Saint Mary’s listed on Forbes list of ‘America’s Best Colleges’

WINONA, Minn. — Forbes.com’s 2009 list of “America’s Best Colleges” ranks Saint Mary’s University as No. 230 out of 600 of “the best public and private colleges and universities —from the student's point of view.”

The second-annual ranking of “America's Best Colleges,” compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, ranks 600 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide, the experience of the students and how much they achieve.
• They based 25 percent of the rankings on 4 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the website RateMyProfessors.com.
• Another 25 percent is based on post-graduate success, equally determined by enrollment-adjusted entries in “Who’s Who in America,” and by a new metric, the average salaries of graduates reported by Payscale.com.
• An additional 20 percent is based on the estimated average student debt after four years.
• One-sixth of the rankings are based on four-year college graduation rates — half of that is the actual graduation rate, the other half the gap between the average rate and a predicted rate based on characteristics of the school.
• The last component is based on the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

Forbes.com states, “To our way of thinking, a good college is one that meets student needs. While some college rankings are based partly on school reputation as evaluated by college administrators and on the amount of money spent, we focus on things which directly concern incoming students: Will my courses be interesting and rewarding? Will I get a good job after I graduate? Is it likely I will graduate in four years? Will I incur a ton of debt getting my degree?”

Dr. Tom Mans, vice president for academic affairs, said he is pleased that Saint Mary’s is on the Forbes list. “It shows that our students are happy with the experience they receive here, and that they graduate to have successful careers and be productive members of their communities,” Dr. Mans said. “The Forbes listing reinforces positive reports from other student satisfaction surveys, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement.”

The list, which can be found at http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/94/colleges-09_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html, includes several Minnesota Colleges including: Carleton College (No. 23), Macalester College (No. 82), St. Olaf College (No. 139), Gustavus Adolphus College

(No. 194), Bethel University (No. 229), Hamline University (No. 255), Northwestern College (No. 291), St. John’s University (No. 442), the University of Minnesota, Morris (No. 448), Concordia College Moorhead (No. 450), College of St. Benedict (No. 512), University of St. Thomas (No. 523), University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (No. 543), St. Catherine University (No. 563), Minnesota State University, Mankato, (No. 595) and St. Cloud State University (No. 599).

Next Saint Mary’s art show titled ‘A History of the Plains’

WINONA, Minn. — St. Cloud artist David Sebberson will exhibit a portion of his on-going series, “A History of the Plains,” Aug. 17 through Sept. 27 at Saint Mary’s University’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Sebberson began his series after visiting what was left of his family farm and noticing that the farm buildings that once dotted the landscape were “burned, bulldozed and buried beneath high-yield fields whose ever increasing economic productivity has been erasing the immigrant culture I grew up in, a harvest of forgetfulness at 150 bushels per acre.”

He describes the subject of his paintings as “loci where personal history and histories of art and rhetoric, immigrant history, and economic and cultural history intersect.”

Sebberson currently chairs the St. Cloud State University Department of Art.

A reception for the artist will be held 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at the galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

Admission is free and open to the public, and gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call (507) 457-1652.

Saint Mary’s dean named chair of Minnesota State Arts Board

WINONA, Minn. — Michael J. Charron of Winona has been named chair of the Minnesota State Arts Board. Charron is the dean of Saint Mary’s University’s School of the Arts. A graduate of Lourdes High School in Rochester, he holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater, English and secondary education from Saint Mary’s University. Charron served as a member of the city council in Woodbury, and was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004, serving until 2006. He was appointed to the state arts board by Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2008.

“This is an especially important year for the State Arts Board and our Regional Arts Councils,” said Charron. “The arts is a billion-dollar industry in our state. We are talking about an industry that not only enriches lives, but is also vital to our state’s economy. With the recent passage of the constitutional amendment to support our natural resources and cultural heritage here in Minnesota, I feel a great responsibility to make sure that those tax dollars are spent in the most efficient and effective way possible for the good of all Minnesotans throughout our state.”

The Minnesota State Arts Board attempts to enrich the quality of life in Minnesota by making the arts accessible to all citizens, nurturing creative activities, encouraging the development of innovative forms of artistic expression and preserving the state’s diverse artistic heritage. The board provides grants and services to individual artists, arts organizations, schools, colleges and universities, communities and other organizations that sponsor arts activities. The board is made up of 11 members appointed by the governor. One member is selected from each of the state’s eight congressional districts; three members represent the state at large. Members serve four-year terms.

SMU’s Highland receives Tegrity President’s Award

WINONA, Minn. — During a summer user conference, Tegrity, provider of the leading class capture web service for higher education, announced that Dr. Jeffrey Highland of Saint Mary’s University was one of the winners of the Tegrity Innovation Awards Program. This program recognizes outstanding achievements in higher education technology on campuses throughout the United States.

