Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterCanceled: International Symposium on Lasallian Research
Given the many still unknown factors about the coronavirus and its new and sometimes more transmissible and serious variations, we have made the decision to cancel the International Lasallian Research Symposium, which had been scheduled for Oct. 1-3, 2021, on our Twin Cities Campus.
During the coming months, we will continue to plan for the future, exploring ways that continue to enable our global Lasallian family — in particular the world of Lasallian higher education — to come together to exchange ideas, share practices, and strengthen our networks around the world.
In the meantime, let us hold each other, our loved ones, our institutions, and our world in heart and prayer.
Brother Robert Smith, FSC ’76, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for University Initiatives
Special Advisor to the President
Executive Director, Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership
Brian Schmisek, Ph.D.
Provost and Dean of Faculties
Brother Frank Carr receives award
Brother Frank Carr, FSC
The Office of Student Affairs announces Brother Frank Carr, FSC, minister to the athletic department, is the recipient of the Brother Finbar McMullen Award (Residence Life).
This award is presented annually to a professional member of the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota campus, who has followed in the traditions of Brother Finbar McMullen, FSC, who served Saint Mary’s as the director of Aquinas (Vlazny) Hall for 13 years. We honor a member of our community who, like Brother Finbar, demonstrates him/herself to be an individual who unselfishly meets the needs of the undergraduate students of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. The recipient has positively impacted the residential community and is compassionate about the concerns of young people.
Twin Cities Business names Wieser as leader in higher education
After leaving the corporate world to work in a university setting, it didn’t take long for Michelle Wieser, Ph.D., to know higher education was where she would want to spend her professional life.
Wieser — now serving as the dean of business and technology at Saint Mary’s University — was recently named one of the 2021 Notable Leaders in Higher Education by Twin Cities Business.
Wieser has spent the past 17 years working at various colleges and universities, which has helped her drive innovation at Saint Mary’s for the past two years.
“I think one of the things that has really helped me as I’ve risen to bigger leadership roles in higher education is that I do have a diverse background working for different types of educational institutions in different roles,” she said. “And I’ve been able to bring all of that with me into my role at Saint Mary’s, which has helped tremendously.”
Wieser began her work in higher education in 2004 when she took a job at Washington University in St. Louis after spending several years working as a marketing and recruiting professional.
“While I was there, I got bit by the bug, and I knew I would be in higher education from there on out,” she said.
After leaving Washington University, Wieser came to the Twin Cities, where she began working for the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. There, Wieser focused on building partnerships with major employers with the goal of having those businesses hire the school’s graduates. She continued on the path of working in higher education, serving in several roles at St. Catherine University, including interim dean for the School of Business.
Wanting to use her entrepreneurial skills to build something from the ground up, Wieser turned her eyes to Saint Mary’s.
“My whole philosophy I presented when interviewing here was based on three pillars: strengthen, innovate, and differentiate,” she said. “I told a story that I needed to come in as a leader and help strengthen what we already do very well; I need to find ways to innovate, and lastly, we need to differentiate ourselves and our offerings in a way that brings our mission to life.”
Wieser says those pillars continue to be her guiding light at Saint Mary’s. And she says she has seen success by following the goals set out by those pillars.
Where she has seen the most success with her philosophy is in the area of innovation. Soon after starting at the university, Wieser helped develop the Saint Mary’s Accelerators program, a grouping of master’s level certificates that can be stacked onto a degree or taken individually. A part of the school’s strategic plan, the launch of the program was highlighted in Twin Cities Business’ profile of Wieser. She has also spent a large portion of time looking at the School of Business and Technology’s majors, courses, and enrollment practices to see how Saint Mary’s can differentiate itself from other institutions in the region.
While her previous experience in higher education played a role in the successes she’s seen at Saint Mary’s, she says the university and its leadership have been extremely supportive of her work that is now being recognized by Twin Cities Business.
“I feel that my leaders have confidence in me to do what’s right for the organization, and that’s really empowering,” she said.
Wieser has also spent a lot of her professional time researching gender and race in business education, which she says sets her apart as a leader in higher education.
“I’m just deeply passionate about diversity and how students make their way to graduate business education and what they achieve after that, how those results differ, and what I can do to help change the world in whatever small way I can,” she said.
Moving into the future, Wieser looks forward to addressing the needs of the undergraduate college with the same spirit of innovation that helped her be named one of Minnesota’s notable leaders in higher education. For her, that includes continuing to evolve the School of Business and Technology by building connections between the school’s undergraduate and graduate programs. She also looks forward to building upon the programs at Saint Mary’s Rochester Campus, an area where she sees “endless potential and opportunities.”
“I definitely see myself keeping busy and having enough challenge and variety that makes this rewarding for a really long time,” she said.
COVID-19 additional clarification on protocols
Employees,
Over the past week, we have received a number of questions regarding our fall 2021 protocols relative to the COVID-19 pandemic. Listed below is additional information to assist you in preparing for the start of the fall term. Additionally, we continue to update the Q&As on smumn.edu/covidplanning. Please refer to this website for all information related to our protocols.
