[Updated November 13] — The Augsburg College River Semester, created and led by Joe Underhill, associate professor of political science, departed from St. Paul’s Harriet Island on September 1. As part of the kickoff, the River Semester class was joined by a group of nearly 100 students, parents, high school students and members of the Augsburg College community who paddled in a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes from St. Paul to South St. Paul. Students participating in the semester-long program will earn as many as 16 credits in the arts, humanities, and sciences as they travel nearly 2,000 miles of the 2,350-mile Mississippi River.
The River Semester kickoff garnered a range of attention. Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed September 1 “Augsburg College River Semester Day” and many media outlets covered the launch of the class.
Since the students and faculty departed on their voyage, print and broadcast media have been sharing the story of this hands-on, interdisciplinary program. In fact, multiple stories have been picked up by the Associated Press and shared through the AP’s member media throughout the nation.
A snapshot of the ongoing media coverage is below. As additional coverage occurs, it will be added to this post.
November 9
- Shorewood native spending college semester paddling Mississippi River, Shorewood (Wisconsin) Now
October 16
- The Mississippi River is their classroom, The Hawk Eye, Burlington (Iowa)
October 15
- College student trekking down the Mississippi, White Bear (Minnesota) Press
October 8
- A College Semester on the River, WVIK Public Radio, Quad Cities
September 29
- College students take their semester to the river, KWWL (NBC) TV in Dubuque, Iowa
- For river semester, outdoors as classroom, Mankato (Minnesota) Free Press
September 28
- Semester on Mississippi River brings college students to Dubuque, KCRG (ABC) TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
September 19
- During Augsburg’s River Semester, all of outdoors is classroom, Minnesota Public Radio
- Open-Air Classroom: During River Semester, all of outdoors is classroom, Star Tribune
- During River Semester, all of outdoors is classroom, WRAL TV in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Full listing of all coverage of the story by the Associated Press that was shared by print and broadcast media outlets including the Military Times and outlets in Minnesota and South Dakota.
September 17
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Augsburg Students Spend Semester Floating Down Mississippi, WCCO (CBS) TV
September 16
- During River Semester, all outdoors is classroom, Bismarck (North Dakota) Tribune
September 15
- The river is their campus, Page 1, Winona (Minnesota) Daily News
September 9
- Semester on the river, Page 1, Red Wing (Minnesota) Republican Eagle
September 1
- Augsburg launches “River Semester” on Mississippi, KSTP(ABC) TV
- Augsburg students set off for semester on the river, Minnesota Public Radio
- Classroom in a canoe, Page 1, Pioneer Press
- Gallery: Nation’s first-ever River Semester, Star Tribune
- Full listing of all coverage, including of the story by the Associated Press that was shared by print and broadcast media outlets in Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.