Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterStop by the Merle Wilberding ’66 Alumni Room
Campus is once again alive and busy with students and so is the Merle Wilberding ’66 Alumni Room! Stop on by the Alumni Room in Toner Student Center today to check out our new displays, see the latest happenings from the Office of Advancement team, participate in fun contests, and find resources to connect you to the larger Saint Mary’s community and beyond!
Urgent advocacy request: Double the Pell Grant
We continue to ask for your advocacy on efforts to double the Pell Grant. 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.
- Reduce student debt.
At Saint Mary’s, Pell Grants are critical, helping 472 (29%) 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, 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. 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 at doublepell.org/take-action.
Your contact with your federal elected officials can make a real difference.
Thank you.
Health portal open for COVID-19 vaccination requirement
As communicated on Aug. 23, Saint Mary’s University is launching a health portal for all students, faculty, staff to file proof of vaccination or to file an exemption. (Required forms are available through the portal.) The health portal is now open.
This portal is FERPA and HIPAA compliant, confidential, and can be accessed using the same user name and password associated with other university systems. This is the same portal the College has used for other vaccinations and health records. College students who have previously filed this information do not need to complete it again. College students who have previously submitted proof of their vaccination, can go to “My Profile” and select “Immun. History” to verify their submissions are on file.
Once logged into the portal, individuals will have two options.
To submit proof of vaccination:
- Select “My Forms” and then click “COVID-19 Immunization History.”
- Select the type of vaccination and date(s) received.
- Upload an image of your vaccination card (i.e., a picture from your phone).
- Click “Submit.”
To file an exemption:
- Select “My Forms” and then click “COVID-19 Immunization History.”
- Access forms to obtain a medical or non-medical exemption.
- Upload completed forms (i.e., a picture from your phone).
- Medical exemptions will require a doctor’s statement.
- Non-medical exemptions will require a notarized signature.
- Click “Submit.”
All documentation related to this process will be managed through the health portal. Individuals are required to file proof of vaccination or a completed exemption by Oct. 8. Please be sure to complete the vaccination form as well as upload your vaccination card. Once submitted, you will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can go back into your portal later to check that the correct forms have been completed and uploaded.
Reference the COVID-19 website for additional information and resources, including:
- Information on obtaining the vaccine
- How to replace a lost vaccine card
- Information on exemptions
If you have difficulty accessing the portal or uploading a document, please contact the HelpDesk at helpdesk@smumn.edu. Other questions can be directed to covid@smumn.edu.
Ann Merchlewitz
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Ben Murray
Executive Vice President and CFO
Brian Schmisek
Provost and Dean of Faculties
Recommendations for wearing a mask
As the university continues with its masking mandate, we want to offer a gentle reminder about the appropriate type of masks to wear and the appropriate way to wear a mask. Please wear masks with two or more layers of tightly woven fabric. We recommend a mask with a nose wire to prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask. Face coverings made of thinner, loosely woven, or single-layer fabric such as certain types of masks, scarves, neck gaiters, or bandanas are not appropriate as they are not as effective for blocking droplets that come out when speaking, coughing, or sneezing. They should be used only if nothing else is available. Any masks that incorporate a valve that is designed to facilitate easy exhaling, mesh masks, masks that do not fit securely across the nose and mouth, or masks with openings, holes, visible gaps in the design or material, or vents are NOT sufficient face coverings because they allow droplets to be released from the mask. Such masks do not comply with the university’s masking mandate.
A mask must cover the nose and mouth completely and fit snugly against your face without gaps. The mask should not be overly tight or restrictive and should feel comfortable to wear. If you wear glasses, find a mask that fits closely over your nose or one that has a nose wire to limit fogging. Do NOT touch the mask when wearing it. If you often have to touch or adjust your mask, it does not fit you properly and you may need to find a different mask or make adjustments. Wash your mask after each time you wear it.
Proper etiquette for asking others to comply with mask rules
Generally speaking, steer clear of the person not wearing a face mask or not wearing one correctly. While it can be frustrating to see someone violate university COVID-19 protocols, confronting someone about masking can become an unsafe situation. Also, making someone feel violated, ashamed or embarrassed only makes them less likely to become compliant. If you know the person’s name, you can pass it on to Student Affairs if the person is a student or to Human Resources if the person is an employee.
However, if you feel comfortable with the situation, we would recommend the following strategies:
- Be polite and discreet. Try to quietly speak to the individual at a safe distance so just the two of you can hear.
