“Because we know that Jesus Christ is going to come to us today and we recognize him for who he is, let us prepare for him a dwelling place worthy of him.”
With these words, our founder, John Baptist de La Salle, reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. My Christmas wish for each of you is that you may find the gift of Christmas in your own hearts and homes during this holiday season.
A blessed Christmas to you and your families, and health and peace in the New Year.
– Brother William
Monday, December 21, 2009
Candles light the way to Christmas ceremonies
Faculty treat students to Pre-Finals Breakfast
Seniors honored at December reception
Biology students receive TriBeta research grants
Each student submitted a proposal for his or her senior research project outlining the objectives of the research and a budget. The students, their projects and their research advisors are: Hilary Framke, “Physiological responses to crude extract of Noturus gyrinus pectoral spine toxin,” Dr. Randy Krainock, advisor; Ashley Loos, “The response of Micropterus salmides to venom produced by Noturus gyrinus,” Dr. Krainock, advisor; John Fox, “The effects of tissue isolation from the fins of Noturus gyrinus on Leponis gibbosus and Mus musculus,” Dr. Jeanne Minnerath, advisor; Brianna Braun, “Determining the paternity of Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuaria) in the bluffs around Winona,” Dr. Phil Cochran and Dr. Debra Martin, advisors; Angela Lager, “Genetic variation between and within local populations of timber rattlesnakes, Crotalus horridus,” Dr. Martin and Dr. Cochran, advisors.
Students and alums pitch in for service day
That same day, the Saint Mary’s University Alumni Association and its board of directors sponsored a volunteer service day called “Lasallian Day of Service." Numerous groups of alumni came together in the spirit of the Lasallian mission of service to others while participating in service projects in their hometowns and neighborhoods, including Chicago, the Twin Cities and Winona.
Parents and students enjoy Family Weekend
Class project raises money for Humane Society
The first annual Cardinal Pride T-shirt was designed by students Tom Walsh and Caroline Stringer. This project — a lesson in social entrepreneurship — is part of the business department’s focus on promoting and supporting the university’s new entrepreneurship major. Each semester, students choose a local non-profit organization to support with funds from their class-run business.
Reviewers affirm quality of teacher education
Zuber Ali, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Instruction program, was interviewed by the Board of Teaching site visitation team.
Saint Mary’s teacher education programs recently received external confirmation of our efforts toward excellence in teaching and student engagement in learning. A Minnesota Board of Teaching site visitation team came to the Winona campus November 15 to review our undergraduate and graduate teacher licensure programs. The team indicated that it will recommend to the Board of Teaching that the accreditation of our programs be extended to 2017.
The team noted: "The Lasallian mission of Saint Mary's is transparent and threaded through the education programs here. The students recognized the faculty's commitment to social justice in education and indicated how they model that in their constructivist approach to teaching. Students were able to emulate that philosophy in their student teaching experiences, as they differentiated instruction based on the unique need of each learner."
Women's volleyball advances to NCAA tournament
Sarah Gardner, shown above, was named to the Central Region All-Tournament Team. She was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as first-team All-Central Region, and was named honorable-mention AVCA All-American. Gardner and Jessica Mate were also selected as first-team all-conference.
Alumni and parents are invited to suggest a student
As the holidays provide us opportunities to gather with our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, we invite you to keep Saint Mary’s University in mind.
Because high school and community college students often look to friends or family members when it is time to make a college decision, we are looking for your help to connect them to SMU. Please consider your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor, babysitter, friend from church etc. and picture them as a potential student at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
An initiative of the SMU Alumni Association, the Suggest a Student referral campaign allows you to send the Admission Office names of current high school and college transfer students. All we need are names and contact information from you, and our staff will do the rest. Our goal is to contact friends and family members of our alumni and parents to continue the SMU legacy.
You are invited to complete the brief online information form at: www.smumn.edu/suggestastudent.
Because high school and community college students often look to friends or family members when it is time to make a college decision, we are looking for your help to connect them to SMU. Please consider your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor, babysitter, friend from church etc. and picture them as a potential student at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
An initiative of the SMU Alumni Association, the Suggest a Student referral campaign allows you to send the Admission Office names of current high school and college transfer students. All we need are names and contact information from you, and our staff will do the rest. Our goal is to contact friends and family members of our alumni and parents to continue the SMU legacy.
