Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterStudent government update
Hey Cardinals,
Thank you to everyone who voted in last Thursday’s class officer and hall representative election! The results are in:
Sophomore class officers: Joseph Schauf and Sophia O’Neil
Junior class officers: Lyanna Novak and Samantha Carlson
Senior class officers: Gabriel Graves and Jake Emeott
Skemp, Heffron, Lasalle Hall representatives: Lillian Rose Klein and Enitan Tolu Onayiga
Saint Benilde, Gilmore Creek, and Saint Yon’s representatives: Ryan Stoynich and Larkin Clem
Brother William, Bishops, Saint Joseph’s, Hillside Hall representatives: Allison Moysis and Abigail Lang
Brother Leopold and Residencia Santiago Miller Hall representatives: Tara Nikolich and Noah Kiemel
Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary representative: Collin van Waardenburg
International representative: Cece Abel
To the winners, congratulations and thank you for your willingness to impact the Saint Mary’s community.
To the student body, Senate is here to serve as your voice to administration and the greater Winona community, so please do not hesitate to contact your hall representatives or class officers if you have any questions or concerns! Senate meetings occur every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29, and you are more than welcome to join us. Email me at kxarch16@smumn.edu for the Zoom link.
As a reminder, today is our last round of elections for the 2020-21 school year. Cast your vote for the representative at-large position today from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thank you,
Kendall Archer
Student Senate President
News from athletics
The Cardinals Nest
The Cardinals Nest is a show devoted exclusively to Saint Mary’s University athletics, hosted by Donny Nadeau, sports information director, and Dean Beckman, faculty athletic representative. The duo welcomed men’s soccer juniors Eli Szymanski and Wally Barros to their first show on Sept. 15 (watch), while Elise Amerogen and Rachel Kedl from the volleyball team made their appearance on Sept. 21 (watch).
Beyond The Nest
Saint Mary’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) created the Beyond the Nest initiative to highlight the many accomplishments, projects, and activities of our student-athletes off the field of competition. Beyond the Nest is highlighting various student-athletes and their project or club through the @SMUMNSAAC Twitter account, which will continue throughout the school year. Help celebrate these student-athletes and the numerous ways they stay active within our community.
Clare Pattersom (watch)
Taner Moris (watch)
Justine Schultz (watch)
Diversity Café is back for the 2020-21 academic year
Diversity Café is a weekly series of presentations and facilitated discussions that cover topics related to culture, race, gender, biases, language, identities, and abilities (among many others). These events are planned and moderated by a committee made up of students, faculty, and staff on the Winona Campus. All sessions are open to members of the Saint Mary’s community. View a list of upcoming and previous topics.
This year, sessions will take place over Zoom on most Wednesdays from 12:15 to 1:05 p.m. Upcoming fall semester meetings include:
- Wednesday, Sept. 30
- Wednesday, Oct. 21
- Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Wednesday, Nov. 4
- Wednesday, Nov. 11
- Wednesday, Nov. 18
New this year, we’re in the process of having Diversity Café sessions count toward cultural engagement experiences for the IGEP program. We’ll have more information on that later.
If you’re interested in joining the emailing list with weekly Google calendar invites and reminders, please contact Miles Dunna at mdunna@smumn.edu. We hope you join us at the next session!
The Diversity Café Committee
Updates on spring 2021
Dear Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota community,
Many thanks for your dedication to our collective health, safety, and well-being. Due to our careful planning efforts and your diligent cooperation, we have had a successful beginning to the fall semester. Through careful consideration, analysis of the available data concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, and based on our experience thus far, the university is planning for the continuance of academic operations in spring 2021. Accommodations and protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to promote the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff established for the fall will remain in place for the spring.
We plan for undergraduate students to return to the Winona Campus for in-person instruction and on-campus experiences for the spring 2021 semester, though with a modified academic calendar (see below).
For the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses, in consultation with the deans of each school, a hybrid approach, allowing some in-person instruction for select programs with online learning for others, is planned.
