Augsburg College

Augsburg College

Augsburg College Seal
Motto Education for Service
Type Private liberal arts college
Established 1869
Religious affiliation
 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Endowment $33 million[1]
President Paul C. Pribbenow
Provost Karen L. Kaivola
Students 3,822
Undergraduates 3,015
Postgraduates 807
Location Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Coordinates: 44°57′57″N 93°14′30″W / 44.9659°N 93.2416°W / 44.9659; -93.2416
Campus Urban
Colors Maroon and Gray          [2]
Athletics NCAA Division III – MIAC
Nickname Auggies
Mascot Eagle
Website www.augsburg.edu

Augsburg College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its founding in 1869, it was a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminary. Its first college class began in the fall of 1874. Today, the college enrolls approximately 3000 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students. The school is known for its emphasis on service learning; volunteering in the community is both an instructional strategy and a required part of a student’s coursework. In 2010 Augsburg College was one of the six higher education institutions to receive the Presidential Award for Community Service, sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.[3]

History

Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans in America. It was named after the Augsburg Confession, the confession of faith presented by Lutherans in Augsburg, Germany in 1530. Augsburg opened in September 1869, in Marshall, Wisconsin, and moved to Minneapolis in 1872. Undergraduate classes first began in the fall of 1874 with the first class graduating in the spring of 1879. In 1893, Augsburg leaders formed the "Friends of Augsburg", which became the Lutheran Free Church in 1897. Women were first admitted to the college in 1921. The school was officially known as Augsburg Seminary until 1942 when the name was changed to Augsburg College and Theological Seminary although that name had been informally used since the 1910s. When the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church in 1963 Augsburg Seminary merged with Luther Seminary in Saint Paul and the name of the school officially became Augsburg College. There was also a high school level Augsburg Academy on campus until it closed in 1933.

August Weenaas was Augsburg’s first president (1869-1876). Professor Weenaas recruited two teachers from Norway—Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup. These three men clearly articulate the direction of Augsburg: to educate Norwegian Lutherans to minister to immigrants and to provide such "college" studies that would prepare students for theological study.

In 1874 they proposed a three-part plan: first, train ministerial candidates; second, prepare future theological students; and third, educate the farmer, worker, and businessman. The statement stressed that a good education is also practical. Augsburg’s next two presidents also emphatically rejected ivory tower concepts of education. This commitment to church and community has led to Augsburg’s theme of over 130 years: Education for Service.

Hillary Clinton campaigning at Augsburg College, two days before Super Tuesday 2008.
Flags fly at Augsburg College, during the 25th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum (2013).

This attitude began to change after World War I. In 1911, George Sverdrup, Jr. became president. He worked to develop college departments with an appeal to a broader range of students than just those intending to be ministers. In 1937, Augsburg elected Bernhard Christensen, an erudite and scholarly teacher, to be president (1938-1962). His involvement in ecumenical and civic circles made Augsburg a more visible part of church and city life. After World War II, Augsburg leaders made vigorous efforts to expand and improve academic offerings. Now the College was a larger part of the institution than the seminary and received the most attention.

As a result, Augsburg added departments essential to a liberal arts college, offering a modern college program based on general education requirements and elective majors. The seminary moved to Luther Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary) in St. Paul in 1963 when the Lutheran Free Church merged with the American Lutheran Church. Augsburg continues to reflect the commitment and dedication of the founders who believed an Augsburg education should be preparation for service in community and church. Providing an education grounded in vocational calling, that provides students both the theoretical learning and the practical experience to succeed in a global, diverse world.[4]

Nobel Peace Prize Forum

In 2012 and 2013, Augsburg College housed the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This event brought members of the world's most exclusive club— Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to the Augsburg College campus. It provided an opportunity for students and staff of Augsburg to interact with people who have fundamentally made a large change in the world.[5]

Academic life

Augsburg College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In the past five years, Augsburg students have earned honors including Rhodes Scholarships, Fulbright Scholarships and many other awards and grants.[4]

The student-faculty ratio at Augsburg College is 16:1, and the school has 64.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Augsburg College include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Health Professions and Related Programs; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; and Social Sciences.[6]

Academic offerings

Augsburg strives to educate both traditional and non-traditional students, offering undergraduate degrees in over 50 major areas of study. The College also grants eight graduate degrees.

