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Announcing El-Hibri Endowed Executive Directorship for the Interfaith Institute

Nancy and Fuad El-Hibri
Nancy and Fuad El-Hibri

Augsburg University announces that a significant gift has been made for a new leadership position: the El-Hibri Endowed Executive Directorship for the Interfaith Institute.

This new role is thanks to a gift from Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri. They first learned of Augsburg while researching higher education options for their son Karim, who was in recovery from substance issues. The family has been actively engaged with the university since then and Karim has meanwhile graduated from Augsburg’s StepUP program.

In 2019, Augsburg University established Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Interreligious Leadership. This program illustrates the many ways in which our commitment to interfaith learning and leadership can shape our work on campus and in the wider community, and this work requires a strategic leader and distinguished scholar to provide direction.

Learn more.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AUGGIES NAMED TO THE SUMMER SEMESTER DEAN’S LIST

Nearly 100 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2021 Summer Semester Dean’sUniversity Seal List. The Augsburg University Dean’s List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.

View the 2021 Summer Semester Dean’s List.

Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a news announcement template.

 

Star Tribune Highlights Augsburg-affiliated Sod House Theater Production

Sod House Theater, co-founded by Darcey Engen ’88, professor and chair of Augsburg’s Department of Theater Arts, is offering a new production in September and October: “Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon.”

The show was described as “a delicious comedy” in the Star Tribune’s weekly “Our Friday Best” column on August 26.

Engen and her husband, Luverne Seifert ’83, who co-founded the theater with her, serve as its co-artistic directors.

Professor Andrew Aoki Co-Authors Washington Post Article on Asian American Politics

Andrew Aoki

Andrew Aoki, professor of political science and senior fellow at Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, is co-author of the timely “How to un-model a minority: A micro-syllabus on Asian American politics” in the Washington Post. In it, he and co-author Pei-te Lien argue, “In the midst of the U.S. racial reckoning, recognizing the complexity of Asian Americans can help with the task ahead.” To assist with this, Aoki and Lien have created a micro-syllabus on Asian American politics. The syllabus includes links to articles from the journal Politics, Groups, and Identities that will be available for free for a limited period of time.

Augsburg University Cancels Classes as Verdict is Expected

Augsburg University LogoAugsburg University classes are canceled immediately for the remainder of Tuesday afternoon and evening as a result of this afternoon’s verdict in the State versus Derek Chauvin trial,

Additionally, all campus activities and athletics, except those below, are canceled tonight and Lindell Library will be closed. 

There will be an Augsburg staff person on hand in each location to support students. Please wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. Space is limited, so we ask that faculty and staff attend only the vigil.

  • 5 p.m. vigil in the quad – all students faculty and staff are invited to attend
  • Late night breakfast – 8 to 10 p.m. in the Dining Commons

In the event of a curfew, Augsburg will suspend campus operations as we have done in the past week. Resident students are still able to leave their residential unit to go to the Dining Commons for the evening meal. 

For the rest of the week (Wednesday and Friday), all scheduled courses will move to remote learning modalities.  As a reminder, courses meeting on Thursday this week were previously canceled.  

View the different levels of response that have been coordinated with Residence Life, Public Safety, and Day Student Government.

Augsburg Cancels Classes, Suspends Operations Thursday

Given all that is happening in the Twin Cities community this week, including closing arguments in the Chauvin murder trial Monday, the likelihood of a verdict being reached in the coming days, increased police presence, and Daunte Wright’s funeral on Thursday, Augsburg has canceled classes and suspended operations on April 22. 

“We recognize that one day is not enough, but it is clear that this pause offers space that our community needs, in particular our Black students, faculty, and staff,” said Paul Pribbenow, president of Augsburg University. “On Thursday, please do what you need to do to take care of yourself in the manner that is meaningful for you,” he told students, staff, and faculty. 

This time of grief and anxiety comes during a pandemic that has changed how we study, live, and work, and makes the challenges of this moment even more difficult for students, faculty, and staff to navigate. Many at Augsburg will want to take time to mourn Daunte Wright, remember George Floyd, and engage in the important work of anti-racism. 

Essential operations will continue Thursday. Normal class schedules and our COVID-19 modified operations will resume on Friday, April 23. During this time, Augsburg continues to monitor and communicate as needed based on developments in the trial and in our community.

About Augsburg
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. 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. Learn more at Augsburg.edu.

Board of Regents Approves President Pribbenow’s Contract Through 2027

Paul Pribbenow
Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow

In its March 12 meeting, the executive committee of the Augsburg Board of Regents unanimously approved a six-year contract renewal for President Paul C. Pribbenow. 

“In an era when five- or six-year presidencies are common in higher education, President Pribbenow’s long-term leadership of the university has enabled Augsburg to achieve remarkable things,” said Matt Entenza, chair of the Augsburg Board of Regents. “The university has become one of the most diverse private institutions in the Midwest during his tenure and has welcomed record-breaking first-year classes in the past two years. The university is fortunate to continue to have Paul’s transformational leadership through 2027.”