You are invited to complete the brief online information form at: www.smumn.edu/suggestastudent.
Friday, September 18, 2009
College is prepared for the flu season
There has been much talk in the media about a potential widespread outbreak of H1N1 (swine flu) this fall in the general population and at college campuses. As of this writing, there are no reported cases of H1N1 flu at the Winona campus. However, I want to assure you that Saint Mary's is planning, strategizing and taking action to prepare for this possibility.
Messages and updates on prevention, vaccinations and treatment have gone out to students, faculty and staff. On September 17, open forums were held for the campus community. The university has distributed hand sanitizer to students, and germicidal wipes have been placed at key spots around campus. In the event of a large-scale outbreak, faculty have been advised to work with students so that they have the opportunity to complete coursework in spite of the flu. We will use conferencing and other technologies to help capture classes for students. Contingency plans for necessary isolation or travel home are being prepared.
To see Saint Mary's flu information and links to government resources, go online to http://www.smumn.edu/flu.
Messages and updates on prevention, vaccinations and treatment have gone out to students, faculty and staff. On September 17, open forums were held for the campus community. The university has distributed hand sanitizer to students, and germicidal wipes have been placed at key spots around campus. In the event of a large-scale outbreak, faculty have been advised to work with students so that they have the opportunity to complete coursework in spite of the flu. We will use conferencing and other technologies to help capture classes for students. Contingency plans for necessary isolation or travel home are being prepared.
To see Saint Mary's flu information and links to government resources, go online to http://www.smumn.edu/flu.
Saint Mary’s reports 1,404 undergrads
The 2009-2010 freshman class
Official 10th-day-of-class statistics at our Winona campus showed a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,404 — just down from last year’s record enrollment of 1,413. The third-highest enrollment was in 2002, when Saint Mary’s reported a total Winona undergraduate enrollment of 1,376.
This year’s total of 1,404 includes 1,343 full-time Winona-campus undergraduates and 61 part-time students. A total of 330 freshmen are enrolled. Numbers for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs will be released later this fall.
Dr. Tom Mans, Vice President for Academic Affairs, notes that event though the uncertain economy might have impacted the freshman class, retention from the upper class years was good. One way the university adjusted to economic conditions was to increase the maximum number of credit hours students could take paying standard tuition, bumping it from 17 to 18 hours. Many students have taken advantage, leading in part to students taking the largest-ever total number of credits.
‘M’ Club Weekend fun for alums and athletes
Tom Pepper, Sue Otto, Chad Doerre
The Cardinal ‘M’ Club weekend has grown tremendously in the last seven years. The weekend offers alumni the opportunity to reconnect, reminisce and socialize with old friends and teammates, and to connect with current athletes. Faculty and staff were also invited to join in the festivities.
This year’s events, held on September 11-13, provided something for everyone: Hall of Fame inductions, athletic awards, golf, alumni games, a social and a picnic.
The men's hockey "alumni game" kicked off the weekend on Friday evening, with a social following. Saturday brought the golf outing, buffet dinner and alumni reception. I had the opportunity to speak to a large gathering of alumni and students at the awards reception. I congratulated the award winners, and reminded current athletes of both their special roles on campus and of the legacy left by their predecessors.
On Sunday, it was time to take the field, court, pool or ice as we held the rest of our alumni games. In addition to men's hockey, eight sports (men's soccer, tennis, women's soccer, swimming and diving, baseball, softball, women's hockey, and volleyball) held competitions. The campus was alive as over 150 athletes participated in the games. The weekend ended with a community picnic and pig roast. It was a great way to relax together, and rest up from all the weekend activities.
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were Tom Pepper '74 of Chicago, a three-year letterwinner and an NAIA All-District basketball player; Sue Otto '90 of Santa Monica, Calif., a four-year letterwinner in soccer; and Chad Doerre '96 of Joliet, Ill., a four-year letterwinner in baseball.
Visit our website for more information on the Hall of Fame inductees.
