Life—the best and the worst of it all—gets in the way of some undergraduates completing the 16 credit hours in eight consecutive semesters required to graduate on time in four years. In response, Augsburg expanded its summer offerings to help students catch up or graduate early. Additional online and hybrid offerings also allow nontraditional learners to maintain momentum during summer break, said Amy Gort, dean of Arts and Sciences.

“Our Office of Academic Advising and department chairs recommended summer offerings with particular focus on courses in high demand and ones that students can have trouble getting into,” Gort said. “We also asked departments to consider offering at least one major course, if they can be well done in a hybrid and/or online format. The departments that have majors in the Adult Undergraduate program are all offering major courses this summer to give our adult students the option to take courses year-round.”

Graduating on time is in each student’s best interest, she added, to keep college more affordable and to remain eligible for certain financial support, like the Minnesota State Grant, which aids students through eight semesters. Augsburg is also focused on graduating students in four years, as the federal, state, and local governments evaluate the institution based on a four-year graduation success rate.

“We also recognized that many of our undergraduate students are taking summer courses at other institutions and transferring the credits to Augsburg,” she added. “Offering those courses through Augsburg makes it easier on everyone involved and ensures the credits count toward degree completion.

Enrollment is up in both summer sessions—Time 1, from May 9-June 27, and Time 2, from July 5-August 19. Since registration for Time 2 is still open, enrollment numbers are not final, but with more than 3,600 credits so far, summer enrollment is up 5 percent from last summer. Given the increased enrollment this summer, Gort said Augsburg plans to continue emphasizing summer as an important term and building its offerings.

Learn more about Augsburg’s many offerings, including online and hybrid courses, through Admissions or register for summer courses directly through the Registrar’s Office.

Dimension 1, Goal 3, Strategy 3: Integrate and strengthen student success efforts.

—By Kate H. Elliott