvas
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ., AND MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — K16 Solutions and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota announced a strategic partnership today that involves using K16 Solutions’ ground-breaking LMS migration technology, Scaffold, to migrate Saint Mary’s online courses onto their new LMS platform, Canvas.
Following months of extensive evaluation and community engagement, these new partnerships bring to life key aspects of the university’s new strategic plan to foster innovation, excel through excellence and relevance, and steward resources. Through the technology engagements with both Canvas and K16 Solutions, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota continues to innovate and modernize the online teaching and learning experience. “Moving from two learning management systems onto the mobile friendly and intuitive Canvas interface will provide a superior online learning experience,” said Andrea Carroll-Glover, vice provost for Online Strategy and Programs at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. “By leveraging the innovative K16 Scaffold solution, we are further optimizing our resources while saving valuable time typically necessary to migrate courses into a new LMS. Collectively, this work will lay the foundation for extending access across our Lasallian community at Saint Mary’s University and beyond.”
Using a phased migration approach, Saint Mary’s will leverage the K16 Scaffold solution to move at the speed of business vs. the glacial pace traditionally associated with higher education to migrate existing Blackboard and Engage/Moodle courses in a fraction of the time. Through the K16 partnership, Saint Mary’s expects to cut down on the overall migration timeframe and minimize the clean-up work typically associated with such migrations. The university is piloting the first migrated courses in Canvas in Spanish for the fall of 2020 with the full implementation to be completed within the year.
K16 Solutions, the industry leader in EdTech for LMS migration and course design, has now successfully migrated over 100,000 courses and is on pace to do thousands more by the year’s end. The courses their team has successfully migrated thus far represent a diverse range of institutions: small, large, public, private, international, and domestic. To name a few, K16 Solutions has completed LMS course migrations with Northeastern University, Wake Forest University, Rutgers University, Mohawk College, Ottawa College, and the University of South Alabama.
Dr. Thomas Waite, CEO, and president of K16 Solutions said about the partnership “We are excited to work with Saint Mary’s on such an important initiative. When two innovative organizations come together to do something strategic and transformative, great things happen.”
About K16 Solutions:
Founded by experienced higher education leaders, faculty, and academic entrepreneurs, K16 Solutions solves the biggest LMS challenges facing institutions today. Scaffold technology, powered by K16 Solutions, allows schools to easily and seamlessly migrate LMS platforms, build better courses, and archive outdated online courses. To learn more, visit www.k16solutions.com
About Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. At Saint Mary’s, students find in every classroom — whether in person or online — a relationship-driven, person-centered education. Through intense inquiry, students discover the truths in the world and the character within. Founded in 1912 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota enrolls 5,600 students at its residential undergraduate college in Winona and its Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, based in Minneapolis with programs offered in Rochester, other locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin and fully online. As a Lasallian Catholic university welcoming all students, Saint Mary’s offers respected and affordable programs in a variety of areas leading to bachelor’s, bachelor’s completion, master’s, certificate, specialist, and doctoral degrees, as well as certificates. Learn more at smumn.edu.
Career Services upcoming events
Upcoming events:
MN Private Nonprofit and Government Jobs Fair – Friday, Oct. 30, delivered virtually, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you are interested in a career in Public Service, this fair is for you! Visit with representatives of government agencies and non-profit organizations, all from the convenience of your room.
For more information about the fair including the registered vendors, go to: http://www.togpartners.com/govnonprofitfair.
The event is free and open to all Saint Mary’s students and alumni, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by Friday, Oct. 23. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email, which will include a log-in link specific to you and further instructions.
Internships-An Overview workshop – Tuesday, Nov.3, delivered virtually, 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.
The meeting is free, but you must pre-register in advance to attend.
Are you thinking about registering for an internship for credit next semester? Come join this brief but informative meeting to learn the ins and outs of registering for an internship, INCLUDING THE NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS AND FORMAT.
An internship might be the most important thing you do to prepare for your career while in college. In most cases, students who graduate with an internship get hired more quickly and get paid more than their classmates who do not participate in an internship.
Participants in this workshop will discuss how to find and secure internships and learn the procedures in securing the internships for academic credit.
