The University

Saint Mary ‘s University of Minnesota: A 21st-Century University

SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: A 21ST-CENTURY UNIVERSITY

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is a dynamic and transformational learning community that provides a person-centered educational experience grounded in excellent teaching and engaged interactive student learning. At the heart of a Saint Mary’s education is the development of meaningful relationships that help the individual learner realize and achieve their potential in a trusting and respectful environment. In this way, we prepare graduates with the advanced knowledge, skills and critical-thinking abilities necessary to be lifelong learners, successful workers, good neighbors and ethical citizens.

We are a comprehensive university that offers an innovative combination of liberal education and professional preparation, such that our graduates prosper in today’s knowledge economy and are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We provide relevant, engaging personal and online learning experiences, and research opportunities supported by a community of educators in order to ignite the potential of each learner.  We prepare our graduates richly for the responsibilities and challenges they face as global citizens—citizens whose judgments, decisions and actions will profoundly affect the decency, integrity and sustainability of the human family and our global environment.

We are a Catholic university that prepares graduates with a distinctive identity in fidelity to the Church’s mission in service of the Good News of the Gospel and with a world vision rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition: a belief in the presence of the divine in all created reality; an appreciation of and thirst for truth and knowledge; an understanding of the unity of faith and reason; a profound reverence for the self, the other and all of creation; a respect for all human life and protection of the vulnerable; the celebration of community and sacrament; a commitment to the issues of peace, justice, solidarity and human equality; and a desire to serve the common good.

We are a Lasallian Catholic university that is a living expression of the vision of John Baptist de La Salle, inspirational 17th-century educational innovator, patron saint of teachers and founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers: excellent quality education; respect for the dignity of all individuals; inclusive and participatory community; interiority; accessibility; civility; innovation; belief in the presence of a benevolent God; an ecumenical and inter- religious openness; solidarity with the poor; and advocacy for those suffering from injustices. We do this as a proud partner with 1,000 schools, agencies and universities that constitute the worldwide Lasallian educational network.

Understanding the complex and evolving nature of higher education in the 21st century, Saint Mary’s University is committed to addressing present-day challenges by striving to remain affordable for the families of our students and through distinctiveness in structure and fluidity in operation.  Consequently, we function with a number of strong, innovative and complementary units.

The residential undergraduate College unit—nestled in the extraordinarily beautiful natural environment of Winona and comprised of the schools of humanities and sciences, arts, education, business, and of a seminary for clergy formation—integrates a four-year undergraduate education rooted in the liberal arts and complemented by a dynamic residential community experience that allows learners to cultivate and refine their intellectual, spiritual and professional capacities for mature leadership. Our commitment to relevant liberal education encompasses knowledge of human cultures and the natural world; hones the skills of critical thinking, analytic reasoning, creativity and effective written and oral communication; and prepares graduates for work, life, future scholarship and ethical lives of service.

The undergraduate bachelor’s completion unit of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs—in the greater Twin Cities area of Minnesota—recognizes and honors prior educational and life experience, assures an engaging, affordable and accessible learning delivery model, and opens for students successful pathways for career advancement, career transition and graduate education.

The master’s and doctoral degrees unit of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs—an established leader in flexible and adaptable scheduling and delivery models in each of its schools of business and technology, education, and health and human services—assures accessible and affordable quality private graduate education in the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin; provides relevant, rigorous and relational academic experiences for adult learners through an integration of practical, professional and ethical education offered in dynamic and caring environments; and utilizes industry and community partnerships and a primarily part- time cadre of competent faculty practitioners to deliver programs grounded in the principles of collaborative team-building, commitment to innovation, intercultural competence and practical applied opportunities to integrate scholarship in a real-world context.

The international academic initiatives unit makes operational—both in Kenya and in Jamaica—the university’s commitment to strategic global institutional relationships that respond to the expressed educational needs of underserved Lasallian and Catholic populations around the world.

Together and by association each unit of the university— the undergraduate residential College, the adult-oriented undergraduate bachelor’s completion program, the graduate studies programs of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, and the international academic initiatives—strives to meet learners where they are and to provide them with opportunities for growth in knowledge, professional preparation and personal transformation. In these ways, Saint Mary’s has provided students various and flexible learning options and has remained nimble enough to adjust methods as needs and desires change.

Consequently, enriched by the Lasallian Catholic heritage, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota proudly awakens, nurtures and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership, strives to transform society one learner at a time, and graduates students who have over the years consistently been successful and risen to levels of leadership in the fields of business, health and human services, government, church and education.

This is who we are—a transformational and innovative national university with a global footprint. Our 100-year story of success is an extraordinary one, and we remain committed to providing the transformative education needed for our day and time as a modern American university in the Lasallian Catholic tradition.

