Augsburg University

Augsburg University
Augsburg University Seal
Motto Education for Service
Type Private liberal arts college
Established 1869
Religious affiliation
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Endowment $33 million (2009)[1]
Budget $107.9 million (2016)[2]
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          [3]
Athletics NCAA Division IIIMIAC
Nickname Auggies
Mascot Eagle
Website www.augsburg.edu

Augsburg University is a private liberal arts college in Minneapolis, Minnesota that is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Upon its founding in 1869, it was a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminarium. Its first college class began in the fall of 1874. Today, the university 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 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.[4] On September 1, 2017 the name of the school changed from Augsburg College to Augsburg University.

History

Augsburg was founded as a seminary by Norwegian Lutherans. It was named after the Augsburg Confession of 1530, the primary confession of faith presented by Lutherans in Augsburg, Germany in and contained in the Book of Concord of 1580. Augsburg Seminarium opened in September 1869, in Marshall, Wisconsin, and moved to Minneapolis in 1872 and the name changed to The Norwegian Danish Evangelical Lutheran Augsburg Seminary after the church body that sponsored the school. Undergraduate classes first began in the fall of 1874 with the first class graduating in the spring of 1879. In 1892, the name was finally shortened to Augsburg Seminary. 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 and expanded to Augsburg College and Theological Seminary although that name had been informally used since the 1910s. When the Lutheran Free Church merged with the much larger second The American Lutheran Church in 1963, and the Augsburg Seminary merged with the ALC's Luther Theological Seminary (now renamed Luther Seminary after a merger with neighboring Northwestern Theological Seminary of the former LCA) in Saint Paul and the name of the school became Augsburg College dropping the "seminary" designation.[5] There was also a high school level Augsburg Academy on campus until it closed in 1933. In 2017, the name of the school officially became Augsburg University.

August Weenaas was Augsburg's first president (1869-1876). Professor Weenaas recruited two teachers from NorwaySven 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, two days before Super Tuesday 2008.
Flags fly at Augsburg, 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.[6]

Nobel Peace Prize Forum

In 2012 and 2013, Augsburg University housed the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. It provided an opportunity for students and staff of Augsburg to interact with people who have fundamentally made a large change in the world.[7] The forum is not affiliated with, but modeled after the exclusive Nobel Conference.

Academic life

Augsburg University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[8]

The student-faculty ratio at Augsburg University is 16:1, and the school has 64.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Augsburg University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Health Professions and Related Programs; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; and Social Sciences.[9]

Academic offerings

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

Augsburg offers one doctoral degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Awards and rankings

In 2010 Augsburg University 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.[6][10]

U.S. News & World Report magazine 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 University is 23rd in its Regional University Midwest Ranking.[9]

U.S.N.& W.R. also consistently ranks Augsburg as a Tier 1 institution for its Physician Assistant program. In 2013, Augsburg ranked #70 in the nation.[11] Augsburg shares the #70 rank with the following institutions: University of Southern California, Western University of Health Sciences, and the University of New England.[12]

On 27 June 2015 at the United International College's 7th Graduation Ceremony in Zhuhai, Augsburg University's President Dr Paul C Pribbenow was rewarded with the Honorary Fellowships.[13]

Campus

Old Main of Augsburg University
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[14]
Added to NRHP October 6, 1983

Residence halls

Oren Gateway Center, Augsburg University
Urness Tower, Augsburg University
  • Urness Hall is the first-year building. It has 9 floors of traditional-style residence hall rooms (plus two other floors), with one co-ed floor. Each floor is led by a Resident Advisor (RA).
  • Mortensen Hall (known as Mort) is connected to the Urness lobby and has 13 floors of apartment-style housing (eight apartments on every floor). It is the tallest building on the campus. Mortensen Hall is named for Gerda Mortensen, Dean of Women at Augsburg University between 1923 and 1964.[15]
  • Anderson Hall is a four story building with four different styles of housing available. These include single person suites, four person apartments, eight person townhomes (two floors), and 15 person floorhouses.
  • Martin Luther Residence Hall (also known as Luther Hall and formerly known as New Hall until October 1, 2007) was built in 1999 from state funding (because of this there was no major contributor to name the hall after). As it is no longer the newest building with the completion of Oren (see below), the old name of New Hall is misleading.[16] Luther Hall has studios, two bedroom and four bedroom apartments. The apartments all consist of single or double person rooms and have a full kitchen.
  • The Oren Gateway Center is a substance-free residence hall and houses students in the StepUP program, as well as other students who choose sober living and has rooms for 106 students.

