Libraries

The libraries at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University serve the combined student body with a joint staff and coordinated programs and services. Joint holdings of the two libraries are over 570,000 volumes, 1,717 active paper periodical subscriptions, over 6,000 electronic periodical titles, 264,489 government documents and 110,355 microforms. The online catalog, PALS (see http://www.csbsju.edu/library/books/palscat.html) of the joint libraries allows students to search the collections of both facilities, as well as 125 other libraries in Minnesota and many libraries in both North and South Dakota. In addition, through the MnLINK Gateway patrons have access to the University of Minnesota, its coordinate campuses, and most public library systems in the state.

Twelve librarians and twenty support staff provide a full range of services to students, including personalized reference consultations and classroom instruction in library use and research strategies. Interlibrary loan provides physical access to collections of the University of Minnesota, other Minnesota libraries (MINITEX), as well as libraries in the Upper Midwest. Both libraries feature Media Centers with extensive audio and video resources.

The joint libraries’ website (http://www.csbsju.edu/library) provides access to the online catalog and also to a wide variety of services and information resources, periodical information, many locally-developed subject guides to electronic information resources, library catalogs worldwide, and the Internet. The campus computing network enables students and faculty to utilize these resources from virtually any computer on campus whether in their dorm room, office or one of the well-equipped public access computing areas on both campuses.

Clemens Library at the College of Saint Benedict provides study space for more than 500 students. In addition to an excellent core collection of resources to support the curriculum of both colleges, Clemens Library features materials in the fields of nursing, education, juvenile books, fine arts, literature, religion and women’s studies. The resources of the Music Library at the Benedicta Arts Center are also available to students at both schools.

Alcuin Library at Saint John’s University, designed by architect Marcel Breuer at the same time the Abbey Church was built, features many study alcoves as part of the seating capacity of about 500. The library also includes a rare book room, two audio-visual auditoriums with seating capacities of 148 and 62, and controlled access to the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library which is included in the library building. In addition to its core collection, Alcuin Library includes many specialized and scholarly works, especially in the areas of theology and history. Alcuin Library is also a partial Federal Depository Library for Government Documents and a Defense Mapping Agency Depository Library.

Information Technology Services

Information Technology Services staff and facilities serve the faculty, staff and student body of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Its mission is to provide appropriate information resources, technology and services in order to facilitate learning, instruction, research, creative activities and public service.

Enrolled students automatically have access to the campus network. This includes a network account, an MS Exchange mailbox and access to file storage on a network server. Students have access to applications and data from any location on either campus including the residence halls. Personal web page space and powerful web tools are available for all CSB/SJU students.

The computer facilities consist of five multimedia computer classrooms, 15 computer access/lab facilities and 33 residence hall computer clusters. Students are not required to own a computer. There are over 385 workstations available for student use, some of which are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All areas have modern networked workstations offering the latest versions in word processing, spreadsheet and graphical applications. Many types of discipline-specific software applications are available. In addition, all networked workstations have access to the Internet.

Computer facilities are available weekdays, evenings and weekends for the students’ convenience. Network connections are provided in all student rooms. This feature provides 24-hour Ethernet connectivity to the campus network for student-owned PCs and Macs.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is a developmental process of decision-making through which a student explores with and seeks information from professionals in the campus community. This process enables students to discern personal and career goals and to make appropriate decisions about participation in academic programs and the fulfillment of degree requirements.

The advising program is directed through the academic advising offices on each campus. These offices coordinate advising activities and provide direction and assistance to both faculty and students who have advising concerns. They oversee probationary actions and monitor the performance of the general student body and specific groups of students identified to be at risk academically. The advising offices also oversee and coordinate assistance for students with disabilities and other students who may require special academic assistance.

Though a student may at times need to consult with a variety of individuals, each student is required to have one primary adviser, who is a member of the faculty. The function of this association is to support and challenge the student in career and educational decisions. During the registration for each semester, students are required to consult with their faculty adviser and to obtain their Personal ID Number (PIN) before entering online registration requests.

The First-Year Symposium or Honors professor is the official academic adviser for first-year students. Toward the end of this first year, each student is expected to select a new adviser. This adviser is most often a faculty member in the student’s chosen academic major. However, if at this time the student has not yet decided on a major, the student may select any faculty member who agrees to accept the advising role. In the spring semester of the sophomore year, a student must apply to a department for acceptance into a major. From this time on, the student’s adviser should be a member of that department. Students should contact the advising office on their campus whenever they wish to select a new adviser.

Valuable advising is also available to students living on campus through the assistance of the residential staff, specifically residence directors at Saint Benedict’s and faculty residents at Saint John’s.

Counseling Services

The counseling staffs at CSB Counseling and Health Education and SJU Counseling and Career Services offer short-term individual and group counseling and psychological services for a wide range of personal, psychological, and academic concerns experienced by college students. In addition, workshops, presentations, and other programs are offered by professional and paraprofessional staff throughout the year on such issues as depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, alcohol and other drug use, and relationships. Students are encouraged to use the services of their respective campuses.

Peer Resource Program at Saint John’s

The Peer Resource Program (PRP), a direct extension of the Saint John’s University Counseling and Career Services Office, operates as a resource for students at both SJU and CSB. PRPs possess a knowledge of resources both on campus and in the surrounding community; design, facilitate and evaluate student development programs; operate as a liaison between the counseling staff and student body; and refer individuals to appropriate sites for assistance. As members of the program, PRPs receive continuous training in facilitation, listening, referring, leadership, communication and group dynamics.