Aug. 20 Safe Return update

Dear Colleagues,

We are now just a few weeks away from the Fall Institute and the beginning of fall classes; things at our campuses and sites are ramping up. It’s great to see our student-athletes and other returning students moving into our residences and athletic practices beginning. We are especially excited for the Institute Week and thank Bret Amundson and the Institute committee as well as Terri Van Reese and her team for the exciting schedule of events!

A few COVID-19 updates for you

A letter to parents and students that outlines our COVID-19 management plan for fall semester will be distributed soon to ensure that all are aware of our protocols (such as indoor face masks) as students return to classes. It includes our intention to move to COVID-19 vaccination requirements when the FDA removes the emergency status which we anticipate will be soon. We will be sharing this letter with faculty and staff so you have the same information we have shared with students and their families.
On Wednesday, the CDC announced its recommendation that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability. Based on information from CDC, boosters should become available starting the week of September 20. Booster timing is expected to be eight months after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
At the weekly MDH meeting, it was reported that state-wide vaccination rates are almost 71% for 16+. At the same time, 98 to 99% of new cases are of the Delta variant. Although there are breakthrough cases among fully-vaccinated individuals, numbers are averaging less than 1% of cases. This is not a surprise as the current vaccines do not offer 100% coverage. You can read more about this here: COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Weekly Update.
Our third Duluth Campus vaccination clinic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in BWC 243. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations will be available. Pre-register here but walk-ins are also welcome!

Note From Campus Ministry

The beginning of our Academic year falls directly in the midst of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) which is celebrated from the evening of Sept. 6 until the evening of Sept. 8. Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) is observed soon after from the evening of Sept. 15 to the evening of Sept. 16. Please note that these are very important holidays for those who practice Judaism and students, staff, and faculty may need additional accommodations around these dates. If you would like support or resources in regards to these and/or other religious holidays, please contact Campus Ministry.

Congratulations Chemistry and Biochemistry Department!

The College received notification last Friday from the Committee on Professional Training at the American Chemical Society (ACS) that the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree program has been approved by the ACS! According to the reviewers, “Your program is doing all of the things that promote the chemical sciences and provide a rigorous and robust education for your students.”

St. Scholastica joins 19 other schools in Minnesota with accredited programs. Thanks to Bret Johnson and the entire faculty of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department for their hard work to make this happen!

Congratulations Jon Nelson!

Earlier this week, faculty and staff celebrated PT faculty member Jon Nelson, who is set to retire after 30+ years of teaching. Jon’s last anatomy class sessions were held on Wednesday at the Health Science Campus and his proud colleagues organized a ‘clap-out’ to honor him and offer a warm send-off as he left the lab for the last time. Congratulations and best wishes for a relaxing retirement, Jon!

New CSS Website Launch

A huge shout out to the Web Team for the amazing job they did on the new website. We are especially grateful for your professionalism, attention to detail and patience. The end result is absolutely beautiful and does a wonderful job at representing our College. A very special thank you to the following people:

Marketing and Communications

Paul Connolly
Lori Luing
Tyler Winstead
Mahogany Masudi (student)
Hope Haugstad (not staff, contractor, but a CSS alum)

Information Technologies

Najam Saeed
Roberta Oberpriller
Kory Gilderman
Michael Jackson
John Eastvold
Chris Pasek
Will Rossing
Mike Hanson
Rachael Platt
Eric Mistry
Greta Jenkins
Lonnie Golen
Jan Farun (student)

As we celebrate this milestone, we also remember with gratitude, Landon Hall (IT, Web Developer), who was a key player at the beginning of the project but passed away unexpectedly. We are thankful for the work of the entire team for their efforts over the past three+ years; and as Paul Connolly said, “[This is] truly a group that put our Benedictine value of Community into action!” Congratulations!

Enjoy the weekend, and stay cool.

Sincerely,

Barbara