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Augsburg welcomes most diverse class in its history

Class of 2020 is 45 percent persons of color

EquityProclamation(MINNEAPOLIS) — Augsburg College at 10:15 a.m., today, welcomes it’s most diverse, first-year undergraduate class — with more than 45 percent persons of color. At the same time, the College is announcing its initial equity framework to remove the social, institutional and individual barriers that contribute to inequity.

This important work garnered support from the St. Paul Foundation — a grant of $10,000 and the opportunity for additional funding as the framework takes shape.

“Working to foster diversity and inclusivity has been a cornerstone of the Augsburg promise for many years and is an important extension of our commitment to social justice and equity,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow.

“We are honored to have the support of the St. Paul Foundation which places high importance on racial equity work. We know, as a democracy college, that Minnesota is strengthened by the diversity of its people and that educating persons of diverse backgrounds who learn at the intersection of differences is what best prepares young people to become engaged citizens and educated problem solvers.”

Since 2006, Augsburg has more than tripled the percentage of persons of color in the full undergraduate student body, growing from 11 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2016.

Through this work, the College has earned a leading reputation for demonstrating a unique way of engaging in the work of higher education. Within the Minnesota Private College Council, the overall enrollment average among schools includes 27 percent first-generation students and 20 percent Pell-eligible students. Augsburg leads the state among private, four-year institutions with nearly 50 percent of students who are first-generation and more than 40 percent of students who are Pell-eligible.

Equity Framework 

The College’s initial equity framework includes:

  • Limiting debt pathways to graduation and increasing its student-ready practices
  • Setting aside dedicated housing for homeless students
  • Working to increase financial literacy
  • Exploring with faculty opportunities to alter admissions policies that heavily rely on standardized testing
  • Supporting faculty in creating inclusive classrooms
  • Increasing access to course materials
  • Convening college and university leaders to make known their work on college equity and seeking to broaden the work of all institutions in our state

Class of 2020 today will donate nearly $40,000 in service work

The Class of 2020, beginning at 12:30 p.m., today, will donate nearly $40,000 in volunteer work at nearly 20 nonprofits and organizations in Minneapolis.

In the past 10 years, Auggies donated nearly $500,000 of service. City Service Day has been part of the the first-year student experience for 20 years.

The goals of engaging in our neighborhoods are to help students get to know the organizations that serve our community, to get to know one another, and to learn how to use transit. More importantly, the day is a demonstration of the College’s commitment to being a new kind of student-centered urban university that fosters learning among students who will become the type of engaged citizens who volunteer in classrooms, neighborhood organizations, houses of worship, school boards, and run for public office.

About Augsburg College: Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

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