As a Catholic Lasallian university, we are committed to serving our students, “together and by association.” Many of our students enrolled at Saint Mary’s to experience in-person instruction and, specifically at the College, a robust campus life experience. Protocols are designed to support on-campus operations and meet student expectations while maintaining strong safety protocols. We want to clarify some of the questions we are hearing.
Classroom instruction
In-person instruction is the expectation for all classes, except for those classes that are part of a fully online degree program. Certain classes on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses will move online or to a hybrid format due to facility constraints in accommodating physical distancing. These classes have already been updated in the faculty and student portals. Classes cannot change delivery modality without approval of the respective program director and school dean. To be clear, no individual faculty member and no program director may change the delivery modality of a class or program without these approvals.
Student and campus services
All offices and services on all campuses are expected to be open and staffed during normal hours to support full campus operations. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring appropriate staffing levels during these hours. Air filtration devices have been installed in some areas with office cubicles. In situations where multiple employees share an office, employees should work with their supervisors to determine options.
Accommodations
The university will grant reasonable accommodations to employees who qualify for such accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employees should contact Human Resources for additional information. Individual supervisors are not authorized to grant remote work as an accommodation to employees without approval from Human Resources.
Reminder of general protocols
We appreciate everyone remembering that masks are required on all our campuses when inside buildings and outside when social distancing is not possible. Masks are not required in individual offices when you are alone. 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.
By staying vigilant and following protocols, we will continue to exhibit the same commitment and flexibility to support our students 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
Ben Murray
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Brian Schmisek
Provost and Dean of Faculties
Faculty spotlight: Mike Mutschelknaus
For over 25 years, Mike Mutschelknaus has worked tirelessly to support students as a professor at Saint Mary’s. Teaching a variety of communication and writing courses both online and in person, Mutschelknaus is an invaluable asset to the School of Business and Technology. He is fueled by the opportunity to help students with diverse backgrounds and experiences discover new insights and pursue their professional goals. Mutschelknaus excels in his role by creating genuine connections with each of his students which allows him to become a close mentor and supporter for them throughout their educational journey and beyond.
We recently had the opportunity to connect with Mutschelknaus to learn more about him both professionally and personally.
What do you focus on in your approach that allows students to excel?
I believe students learn best through motivated self-discovery rather than didactic pedagogy. I strive to incorporate research so that students can discover new insights that can directly apply to their lives.
Tell us what you enjoy most about teaching.
It’s endlessly new, and I truly believe that I learn more from the students than they ever learn from me.
Outside of the classroom, what are some hobbies you enjoy?
Golf and guitar.
What is one of your favorite quotes?
“Do not go gentle into that good night.” – Dylan Thomas
You have incredible experience as a professor. What would you consider to be one of the highlights of your career?
I enjoy teaching and mentoring a wide variety of students, from refugees in citizenship classes to graduate students working on original research.
How can students contact you?
Students can connect with me on LinkedIn.
School of Business and Technology leads the way in micro-credentials
Since the start of 2021, Saint Mary’s has partnered with Credly, an industry leader in digital credentials, to issue over 1,000 badges to students in the School of Business and Technology, tied to in-demand skills in accounting, artificial intelligence, business analytics, healthcare analytics, human resource management, finance, project management, geographic information science and data engineering.
Over 750 credentials have been accepted and shared throughout professional and social media networks in the School of Business and Technology so far!
These credentials have become valuable additions to our students’ professional portfolios:
- Shauna Spencer, a current business intelligence and data analytics master’s student, was actually pursued and landed a job as a senior business analyst for Renewal by Anderson because of the badges she shared on LinkedIn. As she explains, “I know how much Saint Mary’s has changed my life by being a program that works towards my needs.”
- Jonathan Bruesch, a recent business intelligence and data analytics grad, said that he was getting his master’s and trying to transition into business analytics from another field. Once the badges came out, he shared them all on LinkedIn and even crafted much of his LinkedIn content to showcase them. Bruesch shared that the badges clearly showed prospective employers how job ready he was and he landed a job that he loves at Vanco because of them.
- Marissa Allshouse, a current student in the project management master’s program, shared that it was because of the badging that coworkers of hers at Capital One noticed on LinkedIn that she was taking project management courses and made her aware of a fellowship opportunity within her organization that her coursework at Saint Mary’s was eligible for.
- Akeem Afolabi, a current project management student, is using the badges to look for new opportunities. He shared that Best Buy reached out to him proactively in response to seeing his badges and resume up on LinkedIn and that he has received several additional interview requests after sharing his whole set of badges shortly thereafter. He is excited by how the badges have helped him to be seen and stand out in a highly competitive job market.
Building on the strength of its existing portfolio, the School of Business and Technology is proud to announce the launch of four additional micros-credentials beginning in summer term 2, tied to in-demand skills in the field of project management:
- PRM 612: Project Leadership Team and Stakeholder Management
- PRM 615: Project Procurement Management
- PRM 616: Project Cost and Performance Management
- PRM 620: Agile Projects
We will automatically be issuing badges to students who have successfully completed badged courses beginning in fall 2020 up to the present summer term 2. If students have successfully completed a badged course prior to fall 2020 and would like to receive the corresponding badge(s), we ask that they complete this request form.
