Cardinal Conversations

The faces of first-year students are changing, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota strives to be a place for all of them to grow and find their path. Saint Mary's is expanding on its commitment to meet students where they are with a new opportunity: the 90-credit online bachelor’s degree. This new pathway offers one more option that may be a faster, more flexible, and cost-efficient route for some students to complete their undergraduate degree.Join Holly Tapper, dean of the School of Advancing Studies, to learn more about these new 90-credit online programs and how they could be an effective option for students to start or finish their bachelor’s degree.

Hundreds of years after putting pen to page, the works of William Shakespeare continue to resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds. Join Saint Mary's University of Minnesota for a conversation with Peter Stickney of The Lord Chamberlain's Men — a premier, all-male theatre company in the U.K. — and the Winona-based Great River Shakespeare Festival's Aaron Young and Eileen Moeller as they discuss why appreciation for Shakespeare is still so prevalent, the history of Shakespeare and how his plays are adapted today, and how we can continue to foster arts in our community. And, of course, talk about what to expect on the stage at Page Theatre at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota on when The Lord Chamberlain's Men performs "Twelfth Night" on Nov. 4, 2025.

Pierluca Azzaro, Ph.D., executive secretary of the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, speaks on his new position as the Benedict XVI Chair with Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaThis new chair will significantly benefits the Saint Mary's community and furthers our mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering our learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is the first American university to officially partner with the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation. We look forward to the opportunities this initiative will bring to the continued growth of our academic programs and the flourishing of our community.Host: Ben Rodgers