Augsburg offers one postgraduate degree:

Awards and rankings

In 2010 Augsburg College was one of six higher education institutions in the nation to receive the 2010 Presidential Award for Community Service, the highest honor in the annual President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.[4][7]

U.S. News & World Report named Augsburg as one of the best colleges for service-learning, which includes 31 schools across the country where volunteering in the community is both an instructional strategy and a requirement of a student's coursework. According to the U.S. News & World Report rankings, Augsburg College is 23th in its Regional University Midwest Ranking.[6]

U.S. News & World Report also consistently ranks Augsburg College as a Tier 1 institution for its Physician Assistant program. In 2013, Augsburg ranked #70 in the nation.[8] Augsburg shares the #70 rank with the following institutions: University of Southern California, Western University of Health Sciences, and the University of New England.[9] Consequently, it is ranked #1 in Minnesota.

On 27 June 2015 at the United International College's 7th Graduation Ceremony in Zhuhai, Augsburg College's President Dr Paul C Pribbenow was rewarded with the Honorary Fellowships.[10]

Campus

Old Main of Augsburg College
Location 731 21st Ave., S., Minneapolis, Minnesota
Area less than one acre
Built 1901
Architect Omeyer, Didrik A.; Thori, Martin P.
Architectural style Renaissance Revival
NRHP Reference # 83003653[11]
Added to NRHP October 6, 1983

Residence halls

Oren Gateway Center, Augsburg College
Urness Tower, Augsburg College

Other buildings

Entrance to Lindell Library

Future expansion

Several new facilities are currently planned, including the Center for Science, Business, and Religion, a new residence hall to replace The Science Hall, a parking ramp, and other buildings.[16][17]

Student life

Augsburg’s student body totals approximately 3,800 students representing some 40 states, more than 40 foreign countries, and 24 tribal nations/reservations. The main campus newspaper is the Augsburg Echo with a circulation over 1000. The college is involved in providing services to students with physical or learning disabilities, and to students in recovery through its “StepUP Program”. StepUP is Augsburg's program for students in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. The program provides a sober environment for about 60 students in the Oren Gateway Center (see below). The program claims an excellent success rate: 84% abstinence over 538 people between 1997 and 2007.[18]

This on-campus diversity is enhanced by Augsburg's location in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, the Twin Cities' most culturally diverse neighborhood. The largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the U.S. is located throughout the Augsburg neighborhood, and one of the largest urban Native American populations is within one mile. Augsburg is also located in the heart of a major theater center. The College has been designated as a Minnesota Indian Teacher Training Program site.

On 26 August 2014, some students from Augsburg College went to BNU-HKBU United International College to be interns.[19]

Campus organizations

Augsburg students have opportunities for involvement in more than 50 clubs and organizations, including student academic societies, publications, Student Government, Augsburg Business Organization, Augsburg Asian Student Association, Campus Ministry, Augsburg College Pre-law Society, Pan-Afrikan and Pan-Asian Student Union, forensics, cheerleading, Amnesty International, Intertribal Student Union and the Hispanic/Latino Student Association.

The Echo

The Augsburg College Echo
Type Student newspaper
Owner(s) Augsburg College
Publisher Print Group Midwest
Editor-in-chief Becki Iverson
News editor Dave Madsen
Staff writers appx. 20
Founded 1896
Language English
Headquarters Christensen Center 1G
Augsburg College
731 21st Ave. S. CB 148
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Circulation 1000
ISSN 0004-7945
OCLC number 1518618
Website http://web.augsburg.edu/echo/

The Echo is the student-produced newspaper for the College.

The Echo consists of 8 pages divided into five sections: News, Opinions and Editorials, Sports, Arts and Entertainment, and Features. The paper is printed in black and white on tabloid-sized paper.[20] The faculty advisor is Boyd Koehler.[21]

The Echo is printed by Print Group Midwest on recycled paper.

KAUG

KAUG is Augsburg's student radio station, based in the Auggies' Nest in the basement of Christensen Center. KAUG streams 24 hours-a-day online through their website[22] and can be heard on the airwaves on 91.7 FM within a 2-mile radius of the campus.

KAUG provides a venue for a number of DJs, which play several genres of music and talk radio.

Marginalized Voices in Film and Media

Originally known as "Women in Film", Marginalized Voices in Film and Media (MVFM) is a student group dedicated to the advancement of women and other minorities in the film and television industry. The group discusses the depiction of minorities on the screen and their roles behind the camera.[23]

Queer Pride Alliance

...we affirm the following: that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities share the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God; that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome with the Augsburg College community; and that as members of this community, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are expected and encouraged to share in the common life of this college.
— Augsburg College Reconciling in Christ Statement, [24]