Saint Mary’s is thrilled by the energy and enthusiasm students have shown regarding badges and micro-credentials. We look forward to continuing the work to identify and recognize skills-based achievement across the university, helping to ensure that our students are among the most well-prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
To learn more about digital badges and micro-credentials at Saint Mary’s, visit smumn.edu/badges.
Celebrate Bridge Fest Aug. 19
Come celebrate the reopening of the 24th Street Pedestrian Bridge near the Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus in the Phillips West neighborhood with arts, history, eats, and entertainment on both sides of the bridge at Thursday, Aug. 19, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Learn more about Bridge Fest: Celebrating Community Connections
Are you looking for on-campus work?
Saint Mary’s University will be using Handshake once again this year to facilitate your search for 2021-22 on-campus work. Visit Handshake today to view job postings. While you browse, be sure to read the entire job description and application instructions, as departments may have different instructions.
To find and apply to available positions:
- Log into your Handshake account using your Saint Mary’s username and password.
- Take a minute to build or update your profile with your interests, skills, and experience. While you’re at it, upload an updated résumé.
- From the main page, click “Jobs” and type in Saint Mary’s University in the search bar. Then select the “Part-time” and “On-campus” bubbles.
- Browse the jobs available. Jobs that begin with WS are for work study eligible students only. Jobs that begin with SS do not require work study. If you are unsure of whether you qualify for work study, check out the “My Financial Aid” tab in your student portal, or contact Cardinal Central.
- Apply to positions that interest you by clicking on the “Apply” button. Be sure to attach any required documents. Please note, all jobs require a résumé with your contact information, and some may require a course schedule. After that, it is up to the supervisor to review your application and contact you.
If you have any questions, reach out to Cardinal Central at cardinalcentral@smumn.edu or 877-304-4273.
Good luck!
Toner Dining Hall progress
With move-in getting closer and closer, finishing touches are being made to the Toner Dining Hall on our Winona Campus. We can’t wait to see it filled with students!
Move-in day details
Move-in day for new students (freshmen and transfer) is Thursday, Aug. 26. You should have received an email from the Office of Residence Life with a specific time slot to move in. The time slots are either 8 a.m., 11 a.m., or 2 p.m.
Move-in day for returning students (non-transfer sophomores, juniors, and seniors) is Sunday, Aug. 29. On that day, stop by the Office of Residence Life in Vlazny 105 to pick up your room key. The office will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All residents are allowed two people over the age of 12 to help move in. Masks will be required by all individuals while inside any residence hall.
If you have questions about move-in day, please contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@smumn.edu or 507-457-1640.
See you soon!
COVID-19 planning
Students,
We thank you for your flexibility, patience, and support as the university readies for the fall semester and plans and adapts as needed. As we have stated throughout the pandemic and in our most recent communications, we continue to closely follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), as well as transmission levels in the communities in which our campuses are located. As fluctuations occur quickly, we appreciate your responsiveness and adaptability.
We will communicate any updates in a timely manner and direct you to smumn.edu/covidplanning, which is the best source of up-to-date information. There, we have resumed our COVID-19 tracking dashboard and have added a question-and-answer section that we are updating as new questions arise. We will also be restarting the COVID-19 newsletter Wednesday, Aug. 18, for faculty, staff, students, and undergraduate parents.
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 socially 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. It’s important to note that the MDH has asked these measures not be changed until two weeks after transmission rates move to “moderate.”
“Together and by association” we will support each other as we prepare for the fall term. Thank you for remaining steadfast and resilient in the coming weeks and beyond.
Ann Merchlewitz
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Ben Murray
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Join the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sept. 25
Our Rochester Campus will host the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event on Saturday, Sept. 25. You’re invited to register and join the Saint Mary’s team in the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.
Event details:
- Registration at 9 a.m.
- Ceremony at 10 a.m.
- Walk (1 and 3 mile options) at 10:20 a.m.
Join the Saint Mary’s University team
Feel free to share with friends, colleagues, family, and others who may be interested. The event will be outdoors and follow COVID-19 protocols. Participants will enjoy time together on the campus trails of native plants and wildflowers.
Can’t join the walk but still want to participate? Submit a donation.
Questions can be directed to Kate Utterback, director of campus operations and programming, at kconnor@smumn.edu.
Newsletter schedule and reminders
Starting next week, we’ll be resuming our regular e-newsletter schedule. Here’s what you can expect each week:
- Monday: CommUNITY newsletter for undergraduate students
- Tuesday: Cardinal Update newsletter for all university employees
- Wednesday: CommUNITY newsletter focused on COVID-19 updates for all university employees, students, and parents of undergraduate students
- Thursday: CommUNITY newsletter for all students (separate versions for undergraduate students and Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs students)
- Friday: No newsletter
All are welcome to submit a story idea. Submission deadlines are noon each business day prior. For example, if you’d like a story included in Tuesday’s Cardinal Update, it should be finalized and submitted by noon on Monday.
Questions? Contact Deb Nahrgang, senior director of communications, at dnahrgan@smumn.edu.
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