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.

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

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.

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.

Blessings to you and your loved ones

Students, faculty and staff here at Saint Mary’s join me in prayer for your special intentions during this holiest of seasons in which is celebrated the mystery that, in the words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, “God has come to earth and wishes to come into our hearts to give us a share in God’s nature, and help us become altogether heavenly persons.”

Remembering the less fortunate in our community

As the temperatures dip to the single digits, and a blanket of white covers the campus, it looks — and feels — like Christmas is nearing at Saint Mary’s. Students hung Christmas lights in their dorm windows as they counted down the days until the semester was completed.

As we give thanks for our countless blessings, we must also remember those less fortunate. The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those who are facing economic hardship.

In this traditional time of giving, our students, faculty and staff have been busy with a number of community efforts including the 10 Days of Giving, which benefits the Winona Food Shelf; the “Toys for Teens” drive, run by our Cardinal Athletic Council; numerous volunteer efforts; and the Saint Mary’s-sponsored Gifts for Winona, which is helping a record number of 1,800 community members enjoy Christmas this year.

Through Gifts for Winona, a community-wide gift-giving program in its seventh year, many families in need are having a happier holiday season. It’s truly heartwarming to see the generosity that shines through in our SMU community, and beyond.

Take time out this year, as you rush about with shopping, baking and decorating, to give thanks to God for his abundant love, and to remember your neighbors in need. I pray that God continue to bless you and your family this holiday season and throughout the approaching New Year.

An introduction to Minnesota’s governor

Brother William, Governor Pawlenty, Bernie Wagnild and Michael Dougherty

I met with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on December 10 at the Capitol in St. Paul. The visit was arranged by Bernie Wagnild, trustee emeritus, and Michael Dougherty ’76, trustee. The meeting served as a useful introduction, and the conversation was wide-ranging.

Saint Mary’s response to the economic situation

We want you to know that Saint Mary’s is keenly aware of the challenging financial situation that unsettled the global economy this fall. We are concerned but confident about the University’s continued financial health. We are more concerned about the impact of economic developments on the families of our students. We’ll have a better sense of this after January, 2009.

Saint Mary’s financial status is stable. We budget conservatively, we invest conservatively, and we live within our means. We are less impacted by the stock market than some other schools because we are tuition-driven and don’t rely on endowment income. Enrollment the past few years has been excellent.

In general, our students still seem to be able to find loans if they need them. We are concerned about individual family situations, and we will work with families who are trying to cover college cost. If your financial situation changes during the school year, you are welcome to contact us to see if you qualify for additional aid.

In the longer-term, higher education is often considered a good investment in difficult financial times, and Saint Mary’s is positioned on the lower end of pricing for Minnesota private universities. We provide an excellent private education at relatively low cost, and we will continue to be as accessible as possible to as many students as possible. More than three-quarters of our students attend here with the benefit of financial assistance.

Meetings with friends in Chicago

At the Vie Restaurant: John Domanico ’77 (president of the alumni board of
directors), Brother William, Joan (Fallon CST ’78) Domanico, Bo Rettig ’77.

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations staff and I spent a couple of days last month in Chicago to meet and connect with our alumni, parents and friends. It was a very busy three days meeting with benefactors and friends of Saint Mary’s.

We hosted a breakfast with 10 members from the class of 1959 who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer at homecoming. Michael ’87 and Peggy (Drennan ’87) Meagher hosted a wonderful gathering for alumni, friends and current parents at the Vie Restaurant in Western Springs. Thanks also to Patrick ’75 and Lindy Salvi for hosting at their home in the Chicago area a gathering of current parents and alumni.

An SMU/CST luncheon at the Chicago Cultural Center was held on November 13, where I spoke to this group of alums of both institutions about the awesome and privileged opportunity we all have as educators and as parents to be “visible angels” of love and compassion in the lives of those entrusted to our care.

Seven forums provide feedback on our priorities

A Winona campus student offered his opinion during a
November 20 town hall forum on university priorities.

As I promised during my inauguration address, roundtable sessions were held on the Winona and Twin Cities campuses for faculty, staff and students on November 17 and 18. A special invitation was extended to alumni and parents to attend an evening roundtable session in Minneapolis. I invited input as we attempt to finalize a set of priorities which will be used to guide operational planning for the university over the next several years. After the roundtable sessions, two Town Hall meetings were held to which the entire faculty, staff and student bodies were invited. More information will be forthcoming with regard to the outcomes of these significant university gatherings

Students put on a great show in London

As part of my attempt to acquaint myself with our Study Abroad Program, the weekend of Oct. 17 I traveled to London to visit our students studying abroad. I attended the well-performed and thought-provoking play, “Radium Girls,” produced by our students, at the Wimbledon Studio Theatre and observed the students where they lived and studied. I also met with their teachers and took the students out for dinner at Azzurro.

NSSE survey reconfirms our student satisfaction

Dr. Janet Heukeshoven of the Music Department
worked with a flute student in Saint Yon’s Hall.

On November 10, the Winona undergraduate College was cited by USA Today for our scores in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Saint Mary’s was recognized for a high level of student-faculty interaction, particularly outside the classroom, as reported by our first-year and senior students. The article is titled “Faculty play role outside class as mentors, models.”

The NSSE survey is a measure of the student perception of and satisfaction with their college experience. In our most recent survey, Saint Mary’s compares well against other schools in our Carnegie classification (Doctoral/Research Universities), as well as with regional peers, a consortium of Catholic institutions, and the larger national sample. The NSSE results illustrate our culture of engaged, active and supportive faculty, which contributes to a good learning environment for students.