SMU’s 2008-09 postseason award-winners, as well as last year’s outstanding male and female athletes and outstanding scholar athletes were also recognized during Saturday night’s ceremony. For information on last year's outstanding athletes, go to the SMU Athletics website.
Young Alumni Weekend attracts recent grads
Reconnecting at the first Young Alumni Weekend: Dr. Jenny Shanahan,
Mel Drake, Jeff David '08 M'09 and Lance Thompson '05
Mel Drake, Jeff David '08 M'09 and Lance Thompson '05
We invited graduates from the last decade back to campus for the inaugural Young Alumni Reunion Weekend, September 11-13. As part of the weekend, a Faculty/Staff & Young Alumni Social was held Friday evening in the Toner Student Center Lounge.
The special weekend of events continued with a bonfire, a community outreach project, ropes course activities, disc golfing and a pig roast picnic. The weekend coincided with Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend, giving SMU alumni opportunities to cheer on Cardinal athletics. A special barbecue was hosted for the 5-year anniversary class of 2004.
Young Alumni Weekend 2009 was full of fun opportunities to catch up with classmates, connect with current students, socialize with faculty and staff, and explore the newest spaces on the Winona campus.
Weekend information and followup comments and photos are on a special Facebook page. Sign in at Facebook.com and search for "SMU Young Alumni Weekend." Feel free to post your favorite moments or stories from the weekend, or make suggestions for next year's event.
Speaker adds Lasallian context to college
Brother Charles Kitson and Brother William
All faculty, staff, and students were invited to attend the College Convocation and Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 1. These events marked the official opening of the academic year at the undergraduate College.
Remarks at the convocation were especially aimed at freshmen. Brother Charles Kitson, FSC, engaged students with an informative presentation about “GOOGLING GOD: A Lasallian Search.” Brother Charles used the Gospel challenge to follow Christ by getting out of our “boats” — within a Lasallian context.
Brother Charles serves as the De La Salle Christian Brothers' Secretary for the Lasallian Family and Association. This position finds him traveling around the Lasallian world fostering and animating lay partners to greater participation in the charism of Saint John Baptist De La Salle. He helps coordinate the many Lasallian Volunteer movements around the world as well as mentor the newly formed group known as “Young Lasallians.”
Students host Mexican celebration
Students enjoyed food and late-night fun at El Grito
Members of our student Intercultural Awareness Association hosted “El Grito” on September 15 and invited the entire college community. This was a fun and social event in the plaza celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain. Students enjoyed authentic Mexican food catered by a local restaurant, and danced to music by a live Mexican mariachi band.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Spring commencement ceremonies show the growth and impact of Saint Mary’s mission
Graduation is a great time of year on university campuses. Students rejoice, families look on with pride. Faculty and staff join in the celebrations as the culmination of years of hard work come to fruition. Saint Mary’s University is happy to share with you some good news. During these past six weeks we’ve had six graduations in three cities and on two continents.
On May 2, the 13th commencement exercise at our Christ the Teacher Institute for Education was held in Nairobi, Kenya. This affiliated program of Saint Mary’s provides coursework in teacher education to East Africans. Thirty of our students received a bachelor of education degree in Education and five received a master’s in African Studies.
A short week later, on May 9, we held two graduation ceremonies in Winona. The first occasion was commencement for the undergraduate and residential College, where about 220 graduates were encouraged to live the mission of the university: “On this most significant day – a day of discovery and new beginnings – as you walk through our doors, through the portal between yesterday and tomorrow, know that Saint Mary’s University has confidence in you. We believe that it is ordinary people – just like you – who have the capacity to make our world a better place. We know what you are capable of, and we have great confidence in your determination and your ability to make a difference in our world by sharing lavishly and joyfully the abilities and abundant talent you have, for the common good of all.”
Later that same day in Winona, more than 400 adults in our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs received master’s degrees. Their ages and life situations are different from College graduates, but they are no less determined to make a positive difference in the world.
A month later, on June 7, three more ceremonies for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs were conducted on our Twin Cities campus. The varied backgrounds of these adult learners, their passion for education, and their gratitude to a university that is helping them advance their careers, their lives, their communities was joyfully obvious for all to see.
