This section of the News and Media Services department site tracks stories in print and broadcast media that feature Auggie faculty, students, and staff. The area also is home to material developed for University-related programs, events, and more.
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(Minneapolis) – Augsburg University plans to introduce a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology degree in fall 2019, pending approval and accreditation by external agencies.
Once the program is accredited, Augsburg will be the only university offering a Psy.D. program in clinical psychology in Minnesota. The first class will be a teach out option for students previously enrolled in the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, which closed in March.
“Our mission is to serve students, and this Psy.D. program is a way to help former Argosy University students while also meeting the growing demand for mental health services statewide,” said Monica Devers, Augsburg University dean of professional studies.
Augsburg has received authorization from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and has filed applications with the Higher Learning Commission and the American Psychological Association. The Higher Learning Commission has approved a site visit.
Meanwhile, Augsburg is working with former Argosy faculty, staff, and students to introduce a program that provides continuity for Argosy students. The Argosy program had educated a significant share of the state’s licensed psychologists, and the workforce demand is expected to be high in this field. Employment in psychology-related occupations in the U.S. is projected to grow 13.7 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to Hanover Research.
“Augsburg would be filling a gap in the region in planning to offer this doctoral program,” said Margit Berman, interim co-director of Augsburg’s Psy.D. program and former associate professor of clinical psychology at Argosy. “Argosy students would have the opportunity to complete their doctoral program without relocating to another region.”
The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree would be the second doctorate offered at Augsburg. In 2010, Augsburg began offering the Doctor of Nursing Practice.
For more information, potential students may email Monica Devers at devers@augsburg.edu.
About Augsburg. Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. 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. Learn more at Augsburg.edu.
More than 800 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2019 Spring Semester Dean’s List. The Augsburg University Dean’s List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.
(Rochester, Minn.) – Kaycee Rogers, director of education — Rochester, was awarded Augsburg University’s Outstanding Contributions to Teaching honor. She is the first full-time Rochester recipient of Augsburg’s outstanding teaching award.
The outstanding teaching award is given to one Augsburg faculty member annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the university that go beyond the expectations of their position.
Rogers received this award because of her active engagement with students, creative approaches to instruction, ability to challenge students, and her overall passion for teaching.
“Kaycee Rogers is a gifted teacher. As the director of education in Rochester, Kaycee has improved the programs extensively by updating course materials, designing engaging classroom activities, and providing educational workshops,” said Margaret Finders, professor of education. “What she does exceptionally well is advise and mentor students.”
Many would agree with student Jennifer Barnett: “I was terrified to return to school because it had been 13 years since I had been in a college class. Through a counseling session, Kaycee gave me the confidence that I belonged, and assisted me in every step of my academic planning,” Barnett said. “I instantly felt at home at Augsburg because of her.”
Rogers said she’s humbled to receive the award so early in her career and makes it a priority to truly know her students, their backgrounds, their lives, and their future aspirations.
“For me, great teaching has always been student-centered,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t matter if your students are third-graders or pursuing their master’s degrees, a good teacher plans and facilitates learning with the student in mind.”
About Augsburg. Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to 3,400 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota, location. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. 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. Augsburg has offered degrees at its Rochester location for 20 years. Today, the site offers degrees in nursing, business, and education. Learn more at Augsburg.edu.
Tanya Schwartz | Courtesy of the Burnsville Police Department
Burnsville Police Captain Tanya Schwartz was promoted to police chief this month. She will be the city’s first female chief.
She will lead the department’s 75 sworn officers and 19 civilian employees in the city of 61,000, the Pioneer Press reported.
“I am so grateful for the city’s investment in me throughout my career, and am excited to give back and continue our strong culture of service and excellence in policing,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Augsburg University.
Parker Graf with his family at Crescent Cove the day before he passed away. Jim Bovin, New York Times.
