Below is an ongoing list of professional development opportunities and programs for employees of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. These opportunities and programs are offered in a variety of settings including lunch programs, afternoon discussion groups, workshops, retreats, sabbatical programs, to name a few. Programs range in length from one hour to three weeks and take place in local, regional, national and international settings.

December 2006

November 2006

• Drs. Fox, Rodeheffer, Schaefer, and Tristano present at Huether Conference; also attended by VP for Mission.

October 2006

• Three consecutive Wednesday lunches lead by Theology Department about the nature of a Catholic university.
• Vice President for Mission attends Twin Cities Campus’ Campus Spirituality Team meeting.
• Vice President for Mission attends Association of American Colleges and Universities national conference on diversity.
  

September 2006

• September 14, Dr. Richard Tristano presented paper and lead discussion on “Lasallian Assessment” engaging 40 college faculty members.
• Task Force on Diversity continues to meet.
• Lasallian Social Justice Working Group continues to meet.
• Facilitated President’s High Tea for all new employees (40-50 people in total attended).
• Presentation on Mission by VP to new Trustees.
  

August 2006

• University Convocation Day, features addresses on Lasallian Association by Br. Craig and Dr. Mary Fox.
• College’s first faculty meeting, 2 of 3 hours, lead by 12 participants from last year’s year-long “Mentoring for Lasallian Leadership” program on what it means to be part of a Lasallian community as faculty.
• CELT and Office for Mission web pages designed and implemented.
• Request from COMMONWEAL Magazine, one of its lecturers to come to both campuses.
• Began year-long mentoring program for all new academic faculty, with Professor Teresa Speck.
• Faculty Development Committee begins year with weekly meetings, esp. to address uses of $25,000 given by VP for Academic Affairs.

July 2006

• Coordinate Dr. Dorothy Diehl’s participation in Lasallian Social Justice Institute Year III (Moraga, CA)
• Attend (and encourage and financially support others to attend) 15 SMU employees to Midwest District’s Convocation on Lasallian Mission/Education

June 2006

• Send five faculty and staff to week-long Lasallian Spirituality Retreat in St. Louis
• Send Katie LaPlant and Lore Roethke to Lasallian Social Justice Institute in Chicago
• Send Jerry Ellis to Buttimer I in Moraga
• Attend (and encourage and financially support others to attend) Midwest District’s Convocation on Lasallian Mission/Education
  

May 2006

• Atttend two day Faculty Development Retreat sponsored by Collaboration (Minneapolis)
  

April 2006

• Attend Collaboration’s fourth workshop/conference on Diversity in Bismarck, ND
• Travel to Rome to coordinate Trustees’ Rome Study Trip
  

March 2006

• First “Chicken Soup of the Lasallian Soul” for 24 faculty and staff
• Lasallian Hour with Brother Raphael Ehrler, 15 people
• Attended 3-day workshop for Lasallian Animators
• Chair committee planning for 25th Anniversary/Commemoration of Brother James Miller’s death
• Work with two faculty members to prepare proposal for Collaboration’s November Conference
  

February 2006

• Support Black History Month (speakers, etc.)
• Support one-woman theatre production, portraying wives of three US Presidents
  
• Attend meeting of Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC, theme on “Faculty Development”
• Conduct two 4 hour workshops for a total of 80 Winona maintenance, secretaries, et al on 12 Virtues
• Underwrite Dr. Steve Pattee’s attendance at Collaboration’s Winter Conference
  

January 2006

• Support/co-sponsor gathering for Dr. Mary Fox and Mr. John Vitek to “report back” to community on Salt Lake City Regional meeting on Association for Lasallian Mission
• Member of Planning Committee for Huether 2006, working to incorporate university-track
  

December 2005

November 2005

• Attend Collaboration Conference in Minneapolis on Diversity
• Dr. Ting Ni Fulbright Scholar presentation on her year in China, lunch presentation to 35 faculty
• Brother Vincent Malham speaks during faculty lunch (35 people) on Bethlehem University; in the evening to 90 people in Common Room
• First “Lasallian Hour” with Brother Finbar speaking to 40 people in President’s Room

