Dear Saint Mary’s Faculty and Staff:
I hope this finds you well after a Christmas break full of blessings and an abundance of time with your loved ones. As we enter the month of January, I wanted to welcome you back to campus and provide a brief update regarding the Financial Accountability and Strategic Thinking (FAST) Task Force. Father Burns initially shared the need for a shared focus on enrollment strategies during our State of the University address. In late September, Father Burns called leaders from academics and other units to discuss enrollment in SGPP, creating the Task Force to bring organization to our institutional response to our enrollment challenges. Later, Father Burns provided the description and role of the task force in a community letter on November 14, outlining the necessity for a collective focus on enrollment strategies and an intensive review of the current and future state of our graduate and bachelor completion programs.
Initially, the Task Force had four focal areas:
- Focal Area #1 – Financial responsibility analysis
- Focal Area #2 – Extended school review
- Focal Area #3 – Strategic alignment, prioritization, and investment
- Focal Area #4 – Collaboration on School of Continuing and Advancing Studies
Upon further review, Focal Area #4 (School of Continuing and Advancing Studies) was strategically moved out from the responsibility of FAST due to stakeholder needs, current leadership roles, and the additional complexity of credentialing. It will continue to work in parallel with the FAST efforts.
During our Cardinal Update Live! on December 11, I was able to provide a brief update with Provost Bonilla. Individual task force committees have continued to meet since that time, and we will continue to provide you with vital information as we progress. For now, we wanted to share that next week on January 16-17, we will hold a summit on our Cascade Meadows campus in Rochester, including an Aspen-style seminar and discussion forum, as well as work to confirm and prioritize enrollment growth initiatives for investment with innovation funds donated through private philanthropy. Following that time together, we look forward to sharing continued progress.
At this time, I would like to acknowledge the committee members who have agreed to dedicate additional time and energy to this vital initiative:
- James Bedtke | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Max Bonilla | Task Force Group #1 Lead, Task Force Group #2 Member, Task Force Group #3 Member
- Andrew Dirksen | Task Force Group #2 Lead, Task Force Group #3 Member
- Robert Elmore | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Matthew Gerlach | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Michael Hahn | Task Force Group # 2 Member
- Amy Heinz | Task Force Group #2 Member
- Mary Jacobs | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Susan Jarosak | Task Force Group # 2 Member
- Tracy Lehnertz | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Katherine Loos | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Jack McClure | Task Force Group #2 Member
- Michael McMahon | Task Force Group #3 Lead, Task Force Group #1 Member
- Michelle Rovang| Task Force Group #3 Member
- Darren Row | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Thomas Schulzetenberg | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Jessica Uhlig | Task Force Group #1 Member
- Scott Walker | Task Force Group #3 Member
- Michelle Wieser | Task Force Group #1 Member, Task Force Group #2 Member
Please know that we greatly appreciate your dedication to Saint Mary’s, our mission, and our students. We are buoyed by the love and respect that our community holds for our sacred journey together, and we look ahead full of hope to a thriving Saint Mary’s University.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
In Him,
Dr. Michael McMahon
