Linking classroom learning with high-impact, experiential learning opportunities off-campus is a hallmark of an Augsburg education. This fall, 16 Augsburg students, two faculty members, and two staff members from a nonprofit expeditioning organization will travel from St. Paul to New Orleans over the course of the semester, oftentimes camping on the banks of the Mississippi River and engaging with people who live and work along its path. Students will carry out river-related projects (such as studying light pollution or water quality along the route) and study subject areas in the arts and sciences.
Joe Underhill, associate professor of political science and leader of the project, told Minnesota Public Radio the students will “get that broad exposure to the American heartland. They also get just a really intense experience that will be life-changing for them in a way that you just can’t replicate by staying in the Twin Cities.”
To our knowledge, this program is the first of its kind in the nation. That type of curricular and pedagogical innovation takes time; Underhill has been putting the pieces in place to make the trip possible for more than a decade. It also requires institutional support: the Center for Global Experience and Education, for example, lent its expertise in managing “study away” experiences and the attendant risk management needs, financial considerations, and more to the project.
The result will be a transformative—but uniquely low-carbon—off-campus educational experience for the students involved. The expedition will launch from Harriet Island in St. Paul on Sept. 1 at an event featuring remarks from St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. You can learn more and follow the students along their journey in words, photos, and videos on the River Semester site.
Augsburg 2019 Dimension 1, Goal 1, Strategy 1: Invest in Curricular Innovation