The COVID-19 planning webpage, Steadfast and Resilient, continues to communicate general and detailed guidelines. Additional updates will be made through the student CommUNITY newsletters to keep everyone informed of decisions as they are made.
Community is a hallmark of a Saint Mary’s education. We are committed to honoring and following safe ways to sustain the valuable relationships among our faculty, staff, and students as we continue to provide a challenging, motivating, and engaging higher education experience within our Lasallian Catholic mission.
CALENDARS
For our undergraduates in Winona, we will delay the start of the semester by two weeks to Monday, Jan. 25. To end the semester and have commencement as planned, despite a later start date, we will eliminate Spring Break and Easter Break and will move final exams back by two days. Classes will be held until 1 p.m. on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The university is planning Holy Triduum services to be celebrated on the Winona Campus, so students will be encouraged to stay. Easter Monday will be a regular class day. Finals will be moved to the first week of May (Monday, May 3; Tuesday, May 4; Wednesday, May 5; and Thursday, May 6).
Commencement in Winona is scheduled for May 8. A decision will be made later as to whether this will be a virtual or an in-person event. But either way, commencement will be on May 8.
For the SGPP, there are no changes to the spring semester or its terms. For example, as planned, there are no classes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Commencement will be held virtually on Saturday, Jan. 23, as previously announced; and there are no classes on Good Friday or Easter Monday. May and June commencement ceremonies are as scheduled, though a decision will be made later as to whether each is virtual or in-person.
A four-year public facing calendar is available.
We trust that together we can continue to find workable solutions for the many challenges we face. In the meantime, thank you for your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we work to provide the best teaching and learning environments for our students and the best working environment for our faculty and staff.
Together, we are Saint Mary’s.
Lasallian Dialogue on Racism: A Global Pandemic
You’re invited to join this upcoming virtual event:
Lasallian Dialogue on Racism: A Global Pandemic
Thursday, Sept. 24, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. (CST)
Presented by the International Association for Lasallian Universities (IALU)
The (virtual) Writing Center is open!
Staffed by peer and professional tutors, the Writing Center will help you at all phases of the writing process, from understanding an assignment to brainstorming, drafting, and revising.
The Writing Center is fully online this semester, with two options for assistance: Zoom meetings and email sessions. To make an appointment, go to write.smumn.edu, select UNDERGRAD (WINONA), and Get Help with a Paper (Winona). While you’re on our website, check out our many resources on grammar, citation style, and other topics!
If you have questions about how to make an appointment, please contact us at write@smumn.edu or 612-728-5154.
Upcoming SAC events, Sept. 24-26
The Student Activities Committee (SAC) invites the Saint Mary’s community to the following events:
Zumba in the Plaza
Thursday, Sept. 24
7:30 p.m. in the Plaza
Masks are required the entire time. SAC hopes you enjoy this FREE workout class!
Disney Trivia
Saturday, Sept. 26
8 p.m. in the President’s Lounge of Toner Center by Campus Safety
Masks are required the entire time. Teams of four or less, preferably roommates or people in your “family unit.” Max of 40 participants. Incredible prizes are available to the first, second, and third place teams.
Want to be a part of the SAC planning team? All are welcome! SAC meets Mondays at 8 p.m. via Zoom. If you would like more information, email rise@smumn.edu.
Upcoming Campus Ministry events
New this week
DAY OF PRAYER & FASTING | THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
All people of good will are invited to take part in a day of prayer and fasting on Thursday, Sept. 24, for the intentions of God’s mercy on the country and the healing and conversion of our hearts, especially in light of the ongoing pandemic and civil unrest.
LASALLIAN DIALOGUE ON RACISM: A GLOBAL PANDEMIC | THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Presented by the International Association for Lasallian Universities (IALU)
Join the conversation
LIFENIGHT | FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 | 7 P.M. | ST. THOMAS MORE CHAPEL
LIFENIGHT is back! Join us for student testimony, praise and worship, adoration, and confession!
