Upon Reflection

I am grateful to have this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Provost and Senior Vice President at Saint Mary’s. I am so appreciative of the wonderful welcome I have felt from this community. I am also thankful that many of my experiences thus far resonate with my past experience in higher education. This provides comfort: I know I am in the right place.

I am a product of the liberal arts, having graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in biology and German. Before joining Saint Mary’s, I made my academic home for 16 years at the College of St. Benedict, a college for women, and St. John’s University, a college for men, in central Minnesota. As these were Catholic, Benedictine, and liberal arts institutions, I felt some obvious connection and comfort in continuing my academic career at Saint Mary’s. I have lived—and so, understand—the true value of a contemporary liberal arts education rooted in faith. I have appreciated it so much, in fact, that I have devoted much of my life to ensuring that all students under my watch have the opportunity to experience its value.

My work began in the classroom at St. Ben’s and St. John’s where, teaching microbiology, I developed activities to support students’ active application of their learning. The research lab was another great space to provide hands-on learning opportunities. Our work together in the lab also created opportunities for me to be curious with students and to learn alongside them. As a faculty member and then as a dean, I felt rewarded in contributing to the reform and the design of new curricula—whether it was reimagining general education that supported skill development needed in today’s world or encouraging new programs to help students see the relevance of the liberal arts while still meeting the requirements of their specific majors. In promoting the growth of the whole person, I also recognized the need for students to have reinforcement and learning opportunities outside of the classroom. I was pleased with our work to restructure and reimagine a number of our co-curricular offices, all in an effort to make them more accessible for our students.

I feel blessed to serve the Saint Mary’s community. While my work here feels familiar and that excites me, I am emboldened by the College’s strategic plan and its mission. I was eager to come here to support the opportunities created by this plan and to work towards its mission of encouraging young women in their chosen fields of study and of preparing them for success in their future careers. I intend to use my advocacy for the liberal arts and my student-centered approach to empower our community to be leaders, to innovate, and to strengthen holistic learning experience at Saint Mary’s. I look forward to working with you and the community!

Warm Regards,

Barb May, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President