Staff Archives - News and Media | Augsburg University

Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute receives grant to develop Muslim interfaith leadership cohort

Posted on September 17, 2024

Augsburg University’s Interfaith Institute was recently awarded a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Funding will be used to create a Muslim-led cohort of students from colleges throughout the Midwest; these students will offer interfaith leadership opportunities for their campuses. Cohort members will receive skill-building around topics like best practices for interfaith engagement in higher education and how to address campus conflicts involving religion.

“We are excited for this opportunity to share Augsburg’s interfaith learnings with other campus communities,” says Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg. “These students will become interfaith leaders who are equipped to facilitate dialogue and build bridges within their communities and throughout their professional lives.”

The project aims to build capacity on college campuses for Muslim students to lead interfaith engagement among their peers. Located in the culturally diverse Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, Augsburg is uniquely equipped to carry out this work, with 66% of undergraduate students identifying as Black, Indigenous, or as People of Color, and over 12% as Muslim. Interfaith engagement is a core aspect of Augsburg’s academic mission and strategic plan. The university launched the Interfaith Institute in 2018 and appointed Najeeba Syeed as the inaugural El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director in 2022.

The $189,630 grant will be distributed between August 2024 and July 2026. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations’ Interfaith Leadership and Religious Literacy program area supports organizations that invest in courageous multi-faith conversations and collaborations.

Augsburg University Invites Leaders to Develop Their Skills

Posted on July 2, 2024July 3, 2024

Four people standing together in front of a green moss and brick wall backdrop. — Program Director Keri Clifton (second from left) smiles with participants from the first Community Practice Cohort.

The Reell Office of Seeing Things Whole (STW) at Augsburg University empowers leaders to positively impact their personal and professional communities. One avenue of empowerment is the Community Practice Cohort—an opportunity for anyone who wants to enhance their leadership skills and gain insights around real-life leadership challenges.

“Our inaugural cohort created opportunities for participants to create action in their real-life leadership opportunities. Seeing the spark of passion emerge from each participant was a joy as they moved through the STW process with a community of supporters. These leaders will continue their impact having gained insight and knowledge that revealed their path forward. I am thrilled to continue this impactful work with the next cohort,” Program Director Keri Clifton said.

The second Community Practice Cohort is accepting eight members to embark on a 10-month collaborative journey toward effective leadership, starting September 2024. Participants will gain practical skills and knowledge on leadership topics like articulating a problem, communication, team collaboration, and decision making—as well as personalized roundtables to focus on issues and skills directly related to their organization.

“I entered into this process in the hopes of exploring new ways to approach challenges I was facing in my current role,” said Michaela Clubb, a national program director and participant in the 2023-24 Community Practice Cohort. “I was able to uncover and consider not just the challenge I presented but all of the parts connected to it. I highly recommend this program for anyone who is looking to create intention and impact through their leadership.”

Mentorship is also a crucial part of the Community Practice Cohort, for both the mentors and the participants. The communal learning process brings out the best in everyone and helps create collaborative and innovative solutions to current and future challenges. “Being a mentor in the unique Seeing Things Whole program has been my privilege,” said Michael A. Gregory, author, mediation and negotiation consultant, and professional speaker. “Unlike traditional mentoring, we engage in a two-and-a-half-hour process, listening actively to a leader’s story without offering advice. Instead, we pose open-ended questions to guide the participant in exploring their identity, purpose, and stewardship. This enlightening process benefits the participant and provides mentors with opportunities to discover new and creative approaches.”

There is still time to apply for the 2024-25 Community Practice Cohort. To learn more about this opportunity, contact Program Director Keri Clifton at cliftonk@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1525.

Augsburg Nursing Faculty Focus on Infant Health Through MDH Grant

Posted on May 15, 2024May 15, 2024

A woman holds a baby at Health Commons. Both are wearing winter hats and jackets. — Health Commons visitors

Augsburg University Assistant Professor of Nursing Katie Martin is the recipient of a $160,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health to support infant health in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Martin is a certified midwife who has been providing care to expecting mothers in the area for over 20 years. Since beginning her academic tenure at Augsburg in 2021, she has become a coordinator at the Health Commons and the director of the BSN-completion program in addition to her teaching responsibilities.

“I have been honored to work at the Health Commons in Cedar Riverside over this past year and am so excited that this generous grant allows us to be able to expand the work we do,” Martin says. “We’ll restart programs that were happening pre-pandemic centered on maternal and infant health through community-led programming and community-based research.”

