AT SMSU: PAT Carmody is Cowan Award Winner

Southwest Minnesota State University Registrar Pat Carmody is the 2017 recipient of the Cathy Cowan Award.
The award goes to a faculty or staff member who has made great contributions to SMSU and the region.

It is named in honor of Catherine Cowan, the popular SMSU psychology professor who died in an auto accident on Dec. 22, 2001. It is the most prestigious award presented by the university.
Carmody will be honored during commencement exercises May 6 with the presentation of a medal by SMSU President Dr. Connie J. Gores.
Carmody is just a few months shy of 32 years at Southwest Minnesota State. She has been the registrar since July 2004 and started as an admission counselor for six years.
What does a registrar do?

A lot. Carmody maintains the academic records of all students and implements the registration process for classes. She keeps records of all college classes and curriculum prerequisites, determines students’ graduation eligibility, helps coordinate commencement activities and prepares information such as honors lists, transcripts and class rankings. The registrar must also be familiar with college academic policies and graduation requirements, and transfer credit policies.
She is the perfect example of the “above-and-beyond” person that so many students refer to when they talk about their SMSU experience. One, James Buell, a 2012 alumnus, recalls transferring from southern California to play football and arriving just in time to register for classes. Carmody approached him and walked him through the process. They developed a good relationship. “She became like a second mom to me. Pat Carmody is the single biggest reason for my success at SMSU,” he said.

She and Sean have three daughters: Molly, a lawyer who works for Sanford Health; Maureen Serlip, a banker in Ivanhoe, Minn.; and Meghan, a teacher in Hendricks, Minn. Maureen and Meghan are SMSU grads.
“I am humbled by this award,” she said. “I am joining an illustrious group of people who have won in the past. I think the thing I’m most proud of is my work with our students. SMSU is student-oriented, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”
 

Pat Carmody

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