Dear Parents & Families,
Commencement is nearly upon us, promising to be a momentous occasion for our graduating seniors and their families. It’s a big accomplishment for all of our students with another academic year in the books. That can only mean one thing…summer! This issue of the newsletter features an article transitioning to summer from the Office of Student Success Services (OS3), as well as an overview of summer events happening at the College. We hope you and your students can come back for one of our concerts!
We’d like these monthly newsletters to be helpful to you in supporting your student; please send us your feedback and questions to communications@smcm.edu.
Commencement
The big day for the Class of 2023 is Saturday, May 13. Congratulations to all of our graduating seniors and also to their families, as you have provided a major part of the support network that has helped them get to this major milestone.
We have assembled all of the key information surrounding Commencement on our website, including important deadlines, senior week activities, information concerning the ceremony itself, lodging and accommodations for those of you traveling to the ceremony and more.
This year’s Commencement speaker is international superstar and goodwill ambassador Angélique Kidjo. The 5-time Grammy winner with 16 albums to her credit has been a major influence on artists around the world, and has translated her fame and star power into advocacy for women and children on her home continent of Africa and around the world. And in a rare event indeed, she will be performing in concert in the Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center the same evening! It is sure to be an unforgettable event.
St. Mary’s Project Presentations
Graduating seniors showcase their capstone projects
Family and friends are cordially invited to St. Mary’s Project (SMP) presentations taking place on Monday and Tuesday, May 1-2. Presentations and performances will take place at various times and locations on those two days, according to the chart below. The largest presentation takes place on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena, where students from a wide range of departments and majors will be conducting poster presentations of their projects. The complete schedule of presentations can be found on the website.
COVID Protocols
College lifting mandatory requirements
The College is lifting its mandatory vaccination policy for COVID-19 effective immediately. We recommend members of our campus community get vaccinated within the new CDC guidelines. President Joe Biden is ending the national emergency for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, 2023, as most of the world returns to normalcy. This move ends the national and public health declarations put in place to address the threat as a pandemic. While our policy change is due to the recent changes at the federal and local levels regarding monitoring/reporting and vaccine recommendations at St. Mary’s County Health Department we recognize the COVID-19 virus is still with us.
We ask all members of the campus community to continue to protect themselves by avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, washing hands often with soap and water, and avoiding close contact with someone who is sick. Mask-wearing is optional, but we ask our community to continue to respect those who choose to wear one. The health and well-being of our campus community continue to be foremost in our minds so we will continue to provide education and resources to minimize the COVID-19 risk to living and working in a congregate housing environment.
From the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD)
Handshake
Handshake is the nation’s #1 college-to-career network
SMCM launched Handshake on April 10, 2023 as its official job/internship portal. Similar to LinkedIn, Handshake is geared toward college students and recent graduates looking for employment and internships. Connected with 1200+ employers with over 3800 jobs currently posted, there are a wealth of opportunities for continuing students as well as graduates.
Accounts are available for all students -- they just need to log in to activate their account. Thousands of employers are hiring students on Handshake. Once students fill in their career interests, they’ll get personalized recommendations for jobs and events and direct outreach from employers interested in students just like them—80% of students with a complete Handshake profile get messaged by employers!
From the Office of Student Success Services (OS3)
Summer is Coming
So, your SMCM Seahawk has been home from campus for short breaks this year, but “The Big Kahuna” of homecomings will be upon you in just a few weeks. Here are some thoughts about how to make the most of the summer and address some of the challenges you and your student may have in the reassimilation process:
Top 10 Ways to Have a Great Summer with Your Seahawk:
- Help them think about how they will use their time this summer. (The Career and Professional Development Center can help with Internships, jobs, and other ways to build a résumé
- And even a regular, “boring” job can produce new skills that can be featured on their résumé
- If they dropped a class this year, taking a course at your local community college is a great way to get back on track to graduate in 4 years! (Just remember to get pre-approval to take the class from the SMCM Registrar before signing up.)
