In his recent article for The Huffington Post, Harry Boyte — Augsburg’s Sabo Senior Fellow — discusses the role Augsburg College and other universities can play in helping students address problems, meet challenges, and build a more democratic society using the public work approach. Read the article, Colleges as Agents of Change — The Public Work Approach, to learn more about Augsburg’s “down-to-earth quality wedding liberal arts education to career training grounded in practical experience.”
MPR offers readers a glimpse into Augsburg College life
Alex Friedrich, Minnesota Public Radio’s higher education reporter, visited Augsburg College’s campus to experience a day in the life of an Auggie. Friedrich spent Dec. 5 blogging about his experiences and found that Augsburg College has a wide variety of traditions and experiences to offer to its students, faculty, staff and alumni, and also to its neighboring communities, as well.
Read and watch his posts on the “On Campus” blog here:
- A day at Augsburg College – A few noteworthy and newsworthy items about Augsburg
- The man leading a changing Augsburg – Meet President Paul C. Pribbenow and his passion for bow ties, commitment to Augsburg students, and vision for the College’s future
- Augsburg’s greener way to do chemistry – Experiments in the organic chemistry class taught by Assistant Professor Michael Wentzel really shine — or, rather, glow
- Man, the sounds that come out of Augsburg – Beatboxing Auggies Matthew Kukar and Connor Doebbert demonstrate their talents
- What’s all that pastry and wool at Augsburg – Friedrich takes in Velkommen Jul
- My seasonal lunch at Augsburg – An overview of lunchtime in the Commons
- Why they don’t sit still in Augsburg’s chapel – Norwegian traditions abound in special Daily Chapel service
- What an Augsburg apartment looks like – A peak inside Luther Hall
- Nilla wafers and ketchup at Augsburg – The ins and outs of breakfast at Augsburg
Recovery Campus magazine interviews StepUP’s Patrice Salmeri
Patrice Salmeri, director of Augsburg College’s StepUP program, was featured in Recovery Campus magazine to discuss her role as incoming president of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
Salmeri, who has overseen the StepUP program since 2002, began her tenure as president of ARHE in June 2014. Taking on the new role while continuing as director of StepUP has her exactly where she wants to be in life.
“This work is my calling; I have no doubt about it,” she said. “It has been confirmed over and over again. I am exactly where I need to be right now.”
Read Salmeri’s story on the Recovery Campus website.
Harry Boyte publishes commentary on Huffington Post
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.
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’s StepUP program receives media mention
Scott Washburn, assistant director for Augsburg College’s StepUP program was mentioned on Minnpost.com.
The StepUP program, which aims to help students with histories of addiction thrive on campus, was mentioned as part of an article about P.E.A.S.E. Academy, which is a similar local program at the high school level.
Washburn, who is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, said that the biggest threat for students dealing with addiction is being around their nearest and dearest on campus. “We know from research as well as experience that the No. 1 relapse trigger is the influence of peers,” Washburn said.
Visit the MinnPost website to read the article. Learn more about StepUP on its program site.