Dear Parents & Families,
We hope that you and your Seahawk had a great summer! Campus is abuzz with preparations for the coming year, which promises to be an exciting and productive one. We’ll focus on some new faces and new initiatives that await your Seahawk, as well as important dates and news we’d like to share.
We’d like these monthly newsletters to be helpful to you in supporting your student; please send us your feedback and questions to communication@smcm.edu.
Move-In!
Move-In dates for returning students are from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, August 26 and 27. Your students will receive an email from the Office of Residence Life with a sign-up link to choose a specific time slot for move-in. Please ensure your students look for this email and follow the instructions.
Move-In for first-year students is from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 24 and for new transfer students from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Friday, August 25.
For more details on check-in, parking, guests for move-in assistance, and more, visit https://www.smcm.edu/residencelife/moving/move-in/.
Orientation and Opening Convocation
New student orientation takes place with a Week of Welcome (WOW) from August 24-27. Fall Opening Convocation takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, August 25, with the President’s Book signing following at 3 p.m.
Construction and Traffic Updates
Crews have been busy working on a variety of projects affecting the roadways on and around campus this summer.
Route 5 Pathway Extension
The bike / pedestrian path connecting the Charles “Chip” Jackson bridge and College Drive parallel to Point Lookout Road/Maryland Route 5 has been completed. The wide, porous asphalt surface greatly improves safety for those traveling along Route 5 headed toward the College waterfront and historic campus. Additionally, an attractive boardwalk has been constructed over Wherritts Pond connecting College Drive to the North Field athletic and intramural fields. The boardwalk will open prior to the start of the semester.
Mattapany Road Improvements
A series of construction events are expected to begin soon to allow for improvements to Mattapany Road between College Drive and Point Lookout Road / Maryland Route 5. When completed, this will greatly enhance safety along this stretch of road, but will create a temporary inconvenience during construction. Keep an eye out for announcements from the College as the work plans for these improvements are finalized.
Parking Lot R Improvements
Students who park in Lot R next to Waring Commons residences will find improvements to that lot were completed over the summer.
Welcome Felix Martinez, Director of Public Safety
Felix Martinez, EdD has joined St. Mary’s College of Maryland as director of public safety. Martinez has a wealth of experience as a police officer and campus police and security officer, as well as a probation and correctional officer. He earned his doctorate in education leadership focusing on the impact of the community policing model and also holds a Master of Professional Studies and Bachelor of Arts degrees focused in the law enforcement and security field.
Seahawk Family Liaison
The Office of Student Success Services (OS3) wants to let parents know that Joanne Goldwater is the Seahawk Family Liaison in addition to being the associate dean for retention and student success. Family members may reach out to her to share any news or concerns they have about their student and ask any questions they have. Simply contact her at (240) 895-4388 or email families@smcm.edu.
The Seahawk Family Liaison role allows the College to partner with families to help their students be successful. Joanne is always happy to chat with the family members but cannot share any information unless the student has signed the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act form. That law prevents us from sharing any information regarding students' educational records. If your student has not completed a FERPA, have them drop by OS3 or the registrar's office. Both are located in Glendening Hall and we can witness them signing the document.
2023-2024 Parking Decals
If your student wishes to park on campus this coming year and has not applied for their parking decal, they may still be able to do so. Visit the Office of Public Safety on the web for more information.
Hawktoberfest 2023
Save the date! Hawktoberfest 2023 (Homecoming & Family Weekend) takes place Friday and Saturday, October 20 & 21. Join us for a weekend of fun activities for anyone who loves St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
News & Events
St. Mary’s College Welcomes New Trustees
St. Mary’s College of Maryland welcomed four new trustees appointed by Governor Wes Moore in June: Arthur "Lex" Birney, Kristen Greenaway, Talib Horne ‘93 and Kimberly Kelley. Greenaway, Horne and Kelley will serve six-year terms while Birney serves the remainder of William Seale’s term, ending May 31, 2025.
“It is an honor to welcome these new members, adding to a diverse board with some of the most brilliant minds from both the public and private sectors,” said St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD. “The Board of Trustees shares a deep commitment to a liberal arts and science education and the newly appointed members' collective years of experience, skills and knowledge will complement our existing board members.”
“Bringing on new trustees rejuvenates the board as we welcome in new talent and ideas centered around a common goal of providing the best opportunities for The National Public Honors College. I look forward to working with our three newest members and welcome back former Trustee Lex Birney,” said Board Chair Susan Dyer.
Governor Moore also re-appointed the following board members to continue their service for another six-year term: Dyer, Nicolas Abrams ‘99, Gail Harmon, Peter Bruns and John Wobensmith ‘93. Finally, two additional members rotated onto the board by virtue of their respective positions: Kate Fritz ‘04, president of the St. Mary’s College Alumni Association (ex-officio) and chief executive officer of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay; and Isabella Woel-Popovich ‘24, a computer science major from Crofton, Maryland, student trustee selected by the Campus Life Board Committee.