Honorees were chosen from a broad spectrum of colleges and universities and were honored at a special awards luncheon in San Francisco. Awards were presented to both individuals and institutions, recognizing performance milestones achieved during the 2008-2009 academic year.

Dr. Highland, who retired this summer as SMU’s provost, received the President’s Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and advancement of the student-centered vision of Saint Mary’s, which reported 6,307 new faculty recordings during the past year, close to 40,000 student views and more than 10,000 student-viewing hours.

Other winners of the 2008 Tegrity Innovation Awards include:

• Dr. Sadie Gregory of Coppin State University, Provost Award, for her contributions in advocating Tegrity lecture capture adoption campus-wide at an institution that has demonstrated exceptional usage during the 2008-2009 academic year.

• Mike Gibson of Athens State University, Customer Champion Award, for consistently presenting the “voice of the customer” throughout the previous year, contributing his time and expertise to influence and enhance the quality of Tegrity offerings.

• Dallas Community College District (DCCD), Shared Vision Award, presented annually to the institution achieving the widest expansion during the previous academic year, deploying across seven campuses.

• University of Louisville, Rapid Response Award, awarded annually to the customer that has implemented Tegrity, trained their faculty and made them fully operational in the shortest period of time during the previous academic year.

• University of Central Florida, logging 76,323 hours of student viewing hours, the Student Achievement Award, presented annually to the Tegrity client that demonstrates outstanding success by recording the highest total volume of student views during the previous year.

• University of Alabama, the Outcomes Assessment Award, for demonstrating through firsthand research Tegrity’s quantified impact on student outcomes during the previous academic year, with 84 percent of students surveyed reporting that Tegrity positively impacted their learning and 61 percent of students reporting grade improvement.

• Fordham University Law School, the Innovator’s Award, which recognizes an institution that has been a catalyst for positive change on campus by finding innovative new uses for Tegrity on campus.

Tegrity Campus 2.0 makes class time available all the time by automatically capturing, storing and indexing every class on campus for replay by every student. With patented Tegrity “search anything” technology, students instantly recall key class moments for replay online, or on iPods and mobile devices.

Saint Mary’s names dean for Humanities and Sciences

WINONA, Minn. — After a national search, Saint Mary's University welcomes Elizabeth A. Throop, Ph.D., as its new dean for the School of Humanities and Sciences.

A native of the Chicago area, Dr. Throop earned a B.A. in Anthropology from Macalester College; an M.S.W. in Counseling from University of Illinois - Chicago; an M.A. in Anthropology from UC - San Diego; and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from UC - San Diego.

She comes to Saint Mary's from Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., where she was division chair and associate professor of anthropology. She previously taught anthropology, sociology and social work at McKendree College and several other institutions.

Her scholarly interests have blended psychology and anthropology in the study of marriage, family, child-rearing practices, and kinship and gender relations. Dr. Throop's scholarship has involved international study in Ireland, India and the United States. She is the author of two books and a number of chapters, articles and reviews. She has professional experience in social work, legal support service and family therapy.

Dr. Throop will supervise 15 of SMU’s undergraduate College departments and programs in Winona. She will begin Sept. 1.

Saint Mary’s University receives ‘Best in Midwest’ honors from Princeton Review

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is one of 158 schools receiving the “Best in the Midwest” designation for 2010 from the Princeton Review, a national college guide and ranking program. Results were announced this week.

Each year, the Princeton Review profiles colleges and universities that “stand out as academically excellent institutions of higher learning.” The Princeton Review survey asks students to rate their own schools on several issues — from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food — and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for test-preparation courses, education services and books; it is not affiliated with Princeton University.

Other Minnesota schools included on Princeton Review's 2010 “Best in the Midwest” list are: Augsburg, Carleton, Crown College, Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline, Macalester, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, North Central University, St. Catherine, St. Olaf, St. Scholastica, St. Thomas, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities and Crookston campuses) and Winona State University.

The 639 colleges named regional bests (217 in the Northeast, 141 in the Southeast, 158 in the Midwest, and 123 in the West) represent only about 25 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.

For more information, go to www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx. The website gives a profile of Saint Mary's, along with useful college selection features.

Saint Mary’s student dies in Big Lake car accident

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University senior Joseph Kritzeck, 21, of Elk River, Minn., was killed Monday, July 20, in a car accident near Big Lake, Minn.

According to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol, Kritzeck’s sedan crossed the median and collided head-on with a pickup truck around 10:15 a.m. Monday on the southern edge of Big Lake.

Kritzeck was a theatre major and English minor who hoped to teach high school and coach drama. He was active with the Saint Mary’s Theatre Department.

No funeral arrangements have been made at this time.