Disability Virtual Career Fair – Tuesday, Nov. 10, online, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you’re an individual with a disability looking for employment or internships, register now for this free fair. Early registration will give employers access to your résumé as soon as they register for this event. You can chat online with employers across the county who are ready to hire you!
Clothesline Project on display
The Clothesline Project will be on display in the plaza today through Friday, Oct. 26-30. The Clothesline Project is a display of shirts with messages and illustrations that represent those who have died at the hands of someone who claimed to have loved them. Each shirt provides evidence that domestic and sexual violence exists in our communities and serves as a visual reminder of these often-ignored statistics. Shirts for the Winona project represent those who have died in Minnesota within the past year.
The mission of The Clothesline Project is to educate students and the community that violence is a problem everywhere, help is available, there is hope and a path to healing. Warning, this event may be triggering to some individuals. Support staff at the Advocacy Center of Winona and campus contacts are listed if the project is triggering.
Advocacy Center of Winona Contact:
8:30 a.m.-4:30p.m. call: 507-452-4440
24-Hour Crisis Line: 507-452-4453
Saint Mary’s Wellness Center contact
507-457-1492
Cardinal Athletics — The week in review
Greetings Cardinal Nation! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are no athletic events to report on this fall, but there is still plenty to keep up with around Saint Mary’s athletics! Here’s a look at the highlights from this past week — including the amazing volunteer efforts by our Cardinal student-athletes.
Coming up in Campus Ministry
SET APART
Saturday | Nov.14 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Join Campus Ministry and Deprecor in Page Theater for an unforgettable day retreat, featuring speakers from the Christian Brothers, Campus Ministry, and the student body. All are welcome! Sign up with the Office of Campus Ministry.
BE A PEN PAL WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN!
Do you have 10 minutes to spare? Project pen pal is a collaborative initiative with Character and Virtue Education and Campus Ministry. If interested, contact eve@smumn.edu.
JOIN THE KNIGHTS
The Knights of Columbus are accepting members. This is a Catholic fraternity on campus that promotes faith and charitable works. Contact Isaiah Lippert at ijlipp17@smumn.edu to learn more.
The election is coming! The USCCB offers a resource to prepare your conscience.
LEBANON NEEDS YOUR HELP
Please donate to the Beirut Relief Fund
In the middle of the Corona virus outbreak and the dire economic situation in Lebanon, a devastating explosion rocked the beautiful city of Beirut. Over 190 souls have been lost, 6,000 injured, and hundreds of thousands of residents have become homeless. The physical damage has been estimated in the billions of dollars. Please donate generously through our church or the all-volunteer Caritas organization. Two ways to give are below.
Students featured on MPR discussion about elections
Clare Bath, president of Saint Mary’s College Democrats, and Jonathon Krull, president of the university’s College Republicans, were featured this morning on MPR News with Kerri Miller, as she and guests discussed “Could 2020 be the year of the young voter?” Check out the interview. Our students begin participating around 16:13.
A reminder of library safety protocols
Congratulations, Cardinals! We are more than half way through our fall semester, and the number of COVID-19 cases on campus remains low. This can be attributed to the entire Saint Mary’s community and our commitment following the safety protocols put in place to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19.
Library staff worked hard this fall to reopen safely, and they are asking that everyone continue to follow safety guidelines to remain healthy and safe. Study rooms and enclosed study carrels are available for students to use without a mask, if they so choose. Students may reserve a study room or use an enclosed study carrel (no reservation required), located along the exterior of each level of the library. Cleaning supplies are provided at disinfecting stations on each level of the library so that students can disinfect spaces to their comfort level.
To maintain safe spaces, masks must be worn correctly (covering the mouth and nose) at all times in our library common areas, open study carrels, classrooms, and computer labs. Beverages are allowed in common areas, but please replace your mask immediately after taking a drink. Eating is allowed only in study rooms and enclosed study carrels. Campus Safety will escort patrons out of the library if they are non-compliant with Saint Mary’s mask policy.
Thank you. Let’s finish the semester strong, Cardinals!
Cardinal student-athletes lend helping hands
Saint Mary’s University student-athletes rolled up their sleeves to help beautify Winona and Saint Mary’s Winona Campus during last weekend’s All-Athlete Service Day.