Every week
QUO VADIS | MONDAYS at 7 P.M. | SAINT MARY’S 102
Life’s big question’s, Catholic answers. All faith traditions are welcome, Catholic or not. Contact Brian Kusek at bkusek@smumn.edu to sign up (or come play games in the plaza before at 6:30 p.m.).
APOLOGETICS | WEDNESDAYS at 4 P.M. | SAINT MARY’S 102
Want to learn how to explain your faith? Join the conversation on Wednesdays in Saint Mary’s Hall.
JOIN A BIBLE STUDY!
FOCUS Missionaries, peer ministers, staff, and seminarians all host bible studies for different groups with varying interests. Sign up by emailing campusministry@smumn.edu.
New graduate certificate approved
The Higher Learning Commission has approved the newest Saint Mary’s Accelerator.
The graduate certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship will be added to the suite of 11 others launched in August to create flexible pathways to degree completion for adult learners, a key component of our strategic plan. The certificate was designed by Christine Beech, D.M., executive director of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and assistant professor of business, in response to the strong need for entrepreneurship education for the Rochester, Minn., market. While only available online in the spring, we are looking forward to offering it at the Rochester Campus, once restrictions due to COVID-19 have eased, as well as online.
These 12 newest graduate certificates are among 20 offered by Saint Mary’s and greatly expand our ability to reach new and more diverse audiences.
Fairmont administrators share connections beyond the classroom
Andy Traetow M’07, C’13, elementary school co-principal; Alex Schmidt C’13, junior/senior high school co-principal; Jake Tietje C’13, C’16, junior/senior high school co-principal; Kim Niss C’13, K-12 principal of curriculum and research; and Michelle Rosen M’96, C’05, elementary principal; have more than one thing in common.
Besides their passion for educating others, they also share a bond established by their connections to the Fairmont School District and strengthened by their Saint Mary’s education.
These five all serve as administrators in the Fairmont School District and received their K-12 Principal graduate certificate at Saint Mary’s. In fact, four of the five were in the same cohort which graduated in 2013. A cohort model brings together a small team of students to collaborate in convenient locations across the state. Classes are taken in a specific order and students stay with the same group of students throughout the program.
“Being able to draw from the experiences of colleagues and those who have the same ambitions within the educational field was extremely valuable,” said Traetow, who also received his M.A. in Education from Saint Mary’s. “You get varying perspectives from different school districts in the area. The idea sharing and generating was really one of the most invaluable experiences.”
Traetow, Schmidt, Tietje, Niss, and Rosen agree it was undoubtedly convenient to attend classes near home, especially given their unique rural setting.
“Convenience was definitely the draw. It was a major advantage to be able to get my degree right here in town, and I became even more interested when I found out they were hiring area supervisors, principals, and professors to teach the classes — people that understood rural education and understood Fairmont,” said Tietje, who also received his superintendency graduate certificate from Saint Mary’s.
“It’s a challenge for rural Minnesota,” said Schmidt. “When you’re in the Twin Cities area, regardless of whether you’re on campus or in a cohort model, you’re going to be within 30 minutes of many schools. Living in Fairmont, you don’t have that option.”
The cohort met in-person weekly for two years as a learning community model at Presentation College in Fairmont, Minn., providing plenty of opportunities to create close professional relationships.
“One of the biggest advantages of the cohort model is the connections you have when you graduate,” said Traetow. “There were a number of times in my first couple years as an administrator where I knew I could call my instructors or classmates with questions. Saint Mary’s gave us that foundation to really build off of. It’s a steep learning curve when you’re thrown into this leadership role, but that base is definitely there and those resources were good to have and lean on.”
As administrators, they’ve encouraged colleagues and staff members to also get their advanced degrees through a cohort model.
“We know the value of it,” said Rosen. “I’ve seen many staff members take and use the cohort method to get their master’s degree or administrative degree. Staff like that we understand what they’re going through. It’s added value to our school system as a whole.”
Although connecting with staff is important, the students they serve always come first.
“My passion absolutely lies with teaching and learning and all the elements that truly bring success to all students,” said Niss.