October 2005

• Attend Diversity conference sponsored by ACE (Oct. 6-9, Phoenix)
• Oct. 4, 7:00 PM in Page Theatre, Br. Craig and Br. Robert present “DeLaSalle” to 350 freshmen students
• Attend 4 week CIL program, for those involved in providing Lasallian formation programs (40 people from 16 countries around the Lasallian world)
• Oct. 6, Dr. Greg Gaut lunch presentation on his MIASMU experience
  

September 2005

• Meeting of Lasallian Social Justice Working Group, set goals and review survey (17 people)
• Initial/inaugural meeting of the Task Force on Diversity (15 people)
• Serve on Faculty Development Committee
• Sept. 6 lunch speaker on working with under-prepared students
  
• Attended (Sept. 13) Collaboration’s first-of-the-year Diversity Colloquium in Mankato, MN (25 people)
• Sept. 13 lunch presentation on “Learning to Live with Conflict” with Bob Hall.
  
• Sept. 13 lecture in Page Theatre: Gillian Sorensen and Robert Flaten, “Global Justice, Faith, and the UN”
• Sept. 14 “Wheels of Justice,” lecture/discussion, in-the-plaza information on campus re: Iraq and Palestine
• President’s High Tea for all new employees on the Catholic, Lasallian nature (and history) of SMU
• Kick off for Israel-Palestine International Series (monthly events)
• Calvin College Conference on Spirituality, Justice, and Pedagogy (Sept. 22-26)
  

August 2005

• Directed by Bro. President Craig Franz to be part of/on every SMU search committee to ensure the “mission piece” is “front and center” in the hiring process
• Workshop (8-24) on Nairobi Campus and on Catholic and Lasallian during all-university Convocation for faculty/staff (30 people involved in total)
• Extended invitations to Br. Bill Mann and Br. Gerard Rummery to come to SMU for major presentation on Lasallian Dimensions of Higher Education
• Met with Angel Weisbrod and John Poling re: formation of a Lasallian Initiatives Leadership Council (ongoing, working to develop and “found” this Council)
• Day-long workshop (done with Teresa Speck) for all new faculty/academic staff (this group will meet monthly throughout the year)
• Day-long retreat with Lasallian Leadership for Learning (Bush Grant) with Br. Armand Alcazar, Dr. Bill Crozier, and 5 faculty panelists (20 people total); this group will meet monthly throughout the year
• Working with Office of Admissions to create a Lasallian Leadership Scholarship, and design mailing that will go out to all Lasallian schools in the USA
  

July 2005

• Send 4 people to Lasallian Social Justice Institute (2 El Paso; 2 Chicago)
• V.P. Mission participate in Boston College Institute for Catholic College/University Administrators (25 people)
  

June 2005

• Send 2 people to Lasallian Spirituality Retreat
• Send 1-2 people to Weekend in Midwest on Development/Advancement
• Vice President for Mission represented/attended IALU meeting to develop international higher education program for Lasallian universities worldwide (15 people)
  

May 2005

• Two-Day Conference on Mission at Viterbo University
• Formed Lasallian Social Justice Working Group (17 people)
• On-going summer work on HLC Self-Study
  

April 2005

• Brother John Johnston as Lasallian Scholar in Residence (April 6-20) (300 people)
• Brother John Johnson major all-university presentation on April 7 on DeLaSalle (150 people)
• Dr. Dorothy Diehl, Peggy Johnson, and Matt Palkert – Faculty Lunch on Lasallian Social Justice Institute (50 people)
  
• Weekend in Midwest for V.P.s for Mission
• April 21: Faculty Seminar, Workshop, and Discussion on “Inquiry in the Classroom” and evening of remembrance (in honor of Br. Basil O’Leary) (80 people)
• Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Kenyan scholar-writer-translator, speaking twice on campus (200 people)
  

March 2006

• Dr. Richard Tristano lunch presentation on “Intellectual and Lasallian: An Oxymoron?” (March 16) (40 people)
• Scholar/anthropologist on Kenya (100 people)
• 3-31, Lecture/Presentation by George Levy Mueller (SMU Alum), “Surviving the Horror,” WW II Concentration Camp Survivor (300 people)
  