- Assist them in simplifying their academics while they are home. Students can do a lot of things online and through email. If they haven’t yet declared a major, they can do that on their Portal. If they want a new adviser, they can contact the professor they’d like to change to and ask them if they will be their adviser or contact OS3 (Office of Student Success) at 240-895-4388 for help with finding a new adviser.
- Encourage them to meet up with friends and reconnect with them.
- Have a thoughtful conversation with your Seahawk about how this academic year was for them personally, academically and socially.
- Talk with them about their upcoming year, their courses, co-curricular student organization involvements, their housing group/roommates, potential campus employment opportunities on campus, and their participation in intercollegiate or club sports.
- Ask them what they NEED FROM YOU this summer.
- Understand that your student has been “on their own” for the past several months, and they are not the same student. They have developed habits like staying out later than their old curfew time. It’s alright to have a curfew for them, but you probably want to confirm that time so you are all on the same page!
- Make sure your Seahawk tells you all the dates and deadlines for things like residence hall move-in, tuition payments, and financial aid acceptance.
- Remind your students that your kitchen is not the SMCM Great Room, and they have to wash their dishes at home! (And keep doing their own laundry, too!)
OS3 wants to hear from you
In order to best serve our parents and families, please share with us your suggestions for future newsletter articles and/or Parent & Family Webinars. Please send an email to families@smcm.edu with your ideas and questions. We look forward to engaging with you! Thank you!
News & Events
President Jordan Participates in Panel Discussion at ACE's Annual Meeting
President Tuajuanda C. Jordan was part of a panel discussion Saturday, April 15, during the American Council on Education’s (ACE) annual meeting held this year in Washington, D.C., April 13 - 15.
ACE is the largest higher education organization and its annual meeting brings together leaders committed to building higher education’s future, designing solutions, sharing insights and discovering sustainable strategies that will move their institutions forward, according to its website.
President Jordan and two other panelists spoke on the topic “Reimagining Presidential Leadership for the Future of Higher Education,” foregrounded by the data presented in The American College President: 2023 Edition.
Congressman Hoyer Visits Campus
U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, whose Maryland 5th Congressional District includes St. Mary's County, visited St. Mary's College of Maryland on Monday, April 3. Highlights of the congressman's visit included the Schaefer Hall aquatic lab, the Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center and the Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland on a tour conducted by SMCM President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD.
"I was pleased to return to St. Mary's College of Maryland’s campus to see how the investments we are making in our schools are enhancing students' success," Congressman Hoyer said after attending the briefing and touring the upgraded facility. "I was proud to work with SMCM to secure substantial funding in the FY2023 omnibus to renovate the aquatic lab. From biochemistry to marine science, this project will help ensure that our state's schools remain at the forefront of important research fields. We must ensure that our students – no matter their field – have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive both in the classroom and in the workforce, and I look forward to continuing to work with SMCM to advance that mission."
“It is always an honor to welcome our longtime friend, Congressman Steny Hoyer, to campus,” said President Jordan. “Today's visit was especially fitting since he had an opportunity to see firsthand the facilities and members of our community will benefit most directly from the latest in a long history of effort on behalf of the College.”
The aquatic lab will receive a complete renovation thanks to a federal appropriation secured by Hoyer. The congressman's past support for the College's new marine science program also includes a $900,000 appropriation for the construction of a purpose-built research vessel and associated equipment. Hoyer is also a longtime member of the College's Board of Trustees.
Mulberry Music Festival Lineup Announced
The lineup for this year's Mulberry Music Festival has been announced! Four exciting acts, plus our own Carly Harvey '07 (DC's Queen of the Blues) returns as Mistress of Ceremonies. Kick off a weekend of Juneteenth celebrations with an evening of jazz, blues, R&B, funk and more.
2023 River Concert Series
Save the dates as the River Concert Series returns with the Chesapeake Orchestra directed by our own Professor of Music Jeff Silberschlag. All concerts are on the College's Townhouse Green and start at 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 23
- Friday, June 30
- Friday, July 7
- Friday, July 14
- Friday, July 21