At first glance, the choice to refurbish the chairs in Hoversten Chapel is just good financial management. The move to refresh versus replace the chairs saved the College more than $40,000.
But that’s only the surface of the decision.
What really went on gets to the heart of what it means to be a good steward. It makes exceptional what could be written off as a one-dimensional, mundane decision. It is a concrete example of how the College can live out its mission to be an engaged member of the community, a thoughtful steward, and a responsible leader. Continue reading “Chapel chair upholstery project woven into local economy”
The Augsburg mission affirms that the College community is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. The fourth annual “Creating an Inclusive Campus” conference, which will be held May 22-24 at Augsburg, calls us to ask what this commitment means, to celebrate what we are doing right, and to engage in dialogue about how we can continue to improve.
Augsburg’s Thrivent Leadership Fellows, a group of students working to engage the Augsburg community in service, need your help for the Multicultural Dinner at the Brian Coyle Center on Monday, Apr. 2. Up to 40 volunteers are needed for this event, so all faculty, staff, and students are welcome to participate.
Students from the Jane Addams School for Democracy, a program founded in part by staff from Augsburg’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship, have been organizing around issues in their neighborhood—the West Side of St. Paul—for many years. This past year, a group of teens took on the issue of racism, especially as it affects new immigrants in the community. In the process of meeting neighborhood elders and sharing a meal, the youth learned a surprising lesson.
Augsburg College is one of six higher education institutions in the nation to receive the 2010 Presidential Award for Community Service, the highest honor in the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is Augsburg’s first time receiving the top award in this program, making Augsburg the only Minnesota college or university to receive this honor. The College has been named to the Honor Roll with Distinction three times in the past.
Minneapolis-St. Paul enjoys the highest civic health of any metropolitan area in the country, according to a report released on Monday by Augsburg’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship (CDC). People in the Twin Cities are the most engaged in their communities—they are more likely to volunteer, to participate in community activities, to vote, and to engage with their neighbors. This healthy civic behavior correlates with greater economic well-being and individual health and happiness. 
The Fine Arts Keystone integrates graduating seniors from the film, theatre, music, and visual arts programs to provide particular skill sets they will need as artists upon graduation from Augsburg. Because the Keystone examines vocation in this course, the Fine Arts students have utilized the concept of vocation by creating an art project working with and giving back to the community.
Despite having fewer students on campus during the spring and summer months, work for the Campus Kitchen Project continues. Nearly 2,000 meals are served monthly to help meet the hunger need in the surrounding community. There are several challenges and opportunities that the program faces during this time. Solutions to these challenges include using pedal power and utilizing donated regionally grown produce. 
On a chilly spring morning, a man enters a room on the lower level of Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. He leaves with a trial-size bottle of shampoo, a new pair of white tube socks, and access to a healing 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?”