- Quote the experts. Cite Minnesota Department of Health recommendations and university policy when making your request. If you don’t make the situation personal, the individual may be more compliant. Focus on the general health of the university community and the university’s desire to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.
- “All of the information we have right now says that wearing a face mask is one way to keep yourself and others safe. Would you be willing to put your mask on or pull it up over your nose?”
- “The university has required that everyone in the community wear a face mask to protect each other. Would you be willing to put your mask on or pull it up over your nose?”
- “Hey there. I just wanted to ask, can you please follow university policy and wear a mask/wear your mask correctly for the good of the university community?”
- “Would you mind wearing your face mask correctly as that helps mitigate against the spread of COVID-19 on campus, which is what we all want.”
- If the person is wearing the face covering under their chin, simply draw their attention discretely and tap your mask. This subtle gesture may be sufficient to diffuse the situation.
Always remember that the person may not be wearing a mask due to medical reasons, so please be respectful.
Former Science and Learning Center and newly renovated Adducci Science Center to be called Aquinas Hall
Last week, we blessed the newly renovated building on our Winona Campus. The building, now known as Aquinas Hall, encompasses the section formerly known as the Adducci Science Center’s Hoffman and Brother Charles Halls and what was formerly known as the Science and Learning Center.
The entire adjoined building will utilize one name. Architecturally, both portions of the facility were designed to look and feel like one continuous building.
Shifting to this new name, including updating signage, web references, and more, will take time but has begun. Moving forward, please update materials to reference Aquinas Hall in all appropriate places that you manage or influence. Please be patient as this transition is made.
Aquinas Hall is named after Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Dominican Catholic theologian, philosopher, and priest who is the patron saint of students, philosophers, academics, universities, and schools. That our newest and most innovative building would bear his name is appropriate, and we are grateful to have him watching over the collaborative learning that will be taking place inside.
Combining the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason, Aquinas asserted that “both kinds of knowledge ultimately come from God” and were therefore compatible. Not only were they compatible, according to Thomas’s ideology, but they could also work in collaboration: He believed that revelation could guide reason and prevent it from making mistakes, while reason could clarify and demystify faith.
This also marks a return of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the Winona Campus, as Vlazny Hall, constructed in 1953, was formerly known as Aquinas Hall.
Aquinas Hall signage will be installed sometime this fall. The Advancement and Marketing and Communication team is working on a recognition wall for Brother Charles Severin, FSC, Ph.D., and John Hoffman, Ph.D., our legendary and long-term science faculty, for whom the two wings of the original building were honorifically named. The Adducci family also continues to be recognized inside for their generous sponsorship of the Anthony ’59 and Sandra Adducci Family Makerspace.
A public dedication for the newly renovated and named building will be held Friday, Oct. 15. More information will be shared at a later date.
Photo caption: A blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Aug. 24 for Aquinas Hall as part of Convocation. A public dedication will be held Friday, Oct. 15.
Meet our new faculty: Megan Girtman, biology
Megan Girtman ’06, Ph.D., joined Saint Mary’s University as an assistant professor of biology on Aug. 23.
A 2006 undergraduate alumna of Saint Mary’s biology program, Girtman has spent the past 12 years working in cancer research. She is excited to bring her real-world knowledge to the classroom.
“One of the best things about being a biology teacher is the ability to apply what we learn in the classroom to scientific experiments in the lab,” said Girtman. “Even if students do not choose a science-related career, the ability to use the scientific method in practice is a valuable life-long skill that can be used to ask and answer questions about the world around them.”
Girtman’s previous experience includes course-contracted teaching at Rochester Community and Technical College. She was also recently a postdoctoral fellow at the Kabara Cancer Research Institute at the Gundersen Medical Foundation and previously a postdoctoral fellow at Mayo Clinic.
“I am particularly interested in understanding the interactions between immune cells and cells within the tumor microenvironment. I believe that if we can learn more about what types of cells are present and the interactions they make with one another, we can customize therapies that enhance the antitumor response,” Girtman said.
Her lab experience includes training technicians, undergraduate, and graduate students, visiting physicians, and other postdoctoral fellows. She earned her Ph.D. in immunology from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, an accomplishment she is particularly proud of.
“When I started graduate school, I already had a family, and during graduate school, I welcomed two more children. I was fortunate to have mentors that understood the importance of supporting students who were working hard in school while also balancing family life,” she explained. “I am proud I was able to be my own advocate and have a rewarding graduate school experience, and I was incredibly blessed to have my three kids and husband present when I walked across the stage to receive my diploma.”
