Wednesday February 25, a group of Augsburg students and staff spent the day at the Minnesota State Capitol with Minnesota Private College Council(MPCC).  Every year, the MPCC invites students to advocate for continued Minnesota State Grant Support.

Our day began with walking to the Green Line on a rather frigid day. Once we arrived at the Capitol, we made our way to the meeting room. Sen. Kari Dziedzic, Representative Diane Loeffler, Danna Elling, DFL Senate researcher, and Auggie parent, and her daughter Libby Schultz ’13, a graphic designer for MNDOT, shared their connection to Augsburg and their vocation.

Augsburg participants wrote 35 notes to co-chairs of the higher-ed committee, their senators, and thank you notes to Governor Dayton. Each student also met with their representative to thank them for their support of the MN State Grant and advocate for Governor Dayton’s budget proposal for a $25 million addition and expanded support for day students and adult undergraduates.

Thank you to the 19 students who dedicated their day to support the Minnesota State Grant and for faculty and alumni support. See you next year!

In recognition of Augsburg College’s leadership in closing the higher education disparity gap for students of color in Minnesota, Wells Fargo has made a gift of $100,000 to the campaign to build the Center for Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR).

Wells Fargo joins several other corporations (including U.S. Bank, 3M, and General Mills) in supporting the CSBR.

In a statement, Dave Kvamme, CEO of Wells Fargo Minnesota, expressed admiration for Augsburg’s commitment to partnering with College Access programs like College Possible to help recruit, support, and retain first-generation and low-income students.

“We support Augsburg College’s commitment to provide opportunities for a college education for those students who may face life challenges to attain it,” said Kvamme. “We know our donation will help Augsburg be successful in developing Minnesota’s future business and community leaders.”

Nearly 120 alums of College Possible are currently enrolled at Augsburg and receiving intrusive advising to help them achieve academic success. Intrusive advising connects faculty advisors, academic advisors, coaches, and other academic partners on a near-daily basis to gain a better understanding of each student’s progress – using lead indicators like attendance, health, and financial stress to identify and address risks.

“Augsburg understands its student body and offers a wealth of student support services to meet the needs of its community,” said Jim McCorkell, CEO and Founder of College Possible. “Four different multicultural student offices, TRiO/SSS, academic skills coaches, disability services, and the StepUP program, which serves students in recovery, all exist to support the student experience. Rarely do I see a college as committed to access and success as Augsburg College.”

“We rely on partnerships with flagship companies like Wells Fargo not only to enrich the educational experience of our students but also to help improve how we share our own resources with our neighborhood and the broader community,” said Paul Pribbenow, President of Augsburg College.

The facility will be 135,000 square feet in size and, when fully completed, will include eight classrooms, 24 laboratories, and 6,000 feet of student and faculty research space. Centralized administrative services, kitchens, meeting rooms and lounges will provide opportunities for spontaneous, informal learning and will support cost-effective sharing of resources such as support staff and equipment.

“By encouraging students to think and act across the boundaries of ideas, values, and disciplinary perspectives, the CSBR will help Augsburg prepare them for civic agency in a complex world,” said Pribbenow.

In addition to this grant, Wells Fargo continues to fund a scholarship program through the Minnesota Private College Fund. The fund, started in 1976, provides scholarships at each of the 17 Minnesota Private Colleges, including Augsburg.

Delegates from Wells Fargo’s Diversity Council Leadership Team visited the campus on December 18^th, 2014 to present a check to a group of Augsburg student leaders.

Pictured above (left to right, from back): Ann Garvey, Vice President of Student Affairs; Carolyn Roby, Vice President at Wells Fargo Foundation of MN; MayKao Fredericks, Vice President Community Affairs – MN Region; Joel Taylor, System Engineer and Chair of Black/African American Member Network; Joe Ravens, Area Bank President; Wael Abdelkader, Mortgage Implementation Consultant and Chair of Middle East Team Member Network; Carla Foster, HR Consultant and Diversity and Inclusion Council Advisor; Jay Peterson, Assistant Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations; Paul Pribbenow, President; Karen Kaivola, Provost and Chief Academic Officer; Lauren Canales; Shoua Lee, Community Development Officer/Financial Education; Vincent Henry; Janet Morales, Manager of College Access Partnership, Koal Williams; Duina Hernandez; Laurel Rohloff, Nazih Safi, and Cuong Nguyen.

The 2014-2015 school year will mark another impressive year of growth for the Minnesota Urban Debate League (MNUDL), a program of Augsburg College. Under the leadership of Executive Director, Amy Cram Helwich, and with the support of Faculty Advisor, Robert Groven, the MNUDL is on track to serve over 750 students in 40 Twin Cities high schools and middle schools, an increase of almost 200 students from the 2013-2014 school year.

Debate is highly effective in fostering academic skill building among students in the core cities. It requires students to thoroughly research an assigned public policy topic, develop fact-based arguments to support their positions, hone their public speaking skills, and accept criticism to further refine their arguments. This methodology develops research, critical thinking and language skills, which are essential to success in high school, college, and beyond.

Before MNUDL was launched in 2004, debate had been virtually eliminated in inner city schools in Minnesota due to budget constraints. Since then, we’ve been experiencing exciting growth. This year, MNUDL will host its 2nd Spanish Debate competition and will pilot a Somali-language debate program in partnership with student leaders from Augsburg college.

Such growth is owed, in large part, to generous contributions from Twin Cities family foundations, corporations, and corporate foundations. In 2014, MNUDL received support from the following organizations:

Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation
Arthur N. Rupe Foundation
The Saint Paul Foundation
Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
Donaldson
H.B. Fuller
Social Venture Partners
Carolyn Foundation
Carlson Family Foundation
Oppenheim, Wolff and Donnelly, LLP
Minneapolis Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Fund
RBC Wealth Management
General Mills Foundation
MoneyGram International Foundation
Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P.
Nilan Johnson Lewis
Gray Plant Moody & Bennett
Fredrickson & Byron Foundation
Dorsey & Whitney Foundation
Deluxe Corporation Foundation

Thanks, also, to the numerous individuals who support MNUDL each year.

The photo above is from the 2014 Mayors’ Challenge – The Great Economic Debate, featuring students from Minneapolis’ Washburn and Roosevelt and St. Paul’s Central and Como Park.  Yassin Ahmed (pictured in red) has been a part of the MNUDL since he was in 6th grade at Murray Jr. High and later at Como Park. Yassin is now a first-year student at Augsburg College on a nearly full-ride scholarship. Yassin will also be assisting us with the piloting of a Somali Debate Initiative this spring.