You can check out our website for more about Saint Mary’s NSSE results.

Alums are elected senator, representative

Mike Johanns - - ------------ - - - - - - - Tim Walz

Congratulations to Mike Johanns, a 1971 graduate of Saint Mary’s University, who has been elected to the United States Senate to represent Nebraska. Johanns is a Republican who served three years as Secretary of Agriculture in the Bush Administration. Previously, Johanns was governor of Nebraska for six years, and also served as mayor of Lincoln. In 2004, Saint Mary’s recognized Johanns’ accomplishments with our Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Congratulations also go to Tim Walz, who was re-elected as U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s 1st District. Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, is a candidate in our doctoral program in leadership.

Additionally, four alumni retained their seats in the Minnesota House, each of whom have received a Master of Arts from SMU. The group of four will be entering their second terms, including David Bly M’04 (DFL-Northfield), Carolyn Laine M’03 (DFL-Columbia Heights), Robin Brown M’99 (DFL-Austin), and Will Morgan M’99 (DFL-Burnsville).

We salute all alumni who ran for public office. Whether your race was national, state, city or within a school board, you are working hard to make a difference. Saint Mary’s acknowledges your effort and congratulates you for trying to build a better tomorrow.

You are an important part of the Saint Mary’s Family

Saint Mary's hosted a reception for parents of new undergraduates on

Move-In Weekend, August 23. The first year of college is a new
experience for every member of a family.

As the 13th president of this fine institution, I want you to know that the university welcomes your partnership. We are a community of students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, and friends working together. In this “Campus Connection” update, we will focus on communicating with parents of undergraduate students and our undergraduate alumni. I invite you to help the university enrich the experience of our current students who are experiencing the Lasallian Catholic education at Saint Mary’s that both touches hearts and teaches minds.

There is so much that we want to share with you, our extended Saint Mary’s Family. There is so much energy and life on the Winona campus. It is the “beautiful noise” of student academic and social activity. At Saint Mary’s we meet students where they are, and help them to grow intellectually and spiritually to become the people they can be. Soon enough these undergraduates will become alumni, taking an energy and passion that is contagious into the world beyond this campus.

We want to spread the good news about Saint Mary’s University, to keep you up to date about what’s happening here. We also look forward to our journey together in which the young people entrusted to our care are transformed. With your support, Saint Mary’s will continue to flourish.

On a personal note, I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to get to know some of you over the last three months, and I welcome the opportunity to meet personally with many of you in the future. Until then, I intend to stay in touch. In return, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

— Brother William.

SMU fares well in the rankings, lists & guides

At Saint Mary's we value the opinions of our students.
We encourage them to engage with faculty and administration.

We don’t worry too much about polls and rankings. However, they are a modern-day fact of life, and you should know that SMU holds its own on the various lists.
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U.S. News & World Report lists Saint Mary’s University as a “National University” in its “America’s Best Colleges” survey for 2009. Saint Mary’s was placed in the fourth tier of that category.

Top schools in this division are Princeton, Harvard, Yale, MIT and Stanford. Saint Mary’s, St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota are the only Minnesota schools in this category, and SMU is one of only 17 U.S. Catholic universities listed.

SMU was recently reclassified from a master’s comprehensive to a doctoral institution due to the rising number of doctoral degrees conferred. SMU formerly was in the first tier of U.S. News’ “Midwestern Colleges and Universities with Master’s Degrees” category.
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“Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” names Saint Mary’s one of the top 200 programs for creative students. This guidebook is aimed at college-bound creative students and gives them information and resources to pick the right program. The author singled out our theatre, art and music programs as recommended for potential students.
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The Princeton Review college guide profiles institutions that “uphold the standards of the Best Midwestern College distinction.” Saint Mary’s University is one of 159 schools receiving that designation for 2009, based on student opinion surveys and data collection.
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Forbes magazine has listed Saint Mary’s University in its first ranking of “America’s Best Colleges.” Saint Mary’s was ranked 267th based on the quality of education provided, and the success of graduates. Only 569 institutions were selected for inclusion out of more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide.

Freshman class pushes undergraduate enrollment to record high

The 2008 freshman class posed for its first group photo during Move-In Weekend
(click photo to see larger version).

Our 2008 freshman class — our second largest ever — added to already strong returning student numbers to produce a record undergraduate enrollment at the Winona campus. A total of 404 freshmen are enrolled this fall, the most since 1988.


Full-time and part-time undergraduate enrollment is a record 1,413 — up 4.7 percent from last year’s 1,350. The previous record was set in 2002, when Saint Mary’s reported a total of 1,376.
Numbers for the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs will be released later this fall.

This is certainly good news. It shows that Saint Mary's is strong and healthy, and that our programs and opportunities are attractive to an increasing number of young men and women.

New track heads list of campus improvements

The first phase of the new track and soccer complex will be
complete in mid-October.

When I came to the Winona campus in June, I found much activity that will enhance the academic and social education of our students. Most evident is the new track and soccer complex. The Sprinturf soccer field is ready to go, and the track will be ready in October. The baseball and softball fields were completely remade last year and are playable this fall. All the outdoor sports facilities are now better suited to performing in Minnesota’s climate.

A new gazebo graces the athletic fields. Later this fall, we will install a low- and high-ropes course that will be used by student groups, faculty and staff for team-building. It will also be attractive for our summer conferences. There’s a shiny new roof on Gilmore Creek residence hall and other improvements to our student residences. A new campus-wide emergency alert system will further enhance our community’s safety. And, we have announced that we will engage with generous friends and benefactors in pursuit of a new science complex. You’ll hear more about that important initiative in the coming months.