As a Saint Mary’s alumna, Girtman said her own teaching philosophies strongly align with the Lasallian core principles.
“As a Saint Mary’s undergraduate student, I felt privileged to be receiving such a high quality of education from hard-working, compassionate teachers and staff members. I am looking forward to being a part of the incredible staff in the biology department and I hope to continue the legacy of providing superior education while developing life-long bonds with the students at this university,” Girtman said.
Registration open for CELT’s diversity and human dignity workshop series
Saint Mary’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) is thrilled to announce the launch of a new workshop series on diversity and human dignity, open to faculty in both Winona and the Twin Cities campuses starting this September. The workshop series will be facilitated by Leon Dixon, vice president of inclusion and human dignity, and Carrie Wandler, Ed.D., our new interim director of CELT, and will focus on blending theoretical perspectives on human dignity with the practical application of inclusion-based teaching and learning strategies in the classroom.
The workshop series will be offered in a blended format at each campus, with faculty participating in four, face-to-face physically distanced sessions, in addition to completing various discussion and self-reflection exercises online via Canvas.
Minneapolis cohort in-person meeting dates:
All in-person sessions will take place in BLH 105
Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Winona cohort in-person meeting dates:
All in-person sessions will take place in Aquinas Hall (formerly SLC) 200
Wednesday, Sept. 15, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 1, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Spaces are limited and filling fast! Please register via the CELT website.
Online Strategy and Programs team organizational updates
As we turn the page to fall, we continue to underpin our academic support structures to enable the success of our students and faculty. Below are a few organizational updates on the Online Strategy and Programs team that will continue to support the institution while advancing critical university-wide initiatives.
Online Operations
Sarah Dampier has a new title Director of Academic Operations to more fully acknowledge her expanded role in continuing to provide program operations leadership across the university. Additionally, the new title recognizes her expanded high school program responsibilities and leadership of the PACC and Catholic Virtual Academy in partnership with Associate Director Denise Sharrock-Mueller.
Instructional Technology
Abram Hedtke has an expanded role of Director of Instructional Technology across the university and has welcomed two new team members in the last couple of weeks. Please welcome both Jared Oxborrow (housed in Winona) and Garey Gill (housed in Minneapolis), who will join Matt Isiah and Spencer Wanlass, bringing us to 4 Instructional Technologists serving the university’s continued advancement of our Canvas LMS efforts and lending instructional technology support institution-wide.
CELT
Carrie Wandler has been appointed to serve as our Interim Director of CELT and Manager of Online Learning Product Development. Carrie will continue to build on the great traction she has made since joining the university last year leading our Digital Badging initiative. With an Ed.D. in Postsecondary Education, Teaching, and Learning, Carrie will leverage her teaching experience at Boston University and Harvard Extension, along with her academic Program Leadership roles at Colorado Technical University and Argosy University to help us continue to advance our Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching supporting faculty across the institution.
We are grateful for the many contributions this team has made over this past year and look forward to continuing to partner across the institution to support the fall start and advance Saint Mary’s mission and strategic plan in the coming year.
M.S. in Project Management receives reaccreditation
The Saint Mary’s University M.S. in Project Management has successfully completed the accreditation process through Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center (PMI GAC). The accreditation happens every five years and takes a little over a year to complete. Only 40-50 universities in the United States and 130 universities globally have this accreditation.
“PMI’s GAC accreditation is the gold standard of accreditation for project management programs. It ensures that the program aligns with PMI’s standards and practices and meets a high level of academic rigor,” said Bill Johnson, program director.
The accreditation is a comprehensive and detailed process involving a 16-month review of the program and university. The primary components of the process include a letter of intent, self assessment report, site visit, and approval by PMI’s GAC Board of Directors. GAC examines the program’s mission, learning outcomes, curriculum, assessment processes, program information in the public domain, faculty and staff, students and alumni relations, financial resources, university support, and program improvements during this comprehensive process.
“Our program provides students with a comprehensive education to manage projects in the United States and worldwide. Also, it prepares students to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam,” Johnson said. “With this degree and certification, students are ready to lead large and complex projects for organizations and businesses in any industry, including healthcare, manufacturing, IT, retail, and finance, to name a few. It significantly increases the employment opportunities and earning power of graduates.”
The program has been ranked in the top project management programs nationwide, including 8th in the Top Master’s in Project Management Online Degree Programs for 2021 by BestColleges.com. Digital badges and graduate certificates in project management are also available at Saint Mary’s.