The graduates were encouraged during the ceremony to own and to share the mission of Saint Mary’s: “This is…what Saint Mary’s University is about. We strive to unleash the creative capacity of minds and to enkindle a passion in hearts. We strive to run good schools where students – both young and old – can be confident that they will be known and valued while receiving an excellent education. They know they will be treated as individuals and with respect while being formed to ethical lives of service and leadership. They will be welcomed into a community of belonging and belief while being prepared for civic responsibility and being formed to provide the kind of ethical and entrepreneurial leadership in the professional sphere for which the peoples of the nations dream.”
As many of you well know, in 1984, Saint Mary’s was a liberal arts college and the campus was in Winona. More than 25 years later, Saint Mary’s has become a true university. The undergraduate College remains vital and relevant, while there has been tremendous growth in our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP).
The mission of the university remains a constant: “Enriched by the Catholic, Lasallian heritage, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”
What has changed over the years is the scope and reach of Saint Mary’s. About 1,400 traditional undergraduates study each year in Winona. At the same time, close to 4,300 adult learners are enrolled – for the most part, part-time – in graduate and professional programs in education, business, counseling, nurse anesthesiology and in an undergraduate completion program.
The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs locations have expanded to include a Twin Cities campus; Rochester, Apply Valley and Minnetonka centers; more than 100 course delivery sites around Minnesota and Wisconsin; and affiliated programs in Nairobi, Kenya and Jamaica.
On May 2, the 13th commencement exercise at our Christ the Teacher Institute for Education was held in Nairobi, Kenya. This affiliated program of Saint Mary’s provides coursework in teacher education to East Africans. Thirty of our students received a bachelor of education degree in Education and five received a master’s in African Studies.
A short week later, on May 9, we held two graduation ceremonies in Winona. The first occasion was commencement for the undergraduate and residential College, where about 220 graduates were encouraged to live the mission of the university: “On this most significant day – a day of discovery and new beginnings – as you walk through our doors, through the portal between yesterday and tomorrow, know that Saint Mary’s University has confidence in you. We believe that it is ordinary people – just like you – who have the capacity to make our world a better place. We know what you are capable of, and we have great confidence in your determination and your ability to make a difference in our world by sharing lavishly and joyfully the abilities and abundant talent you have, for the common good of all.”
Later that same day in Winona, more than 400 adults in our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs received master’s degrees. Their ages and life situations are different from College graduates, but they are no less determined to make a positive difference in the world.
A month later, on June 7, three more ceremonies for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs were conducted on our Twin Cities campus. The varied backgrounds of these adult learners, their passion for education, and their gratitude to a university that is helping them advance their careers, their lives, their communities was joyfully obvious for all to see.
The graduates were encouraged during the ceremony to own and to share the mission of Saint Mary’s: “This is…what Saint Mary’s University is about. We strive to unleash the creative capacity of minds and to enkindle a passion in hearts. We strive to run good schools where students – both young and old – can be confident that they will be known and valued while receiving an excellent education. They know they will be treated as individuals and with respect while being formed to ethical lives of service and leadership. They will be welcomed into a community of belonging and belief while being prepared for civic responsibility and being formed to provide the kind of ethical and entrepreneurial leadership in the professional sphere for which the peoples of the nations dream.”
As many of you well know, in 1984, Saint Mary’s was a liberal arts college and the campus was in Winona. More than 25 years later, Saint Mary’s has become a true university. The undergraduate College remains vital and relevant, while there has been tremendous growth in our Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP).
The mission of the university remains a constant: “Enriched by the Catholic, Lasallian heritage, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”
What has changed over the years is the scope and reach of Saint Mary’s. About 1,400 traditional undergraduates study each year in Winona. At the same time, close to 4,300 adult learners are enrolled – for the most part, part-time – in graduate and professional programs in education, business, counseling, nurse anesthesiology and in an undergraduate completion program.
The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs locations have expanded to include a Twin Cities campus; Rochester, Apply Valley and Minnetonka centers; more than 100 course delivery sites around Minnesota and Wisconsin; and affiliated programs in Nairobi, Kenya and Jamaica.
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