Life at St. Thomas: July 2020
Check out some of these images from St. Thomas photographers during the month of July 2020.
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COVID-19 Response
The below news stories and communications relate to St. Thomas’ response to the coronavirus pandemic. These stories appear in chronological order, from newest to oldest.
New Temperature Reading Stations Arriving on Campus
Students, staff and faculty returning to the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses will be able to use new touch-free temperature stations to quickly check their temperatures.
When (Not) in Rome: An Oral History of the Decision to Close Bernardi Campus
As COVID-19 spread throughout Italy, university officials wrestled with the decision of whether to close the Bernardi Campus. St. Thomas was the first program in Rome to close its operations … and just in time. Here’s an oral history of the decisions to close the Rome campus.
Zooming into Online Learning
2020 Spring, Academic News, College of Arts and Sciences, COVID-19 Response, Dougherty Family College, Morrison Family College of Health, News, Opus College of Business, School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Law, School of Social Work, St. Thomas Magazine, St. Thomas Responds, Top News
Since March 12, more than 900 St. Thomas faculty members taught more than 2,000 courses to more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. This summer another 450 courses will be taught.
Rallying Behind Our Students: St. Thomas Responds to COVID-19
As COVID-19 forced classes online and most students off campus, the St. Thomas community responded with an overwhelming effort to rally around the university's students.
Tommie Experts: Opus College of Business’ Rama Hart on Going Virtual
Opus College of Business Associate Professor of Management Rama Hart shares insights into what we gain and what we lose when classrooms and companies go virtual, how to improve virtual communication and more.
New COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Outlines Operational and Behavioral Changes Needed at St. Thomas This Fall
Social distancing setups, more hand sanitizing stations, disinfecting kits in classrooms and a wider variety of instruction methods will be among the noticeable differences St. Thomas community members see when they return to campus this summer and fall.
Our St. Thomas Preparedness Plan
President Julie Sullivan shared the completed St. Thomas COVID-19 Preparedness Plan that will guide how we safely reopen campus.
Alumnus Ben Conway Helps Convert Four Seasons NYC to Sanctuary
Ben Conway '17 MS in technology management and his team at Ecolab have helped transform the Four Seasons Hotel NYC into a sanctuary site for medical workers.
School of Law Student at the Heart of Minnesota’s PPE Distribution
St. Thomas School of Law student Trevor Brink has been working since April 9 as the executive officer of his National Guard company and in charge of managing the Minnesota Department of Health’s personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution warehouse.
Muslim Students Reflect on Ramadan Experiences During COVID-19
The difficulties of social distancing and stay-at-home orders have created unique challenges and differences from normal across the St. Thomas community. That’s especially true for Muslim community members during the holiday of Ramadan.
Tommie Experts: ‘Outside Consultant’ Columns on COVID-19 Issues
For years, experts from Opus College of Business have answered business-related questions in a weekly Star Tribune column titled “Outside Consultant.” In the last couple of months, faculty weighed in on how businesses can adapt to the new challenges that come with navigating COVID-19.
President Julie Sullivan Outlines Potential Path to In-Person Fall Semester
In front of St. Thomas’ largest virtual gathering since courses moved online, President Julie Sullivan on May 13 provided a glimpse of what an in-person fall semester may look like as the community prepares to guard itself against the COVID-19 virus.
School of Law Helps Develop, Support Minnesota Prisoners Medical Release Program
On March 27, School of Law Professor Mark Osler wrote an editorial column in the Star Tribune calling on local, state and federal officials to “take action now if we are to avoid catastrophic illness and death in those [prison and jail] facilities as COVID-19 inexorably advances." The state listened.
‘A Second Family’: Life at St. Thomas During COVID-19
COVID-19 Response, Current Students, Life at St. Thomas, News, Our Community, St. Thomas Responds, Staff, Top News
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Life on St. Thomas’ St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses looks more different lately than it ever has before. They are far, however, from empty: Some 125 students continue to live in St. Paul residence halls, and dozens of essential staff continue to work in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Tommie Experts: School of Law’s Mark Osler on Clemency and Prison Populations Amidst COVID-19
As COVID-19's potential impact on the country's prison system continues to be explored nationally and in Minnesota, the Newsroom spoke with School of Law professor and clemency expert Mark Osler.
Care, Compassion, Empathy: Admissions Working Hard to Support Prospective Students, Families
As high school graduation approaches, more and more students are making decisions on higher education enrollment. St. Thomas’ Admissions Department has made major changes to ensure prospective students and their families are getting the support they need as they navigate the challenges of COVID-19.
Time, Balance and Choices: One Student’s Thoughts and Photos of Life During COVID-19
Student photographer Brianna Kirk reflected in words and images on her experience of the mid-semester changes COVID-19 caused at St. Thomas.
May 1 COVID-19 Response Update
President Julie Sullivan outlined on May 1 the university's plans for fall operation and mitigation strategies in response to COVID-19's impact.
Equity, Inclusion Remains Focus During Online Learning
With such a massive amount of work to move St. Thomas’ curriculum online in the past several weeks, some priorities for faculty could have gotten lost in the shuffle. Faculty engagement and recent seminars from Faculty Development Center (FDC) and STELAR are signs that equity and inclusion in online learning will not be one of those things.
Virtual Postgraduation Fair to Focus on Meaningful Work for Class of 2020
Meaningful work and how graduates might take this opportunity to find work that advances the common good is the focus of the May 7 virtual postgraduation fair, co-hosted by the Center for the Common Good and the Career Development Center.
‘Rallying Around the Students’: Dougherty Family College Moves Online
Dougherty Family College students, faculty and staff have taken a program built on high-touch, close connections and relationships, and completely shifted it online due to COVID-19.
Father Michael Joncas Writes ‘Shelter Me’ To Bring Comfort During the Pandemic
To bring comfort to a world that has many people staying at home to slow the spread of COVID-19, Father Michael Joncas has written a prayer-song, “Shelter Me.” Joncas ’75 is a world-renowned composer most recognized for his hymn, “On Eagle’s Wings.”
Leading Mayo Clinic’s Digital Transformation
Rita Khan ’11 MBA, Mayo Clinic's first-ever chief digital officer, credits her Opus College of Business MBA for preparing her for leadership.
Tommie Experts: John Abraham on COVID-19’s Effect on Climate Change
School of Engineering Professor John Abraham weighs in on the impacts of COVID-19 on the overall issue of climate change.