The New York Times recently featured Crescent Cove, Minnesota’s first children’s hospice home that specializes in end-of-life care for families with dying children. Crescent Cove was founded by Augsburg alumna Katie Lindenfelser, who majored in music therapy.
The hospice is a peaceful place for kids and parents to spend their last days together, with a 24-hour watch of specialized nurses, aides, and volunteers. This idea came about when Lindenfelser was a music therapist working with terminally-ill children in an intensive-care unit. Many parents expressed interest in a hospice home for their own sick children so that they wouldn’t have to die at home or at a hospital.
The article provides insight into the lives of the families who have used Cresent Cove and how the hospice came to be.
Augsburg associate professor of history Michael Lansing describes history as “a live project” in the MinnPost article, “On Dead White Men and the Politics of Minnesota’s History.”
“Evidence-based efforts to change the names of places with the questions and concerns of the present in mind is what the dead white men of the past tell us we should do,” Lansing wrote. “Historians of an earlier age knew that, by definition, history is always changing. On this count, we should listen to them closely.”
Juxtaposition Arts apprentices Bird Coulter (left) and Justice Jones (right). Marianne Combs | MPR News
Doors Open Minneapolis offers people the opportunity to explore the history and culture of Minneapolis through more than 100 of the city’s buildings that will be open May 18 and 19.
Current Auggie, Justice Jones, who is an apprentice with visual art center Juxtaposition Arts, told MPR News, that she will lead an activity at the Mill City Museum with the purpose to “arm people with the tools for participating in the public design process so they can speak up on issues like gentrification and accessibility.”
“Getting people to think about what are you doing with your waste. What kind of materials are you using, are you sourcing them locally? Can you remake a building using the foundation that’s already there? Just finding ways to create communities that are better for the environment and better for people.”
Olivia Maccoux ’19 spoke with Kare 11 about her journey to graduation after 140 brain surgeries. Maccoux lives with a rare condition called hydrocephalus, which causes fluid to build on the brain. “College graduation to me is a big deal,” she told Kare 11. “The doctors didn’t believe I’d make it past birth.”
On May 10, Maccoux graduated with honors from Augsburg, a day she thought would never happen. During her freshman year in college, she had a seizure in her dorm room and had to drop out of school for a time. Aside from her family and friends, her neurosurgeon was also present at the U.S. Bank Stadium commencement ceremony. She credits him for why she was able to graduate and now wants to build a career sharing her story with the world. Her experiences have given her a purpose to advocate and be a voice for those with invisible illness and disabilities. Recently, Maccoux spoke at a fundraising event in Hollywood, California, with comedian Conan O’Brien, where she helped raise $300,000 by sharing her story. “Just because you have not so great circumstances doesn’t mean your life is over” she told Kare 11.
College leaders studied Augsburg University to better understand how such “anchor institutions” energize their urban neighborhoods.
Ira Harkavy, one of the pioneers of the anchor strategy at the University of Pennsylvania, visited Minnesota last summer as part of the delegation to study the work of the local Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, writes Jay Walljasper, a Fellow at Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, in the MinnPost article.
“I’ve learned a lot from the Central Corridor anchors for our work in Philadelphia,” Harkavy said.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul effort stands out nationally, he notes, for the sheer size of its anchor strategy — both geographically, stretching across 15 zip codes through the heart of the two cities, and for the number and variety of institutions and funding agencies involved, Harkavy adds.
For the first time, the Augsburg University commencement will be held off campus at U.S. Bank Stadium at 6 p.m. Friday, May 10.
In making this location change, Augsburg is responding to consistent concerns raised by graduating students regarding the limited number of tickets available for their guests to attend on-campus ceremonies, which were held most recently in Si Melby Hall’s gymnasium.
Augsburg will use a portion of U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The change in venue and dramatic increase in total available seats will enable all graduates, their families, their friends, and members of the Augsburg community to celebrate together. Tickets are required.
Former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will be the commencement speaker. He is currently The Minneapolis Foundation president and CEO.