Degrees/Awards Offered by the University:

Undergraduate Certificate
Three-Year Diploma (Nairobi)
B.A. Bachelor of Arts
B.Ed. Bachelor of Education (Nairobi)
B.S. Bachelor of Science
Graduate Certificate
M.A. Master of Arts
M.A.S. Master of African Studies (Nairobi)
M.B.A. Master of Business Administration
M.Ed. Master of Education
M.S. Master of Science
Ed.S. Education Specialist
D.B.A. Doctor of Business Administration
Ed.D. Doctor of Education
Psy.D. Doctor of Psychology

Learning in the Lasallian Tradition

Learning at Saint Mary’s University is active, collaborative and contextual, and is supported by a Lasallian commitment to serve the needs of individual learners.

The College integrates undergraduate education in the liberal arts with a residential experience to challenge and support students in their intellectual, spiritual, personal and professional development. The academic program of the College offers courses in general education, including a required core and elective courses, and in a disciplinary major of the student’s choice. The co-curricular program of the College provides students with opportunities for positive community participation, faith formation, service and athletic competition. This educational programming produces graduates who:

• are competent in a major,
• have acquired a breadth of knowledge and exposure to approaches to understanding the human condition,
• have developed skills for life-long learning, and
• possess a Lasallian disposition toward leadership and service.

The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs provides relevant and rigorous academic experiences for adult learners through an integration of practical, professional, and ethical education offered in dynamic and caring environments. The academic program of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs offers coursework from the undergraduate through the doctoral level. The school supports the individual learning expectations of each student and acknowledges the wealth of experience and prior learning that each adult learner brings to the classroom.

A relevant and rigorous education produces graduates who seek to deepen and expand their discipline knowledge and skills to develop through critical thinking by:

• framing vital questions clearly;
• evaluating relevant information and its sources;
• demonstrating respectful engagement with others’ ideas, behaviors and beliefs;
• assessing the congruence between personal norms and ethical principles;
• applying diverse frames of reference to decisions and actions;
• resolving issues based on evidence weighed against relevant criteria;
• developing a subject, including relevance, logic, grasp of subject, and depth of discussion; and
• communicating with clarity and coherence.

This is the intellectual and emphatic foundation for leading ethical lives of service and leadership.

Accreditation and Certification

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
800-621-7440
www.hlcommission.org

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution.  Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has been approved and is legally authorized to do business in the state of Wisconsin as a private postsecondary school, subject to the provisions of 38.50 Wisconsin Statutes, and all administrative rules adopted pursuant to statutes.  Approval included only those programs and those locations specifically approved by the Board.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education.  http://www.nc-sara.org

The university is approved for veterans training under the relevant public laws.

The College has the following accreditations/certifications:

• Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has received specialized accreditation for its Bachelor of Arts business and business-related programs through the InternationalAssembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE); 1374 Strang Line Road, Lenexa, KS 66215;  913-631-3009; www.iacbe.org.
• The nuclear medicine technology program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicineechnolog, 2000 . Danforth Rd., Ste. 130 #203, Edmond, OK 73003; 405-285-0546; Fax 405-285-0579.
• The university is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music; 11250Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, A20190; 703-437-0700.
• The peace officer education program is certified by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST Board), 1600 University Avenue, Suite 200, Saint Paul, MN 55104-3825; 651-643-3060.
• The School of Education is approved as a teacher certification program by the Minnesota Board of Teaching, Minnesota Department of Education, 1500 Highway 36 est, Roseville, MN 5513; 651-582-teaching@state.mn.us

The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) has the following accreditations/certifications:

• The Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), One Dupont Circle, N, Suite 530, ashington, DC 20036; 202-887-6791
• Board of School Administrators (BOSA), Minnesota Department of Education Building, 1500 Highway 36 651-582-8796
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, www.caahep.org (Undergraduate Certificate in Surgicalechnology)
• Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and FamilyTherapy (AAMFT), 12 S.Alfred Street,Alexandria, A22314; 703-838-9808 (Master ofArts in Marriage and FamilyTherap, Graduate Certification in Marriage and FamilyTherapy)
• The Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, 222 South Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL 60068-4010; 847-692-7050; http://home.coa.us.com/pages/default.aspx 
• The M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning, offered in Jamaica in collaboration with the Catholic College of Mandeville, is accredited by the University Council of Jamaica.
• Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management (GAC), www.pmi.org (Master of Science in Project Management)

Non-Discrimination Statement

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota adheres to the principle that all persons have equal opportunity and access to admissions, employment, facilities and all programs and activities of the university regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status or status with regard to public assistance. The following has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the university’s non-discrimination policies:

Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
700 Terrace Heights #30
Winona MN 55987
(507) 457-1587

The Equal Employment Opportunity Officer may refer discrimination inquiries or complaints to other offices or individuals as appropriate.

Graduation Rate

Current graduation rates for the B.A. program are available at the Student Right to Know page on the university website at www.smumn.edu/undergraduate-home/admission/student-right-to-know.