A number of leadership skills are important, but which one is truly key? That’s hard to say, according to a new column by Dave Conrad in the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Conrad, Augsburg College’s assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, notes that leadership skills vary in relevance depending on individuals’ roles within the workforce. To learn why conceptual, relationship-building, and technical skills each play an important role, read “The most important leadership skills” on the Post-Bulletin website.
Augsburg garners attention on Give to the Max Day
Augsburg College garnered media attention for its stellar achievement on Give to the Max Day 2014. The College raised about $434,000 and allowing the College to reach its goal of coming in first place among all Minnesota colleges and universities. Augsburg placed second overall among all Minnesota nonprofits. Learn about, read, and watch some of the news coverage below:
KARE 11: President Paul C. Pribbenow appeared on live television on the morning of November 13 to discuss with reporters the value of Give to the Max Day. He was accompanied by Auggie Eagle.
Star Tribune: “Minnesotans dig deeper than ever on Give to the Max Day”
Pioneer Press deems Howling Bird ‘ready to take off’
Howling Bird, a student-run press at Augsburg College, is Minnesota’s newest small publisher. Howling Bird will take flight December 1 with the announcement of the winner of the press’ first National Poetry Prize, according to the Pioneer Press.
The honored poet will receive $1,000 and publication by Howling Bird in a trade paperback. That book will be guided through the publication process, from editing and design to marketing and distribution, by three students in the newly established publishing concentration in Augsburg’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. To learn more about the MFA program and its students, read “Augsburg’s Howling Bird press ready to take off” on the Pioneer Press website.
Dave Conrad: Learn what stress is trying to tell you
Stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century” by the World Health Organization, and Dave Conrad offers suggestions for dealing with stress in his latest column for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Conrad, Augsburg College’s assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, notes that finding ways to alleviate stress can be as beneficial for employers as it is for employees. Read, “Learn what stress is trying to tell you” on the Post-Bulletin website.
Augsburg draws media coverage as host of debate
Augsburg College and the League of Women Voters Minnesota hosted a Secretary of State debate on Oct. 28.
Candidates Bob Hellend, Bob Odden, Dan Severson, and Steve Simon faced off on such issues as voter identification and improved Secretary of State business services. Augsburg received several media mentions as the venue for the occasion.
To learn more on the debate, visit the following links:
- MinnPost – The Secretary of State debate showed precisely why the race may be very close
- MPR – Hear the Secretary of State debate
- The Uptake – Video Replay: Final MN Secretary of State debate before election
Phil Adamo shares origins of Halloween on KARE 11
Phil Adamo, associate professor of history and director of Medieval Studies at Augsburg College, was a guest on KARE 11 on Halloween to talk about the origins of the holiday. Adamo shared with Diana Pierce and viewers how Halloween started as a Celtic festival that celebrated the final harvest and eventually was incorporated into Christian traditions to lure non-Christians into the Church. He also discussed the origins of the bonfire, jack-o-lanterns, and Halloween candy.
Augsburg named one of five finalists for national interfaith award
Augsburg College was one of five finalists named to the prestigious President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in the interfaith and community service category.
This is the fifth time that the College has been named to the top tier of recognition—the honor roll with distinction—for this prominent national award. More than 500 schools vied for the 2014 award that celebrates outstanding achievements in and commitment to interfaith and community service work.
In 2010, Augsburg took top honors from among a field of 850 applicants. Read about this campus accomplishment in the story “Augsburg College earns Presidential Award for service learning and community service.”
Dave Conrad says to take criticism with a grain of salt
Dave Conrad, Augsburg College’s assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, wrote in his most recent Rochester Post-Bulletin column about the tendency to be over-defensive and why it’s sometimes hard to accept criticism, positive or negative, from others. “…we must be sensitive to our emotions and realize how our emotions affect our thinking,” Conrad said.
Read “Before you get defensive, take breath” for more tips on how to be more open to feedback.
Board of Regents unanimously renews President Pribbenow’s contract through 2021
The Augsburg College Board of Regents, in its October meeting, unanimously voted to renew the contract of President Paul C. Pribbenow for another six-year term.
“In these volatile times in higher education, we are blessed to have Paul Pribbenow as our president,” said Paul S. Mueller, M.D., ’84 and chair of the Board of Regents. “We agree with the comprehensive review that shows that Paul brings exceptional intelligence, commitment, energy, and integrity to his work, and he continues to grow in effectiveness.”
In a letter to the Augsburg College community, Mueller also said that Pribbenow’s renewal was based upon multiple factors, including a comprehensive review that included input from more than 120 faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, partners, and community leaders, as well as Pribbenow’s response to the review and his accomplishments over the past several years.
Since joining Augsburg in 2006, Pribbenow has enhanced the College’s role as an active community partner in its urban setting. In that time, the College has achieved national recognition for its excellence in service learning, experiential education, and interfaith service. Pribbenow also has become a leader among the 26 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), helping to articulate the gifts shaping and supporting Lutheran higher education in the 21st century. Pribbenow has led Augsburg College in the development of new mission and strategic vision statements that anchor the institution’s priorities and initiatives, shaping the College’s strategic plan, Augsburg 2019. He has advanced the College’s top priority—a state-of-the-art education center housing academic programs in science, business, and religion, among others—and has played key roles in cultivating donor relationships and in attaining the largest philanthropic gift in Augsburg College history.
The contract between the Augsburg College and Pribbenow runs through 2021. Pribbenow is the 10th president of Augsburg College, a private liberal arts college associated with the ELCA and located in Minneapolis, and is recognized as one of the country’s most engaging commentators and teachers on ethics, philanthropy, and American public life. Learn more about his work and presidency.
Augsburg College Media Experts: Halloween, Elections
Origins of Halloween: Phil Adamo, associate professor of Medieval History
Phil Adamo, an associate professor of Medieval History at Augsburg College, is available to address by phone and/or on camera the:
- Origins of Halloween as a pagan harvest festival
- Historic reasons people wore Halloween costumes and had bonfires
- Myth-busting whether Halloween was/is Satanic, a belief held by some Christian groups at various times throughout history
Elections: Andy Aoki, professor of political science
Andy Aoki regularly provides commentary to members of print and broadcast media on issues related to elections. Aoki is available this election week to offer comment on stories that include perspective on minority politics including:
- Asian-American politics
- Inter-racial coalitions
- Multiculturalism
Learn more about Aoki at http://www.augsburg.edu/faculty/aoki/
Interviews
To arrange interviews with Adamo or Aoki, please contact Stephanie Weiss, director of news and media services, at 612.330.1476 or by email at weisss@augsburg.edu.
About Augsburg College
Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. 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.