The funds from this grant will support new projects at the Health Commons in Cedar-Riverside, a health-focused drop-in center that is offered through a decade-long partnership between Augsburg, M Health Fairview, and the East Africa Health Project. Aligned with the grant program’s goal to reduce infant mortality in Minnesota, Martin and the Health Commons team are focused on three objectives:

Infants in the Cedar-Riverside community are born at term and at a healthy weight.
Infants in the Cedar-Riverside community survive and thrive in their first year of life.
East African Immigrants trust and feel safe with their health care providers in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.

This grant-funded work will be led by an Infant Health Advisory Committee organized by Martin. Much of the activities of the grant include offering infant health educational courses, distributing safe cribs, increasing safe sleep messaging and prenatal care, and hosting monthly birth celebrations at the Health Commons in Cedar-Riverside. Additionally, graduate students will be able to complete a paid internship through this grant and assist in a research project. This grant will also support ongoing programming and health services currently offered at the Health Commons, such as blood pressure checks and movement and mindfulness classes.

“This grant was extremely competitive and is a tribute to Dr. Martin’s expertise in infant health, health equity, and her relationships in Cedar-Riverside,” said Associate Professor Katie Clark, chair of Augsburg’s department of nursing and executive director of the Health Commons. “Congratulations, Dr. Martin!”

Learn more about Augsburg’s Health Commons locations, range of services, and operating hours.

‘A Smoother Ramp and Transition to College’: Star Tribune Highlights Direct Admissions

Posted on October 27, 2023

Augsburg featured prominently in a recent article in the Star Tribune about direct admission in Minnesota. In addition to participating in the state of Minnesota’s direct admission pilot last fall, Augsburg became one of the first schools to move to direct admissions for all applicants (including through the Common App and Augsburg’s own application). Unlike many schools that still require traditional, multi-step applications, Augsburg’s application can be completed in under 10 minutes.

Stephanie Ruckel, director of enrollment systems and analytics, spoke to reporter Liz Navratil about the impact of the direct admissions approach, which launched in Fall 2022 as part of the Augsburg Applies to You platform.

“It’s not a mad dash to the finish line,” she said. “It’s just a smoother ramp and transition to college.”

According to the Star Tribune, “Ruckel estimated that the change freed up about 1,300 hours of admissions counselors’ time, making it easier for them to answer questions about financial aid, visit high schools or help students with disabilities develop plans for the new semester.”

Augsburg Health Commons Bring Drop-In Care to New Locations

Posted on August 14, 2023

The Augsburg Health Commons is expanding to bring its proven model of accompaniment-based care to more neighbors through new partnerships and locations.

Late last year, an agreement with M Health Fairview and Redeemer Center for Life formalized a partnership at the Living Room in the Harrison neighborhood of north Minneapolis, where a drop-in site based on the Health Commons model had operated since 2012. Following a disruption of in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the site was re-opened in October 2022 under the leadership of Augsburg Physician Assistant Program Director Vanessa Bester.

This summer, the first Health Commons in St. Paul opened in the Conway Community Center through a partnership with M Health Fairview, the Sanneh Foundation, and the East Side Health & Well-Being Collaborative. Health Commons Executive Director Katie Clark and Augsburg Board of Regents Chair Dennis Meyer will join St. Paul community leaders on August 16 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Health Commons East.

These new locations join long-standing Health Commons sites at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis and in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

“Our nursing and physician assistant faculty, along with our students, are committed to the vision of a drop-in center that focuses on the needs of the communities we serve to address health inequities and other deep-rooted issues faced when seeking care,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “Augsburg is especially pleased to extend our efforts to the East Side St. Paul neighborhood.”

Augsburg’s Health Commons sites are health-focused drop-in centers led and organized by nursing and physician assistant faculty members, Augsburg students, volunteers, and community members. Developed by Augsburg nursing faculty in the early 1990s, the Health Commons model is founded on principles of hospitality and relationship development that leads to transcultural understanding and health benefits for all participants.

The people who come to the Health Commons are from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and many are unhoused or marginally housed. Health concerns might include nutrition, medication, stress management, respiratory conditions, injuries, skin problems, and chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. Everyone is welcome, and all services are provided free of charge, without proof of need or time constraints.

Augsburg’s PA program has taken on a growing role as new partnerships and locations have developed. The PA program has led the expansion of services at the Cedar-Riverside Health Commons, connecting with community members providing foot care, a need across many marginalized communities.

