Bing tracking

Auggie plan offers pathway to engage and enroll key
student population

In late May, officials from Augsburg College and Minneapolis Community and Technical College launched the Auggie Plan, a guaranteed pathway to a four-year degree for students whose academic achievement at MCTC helps prepare them for success at the bachelor’s degree level.

The Auggie Plan offers qualified students efficient and affordable tracks in their coursework by ensuring that the credits earned in a range of liberal arts classes at MCTC satisfy all first- and second-year general education requirements at Augsburg. In addition to mapping out the coursework needed at the institutions, the Auggie Plan gives students the opportunity to access advising support at both colleges during their entire term of study. Because students on the Auggie Plan enter Augsburg at the junior level, many will qualify for scholarships making it possible to earn a four-year private college degree with needs-based grants, manageable student loans, and minimal out-of-pocket costs for tuition.

For Augsburg, the Auggie Plan is an enrollment partnership that enhances the College’s prospective student pipeline and leverages the strengths of its enrollment management and student advising teams. Likewise, Augsburg College faculty play an important role in the Auggie Plan by engaging MCTC students through short seminars called Coffee Talks and prompting students to develop a relationship with Augsburg early on in their studies.

“The Coffee Talks are crucial in that they create intentional connections between MCTC students and Augsburg,” said Ron Blankenship, director of Augsburg’s Adult Undergraduate program.

And, the institutions complement one another naturally. Both MCTC and Augsburg are located in the heart of Minneapolis, provide services to help all students achieve college success, value intentional diversity, and are committed to developing future leaders.

In the media

Just after the program launch, Minnesota Public Radio included comments from Amy Strohmeier Gort, Augsburg’s dean of arts and sciences, in the story, “MCTC students receive clear ticket to Augsburg College.” One of the program benefits Strohmeier Gort mentioned is that Auggie Plan students could have more enjoyable experiences after arriving at Augsburg considering that they won’t need to spend time taking extra courses because some credits did not transfer.

“They will have the opportunity and the time to really engage in their major [and] to consider minors,” Strohmeier Gort said. “They’ll have time to do things on campus.”

The article also noted that while transfer agreements and partnerships already exist among some private and public campuses in the state, the Auggie Plan is unusual because it doesn’t lock students into a major early on. Instead, the Auggie Plan aims to provide an affordable four-year degree pathway to students who might not have seen themselves as college material but who have high potential for success.

Visit the Auggie Plan website to learn more.

Dimension 2, Goal 4, Strategy 4: Shape and strengthen our learning community.