Dear alumni and friends,
Welcome to the 2015-16 academic year! Thank you to Chris Hallin ’88 for serving as alumni board president last year. I’m excited to become board president at a time when our group continues to evolve and increase its engagement with alumni in the life of the College.
As the campus community looks forward to the sesquicentennial of Augsburg in 2019, we all have the opportunity to participate in the strategic vision set forth by the Augsburg Board of Regents, which states: “In 2019, Augsburg College will be a new kind of student-centered, urban university, small to our students and big for the world.” There is much work that we as alumni have done and can do to support this vision.
Mark your calendars for the next Student and Alumni Networking Event on February 9, which gives students access to one-on-one discussions with alumni professionals on campus. Alumni can also partner with the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, as we did this September for the first-ever Fall Career and Internship Fair, to provide alumni and students with meaningful connections.
We also work to make annual traditions, such as Homecoming and Advent Vespers, special for alumni of all generations.
Throughout the coming year, your alumni board will hear from Augsburg guest speakers about internships, research, study abroad, and service work and learning that shape an Augsburg education. As we listen, we will consider how alumni can support the important work of the College. There are three dimensions in the Augsburg2019 strategic plan (found at augsburg.edu/augsburg2019) that are relevant to our work:
- Dimension 1: Educating for lives of purpose—across the disciplines, beyond the classroom, and around the world. As alumni, we can help students outside the classroom and in a manner that equips them to succeed through mentoring, internships, and more.
- Dimension 2: At the table with our neighbors and institutional partners, shaping education to address the world’s needs. As alumni, our workplaces and Auggie-owned businesses can work with Augsburg to expand internship opportunities that allow students to build their skills, discern their vocations, and open doors to careers.
- Dimension 3: Built for the future—a vital and sustainable institution. Alumni can strengthen collaboration and financial sustainability through our consistent financial support and by sharing the good news about the College among our professional and faith communities, and with our friends and families.
As alumni, we have a direct impact on our College in small and large ways. Our participation is key to the future viability and sustainability of our college and of Auggies. I hope you will join us.
—Jill Watson ’10 MBA, Alumni Board President