Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus NewsletterVaccinations: Winona Health walk-in clinic March 11
Based on new guidelines released by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Winona Health is expanding the criteria for its COVID-19 vaccination walk-in clinic.
COVID-19 vaccination walk-in clinic
Thursday, March 11, 8 a.m.
Parkview Office Building
855 Mankato Ave. in Winona
(Adjacent to the hospital)
The expanded criteria include:
65+ and:
Phase 1b Tier 2 populations, including:
- Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions: sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, those in cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant, oxygen-dependent chronic lung and heart conditions (COPD and CHF)
- Targeted essential workers: food processing plant workers
- Minnesotans with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness
Phase 1b Tier 3 populations, including:
- Minnesotans age 45 years and older with one or more underlying medical conditions identified by the CDC
- Minnesotans age 16 years and older with two or more underlying medical conditions*
- Minnesotans age 50 years and older in multi-generational housing
- Essential frontline workers: agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, and U.S. Postal Service workers
This walk-in clinic is open to Winona and Fillmore county residents and Winona Health patients who live outside those counties. The clinic will be in the Parkview Office Building, 855 Mankato Ave., in Winona, adjacent to the hospital.
Please wear clothing that allows for quickly exposing upper arm without requiring privacy.
Winona Health has 400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to administer that day. A photo ID will be required.
When coming to Winona Health for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, each of which requires a second dose, a vaccination card is provided that confirms which vaccine was given, along with the date and location of the Vaccine clinic. A reminder card is also provided indicating the second dose appointment date and time. First and second doses are provided in the same location in the Parkview Office Building on the Winona Health campus.
Make 2021 a year of healing
This past year has presented challenges for all of us. Make 2021 a year of growth and resilience by participating in the Year of Healing with Dr. Amit Sood. This free, online program provides you with brief, daily emails to help focus your efforts.
“Each day offers you an insight, a question or a statement that invites a response … Develop self-kindness, discover inner strengths, cultivate greater gratitude, enhance relationships, improve focus, and live with deeper presence and purpose … ”
Consider taking 90 seconds each day to make 2021 a year of growth.
Visit Resilient Option to learn more.
Saint Mary’s touches hearts and minds with U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program
During many times in history, Catholic Sisters have taken on the roles of healers, missionaries, and educators, building the foundations of America. Regarded as compassionate yet fearless, the Sisters have carried out service work against great challenges and impending threats. Small groups of Catholic sisters are continuing this legacy — even during an international pandemic — venturing into some of America’s poorest regions to build vibrant faith communities as part of the successful U.S.-Latin American Sisters Exchange Program.
The inaugural class graduated in 2019, with the newest class blossoming from a partnership with Saint Mary’s and the Catholic Extension Society. Funded in large part by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, more than 40 Latin American religious sisters from 15 religious congregations benefit from this latest partnership, which launched this past fall and will complete by spring 2025.
Sister Martina in class.
After formational training, the Sisters were assigned to mission dioceses in the U.S., prepared to minister among Latino immigrant populations while earning their degrees online and in a hybrid format from Saint Mary’s. Sisters participating in the program receive intensive pastoral leadership training and gain valuable ministry skills to strengthen the faith of the people they serve in communities ranging from Birmingham, Ala., to Stockton, Calif. Through their work, the Sisters serve families, provide religious education, and lead programs for women’s spirituality and young adult ministry. At the end of the program, they return to their Latin American congregations, which will benefit from their education and experience. The impact the women religious have within these communities is described as transformational, reflecting the role local parishes can play in communities.
“As a Latino, I can share how crucial it is for the Sisters to work toward an academic degree that can empower their own lives and the livelihood of the Hispanic population,” said Saint Mary’s program director, Robertolino Vargas Guerrero. “The Sisters routinely share that they are implementing these lessons immediately in their work. We are assisting them in fulfilling their calling.”
“We envision that this world-class education will benefit both the sisters and their respective religious congregations, because the sisters will not only be more equipped to serve as leaders in ministry, but also to potentially serve as leaders within their own religious congregations someday,” said Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension.
Health Humanities major and minor launched
Undergraduate students on the Winona Campus can now choose to major or minor in health humanities, a new area of study launched to prepare learners to care for a variety of health-related careers.
Created in response to the rapidly-growing demand for professionals who understand the patient-centered, empathetic, ethical aspects of healthcare, the health humanities major and minor focuses on the arts and humanities. Most importantly, it brings ethical approaches, promotes whole-person care, and emphasizes social justice in all health-related sectors of our communities.
“This major will provide students with a new lens through which to view the deep challenges of providing care to people when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Todd Reinhart, Sc.D., dean of the School of Sciences and Health Professions. “Saint Mary’s will develop opportunities for students to both broaden and sharpen their view of the world in advance of becoming a care provider and then developing into a leader in their areas of service.”