Within their teams, more than 150 student-athletes picked up trash at various times and in various locations around Winona — including Unity Park; Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth streets in downtown Winona; Levee Park; Garvin Heights; Winona Senior High School; Prairie Island Park; Bud King Ice Arena; Memorial Park; Veterans Memorial Park; and the Saint Mary’s cross country trails.
“I’m incredibly thankful for all of the participation we received from athletes on campus on Saturday,” said Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Community Outreach Chair Carson Sheridan, a member of the women’s hockey team. “It was a great way to help out our community, as well as spend time with our respective teams.
“We hope to make service a regular occurrence among all athletes at Saint Mary’s by continuing to plan various all-athlete service days to foster that participation within each team.”
SAAC adviser and fastpitch softball assistant coach Sam Borawski added: “I am extremely proud of our student-athletes and their commitment to service and the community. Thank you to all of our teams and student-athletes who participated in making this event a success, and to our SAAC members — led by outreach chair Carson Sheridan — for all their efforts in the successful planning of our event.”
224 students complete Green Bandana Project training
Four Green Bandana Project mental health trainings — presented by Mental Health Counselor Kat Freihammer of the Jay Johnson Wellness Center — were held Sept, 23, 28, 30, and Oct. 7. A total of 224 students on our campus are now trained in mental health 101. Of these 224, 131 of those participants were student-athletes.
Those who have completed the training are given a green bandana to attach to their backpacks — along with small bag tags containing resources such as on-campus services or off-campus organizations. The bandanas indicates that the wearer is a trained and safe individual to approach with mental health-related issues, knows where the resources are, and can help connect others to various outlets to provide help and support in a time of crisis.
Run 2 for SMU: support the Green Bandana project
This October, let’s focus on becoming mentally healthier, as mental health is the foundation to physical health. To encourage public action, the Student Success Center will be hosting a virtual walk in order to raise mental health awareness.
The event begins Friday, Oct. 23, at 6 a.m. and ends Sunday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. Grab your family, social distance with your friends, and join the fun from wherever you are. Complete this virtual “2-mile” race at your own pace, place, and time.
Upon registration, you have the choice to order a OneTeam T-shirt to signify no one has to fight their battles alone. We are in this together and we are OneTeam.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the mental health initiative, The Green Bandana Project, on Saint Mary’s Winona Campus.
Learn more about the project. Donations will be accepted, and 100% of the proceeds will support building awareness of mental health resources on campus.
Register for Run “2” For SMU and complete your miles the weekend of Oct. 23-25. This is a kid-friendly event, so encourage the whole family to join you. No matter where you are, we can run against the stigma of mental health together.
What to expect?
Step 1: Register for the Event.
Step 2: Donate or purchase a T-shirt to build awareness of mental health resources on the Saint Mary’s Winona Campus if you so choose!
Step 3: Select your route! You can utilize websites such as Map My Run to map a 2-mile route in your area. You may run, walk, bike, or Rollerblade the 2 miles!
Step 4: Complete your 2 miles, and don’t forget to take pictures!!
Step 5: Upload pictures of yourself wearing your race bib, a screenshot of your participation results, and/or even your running trail to social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #Run2ForSMU and make the post public so we can view it.
* If you don’t have social media, email your pictures to studentsuccess@smumn.edu, and we can share on our social media accounts.
Student Senate minutes, Oct. 20
Student Senate – Oct. 20, 2020
The meeting was called to order by President Kendall Archer at 7 p.m.