“When I was in the classroom, that is what I centered my day on, my teaching on — connecting with students and the learning process that happens, said Schmidt. “As a building administrator, you don’t necessarily get the closeness of those relationships with kids, however you get to reach a lot more students being in this role connecting with a variety of different kids in a variety of grade levels.
And you also get to do that with staff too. Once those relationships are built, you can help them be the best teacher they can be. A passion of mine is to help people do the best possible job they can, whether that’s as a teacher or as a student learning.”
Like so many others, their school district has faced challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Tietje said, “There is no playbook for this.” With so much uncertainty, it’s no doubt students, staff, and faculty will need more support.
“The social emotional learning has been huge. To be a leader at this time, we have to look at the health and well-being of our kids and our staff. It’s very stressful,” Rosen said. “We’re really looking for ways we can continue to educate our staff and our students on social emotional learning and learning about feelings. It’s important to be a listening ear right now to staff members when they’re struggling. Not that I didn’t do that before, but it just seems like we’re doing more of that now because of the situation we’re in.”
Through real-world examples, case studies, and engaging discussions led by faculty who were teaching in the field, Saint Mary’s helped prepare these administrators to excel at their jobs. The relationships built through the cohort model proved beneficial.
“I felt prepared to begin as an administrator. I thought Saint Mary’s did an excellent job,” said Tietje. “The content delivered paired with the group we had and the format of the class. We all knew each other before going into that cohort, so we were comfortable. But being together as a cohort led to high-quality discussions about case studies which really helped prepare us and made us more comfortable with one another so we could dive deeper into the content.”
“I don’t know if any program can truly prepare you to be an administrator … but Saint Mary’s did a wonderful job providing the foundational aspects. From the law class, to ethics, to curriculum, to special ed, all of the components were there,” Schmidt said.
Photo caption: From left (back row), Andy Traetow, Alex Schmidt, Jake Tietje, Kim Niss, and Michelle Rosen together at a recent administrators meeting.
This newsletter is expanding!
Some exciting changes are happening to allow for greater flexibility in sharing information about support and services offered to you. We are expanding CommUNITY to three issues each week.
This change will reduce the number of emails you receive on a daily basis. CommUNITY will continue to offer important updates on COVID-19, but also highlight events, news, and announcements.
CommUNITY Pages, a newly created webpage, will offer all of the latest stories, but also an archive of news from various areas like R.I.S.E., Campus Ministry, Career Services, and Residence Life. You can visit CommUNITY Pages at any time for recent updates.
Watch your inbox in the coming days for this newly expanded newsletter. We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on all things happening around campus and throughout the university.
Upcoming Campus Ministry events
New this week
Day of Prayer and Fasting
Thursday, Sept. 24
All people of good will are invited to take part in a day of prayer and fasting on Thursday, Sept. 24, for the intentions of God’s mercy on the country and the healing and conversion of our hearts, especially in light of the ongoing pandemic and civil unrest.
Lasallian Dialogue on Racism: A Global Pandemic
Thursday, Sept. 24
Presented by the International Association for Lasallian Universities (IALU)
Join the conversation
LIFENIGHT
Friday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
LIFENIGHT is back! Join us in the Saint Thomas More Chapel for student testimony, praise and worship, adoration, and confession.
Every week
Apologetics
Want to learn how to explain your faith? Join the conversation Wednesdays in St. Mary’s Hall.
Quo Vadis
Life’s big questions, Catholic answers. All faith traditions are welcome. Option for virtual or in-person participation. Email campusministry@smumn.edu to sign up.
Bible study
FOCUS missionaries, peer ministers, staff, and seminarians all host Bible studies for different groups with varying interests. Option for virtual or in-person participation. Email campusministry@smumn.edu to sign up.
Tutoring and peer learning assistance
You too can have success through tutoring and peer learning!
To learn more, visit smumn.joinknack.com and sign in with your Saint Mary’s student account.
If you have any questions about working with tutors, email Joe Dulak at jdulak@smumn.edu. If you experience any technical difficulties with Knack, email support@joinknack.com. If you need help writing papers, contact the Saint Mary’s Writing Center.
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