The health humanities major is an interdisciplinary program across the humanities (English, philosophy, history, theology), and the fine and performing arts. The program emphasizes a broad understanding of health, advocates for social justice, and cultivates expertise in liaison communication with the public — a highly valued skill urgently sought by patients, families, healthcare professionals, and communities.
Saint Mary’s has a reputable relationship with nearby leading healthcare systems including Winona Health, Gundersen Health System, and the leading hospital in the nation, Mayo Clinic — which helps set us apart. As part of a suite of health-focused programs at Saint Mary’s, the health humanities major provides a pathway to a wide variety of careers in healthcare without requiring significant coursework in the sciences. Potential careers after graduation include community health, healthcare leadership, medical research, public policy, and more.
Visit smumn.edu/academics/undergraduate/health-humanities to learn more.
You’re invited: The Lasallian Literati book club
Now’s your chance to expand your perspective, make good on your New Year’s resolution, or connect with your peers on a timely topic. All faculty and staff are invited to participate in the newly expanded Lasallian book club.
The Lasallian book club was started nine years ago at the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) in an effort to engage Lasallian pedagogical thinking with contemporary texts. As a part of our Strategic Initiative one, “Live Our Lasallian Catholic Heritage,” the SGPP subcommittee of the Lasallian Catholic Mission Advisory Council decided to expand the book club to include a bi-monthly format and an open invitation to the university community.
A naming contest for the book club was held, and the name The Lasallian Literati was chosen. The winners of the naming contest are Robert Hadley, security guard; Stacy Dean, Ph.D., director for University Writing Services; and Michael Hahn, Ph.D., program director and core assistant professor, Character and Virtue Education.
To participate, simply create an account and join the group on Goodreads. This is a FREE app. It is very important that you create your login with your Saint Mary’s email address because there is restricted access to the reading group. Future communication will be provided through Goodreads.
The Lasallian Literati is excited to share the inaugural book selections and meeting dates. The library will have a copy or two of the chosen books. If you are not aware, many public libraries use the app LIBBY which allows library cardholders access to ebooks and audiobooks.
March/April book selection
“The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
“One of the most influential books of the last 20 years.” — Chronicle of Higher Education
- Meeting date: Friday, April 9, at noon
- Facilitated by: Nancy Van Erp, Ph.D., program director, M.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology
- You will receive a Zoom invitation before the meeting.
May/June book selection
“The Devil’s Highway: A True Story“ by Luis Alberto Urrea
- Meeting date: Wednesday, June 16, at noon
- Facilitated by: Paul Kotz, Ph.D., professor, Ed.D. in Leadership, and Molly Bigelow, director of Rochester partnerships and enrollment counselor
- You will receive a Zoom invitation before the meeting.
If you have any questions or difficulty creating a Goodreads account, contact Molly
Bigelow at mbigelow@smumn.edu.
Counseling services in Winona transfers to Catholic Charities
The health and well-being of our students is a top priority for Saint Mary’s and foundational to our strategic plan, “Building a Future Full of Hope 2025.” To that end, after much planning and conversation, we have contracted with Catholic Charities to manage counseling services for students at the Jay Johnson Wellness Center beginning immediately.
This change provides several benefits for our students including:
- Access to a broad network of professional care and comprehensive services.
- More counselor availability. Catholic Charities will take over administrative responsibilities, thereby freeing up more hours for counseling services.
- Reliable continuation of care, particularly in an emergency, with coverage when one of our counselors is unavailable or on vacation.
- Access to additional resources.
Selective outsourcing allows us to focus better on our educational mission while maintaining quality and service standards. Our experience outsourcing the bookstore, food services, and security services universitywide showcases our ability to execute successful transitions. As vice president of Student Affairs, I will continue to oversee and work closely with this area and Health Services, which will not be affected by this change.
Below are some answers to questions you may have.
Why Catholic Charities?
Catholic Charities is part of a national network. It is respected, licensed, and provides confidential counseling and mental health services that address a wide range of needs. The counselors are committed to promoting physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being to all, regardless of age, ethnic/cultural background, faith/non-faith tradition, or economic circumstance.
Will students experience a difference in services?
We anticipate added benefits to students, including more counseling hours (with administrative duties moving to Catholic Charities), access to a national network, and uninterrupted service with alternative counselors available when someone is out of the office.
How many counselors will be available at Saint Mary’s?
One full-time counselor will hold regular office hours on campus (Kat Freihammer), and an additional counselor (through Catholic Charities) will be available for both counseling on campus and teleconferencing. After the pandemic, we hope to increase the number of counselors on campus.
Where will counselors be located?
Counselors will mostly be continuing telecounseling during this pandemic. When they see students face-to-face, it will continue to be at the Jay Johnson Wellness Center in Winona.