Other buildings

  • Old Main is the oldest building on campus and is still in use today. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[14]
  • The Christensen Center contains admissions offices, the cafeteria, a coffee shop, computers, an art gallery, and until August 2007, the bookstore (after which the bookstore moved to the Oren Gateway Center). On March 28, 2008, a student lounge opened in the former bookstore space. It is connected by skyway to Urness Hall/Mortensen Hall.
  • Sverdrup Hall (formerly known as Sverdrup Library until the completion of the Lindell Library in 1998) contains the Enrollment Center and Registrar's Office as well as several class rooms and computer labs on the upper level.
Entrance to Lindell Library
  • The James G. Lindell Library has four levels containing approximately 190,000 items. With the new addition of a computer lab, Academic Advising will soon relocate from Sverdrup to Lindell before 2012.[17] The library is connected to Sverdrup Hall and the Oren Gateway Center by skyway.
  • The Oren Gateway Center has six classrooms, an art gallery, and housing for 106 students.[18]
  • The Foss, Lobeck, Miles, Center for Worship, Drama, Communication contains the chapel, a theater, and several classrooms.
  • The Sverdrup and Oftedal Memorial Hall contains offices for the college's professors.
  • The Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion is the newest building on campus and also the largest.

Future expansion

Several new facilities are currently planned including a new residence hall to replace The Science Hall, a parking ramp, and other buildings.[19][20]

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.[21]

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 university has been designated as a Minnesota Indian Teacher Training Program site.

On 26 August 2014, some students from Augsburg University went to BNU-HKBU United International College to be interns.[22]

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 University 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 University Echo
Type Student newspaper
Owner(s) Augsburg University
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 university.

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.[23] The faculty advisor is Boyd Koehler.[24]

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[25] 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.[26]

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 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 university.

Augsburg University Reconciling in Christ Statement, [27]

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.[28][29] After the hostile campus environment towards LGBTQIA individuals culminated in several anti-LGBTQIA incidences in 2003, students occupied administrator offices to protest the university'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.[30] 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.[31] Today, the university 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."[27]

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

The Augsburg Auggies are a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Augsburg University 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.

  • Men's Varsity Sports (9): baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track & field, wrestling
  • Women's Varsity Sports (10): basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, track & field, volleyball
Edor Nelson Field at Augsburg

Conference championships

MIAC Championships
SeasonSportNumber of ChampionshipsYear
Fallfootball, men's21928c, 1997
Fallsoccer, men's41973, 1974, 1975, 1980
Fallgolf, men's11995
Winterhockey, men's81928, 1977c, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981c, 1982, 1998c
Winterhockey, women's21999c, 2000c
Winterbasketball, men's131927, 1946c, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1975c, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 1999
Winterwrestling,* men's311961, 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
Springbaseball, men's101931, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1959c, 1961, 1963, 1973, 1975, 1987
Springsoftball, women's31982, 1983, 1984
Springtennis, men's31948 doubles, 1951 single, 1968 doubles
Total77
  • c co champions
  • *Wrestling is no longer a MIAC sponsor sport
  • Auggies athletics webpage
  • Auggie football records
  • Frank Haege current football coach

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. Kennedy, Patrick. "Minnesota Nonprofit 100". StarTribune News. Minneapolis StarTribune. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. "Augsburg College: Marketing and Communication". May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010.
  4. "2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll | Corporation for National and Community Service". Nationalservice.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  5. "Augsburg University - Augsburg Now". www.augsburg.edu.
  6. 1 2 "History - About Augsburg College | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  7. "Inside Augsburg". Inside.augsburg.edu. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  8. "Statement of Accreditation Status: Augsburg University". Directory of Institutions. The Higher Learning Commission. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Augsburg College - Best College - US News". February 17, 2011. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011.
  10. "Inside Augsburg". Augnet.augsburg.edu. 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  11. "Augsburg College". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  12. "Physician Assistant". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  13. "holds 7th Graduation Ceremony and Honorary Fellowship Conferment". UIC.edu.hk. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  14. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  15. Chrislock, Carl H. "From Fjord to Freeway." Augsburg College, 1969, p. 228.
  16. "New Hall Receives New Name". Augsburg College. October 1, 2007.
  17. "Augsburg College - About Augsburg". June 22, 2006. Archived from the original on June 22, 2006.
  18. "Residence Life Oren Gateway Center". Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  19. "Center for Science, Business, and Religion update". Augsburg College. March 30, 2008.
  20. "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.
  21. Augsburg College. "Outcomes of The StepUP Program". Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  22. "welcomes 20 international interns aboard". UIC.edu.hk. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  23. "Augsburg College Echo". Web.augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  24. "Campus Organizations" Augsburg.edu 2008 29 April 2008 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
  25. "Augsburg College: KAUG Radio". April 4, 2003. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003.
  26. "Student Organization Details - Campus Activities and Orientation | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  27. 1 2 "Reconciling in Christ Statement - LGBTQIA Student Services | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  28. "Augsburg College Queer Pride Alliance - Timeline". Facebook. 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  29. "Student Organization Details - Campus Activities and Orientation | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  30. Swan, Wallace. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Civil Rights: A Public Policy Agenda for Uniting a Divided America. CRC Press, 2015, p. 282.
  31. "Queer Pride Alliance - LGBTQIA Student Services | Augsburg College". Augsburg.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  32. "Susan L. Allen | Jacobson Law Group". www.thejacobsonlawgroup.com. Retrieved 2018-03-09.

References

  • Chrislock, Carl H. "From Fjord to Freeway: 100 years, Augsburg College" (Minneapolis: Augsburg College 1969)
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