“Our hearts go out to the Kritzeck family during this terrible tragedy,” said SMU President Brother William Mann. “Joe’s presence will be greatly missed at Saint Mary’s. The entire university community joins me in extending our sympathy and prayers.”

Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts holds theatre camps July 27-31

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will offer summer theatre day camps, July 27-31, for students ages 7 to 13.

Theatre Day Camp I: “Welcome to Theatre” is a weeklong theatre daycamp for children ages 7-10. Students are introduced to the world of theatre and led through a series of theatre games and exercises that are designed to encourage and develop their creative abilities. “Welcome to Theatre” runs daily from 9 to 11:30 a.m. July 27-31. The week concludes with a performance showcase on Friday, July 31, at 11:30 a.m. Camp tuition is $100. Tuition also includes a camp T-shirt. Full and partial scholarships are available.

Theatre Day Camp II: “Explore Theatre” is a weeklong theatre day camp for young people ages 10-13. Students will participate in session exploring acting, musical theatre, puppetry, behind-the-scenes, and make-up. “Explore Theatre” runs daily from 1 to 4:30 pm July 27 – 30 and from 9 to 11:30 a.m. July 31. The week concludes with a performance showcase on Friday, July 31, at 11:30 a.m. Camp tuition is $150. Tuition also includes a camp T-shirt. Full and partial scholarships are available.

Scholarships for summer theatre camps are made possible through a grant from the Winona Fine Arts Commission. Parents or legal guardians of students wishing to apply for scholarships are asked to complete a scholarship form in addition to the camp registration form. The theatre camps scholarship application deadline is July 20. Scholarship forms can be obtained from the MCA office located in the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St., or by calling (507) 453-5500.

The Theatre Camps will be held at MCA’s Valéncia Arts Center. Registration for these camps is still being accepted. For more information and registration materials, visit www.smumn.edu/mca, e-mail dance@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500. Parents may register their child at the Valéncia Arts Center or may mail registration to 1164 West 10th St., Winona, MN 55987.

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University.

SMU class of 1959 raises $1.66 million for alma mater

Presenting a $1.66 million “check” to Joe Sweeney, Saint Mary’s vice president for development and alumni relations, left, and SMU President Brother William Mann, FSC, center, are, from left: Dave Thies, Ken Ortman, Dennis O’Malley, Harry Bock, Harry Plotke, Tom McKenna and Tom Daly, all from the class of 1959.


In honor of their 50th anniversary, the Saint Mary’s University class of 1959 raised $1,663,000 as a gift to its alma mater. The class gift supports several funding priorities of the university, including three endowed scholarships, which will provide a permanent source of financial assistance to future generations of students.

• The Brother I. Basil Rothweiler ’38 Endowed Scholarship honors the seventh president of Saint Mary’s and his lifelong commitment to the Lasallian charism as an advocate for the work of the Christian Brothers. This scholarship gives preference to young men aspiring to become teachers through involvement in the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program.

• The Ken Wiltgen Endowed Scholarship gives preference to students aspiring to become teachers and coaches and honors longtime Saint Mary’s teacher and coach, Ken Wiltgen.

• The Class of 1959 Scholarship honors the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1959 and gives preference to students with demonstrated financial need.

The gift was recognized during this year’s Homecoming festivities. Recipients of the Rothweiler and Wiltgen scholarships, Stephen Schmidt and Ryan Wockenfus, were in attendance at Homecoming Weekend. The Class of 1959 Scholarship has not yet been awarded.

More than 50 percent of the class of 1959 returned to Winona this past June for Homecoming Weekend, and more than 70 percent of the class donated money for the class anniversary gift.

Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts presents summer dance showcase

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will present a dance showcase at 7 p.m. Friday, July 24, at the Valéncia Arts Center Academy Theatre, 1164 West 10th St.

The showcase, which is free and open to the public, features works that the students from the Conservatory Summer Intensive have learned in the three-week dance camp. A variety of dance forms will be presented, including classical and contemporary ballet, rhythm tap, jazz, and modern dance. The works were choreographed by Conservatory faculty and by guest artists Allen Fields, Dustyn Martincich, Stephanie Milling and Tammy Schmidt.

In addition to learning showcase pieces, students have been participating in comprehensive dance training, including technique and theory classes. Class studies have included ballet, pointe, men’s class, variations, pas de deux, repertory, jazz, hip hop, rhythm tap, modern, musical theatre dance, pilates, yoga, water aerobics, acting for the dancer, choreography, and improvisation.

These intermediate and advanced students, ages 12 to 20, are from Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin, and were selected for the program by audition.

For more information about the Conservatory Summer Intensive Showcase or future conservatory program offerings, call (507) 453-5500 or visit www.smumn.edu/mca. The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is an affiliate program of Saint Mary’s University.