Will we be sharing counselors with the downtown offices?
The counselor assigned to Saint Mary’s will not rotate to different locations so that students will build trusting relationships with their counselors.
Does this affect Health Services?
Health Services will not change.
What will happen with the current counseling staff?
She will remain a Saint Mary’s University employee.
Who does Catholic Charities serve?
These therapists welcome all students, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or faith tradition. Read their mission and vision.
Will these services extend to the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs?
Not at this time.
Where is this organization located?
Catholic Charities is part of a national network. Our partner is Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota (Winona – Rochester).
Scholar and disabilities advocate Dr. Annika Konrad to speak
Access Services, Integratus, and the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) will welcome Dr. Annika Konrad of Dartmouth College for a virtual talk on Wednesday, March 24, at 12:15 p.m. and a virtual workshop for faculty on Thursday, March 25, at 2 p.m. Both events will be on Zoom, and you can find links and RSVP on the CELT site. The title of her talk will be, “Learning from Stories of Access Fatigue: Building Interdependence into Pedagogical Design.”
In our fall survey of students about their learning experiences during the pandemic, our students lauded faculty for finding innovative ways of adapting to their needs. We think the talk will be a valuable resource as we continue the work of building courses and experiences in the Lasallian Catholic tradition that respects the human dignity of all people and meets learners where they are.
Dr. Annika Konrad
Dr. Konrad’s research centers around the question, why is it so hard to communicate about disability? She explores this question at the intersections of Disability Studies and Rhetorical Studies, examining how access is a fundamentally rhetorical phenomenon that we all unknowingly participate in. Dr. Konrad teaches writing courses on rhetoric of disability and accessibility at Dartmouth College, where she is a senior lecturer in the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric. Her article, “Access Fatigue: The Rhetorical Work of Disability in Everyday Life,” was recently published in College English. She has published other work on rhetoric, disability, and writing in Composition Forum, Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, and Reflections.
You can RSVP for the talk via the CELT site and add the event to your Google Calendar. You can RSVP for the workshop (though we have more limited availability to permit workshopping) via the CELT site and add the event to your Google Calendar.
“Learning from Stories of Access Fatigue: Building Interdependence into Pedagogical Design”
12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Wednesday, March 24
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the realities of inaccessibility. As the abrupt shift to remote work and schooling has forced people to operate under conditions of precarity, the problem of inaccessibility — of one’s needs not being met — has become palpable for many. People with disabilities have always operated under inaccessible conditions and yet, it remains uncommon to encounter spaces (virtual or otherwise) where accessibility is a priority.
Universal Design for Learning offers useful strategies for building access into the design of educational spaces and experiences. In this talk, Dr. Konrad will help faculty build access into the design of their educational spaces and experiences by drawing upon firsthand accounts of the daily labor that disabled people have always performed for access. Through an original concept called “access fatigue,” developed from life history interviews with people who are blind and visually impaired, Dr. Konrad names the everyday pattern of constantly needing to help others participate in access, a demand that can be so taxing and so relentless that, at times, access is simply not worth the effort. Dr. Konrad will share accounts from study participants who describe years — if not decades — building the courage to advocate for their own access needs, and still, at times, dis-engage out of a need for self-preservation.
By sharing these narratives, Dr. Konrad will help faculty identify pressures we all unknowingly perpetuate that make the pursuit of access fatiguing. As a solution, Dr. Konrad will propose a pedagogy of interdependence and care, which offers a framework for reorienting norms in educational, professional, and public life. Through a pedagogy of interdependence, disabled and non-disabled people alike can uptake and transfer a structure of habit for access.
Workshop: “Building a Pedagogy of Interdependence and Care in Higher Education”
2 to 3:30 p.m., Thursday, March 25
In this workshop, Dr. Konrad will work with participants to build a pedagogy of interdependence in higher education. Examining scenarios drawn from Dr. Konrad’s research on the rhetorical experiences of people who are blind and visually impaired, participants will work to identify common barriers to communicating about access in higher education (what Dr. Konrad refers to as “normative commonplaces”) and identify habits they can adopt to prevent such barriers. Participants will learn how to apply these habits to their own curriculum, looking for normative commonplaces embedded within their own disciplines and teaching contexts.
Thank you for considering attending, and we look forward to working with you before and after the talk to enhance access for all our students. If you have any questions, contact CELT@smumn.edu.
Gauderman recognized by American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Julie Gauderman, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, associate program director and assistant professor in the Nurse Anesthesia Program, is being recognized with the Federal Political Director of the Year award with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). She will receive the award during a virtual conference in April.
The award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the national healthcare agenda of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) by coordinating grassroots CRNA involvement at the state level or through special contributions to the federal political process.