Upcoming webinars
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) virtual session
Thursday, Sept. 23, noon to 1 p.m.
Register
Thursday, Sept. 30, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Register
On Aug. 1, PMI released the 7th edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide. The new edition is a significant change from its predecessors moving from a processed-based to a principle-based guide. Alumni and students are invited to join either of these webinars as Bill Johnson, director of the Saint Mary’s project management program, provides an overview of the new guide, how it has changed, and the implications of these changes.
Bishop Quinn named affiliated De La Salle Christian Brother
In recognition of his inspirational dedication to and support of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the Most. Rev. John M. Quinn, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, was named an Affiliated Christian Brother Aug. 25 in the Brothers’ residence on Saint Mary’s University’s Winona Campus.
The highest honor the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools can bestow, affiliation is given to those who have demonstrated knowledge of, interest in, and commitment to the charism and heritage of the Brothers. As an affiliated Brother, the person may use the initials AFSC after their name. These initials stand for Afiliatus Frater Scholarum Christianarum, Latin for Affiliated Brother of the Christian Schools.
Bishop Quinn has had a longstanding connection to the Christian Brothers, beginning with his ministry in Detroit, and he has taught in the Theology Department on the university’s Winona Campus since he arrived in Winona in 2008. He has befriended the Brothers and regularly joins their community for Mass and dinner. Most recently, he received approval from the Vatican to allow the Diocese of Winona-Rochester to officially celebrate the feast of Blessed James Miller (Saint Mary’s alumnus) each Feb. 13.
Bishop Quinn joins a number of previously affiliated De La Salle Brothers connected to Saint Mary’s University including: the late Father Andrew Fabian, OP, AFSC; Mary Catherine Fox, AFSC ’75, Ph.D., Jeffrey Highland, AFSC, Ph.D.; Anthony Piscitiello, AFSC ’69, M’82; and the Rev. Robert Stamchror, AFSC ’57.
Updates from Human Resources
Flu shot clinics
The annual flu shot clinic is scheduled for both the Twin Cities and Winona campuses. Social distancing will be practiced while waiting for your flu shot.
- Twin Cities: Thursday, Sept. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Brother Louis Hall 105
- Winona: Thursday, Oct. 21, from 7:30 a.m. to noon in Toner 14
Tuition exchange applications due Oct. 1
The university is beginning another year as a member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) program. The TE program enables eligible dependent children of faculty and staff to apply for undergraduate scholarships at participating member institutions. A list of more than 700 national colleges and universities participate in the TE program and can be viewed at tuitionexchange.org. If you and your child are interested in applying to the TE program you will be required to complete the four steps below:
- Review the TE policy and print the Saint Mary’s application from the links on the HR website under “Benefits.”
- Submit the Saint Mary’s application with a $35 check to the HR Office by Oct. 1, 2021. Electronic signatures are acceptable.
- Visit tuitionexchange.org and complete their online application (you may select up to 10 schools).
- Child must apply for admission to each school of interest.
The following information is specific to Saint Mary’s membership with TE:
- Dependent children of full-time employees are eligible for tuition scholarships at member schools of TE.
- Applications are reviewed based on the employee’s seniority or other qualifications per the policy.
- Decisions are communicated in November.
If you have applied in past years but have not been awarded a scholarship, you should submit a new application to be reconsidered for fall 2022. If your child is currently receiving a TE scholarship and is continuing in the fall 2022, you should complete a new Saint Mary’s recertification by March 1, 2022. The online TE application is not required for renewals. Saint Mary’s University is also a member of the Catholic College Cooperative Tuition Exchange. You can find information for this program on the HR website under the benefits link or through the Financial Aid Office on the Winona Campus. There is not an application deadline for CCCTE.
Interim DBA program director announced
Jennifer L. Schultz, Ph.D.
Jennifer L. Schultz, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as interim program director of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) while Matt J. Nowakowski, Ed.D., is serving as the interim vice provost for faculties and academic affairs.
Schultz has been a core faculty member of the DBA program since 2018 teaching in the areas of leadership, governance, and research methodology. Beyond teaching and dissertation advising, Schultz has been instrumental in helping DBA students engage in scholarship with the Academy of Management, Midwest Academy of Management, Southwest Academy of Management, and the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. Schultz holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, M.Ed. from the University of Georgia, MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University, and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
Please welcome Schultz to this new role.
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