Pribbenow joined Augsburg in 2006 as its 10th president. During Pribbenow’s most recent six-year term, Augsburg changed its name to Augsburg University, recognizing its expansive academic mission serving undergraduate and graduate students on campus and at locations around the world. Pribbenow also led the institution’s largest-ever capital campaign during that time, raising more than $55 million to construct the university’s largest academic facility, the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, which opened in January 2018. As a reflection of Pribbenow’s institutional leadership, the Augsburg Board of Regents was awarded the 2017 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership for its work to initiate an inclusive, five-year strategic planning effort and for leading the institution’s successful capital campaign for the Hagfors Center. 

Pribbenow is recognized as one of the country’s most engaging teachers on ethics, philanthropy, and American public life. Learn more about his work and presidency.

 

About Augsburg
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. 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. Learn more at Augsburg.edu.

Augsburg University Announces Test-Free Admissions Policy

Augsburg University INSIDE OUT art wall
Augsburg University and INSIDE OUT art

(Minneapolis) – Augsburg University will shift to a Test-Free Admissions Policy as the pandemic has added more risks and restrictions to test taking. 

The policy takes effect immediately for the 2021 and fall 2022 application cycles, which is the remainder of a previous four-year pilot test-optional admissions policy.

“It’s expected to help prospective students complete their applications during the pandemic when navigating test taking and scheduling is more challenging,” said Devon Ross, director of undergraduate admissions. “The shift also supports our Strategic Enrollment Management vision to approach all we do with an anti-racist and anti-biased lens.”       

For a number of student populations, standardized test scores may not reflect an accurate indication of academic ability — including, for example, people without access to test preparation courses and tutors; those who can’t afford to retake the test; people with learning and physical differences, and English language learners.

This also aligned with Augsburg‘s holistic admissions process, which looks at quantitative metrics and beyond. The application-review process allows Augsburg to maintain the university’s academic standards and ensure the university admits students with the capacity to succeed here.

Augsburg introduced a faculty-approved test-optional admissions policy in April 2018. Submission of ACT or SAT test scores for admission became optional starting in fall 2019 for incoming undergraduate (first-year and transfer) student applicants.

Media Contact: Gita Sitaramiah, Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications. 651-353-0061-cell

About Augsburg
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. 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. Learn more at augsburg.edu.

Riverside Innovation Hub’s work with congregations to expand with $1 million grant

(Minneapolis) – Augsburg University has received a  $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help expand the work of the Riverside Innovation Hub within the university’s Christensen Center for Vocation (CCV).

The program is funded through the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the national initiative is to strengthen Christian congregations so they can help people deepen their relationships with God, build strong relationships with each other, and contribute to the flourishing of local communities and the world.

Lilly Endowment is making nearly $93 million in grants through the initiative. The grants will support organizations such as the Christensen Center for Vocation as they work directly with congregations and help them gain clarity about their values and missions, explore and understand better the communities in which they serve, and draw upon their theological traditions as they adapt ministries to meet changing needs.

The Christensen Center plays an integral role in stewarding the university’s commitment to, and exploration of vocation, the unique way God calls and equips us—as individuals and as communities—to work towards a better world for and with our neighbors. The Thriving Congregations Initiative grant will enable Augsburg’s CCV to expand and solidify the future of this work with congregations. We will walk with our partners through two consecutive two-year learning communities consisting of leadership teams from twelve congregations. Our hope is to develop an ecumenical network of twenty-four congregations over five years who are becoming more deeply engaged in the proclamation of Christ’s good news in transformative ways in their neighborhoods.

“The Christensen Center for Vocation is creating an innovative model for how a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can be a learning partner with local congregations and ministry leaders for the sake of the world,” said Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg’s president. “These partnerships will create exciting learning opportunities for our students, staff, and faculty, who wrestle with what it means to live faithfully in the church and in the world in the midst of the various challenges our communities are facing: COVID-19, growing economic inequality, climate change, and the prevalence of racist systems.” 

Augsburg University is one of 92 organizations taking part in the initiative. They represent and serve churches in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Anabaptist, Baptist, Episcopal, evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Reformed, Restoration, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox, as well as congregations that describe themselves as non-denominational. Several organizations serve congregations in Black, Hispanic and Asian-American traditions.

“In the midst of a rapidly changing world, Christian congregations are grappling with how they can best carry forward their ministries,” said Christopher Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These grants will help congregations assess their ministries and draw on practices in their theological traditions to address new challenges and better nurture the spiritual vitality of the people they serve.”  

Lilly Endowment launched the Thriving Congregations Initiative in 2019 as part of its commitment to support efforts that enhance the vitality of Christian congregations.

Media Contact: Gita Sitaramiah, Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications. 651-353-0061-cell

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment exists to support the causes of religion, education and community development. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s grantmaking in religion is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen their pastoral and lay leadership. 

About Augsburg
Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 11 graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. 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. Learn more at augsburg.edu.