A prayer was offered by Collin van Waardenberg
Members present
Cece Abel (proxy David Gutierez), Kendall Archer, Samantha Carlson, Larkin Clem (proxy Isaiah Schultz), Sarah Fowler, Mary Furlong, Megan Kowalis, Jonathon Krull, Allison Moysis, Tara Nikolich, Nicole Noreen, Lyanna Novak, Enitan Onayiga, Sophia O’Neil, Marcos Pedroza, Angel Sacta Espinoza, Joseph Schauf, Collin van Waardenburg, Destiny Walker, and Elijah Williams
Members absent
Lillian Klein, Abigail Lang, and Thomas Magnavite
Members excused
Cece Abel (proxy David Gutierez), Larkin Clem (proxy Isaiah Schultz), Jake Emeott, Gabriel Graves, Noah Kimel, and Ryan Stoynich
Discussion Items
- Executive Board Updates
- Kendall Archer, president
- Campaign to go home safely
- Info on what to do to go home safely; more updates coming up
- Campaign to go home safely
- Marcos Pedroza, vice president of Media and Communications
- Working with Working with Megan, vice president of Public Affairs, on election social media posts
- Angel Sacta Espinosa, vice president for Campus Affairs
- Contacted those interested in the Capital Improvement Committee
- Nicole Noreen, vice president for Financial Affairs
- The first financial request was received, will be coming up soon before Student Senate
- Destiny Walker, vice president for Multicultural Affairs
- No report
- Mary Furlong, vice president for Academic Affairs
- No report; have a good week!
- Elijah Williams, vice president for Student Life
- Pushing forward on Chartwells, update coming next week
- Megan Kowalis, vice president for Public Affairs
- No report
- Jonathon Krull, executive assistant
- Attend the civil discourse event on Thursday (Oct. 22) at 7 p.m. prior to the final presidential debate
- Zoom link will be in the CommUNITY newsletter
- Attend the civil discourse event on Thursday (Oct. 22) at 7 p.m. prior to the final presidential debate
- Sarah Fowler, SAC president
- Hot Cocoa and Coffee Thursday morning 8:30-10:30 a.m. in the plaza
- Pumpkin patch Friday at 6 p.m.
- Marisa Quinn, adviser
- No report
- Kendall Archer, president
- Class Officer Reports
- Freshmen: No report
- Sophomore: No report
- Junior: No report
- Senior: No report
- Motion to Adjourn
- Motioned by Joseph Schauf
- Seconded by Enitan Onayiga
- Time 7:16 p.m.
This week in Campus Ministry
PRAYER SERVICE FOR AN END TO RACIAL INJUSTICE
Thursday | Oct. 22 | 7 p.m. | Saint Thomas More Chapel
Campus Ministry will be hosting an ecumenical prayer service next week to pray for an end to racial discrimination and injustice. Please pray with us for peace in our nation and for an end to racism.
CAMPUS MINISTRY MOVIE NIGHT: ‘A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS’
Friday | Oct. 23 | 7 p.m. | Salvi Lecture Hall
BE A PEN PAL WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN!
Do you have 10 minutes to spare? Project pen pal is a collaborative initiative with Character and Virtue Education and Campus Ministry. If interested, contact eve@smumn.edu.
JOIN THE KNIGHTS
The Knights of Columbus are accepting members. This is a Catholic fraternity on campus that promotes faith and charitable works. Contact Isaiah Lippert at ijlipp17@smumn.edu to learn more.
The election is coming! The USCCB offers a resource to prepare your conscience.
SAC events: Oct. 21-24
ALL students are invited to join SAC for the following events:
SAC Coffee and Cocoa
Thursday, Oct. 22
8-11 a.m. in the plaza
Get a FREE cup of coffee or cocoa from a SAC member as a treat from SAC to you! Also, learn more about upcoming events and about how you could become a part of SAC!
Saint Mary’s Pumpkin Patch
Friday, Oct. 23
6 p.m. in Saint Ed’s Field (the field between the Toner Student Center and Vlazny Hall)
Since we are not able to take a trip to the pumpkin farm, SAC is bringing the pumpkin farm to you! Visit the SMU Pumpkin Patch to pick out your own pumpkin. Carving stations will also be available. Don’t want a pumpkin? Stop by for apple cider donuts and hot cocoa. This is FREE to anyone in the Saint Mary’s community!
Interested in Joining SAC?
SAC is open to all students, and more members are needed to help plan and execute fun events on campus. How do you join? Simply attend a virtual SAC meeting, held Mondays at 8 p.m via Zoom. The SAC executive board meets right before the general meeting, so don’t worry if they are finishing up some conversations when you join.
Can’t make Mondays work? Please email Sarah Fowler, SAC president, at safowl17@smumn.edu.
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