Augsburg University contributed $10,000 to American Indian OIC to support its youth education programming. AIOIC was founded in 1979 as a practical resource and response to the considerable education and employment disparities faced by American Indians living in and around south Minneapolis. 

President Paul Pribbenow said the gift is the result of conversations between Augsburg and AIOIC about finding ways to work together to overcome educational disparities and encourage Native youth and others to pursue their academic journeys. The two organizations also are discussing ways to strengthen ties through shared research, teaching, and community engagement.

More details are available in the press release from AIOIC.

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 added Juneteenth (June 19) to its list of official university holidays. For the first time, the university will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 18. The holiday is a time of mixed emotions, both celebrating the end of legal slavery in the United States and offering time to reflect on continued racism since then. 

Juneteenth originated in 1865 as Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Learn more about this celebration and its history in this New York Times article.

Jenn Luong, pastoral intern in Augsburg’s Campus Ministry, has composed this reflection and prayer to mark this year’s celebration.

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 has signed up to be a part of the COVID-19 College Vaccination Challenge, which has been organized by the White House and U.S. Department of Education. The challenge is part of President Biden’s effort to make sure that 70% or more of Americans have at least one vaccine dose by July 4.

Schools that join this challenge make three commitments:

1. Engage every student, faculty, and staff member: Make sure every member of the campus community knows they are eligible for a vaccine and has resources to find one.
2. Organize the college community: Lead the way by identifying champions for vaccine efforts across campus and implementing a plan to get as many members of the campus community vaccinated as possible.
3. Deliver vaccine access to all. Meet the campus community where it is: bring vaccines on-site, and make it easy for students, staff, and faculty to get vaccinated at sites nearby this summer. 

By participating in this challenge, Augsburg is doing its part to protect our students, faculty, and staff; their families; and our community.

Augsburg is offering walk-in vaccine clinics on campus in Oren Gateway Center this summer starting June 14 during new student orientation. In addition, the university is right across the street from the People’s Center Cedar Riverside Clinic, which also offers vaccines. You can find more information about COVID-19 vaccines at our COVID-19 Planning website.

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.

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 has again been named a top producer of Fulbright students among U.S. master’s institutions for 2020-21. Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the top producing institutions for the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists of top producers of Fulbright U.S. scholars and students annually.

Five Augsburg students received 2020-21 Fulbright awards to teach English in four countries. The students are Winni Godi ’17 (Rwanda), Abdulkadir Sharif ’20 (Malaysia), Eh Soe Dwe ’20 (Malaysia), Natalya Arevalo ’20 (Honduras), and Bethany Lor ’19 (South Korea).

The Fulbright competition is administered at Augsburg through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity. 

The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Students can teach English, participate in graduate study, or conduct research. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 2021 marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program. 

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.

Paul Pribbenow, president of Augsburg University, has been appointed to the Young Women’s Initiative Council by Gov. Tim Walz. 

The Young Women’s Initiative is a partnership between the Governor’s Office and the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. It aims to eliminate the barriers young women face and center and engage those most impacted by those barriers to create long-term solutions.