Dear Faculty and Staff,
If you attended this past week’s conversations, thank you for your involvement. We hope that you were able to learn more about the 2026 and 2027 budget cycle plans and other updates. For those unable to attend, we will share extended communications in next week’s Saint Mary’s TODAY. Below is a brief overview of the updates related to our plans for long-term financial sustainability. Updates were provided on three efforts underway this spring and summer:
- Financial Position and Overview — After zero-based budgets were developed with initial reviews from all university areas, we identified expense reductions and have made progress on administrative expenses and overhead. This was a tremendous effort, and we greatly appreciate all you have contributed and suggested. The board has tasked the president and cabinet with resolving the structural operating deficit of $11.4M (the number before the endowment and other philanthropic funds are applied) by June 1, 2027, eliminating our reliance on the unrestricted endowment. To meet this goal, we must continue to manage operational costs through responsible stewardship and further reductions in operations and labor expenses. In collaboration with the cabinet, the president is actively determining the best path forward for expense reductions over the next two fiscal years (FY26 and FY27).
- Brother Louis Hall and the Minneapolis Campus — We have an agreement to close on April 30, with the transition beginning in early summer and continuing through mid-August. As part of this transition, updates to the University Center, LaSalle Hall, Martin de Porres Hall, and Mother Teresa Hall will support our academic programs. At the same time, we are assessing long-term options for our current Minneapolis Campus location.
- Remote Work — Like many corporations and even our state government, our remote work policy will change by August 15, 2025. The new policy, while still a flexible work model, will include the option for one remote workday per week. The phasing in of this policy will begin in May for some areas and will be fully implemented by August 15, 2025. In consultation and approval of the cabinet member, each division and unit will determine timelines based on unit needs and supervisory approval. Ongoing remote work approvals and exceptions will be reviewed by Human Resources and approved by the president.
In addition to these latest conversations, we know that you will likely have many questions. We will try to answer them as completely as possible, acknowledging that this is an ongoing progress that we can most successfully accomplish when we are working in concert with each other. Our sincere gratitude for all that you continue to provide for Saint Mary’s.
As noted at the end of the meetings, if you have questions or would like to discuss this information further, you are welcome to schedule a meeting with Andy Dirksen, COO, during one of the times. All meetings will be scheduled for 15 minutes unless noted otherwise. Please contact JaNell Heim (jlheim@smumn.edu) to schedule the meeting.
- Winona Campus | April 15, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Minneapolis Campus | April 17, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
