Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes

A timely piece about Martin Luther King Jr. is featured on the Character and Virtue website. The article, titled “The Goal of True Education: Remembering the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.” focuses on Dr. King’s references to character and how it ties to our work at Saint Mary’s.

An excerpt: In fact, in 1947, while he was an undergraduate student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, the young King authored an essay titled “The Purpose of Education.” “We must remember that intelligence is not enough,” King wrote, “Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”

Today, as American higher education defends the value of “true education” against recent trends toward transactional understandings of education, King presciently wrote in that same essay, “Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.”

Saint Mary’s renewed focus on character education and virtue formation echoes King’s vision of true education. Grounded in our Lasallian Catholic mission, Saint Mary’s students receive a rigorous intellectual formation but also opportunities to develop their character and ethical leadership. “Despite all of the challenges that we face today, even with change throughout history, and respecting our differences, character is still capable of uniting us,” said Michael Hahn, Ph.D., program director of Saint Mary’s Character and Virtue Education program. “It remains a worthy and attainable goal of higher education.”

Student Voices 2021

One out of three college students in Minnesota receives need-based grants paid for by the state government. These Minnesota State Grant awards are critically important now, with so many families hit financially by COVID-19.

That’s why the university is asking students to help make sure Minnesota lawmakers understand how important these grants are. We’re working with the Minnesota Private College Council to ensure students’ voices are heard. The first step? Answer a few quick questions at mnprivatecolleges.org/voices. Then, you’ll be invited to take some simple steps, including writing notes, recording a video, or being on a Zoom call with your lawmakers.

It is vital that lawmakers hear from students. While in-person visits aren’t possible, the council will offer interested students other ways to connect, including Zoom calls with the lawmakers that represent your hometown. Please consider getting involved in the Council’s Student Voices 2021 effort.

Background

In 2018-2019, over 350 students at our university received a State Grant award. The average grant for those student was $4,771. Those grants have such a big impact for so many students, which is why it is important that we help lawmakers understand the importance of investing in the Minnesota State Grant Program. And we will ask them to make the grants larger.

You can’t make the trip to the Capitol to meet in-person with lawmakers, as you have in the past. But you can still ensure your voices are heard. By signing up for Student Voices 2021, you’ll be invited to reach out to lawmakers, including through writing notes or sending a video. You’ll hear more about the issue and the challenges we’re facing in St. Paul. And you’ll likely be invited to join in Zoom calls with your hometown lawmakers, meaning those who represent the communities where you grew up or if you’re not from Minnesota, where our campus is.

Act now

Think about the impact of need-based grants in your own life or for students you know. Then sign up for Student Voices 2021. Minnesota’s lawmakers need to hear the perspectives and experiences that college students like you can share. Students from 16 other private colleges and universities will be taking part as well. Sign up online at mnprivatecolleges.org/voices.

Take this step in the next two weeks. The council will be setting up Zoom meetings for students with their lawmakers. Scheduling can’t start until they hear from you.

Chartwells now utilizes touchless ID scanners to help mitigate the spread of germs. To get your new student ID card, stop by Campus Safety when you return to campus. You’ll need your new ID in order to eat on campus.

Campus Safety is working to have all student IDs printed ahead of time so it is a quick exchange. The current ID cards will continue to work for door access and library checkout but will not work at Chartwells.

Dropping/withdrawing from courses and tuition refunds

The last day to drop your term 1 courses in the student portal was Jan. 10.

Tuition refunds for dropping courses is dependent on percentage of semester or term completed. View the course drop/withdrawal tuition refund policy.

On-ground students: Since the course drop period has passed, all course drops and withdrawals must be requested by filling out the Course Drop & Withdrawal Request Form located on the left side of the student portal homepage. Students must be logged in to their Saint Mary’s email in order to complete the form; otherwise they will not be granted access.

Distance learning students: If you need to drop a course, please contact your online Student Services specialist.

Tuition due dates and statements

Billing information and tuition due dates can be found on the “My Bill” page in the student portal.

You will receive a monthly reminder from Student Central to check the “My Bill” page. We recommend you check the student portal throughout the semester for updates.

Term 1 tuition due date: Courses beginning Jan. 4 will be due Jan. 21.

Term 2 tuition due date: Courses beginning March 1 will be due March 15.

Deferred tuition due date: Tuition will be due on May 15 for all students receiving employer tuition reimbursement or military benefits.

The university applies the $10 finance charge balance of the student’s account monthly until the balance is paid in full. Students may pay the balance in full at any time. Accounts are delinquent when the payment terms on a student’s account have not been met. When an account becomes past due, a past due notice will appear on the student’s billing statement.

Financial aid

Students who have accepted financial aid in their student portal and completed all required documents should have began seeing student loans applied to tuition accounts on Jan. 12.

If you are expecting a financial aid refund, this will be processed within 10 business days after the disbursement date. The “My Bill” page will be updated in the student portal when your aid is applied and when your refund is processed.

If you have not set up direct deposit for a financial aid refund and would like to do so, you can add banking information in the profile section on your student portal.

Should you have questions on financial aid, contact Student Central for assistance.

Student Central

Temporary hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 612-238-4566 or email studentcentral@smumn.edu.

Calling all student leaders! 

Do you love Saint Mary’s? Would you consider yourself a leader on campus? Are you interested in making friends and having the best summer of your life? Then apply to be an orientation leader for 2021!

Orientation leaders work with professional staff to support all new student programs, including orientation, registration, summer programs, and Welcome Weekend. All orientation leaders must be available for the dates listed below. The right person for this position is passionate about Saint Mary’s mission and is an upstanding member of the university community. View the application for the full job description.

Qualifications

• Must have current GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Must be current first year student, sophomore, junior, or continuing senior at Saint Mary’s
  
• Students who are resident assistants, peer ministers, or admissions ambassadors for the 2021 academic year are not eligible to be orientation leaders

Required documents 

Completed application on Handshake with a résumé and cover letter (answering these questions):

• Why do you want to be an orientation leader? 
• How will you represent Saint Mary’s and the Lasallian mission as an orientation leader? 
• What skills do you possess as a leader? What skills would you like to develop as a leader? 
• Why do you want to be an executive leader?
• What has prepared you to take on a leadership role amongst your peer orientation leaders?

The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 12.

Questions? Contact Tricia Dobrient, coordinator of New Student Orientation, at tdobrien@smumn.edu or 507-457-1406.

The mailroom will have additional hours as students move in, including: Saturday, Jan. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 24, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Students collecting packages from the parcel locker systems are encouraged to do so outside of these additional hours to ensure proper social distancing in the mailroom area.

Normal mailroom hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 25.

Contact the mailroom with any questions or concerns at mailroom@smumn.edu or 507-457-1571.