Known as "Queer and Straight In Unity" (QSU) until 2014, and originally incorporated as "BAGLS" in 1988, Queer Pride Alliance (QPA) is Augsburg's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual support group.[25][26] After the hostile campus environment towards LGBTQIA individuals culminated in several anti-LGBTQIA incidences in 2003, students occupied administrator offices to protest the college's lack of action. In response, Augsburg established the GLBTQIA Student Services office (today known as the LGBTQIA Student Services office), which became the primary point of contact and support for QSU and the LGBTQIA student body.[27] QPA is advised by the director of the LGBTQIA Student Services office, which jointly provides the campus community with workshops, performances, weekly group meetings, and speakers, as well as exposing students to the wider Midwestern LGBTQIA rights movement by sponsoring retreats and trips to conferences.[28] Today, the college is certified Reconciling in Christ by ReconcilingWorks, which means that in accordance with its theological values, it welcomes and actively affirms "all people in regard to their gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation."[24]

Church affiliation

Church Years
Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America 1869–1870
Conference of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America 1870–1890
United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America
also Friends of Augsburg 1893–1897		 1890–1897
Lutheran Free Church 1897–1963
American Lutheran Church 1963–1987
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 1988–present

Presidents of Augsburg

Number Name Years Notes
1st August Weenaas 1869–1876
2nd Georg Sverdrup 1876–1907
3rd Sven Oftedal 1907–1911
4th George Sverdrup 1911–1937
son of the first
Henry N. Hendrickson 1937–1938
Acting
5th Bernhard M. Christensen 1938–1962
6th Leif S. Harbo 1962–1963
Interim
7th Oscar A. Anderson 1963–1980
8th Charles S. Anderson 1980–1997
Not related to the first
9th William V. Frame 1997–2006
First non-Norwegian
10th Paul C. Pribbenow 2006–

Notable alumni

Former NBA Player Devean George '99

Athletics

Augsburg Auggies logo adopted in 2005

The Augsburg Auggies are a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Augsburg College participates in NCAA Division III Athletics. The wrestling team has won twelve NCAA Division III National team wrestling champions: 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2015. The men's hockey team had won 3 NAIA national ice hockey championships in 1978, 1981 and 1982.

Edor Nelson Field at Augsburg

Conference championships

MIAC Championships
Season Sport Number of Championships Year
Fall football, men's 2 1928c, 1997
Fall soccer, men's 4 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980
Fall golf, men's 1 1995
Winterhockey, men's 8 1928, 1977c, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981c, 1982, 1998c
Winter hockey, women's 2 1999c, 2000c
Winter basketball, men's 13 1927, 1946c, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1975c, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 1999
Winter wrestling,* men's 31 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Spring baseball, men's 10 1931, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1959c, 1961, 1963, 1973, 1975, 1987
Spring softball, women's 3 1982, 1983, 1984
Spring tennis, men's 3 1948 doubles, 1951 single, 1968 doubles
Total 77

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll | Corporation for National and Community Service". Nationalservice.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  4. 1 2 3 "History - About Augsburg College | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  5. ↑ "Inside Augsburg". Inside.augsburg.edu. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  6. 1 2
  7. ↑ "Inside Augsburg". Augnet.augsburg.edu. 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  8. ↑ "Augsburg College". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  9. ↑ "Physician Assistant". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  10. ↑ "holds 7th Graduation Ceremony and Honorary Fellowship Conferment". UIC.edu.hk. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  11. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  12. ↑ Chrislock, Carl H. "From Fjord to Freeway." Augsburg College, 1969, p. 228.
  13. ↑ "New Hall Receives New Name". Augsburg College. October 1, 2007.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Residence Life – Oren Gateway Center". Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  16. ↑ "Center for Science, Business, and Religion update". Augsburg College. March 30, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Mid-Term Report to the Board of Regents: Center for Science, Business & Religion" (PDF). Augsburg College. March 14, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2008.
  18. ↑ Augsburg College. "Outcomes of The StepUP Program". Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  19. ↑ "welcomes 20 international interns aboard". UIC.edu.hk. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  20. ↑ "Augsburg College Echo". Web.augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  21. ↑ “Campus Organizations” Augsburg.edu 2008 29 April 2008 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
  22. ↑
  23. ↑ "Student Organization Details - Campus Activities and Orientation | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  24. 1 2 "Reconciling in Christ Statement - LGBTQIA Student Services | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  25. ↑ "Augsburg College Queer Pride Alliance - Timeline". Facebook. 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  26. ↑ "Student Organization Details - Campus Activities and Orientation | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  27. ↑ Swan, Wallace. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: A Public Policy Agenda for Uniting a Divided America. CRC Press, 2015, p. 282.
  28. ↑ "Queer Pride Alliance - LGBTQIA Student Services | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.

References

External links

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