“The PA program is humbled and honored to bring the model of accompaniment-based care into our curriculum and medical practice. Faculty, staff and students are able to build connections, meet people where they are at in their health journey, and learn how health inequities are impacting the people we care for every day. The Harrison neighborhood, Cedar-Riverside, Central Lutheran, and now East St. Paul are the paradigm of what providing health and care should look like in every community,” said Bester.

To learn more, volunteer, or support the Health Commons, visit augsburg.edu/healthcommons.

MPR Highlights Growing StepUP Partnerships

Posted on August 2, 2023

A leader in the collegiate recovery movement for more than 25 years, StepUP® at Augsburg University is now poised to reach more students through new partnerships with Twin Cities-area colleges and universities. Minnesota Public Radio recently featured StepUP Director Ericka Otterson, Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator Nell Hurley, and Ethan Laugen ’24 in a story about the need for recovery support in higher education.

StepUP provides an array of support services for students in recovery, including sober living college experience in Oren Gateway Center, weekly meetings with alcohol and drug counselors, and access to a strong alumni network. With new partnerships forming post-COVID-19, including a formal agreement with the University of St. Thomas, these resources will be available to more students from across the Twin Cities metro.

“There’s no shortage of need, and students time and again will say the community has been the most valuable aspect of participating in this program,” Otterson told MPR. “So the larger the community is each year, the more opportunity there is for that.”

“This is my community,” said Laugen. “Instead of a student group or a frat, it’s StepUP. These are my people who get me, who understand me, who I get along with. And it has given me the college experience in the way that I needed a college experience.”

Making College Accessible to Foster Youth

Posted on July 14, 2023July 14, 2023

Professor Tim Pippert talking with two students — From left to right: Madelyne Yang, Donovan Holmes, and Tim Pippert

Professor Tim Pippert and Madelyne Yang ’26 were recently interviewed by The Imprint about Augsburg Family Scholars, a program to narrow the opportunity gap for students with foster care backgrounds.

Augsburg Family Scholars builds on Minnesota’s Fostering Independence Higher Education Grant. This “last dollar” program provides state funding to cover tuition, fees, room and board and other expenses related to the cost of attending college. Pippert told The Imprint that the state grants are “a game changer,” but aren’t enough on their own.

To bridge the gap, Augsburg Family Scholars supplements the state grant with comprehensive academic and community support. Last year, a dozen Augsburg students participated in the program, which provides help moving to campus, laptops, access to year-round housing, a dedicated lounge space on campus, community outings, and more. Pippert, the Joel Torstenson endowed professor of sociology, directs the program and serves as an advisor to the participants, helping them strategize how to navigate the demands of higher education.

“If you’ve made it to college, you’ve overcome so many hurdles already,” he said. “If you’ve made it this far, it’s our responsibility to help students finish the job and get a degree.”

Read the full story from The Imprint or learn more about Augsburg Family Scholars.

Senior Fellowships Anchor Collaboration Between Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute and the Oxford Interfaith Forum

Posted on June 1, 2023February 6, 2024

El-Hibri Chair and Executive Director of Interfaith Institute Najeeba Syeed

Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg, has been named a senior fellow of the Oxford Interfaith Forum. Reciprocally, Director of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Thea Gomelauri will join Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute as a senior fellow this fall. This mutual fellowship is a distinct characteristic of the institutions’ partnership, which will focus on issues of peace, justice, intercultural and interfaith education, and furthering interreligious learning across the globe.

Gomelauri is a faculty member of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford and has extensive experience in research, teaching, and consultancy in different international, and intercultural contexts. She is a member of the Jewish-Muslim Research Network, the Bible and Religions of the Ancient Near East Collective, and the British and Irish Association of Jewish Studies.

Director of the Oxford Interfaith Forum Thea Gomelauri

As Augsburg’s El-Hibri chair and executive director of Interfaith Institute, Syeed serves as a national ambassador for the interfaith movement and faculty advisor for Augsburg’s Interfaith Scholars. She is a professor, expert practitioner, and public speaker in the fields of interfaith studies, mediation, conflict resolution, deliberative democracy, and social, gender, and racial equity.

“This fellowship serves as an anchor for our collaborative work of Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University and the Oxford Interfaith Forum,” Syeed says. “We look forward to collaborating in the United States, United Kingdom, and across the globe.”

Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship Receives Local Public Health Hero Award

Posted on April 20, 2023February 6, 2024

Last week, the City of Minneapolis honored the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship with a Local Public Health HeroAward in the category of Healthy Living and Healthy Food Systems. Project Manager Jenean Gilmer, Food Initiatives Program Manager Natalie Jacobson, and Director of Community Relations Steve Peacock were specifically recognized for their efforts. Paula Guinn and Sieglinde Thetard from The People’s Center nominated the Sabo Center for their food access work in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. They wrote:

“Augsburg University’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship works to build community connections and engagement in pursuit of more equitable systems and resources in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The Center plays a major role in food access and systems work through the Cedar-Riverside Food Initiative group, which draws representatives from healthcare organizations, community-service centers, higher education institutions, and local non-profits. They have shown great leadership in their dedication to continuing food access work as a collective, which is exemplified by their commitment to uplifting diverse community voices to shape and direct food initiatives.

“The Center has been instrumental in connecting neighborhood organizations and community members with fresh produce and healthy shelf-stable items. For example, the team works with Health Commons, a healthcare collective, to distribute thousands of pounds of free fresh produce to community members in and around Riverside Plaza. The Center has also made a significant impact in building sustainable food-distribution models that incorporate grassroots organizations into existing food distribution frameworks and community programming. With so many long-term partnerships, The Sabo Center has a broad range of organizations and community members engaged in adapting existing and future programming to healthy living and healthy food system goals.”

Learn more about Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship and how you can get involved.

Augsburg Health Commons Receives $50,000 Award to Advance Health Equity Through Nursing

Posted on January 17, 2023January 16, 2023

For 30 years, the Augsburg Health Commons have advanced a model of nursing practice rooted in accompaniment, social justice, and transcultural nursing practice. In early January, the program received a $50,000 Health Equity Innovation Fund grant from AARP and the Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to deepen and expand this work.

“We are moved beyond words to be selected for this opportunity,” said Katie Clark, associate professor of nursing and executive director of the Health Commons. “These funds will not only help relieve some of the suffering people are forced to endure in the immediate term, but will also help cultivate ideas and solutions for the long term in caring for people who experience marginalization.”

The first Augsburg Health Commons drop-in center opened at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis in 1992. Most people seeking care at the Central location live without a permanent residence or are marginally housed. In 2011, a second location in Cedar-Riverside opened in response to a need for accessible, no-cost health care services identified by members of the East African immigrant community located near Augsburg’s campus. Both locations center community voices and are led and organized by nursing faculty members, nursing and physician assistant volunteers, students, and community members.

The people who come to the Health Commons are from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Everyone is welcome, and all services are provided free of charge. Health concerns might include nutrition, medication, stress management, respiratory conditions, injuries, skin problems, and chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension. Frequently, people experiencing these problems come to Health Commons locations for their easy access, supportive environment, and assistance with connecting to other health care resources.

Going forward, the Health Equity Innovation Fund grant project will focus on three interconnected goals.

Continuing and expanding care for marginalized communities.
Deepening the focus on health equity, systemic racism, and structural inequities in nursing education.
Disseminating knowledge to influence the nursing profession towards greater inclusiveness.

The Health Commons will continue providing opportunities for the most marginalized communities of Minneapolis to live healthier lives as they are cared for in local context. In addition to existing sites at Central Lutheran Church and Cedar Riverside and work with local encampments, the grant will allow staff and volunteers to explore new partnerships at other locations, including in North Minneapolis in collaboration with Augsburg’s physician assistant program.

By providing paid research and practice internships for graduate nursing students, the grant will also support the educational mission of the Health Commons. Students in Augsburg’s BSN, Master’s, and DNP programs will continue to learn to decode systems of oppression that are embedded within systems and social norms, and to promote health equity by connecting with others through shared humanity. The project will fund dissemination of research by Augsburg faculty and students through conferences and publishing. In so doing, it aims to create pathways for developing inclusiveness within the nursing profession, both in practice and in the academy.

“Our Augsburg nursing faculty are excited to be able to dig deeper into naming systemic and structural racism in partnership with people with lived experience in an effort to begin creating needed change in healthcare and the discipline of nursing,” said Clark.

Augsburg Health Commons is one of 16 organizations nationally to receive a Health Equity Innovations Fund award for 2022. The awards through the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing^SM and the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, are for projects offering promising solutions aimed at eliminating structural inequities, particularly structural racism, within the nursing profession, health systems, or community, and for projects that help improve access to care and services for those most disproportionately impacted by health disparities. Projects also support the advancement of one or more of the recommendations in the National Academy of Medicine report, “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.”

Find out more about the projects or visit the Augsburg Health Commons website.