The fall Study Abroad Fair will be held Wednesday, Sept. 12 in the Christensen Center lobby from 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students interested in learning about study-abroad opportunities are invited to attend. Augsburg sends 49 percent of its students to more than 60 different counties, and the college offers more than 200 programs from which to choose. Students can also earn academic credit, use financial aid and select from a range of programs that last from 10 days to a full year.
Global business experience — without leaving home
Before coming to the United States in 1970, associate professor and finance coordinator Ashok Kapoor worked at the American Embassy in his home country of India. “Both my cultural and religious background allows me to bring a very different perspective to issues of the day that we discuss both among colleagues and with our students.”
“Having faculty of diverse backgrounds is important to the richness of the academic programming offered in our department,” says assistant professor Fekri Meziou, Tunisian by birth. In his international marketing course, for example, students analyze the challenges of marketing products and services in different regions around the world. “This course can only be taught by someone who has traveled extensively and has immersed himself/herself during an extended stay in the life of the foreign countries.” Continue reading “Global business experience — without leaving home”
Potter Builds a Bridge to the Community
While walking through the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood one day, Robert Tom, professor of sculpture and ceramics, detected an invisible wall between Augsburg and the rest of the community. When expressing his concern to another professor, he was asked, “Well, what are you going to do about it?”
After much thought, Tom came up with a solution. He applied for and received a grant from Forecast Public Arts and the Minnesota State Arts Board, and thus the Augsburg College-Cedar Riverside Pottery Cooperative was born. Continue reading “Potter Builds a Bridge to the Community”
New Faculty and Staff Orientation
The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Vice President for Academic Affairs hosted the annual orientation for new staff and faculty on August 28.
Twenty-two faculty and 20 staff attended. Several have been working at Augsburg for more than six months, while one had just started on Monday.
The orientation included presentations about the College’s mission, history, and students, as well as on Information Technology, Central Services, and Safety and Security.
” The orientation was a great introduction to the Augsburg culture and mission,” says Leslie Larson, events and conference coordinator. “It really helped me understand how the students are the main focus on everything we do. Not being from an academic background, I really appreciated the information on how the faculty and staff work together.” Continue reading “New Faculty and Staff Orientation”
Benefit Concert September 16
A benefit concert to fund a new Music Therapy mentor/student program, which supports students with brain injuries through music and movement, will be held Sunday, Sept. 16, from 3-4:30p.m. in the Foss Center, 625 22nd Ave. S.
Performers will be The Abdomen, Minnesota Music Academy’s Best Teen Band for 2005.
Admission is free with all donations directly supporting the new mentor/student
program.
For more information contact: Holly Tapani at tapani@augsburg.edu or Music Therapy professor Roberta Kagin at kagin@augsburg.edu
Augsburg to celebrate 10th anniversary of 1997 football championship season
Augsburg will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the football team’s
1997 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship season
this year. An anniversary celebration will be held during the Auggies’
season-opening game against Northwestern-Roseville on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.
The Auggies went 10-2 in 1997, reaching the second round of the NCAA Division III national playoffs. It marked just the second conference championship in football for the Auggies; the first was in 1928.
Also at the Sept. 8 Northwestern-Roseville game, Augsburg will formally
retire the No. 30 jersey of former wide receiver Scott Hvistendahl.
Hvistendahl currently serves as an assistant coach at Northwestern. Continue reading “Augsburg to celebrate 10th anniversary of 1997 football championship season”
The "Father" of Sociology at Augsburg
As Augsburg’s Department of Sociology celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, it is a good time to look back at how the program began. Or, rather, at who began it.
Joel Torstenson came to Augsburg as a history major from rural West Central Minnesota. After graduating in 1938, he worked in education for Farmer’s Co-ops. He began teaching part-time at Augsburg upon earning a master’s degree in history and sociology.
During the war years, he became involved in the Peace Movement and participated in establishing a cooperative farm community, which led to employment with Midland Cooperatives as an educational director and community organizer. In the fall of 1947, President Christensen invited him back to Augsburg to develop its programs in social work and sociology while completing his PhD in sociology at the University. Continue reading “The "Father" of Sociology at Augsburg”
Sneak Peek at the First-Year Class
This year’s undergraduate day incoming first-year class is one of the largest yet, with a total count of 418.
They hail from 18 states and five countries: Russia, Sweden, Colombia, Indonesia, and Mexico. The most common last name is “Olson” or “Olsen,” while the most common first name is a variation of “Alex.” Other names you’ll encounter on a frequent basis will be Jessica, John, Sarah, Matthew, and Caitlyn.
Our incoming first-year class represents a variety of backgrounds and interests, from robotics (one student interested) to archery (eight) to ice hockey (32), and from Nordic Studies (two) to film (27) to pre-medicine (34).
Augsburg is proud to be one of the top two most popular colleges for students enrolled in Admission Possible, second only to the University of Minnesota. This means there will be a significant number of first-generation, low income, and/or ethnic minorities represented in the first-year class.
More substantial data will be available after the College’s tenth day report. For now, let’s look forward to welcoming the newest Auggies to the flock.
Southeastern Minnesota Flood Disaster
Residents in southeastern Minnesota are working to recover from this weekend’s flash flooding, perhaps the largest in state history. At least six people have died and several thousand have been driven from homes that have been destroyed or have sustained major damage.
Minnesota counties affected by the flooding are Winona, Wabasha, Fillmore, Houston, Steele, and Olmsted. The Governor has declared a state of emergency for these six counties. At present there has not been a call for volunteers, but one is expected in the next few days. Until there is a request, you can help by contacting one of the following organizations: Red Cross Twin Cities, Salvation Army, United Way, and Nechama. Links to contact information are provided below. Continue reading “Southeastern Minnesota Flood Disaster”
Auggie Days: Welcome to Augsburg College!
Auggie Days is a week-long program, Sept. 1-9, for all first-year students attending Augsburg College. The program is designed not only to provide students with the tools and information needed to successfully transition into college life, but also to get to know Augsburg, the city, the neighborhood and fellow classmates.
Throughout the week, students will learn and talk about issues relevant to college life, such as academic preparation, diversity and social responsibility, getting involved on campus, and making healthy lifestyle choices. Plus, students will have numerous opportunities to meet other first-year students and engage in campus entertainment events. Continue reading “Auggie Days: Welcome to Augsburg College!”