September 9, 2022
September 9 Safe Return update
Congratulations on getting through the first week of classes! It is terrific to have our students and Saints family back and it was another wonderful week of connections and hospitality. We have a few updates for you this week:
Saints Rise Up – COVID Update:
This week the COVID Saints Rise Up Implementation Team met to review the current COVID situation, and put together a plan to update our website communications, our employee and student reporting forms, and to discuss providing vaccination clinics for fall for the latest booster. This is a work in progress but should be completed by next week.
For those of you in the Duluth area, the Minnesota Department of Health announced that the updated COVID-19 vaccine booster will be available at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) starting this Sunday. You can sign up for appointments through this link: my.primary.health/r/decc_vax_
The larger Saints Rise Up Steering Committee membership is being updated as well, and hope to reconvene the group soon as the academic year kicks off. Stay tuned!
Welcome Weekend:
From our Dean of Students: Thank you so much to our wonderful Delta team! Welcome Weekend, directed by Kaitie Selleck of Student Activities and Saints Life, was a great success! Huge shout out to Aidan Heidecker who was the intern helping with all the summer planning and many logistics needed to pull this off smoothly!
The fabulous Welcome Weekend Delta Team 2022 includes: Abby Lalonde, Andrew Bird, Andrew Hakly, Arin Deal, Ava Mergen, Brianna Hastings, Brittany Dietrich, Campbell Jugovich, Caprice Castellano, Cheryl Zimmerman, Chloe Goebel, Clara Skeim, David Blasena, Dawson Miller, Emily Eiden, Emily Johnson, Emily Liebl, Emma Avikainen, Emma Johnson, Emma Mischke, Emmet Heck, Ethan Raye, Grace Balut, Gracie Carlson, Greta Kos, Haile Matthias, Hailey Hammond, Hailey Hurley, Heather Couture, Isaiah Foster, Jayden Shaw, Jess Schatz, Joshua Kuehn, Josie Boelter, Kalley Tietje, Kassi Sisk, Katie Caven, Kayla Krause, Kenzie Williams, Kevin Thomas, Lizzy Anderson, Logan Thorenson, Lynnsey Schatz, Maddie Tadych, Madi Crawford, Madisen McKinney, Makenzie Reiter, Mariah Julsrud, Matt Schmidt, Matt Stuber, Navah Swoverland, Pachi Vang, Rachel Praught, Rena Hillsheim, Sarah Miller, Sarah Schwartz, Simon Sotiropoulos, Sophia Braun, Sydney Poppenberg, Tausha Lange, Vakare Barkaitis, Wilson Krueger
Also a lot of love to the Residential Life Staff, under the direction of Elliott Johnston, who tirelessly welcomed over 800 students to campus and helped them settle into their homes for the year! Elliott is joined by Lizzie Easter, Area Coordinator for Residential Life, and a wonderful team of RAs: Yemi Davies, Scarlet Pantlin, Ella Herlick, Leah Her, Mariam Kram, Benjamin Renner, Evan Storbakken, Abigail Munns, Alyssa Xiong, Takudzwa Tavengwa, Sarah Sypnieski, Nyal Mayola, Gavin Blauch, Finnegan Mittlestadt, Stephanie Salas Toriz, Charmaine Mutambara, Lisa LaRoche, Emiliano Sanisaca Torres, Logan Holm
Faculty Presentations at AAC&U:
Zach Via and Erika Rolling, a junior Sustainability Studies major, are presenting at AASHE‘s Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education a talk titled ‘A Review of an Online International Sustainability Collaboration.’
Karen Rosenflanz and Zach Via, along with two undergraduates at Petrozavodsk State University, are presenting at the AAC&U Transforming Global Learning Conference a talk titled ‘Sustainable Global Communities Project Transcends US-Russia Boundaries’
Both talks will highlight the innovative and exciting work occurring within the Sustainability Studies and the Environment major at CSS.
HLC and Our Catholic Identity and Mission:
St. Scholastica has a long and generous history of serving the community and Church through its Catholic Benedictine mission and work in higher education. From time to time, all universities step back, take a look at their work, and think together about how that mission might be enhanced for the present needs of the day and its students. Consistent with our accreditation and report, we are taking the opportunity to engage in an appreciative inquiry process to conduct a mission audit which will complement our HLC report on Criterion One. We have invited Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, CM, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, to spend two days with us later this month, to meet with members of our faculty, staff, administration, students, trustees, and Benedictine Sisters. Fr. Dennis will hear about what we do every day, celebrating all that we do well, and share best practices used at other Catholic colleges and universities across the nation. We look forward to Fr. Dennis’ insights and observations as we continue to grow as an institution and steward our mission for future generations.
One Campus, One Read:
If you have not already done so and are interested, please sign up for the One Campus, One Read. This year we will be reading and discussing See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. Please click here to sign up for this year’s read on or before September 12th. An added. bonus this year, on April 26th, 2023 at 7:30 pm as part of the Alworth Peace and Justice series the author, Valarie Kaur will be visiting campus.
Diversity Training: Safe Zones:
Lake Superior College and the Duluth Chamber are collaborating to host a Commitment to Change DEI half-day conference on Thursday, October 6th. The upcoming event will focus on helping the business community create LGBTQ+ friendly spaces through increased awareness and ally training. Check out this link for more information – this is a free event. https://duluthmncoc.
Health Sciences Updates:
Occupational Therapy:
Kaisa Syvaoja was recognized at the Nexus Summit on August 20-23rd and will be recognized at the virtual summit on September 13-14th for her participation in the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative (AIHC) mentorship program. The mentorship program is a year-long program that includes large cohort meetings as well as individual mentor/mentees monthly meetings and project development/support. Her project for this program was further developed for the maurice’s Community Clinic.
Four faculty members (Kaisa Syvaoja, Kelly Erickson, Adrianne Osmundson, and Michele Johnson) were accepted to present at the American Occupational Therapy Association AOTA Education Summit in November and one faculty (Jamie Hunter) is accepted to present at the American Occupational Therapy Association Inspire Conference in April 2023.
Physical Therapy:
Dr. Dalerie Lieberz and Dr. Alexandra Borstad were at the State Fair on Monday, September 6th with their student research group collecting data for an ongoing study. They collected data on over 150 subjects between 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota D2D research center.
Physicians Assistant Medicine Program:
The sixth cohort for the PA Medicine Program started yesterday with a full class and the most diverse student group yet! An image of the program’s new patch is attached below.
Thanks to ALL of you for making this first week such a welcoming one for our students. We lean into and celebrate our value of hospitality and I am so proud of the many ways I see each of you living this out in word and deed.
Enjoy the weekend ahead, be safe, and stay well!
Barbara
