Winners of Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ Awards announced

Three Saint Mary’s University groups and organizations will receive Presidents’ Awards from the Minnesota Campus Compact in the areas of Student Leadership, Civic Engagement and Company Partnership on June 17 at the Minnesota Campus Compact’s Annual Summit and Awards Luncheon.

At the luncheon, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will present the state’s third Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration. In addition, the event will recognize outstanding student leaders, community partners, and faculty and staff “stewards” of civic engagement through the new Presidents’ Awards.

The Presidents’ Awards provide an opportunity for university presidents and chancellors to give statewide recognition to effective leaders in the development of campus-community partnerships.

Receiving awards from Saint Mary’s are:

Presidents’ Student Leadership Award — SMU Inter-Cultural Awareness Association (ICAA). This award is for an individual student or a student organization that models a deep commitment to civic responsibility and leadership. The ICAA has shown tremendous initiative in planning and hosting events that foster understanding and awareness of different cultures, engaging students, faculty and staff, and local community members. Amira Sadek, president of ICAA and a senior public relations major, will represent the group.

Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward award — SMU Literacy Clinic Project Team. This award is for a member of the faculty, administration or staff, or for a group (advisory committee, task force, project team) that has significantly advanced their campus’ distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic engagement, and worked to institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement. Since 1988, the Literacy Clinic has assisted in the remediation of students with dyslexia and other reading disorders. The clinic serves K-12 students from the Winona area. The Literacy Clinic team includes Dr. Jane Anderson, dean of Education, who formed the clinic, as well as clinic supervisor Kärin Wollan and Denise Cichosz, who provides administrative support.

Presidents’ Community Partner award — SMU Apple Valley Partners in Learning. Saint Mary’s recognizes its community-based partners in Apple Valley — Dakota County Technical College, Inver Hills Community College and the City of Apple Valley. This award is presented for enhancing the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and developing sustained, reciprocal partnerships with the university, thus enriching educational as well as community outcomes. In collaboration with Saint Mary’s and with the assistance of the City of Apple Valley, these partner institutions formed the Apple Valley Partners in Learning group in 2003 in response to increasing demand for education programs in the south metro area of the Twin Cities. Dr. Ron Thomas, president of DCTC; Mary Hamaan-Roland, mayor of Apple Valley; and Dr. Cheryl Frank, president of IHCC, are recognized for their collaborative efforts.

Minnesota Campus Compact leverages the assets of higher education institutions in partnerships with communities to educate students and develop creative solutions to society's most pressing issues. Minnesota Campus Compact is affiliated with Campus Compact, a national network of more than 1,100 campuses, 35 state Compacts and a national office. Minnesota Campus Compact is the only higher education coalition in Minnesota that includes a critical mass of public and private; two-year and four-year; urban, suburban, and rural campuses dedicated to the civic purposes of higher education.