Archive Posts
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St. Thomas Students Advocate for Financial Aid Parity at Minnesota Capitol
St. Thomas 2025 - Close Financial Gaps For StudentsDare Akinmusire ’24 is just weeks from walking across the graduation stage at the University of St. Thomas. But before officially throwing his cap in the air, the senior is delivering a personal message to the Minnesota Legislature: their vote can make it possible for more students like him to succeed in college. A Minnesota…
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Podcast Series Explores Finding Purpose After College
Business & LawThe “Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson” podcast recently recorded a four-part series titled “In Search of Careers and the Common Good,” which includes candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore. “One thing I often say to (my students) is that if they’re only in college to… -
ALL IN for St. Thomas Voters
Center for the Common GoodThe University of St. Thomas Civic Engagement, Voter Education and Advocacy (CEVEA) task force in the Center for the Common Good scored 35 out of 36 in this year’s ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and the voter-friendly campus initiative. All action plans with a score of at least 31.5 or more points receive a seal… -
St. Thomas Takes Steps to ‘Reduce the Rancor’
Center for the Common GoodIn an effort to help foster civility and diminish political polarization, the University of St. Thomas co-hosted the kickoff event for the statewide initiative, Reduce the Rancor. The university, in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Braver Angels, seeks to elevate discourse and reshape perspectives on political differences without altering individuals’ views on the issues themselves.… -
St. Thomas Students Witness Challenges and Hope During Immigration Immersion Trip
Center for the Common GoodDuring J-Term, 11 University of St. Thomas students, accompanied by Manuela Hill-Munoz, director of social justice and changemaking, and history professor Dr. Kari Zimmerman, volunteered for 10 days at the Humanitarian Respite Center (HRC) in McAllen, Texas. They supported the center in its efforts to provide recent immigrants to the U.S. with a safe place… -
Building Connection With Communities One Course at a Time
St. Thomas 2025 - Prepare Educators to Dismantle DisparitiesOn a brisk Wednesday afternoon last December, five University of St. Thomas students gathered at the Catholic Charities Family Service Center in Maplewood, Minnesota, to offer meals to families experiencing homelessness. This experience came about because the students enrolled in a Common Good Community-Engaged course called Diversity and Cultural Competence taught by Dr. Chelda Smith,… -
Reflecting on CEVEA’s Impactful Civic Engagement in the 2023 Local Elections
Center for the Common GoodAs the year draws to a close, the University of St. Thomas Civic Engagement, Voter Education and Advocacy (CEVEA) task force looks back on a transformative year in local civic engagement. Spearheaded by dynamic initiatives like the Voter Ambassadors program and the CEVEA Faculty Ambassadors, along with a series of targeted events, the university has… -
Center for the Common Good Attends World Day of the Poor Conference
Center for the Common GoodUniversity of St. Thomas student Maddy Orr and staff member Manuela Hill-Muñoz recently attended a conference at the Church of the U.N. in New York City to learn about the World Day of the Poor, as established by Pope Francis in 2016. The conference was organized by Catholic Relief Services (CRS, the official international Catholic… -
Opus College of Business Professor Emeritus Publishes Third Edition of Business Economics Book
Professional NotesCambridge University Press recently published the third edition of Dr. Charles M. “Mel” Gray’s co-authored book, The Economics of Art and Culture. Gray is Professor Emeritus of Business Economics in the Opus College of Business and Senior Fellow with the Center for the Common Good. The third edition was delayed by the death of Gray’s original… -
Sister Norma Pimentel Encourages St. Thomas Community to Step Out of Comfort Zone
Faith and MissionSister Norma Pimentel, a dedicated advocate for change, encouraged the University of St. Thomas community to become more compassionate supporters of positive immigration and social change. Living in Texas, Pimentel witnessed the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border firsthand. When she joined a group of sisters involved in taking care of immigrants in shelters, Pimentel found…