February 2006

• Dr. Steve Pattee-initiated and lead book discussion group (several weeks running)
• Black History Month events, activities, speaker(s) (faculty lunch presentation)
• Kenyan film (50 people)
  

January 2006

• Attend ACCU meeting in Washington, DC, theme of “mission”
• Present at two Twin Cities campus graduations (Jan. 23)
• Kenya student panel presentation (40 people)
  

December 2004

• Presentation to 90 MEd Facilitators in Roseville, MN (Dec. 1) (80 people)
• Kenya Series Panel/Presentation: Bro. Paulos, Fr. Kirwen (60 people)
  

November 2004

• Huether Workshop (Nov. 18-20) (7 SMU people attended)
• Lunch Presentation (Nov. 4) MIASMU Presentation/Participation (Dr. Steve Pattee, et al,; information session) (35 people)
• Nov. 17 Seminar/Workshop on Lasallian Spirituality at Franciscan Spirituality Center, LaCrosse; advertised and funded (5 people)
• Beginning ground work with Angel W. and John P. on establishing a “Lasallian Council” of faculty, staff, administration (10 people)
• Pattee-initiated and lead discussion of Paulo Freri’s work—four weeks, 15 SMU faculty/staff (and on-going rest of year other books) (18 people)
  

October 2004

• Michael Baxter, PhD on-campus, classes/address on Catholic responsibility, etc. in an election year (Oct. 6-8) (300 people)
• One day retreat/workshop for HLC Steering Committee (Oct. 18)
• HLC Self-Study: Member of Steering Committee; Co-chair of Mission and Integrity Committee
• Prayer/Presentation/Lasallian-themed formation to Board of Trustees (each meeting, 10-60 minutes) (50 people)
• “New” Board committee on “Mission and Trustees” (Oct. 1-3) (10 people)
• Present at two MPLS Campus Graduations (Oct.9)
• Meeting with Angel W. regarding LLI Project and Diversity Initiatives
• Meeting with Dr. Dorothy D. and Peggy Johnson on Lasallian Social Justice Institute
• Host Brother Francis Nguyen (Oct. 10-17), research on Lasallian identity
• Dr. Mary Fox presentation/discussion for Lasallian Collegians on “What is Lasallian?” (Oct. 28; advertised and open to all.)
  

September 2004

• Invitation extended to Bro. John Johnston to be Lasallian Scholar in Residence
• 90 minute presentation to entire Development/Advancement department (15 people)
• 60 minute presentation to all new faculty/staff at High Tea, handouts, etc. (50 people)
• 60 minute presentation on Lasallian/Catholic to 350 Freshmen/transfer students (350 Freshmen students)
• Follow-up mailing to 120 support staff, with Mission folder and bookmark (120 people)
• Lasallian mission/outreach to economically poor, meeting in New York
• Kick off talk for Kenyan International Series Year (Catholic, Lasallian, global): one event each month all year (100 people)
• President’s Convocation/Mass of the Holy Spirit (300 people)
• Monthly “First Friday” breakfasts (40 people)
• Monthly meetings with Develop. Team to keep “mission” front and center in their initiatives (20 people)
• Diversity Committee with Angel W. (15 people)
• All students, faculty, staff got “Mission Bookmark” (1500 people)

August 2004

• Attend Cabinet meeting(s) as Vice President for Mission (upgraded from Associate V.P.)
• 90 minute presentation to 90 support staff (invite to formation opportunities) (90 people)
• Discussions with VP Michael Gibbs on Mission and Development
• University-wide remarks at MPLS campus on Mission Documents (200 people)
• Inclusion of Mission brochure and DLS Pamphlet in all faculty/staff folders (300 people)
• Day-long workshop with all new faculty/staff (with Teresa Speck), 15 minutes on the Catholic/Lasallian character of the university (15 people)
• First Year Seminar, inclusion and “teaching” of Mission document and DLS pamphlet (350 Freshmen students)
• Kenya International Series (Diversity, etc.)
• FDC Activities
• Changed daily Mass time to 12:30 to accommodate more people’s schedules