WORKSHOP: Minnesota Education Job Fair information session
Students or alumni looking for a job in the education field (who will be eligible to teach/work by the end of 2021) are invited and strongly encouraged to attend this job fair.
For more information about the Minnesota Education Jobs Fair being held Tuesday, April 13, virtually via Handshake, go to mnedfair.org.
To attend the Minnesota Education Jobs Fair information session (if you are not already enrolled in ED490 Portfolio Assessment class), you must pre-register through Saint Mary’s to participate.
DATE: Monday, March 15
TIME: 5 to 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Simulcast via Class and Zoom
Blackboard access ends June 1, 2021: What does this mean for you?
By LMS Taskforce
When is Blackboard going away?
Blackboard will be going away for student use on June 1, 2021. That means you will no longer have access to your prior course materials, submitted assignments, feedback, and resources. Remember final grades can be retrieved through your student portal.
When will Canvas be live?
Canvas is already live! You can log into it at smumn.instructure.com using your Saint Mary’s username (not your whole email address, just what comes before “@”) and password. Feel free to explore. If you can’t log in, helpdesk@smumn.edu can help. We highly recommend looking at the “Canvas at SMU” course, which is a non-graded training course that will get you started. Check out the Canvas Community page for more information and a video tutorial.
What do I need to do?
- Get trained on the new learning management system (LMS): You are automatically enrolled in a self-paced training called Passport to Canvas, which should help you learn the basics of the new system.
- Transfer any needed data out of Blackboard.
- Important: If you are an undergraduate who is part of the new general education program — starting in 2018 or later — you must download any artifacts and reflections you may have uploaded to your IGEP or Integratus Portfolio courses. These courses cannot be migrated and you will need to have copies of these documents to use in our new portfolio solution.
- You may be in charge of a club or organization that used a Blackboard course to communicate. If you can’t transfer that information yourself, please email
- Download any student work you want to save from Blackboard. This information cannot be migrated and must be saved manually. Go into your past courses and click into your assignments. Any papers, assignments, or other work that you may have uploaded to Blackboard must be downloaded from those courses if you want to save it. (And it’s a good idea to do so!)
What if I have questions or need support?
- Contact the HelpDesk at helpdesk@smumn.edu for issues accessing Canvas.
- Email the LMS Task Force LMS@smumn.edu for questions on migration and the archival process of Blackboard.
Annual Medallion Hunt begins this Wednesday
The Annual Medallion Hunt starts this Wednesday. Check Saint Mary’s Campus Ministry Facebook page @MinistrySMUMN for clues each day. Solve the puzzle, and you could win $100!
Directions: To find the hidden medallion, solve each of the puzzles by determining the location on campus where the answer is located. Go to that location and find a letter. As you solve more puzzles, each location will add another letter to your answer list. Unscramble those letters to receive a final clue as to the location where the medallion is hidden. Good luck.
May the best Cardinal win!
Final clue:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Four Week Wellness Bingo Challenge – R.I.S.E. intramurals
R.I.S.E. challenges YOU to Four Week Wellness Bingo starting Monday, March 8!
Here’s how to play: Each week, complete the challenge for an area and cross it off (for example, physical, spiritual, or nutritional). Some challenges are for five days per week; some are one a week. Once you connect three areas, you’ve got a Bingo. You can get more than one Bingo by connecting different combinations of three areas. Each Bingo gets your name in a drawing for a grand prize.
Blackout Bingo: Complete the entire board to get a blackout Bingo, and you will get 10 entries for the grand prize drawing. At the end of challenge, R.I.S.E. will collect your Bingo sheets OR you can fill out your results in the Google form which you can edit it as you go!
For everyone: Want to participate but feeling anxious? If you need an accommodation, please reach out at RISE@SMUMN.edu. If you have any concerns about your participation at any point, you should consult your health care provider. R.I.S.E. hopes you take the challenge wherever you are at. (See the Google form for alternative options).
Prizes to pick from will include an exercise ball, a yoga mat, an essential oil diffuser, and more!
To fill out your Bingo card and for more info, check out the Google form or stop by R.I.S.E. in Vlazny 106.
Challenge your friends, and let’s take a step toward health, Cardinals! Together, we are Saint Mary’s!
Need help with concepts and theories?
Everyone learns differently but our brains prefer visual images over lists of seemingly unrelated definitions. You can get help seeing the bigger picture by signing up with a peer tutor at smumn.joinknack.com, or scheduling a meeting with a PLA in HC19 or through Zoom.
Don’t have the Knack app? Download Knack in the App Store or get it on Google Play.
Get help with any part of the writing process, including organizing your thoughts, by contacting the Saint Mary’s Writing Center.
Improve your memory through visual note-taking.
If you’re interested in visualizing more, sign up for the doodling workshop, Level Up Your Doodles, that begins Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy | Site Feedback/Changes | Accreditation