Notes from President Pribbenow: Gratitude for all that is

Dear alumni and friends,

The recent announcement of my retirement as president of Augsburg University in June 2027 has been the occasion to reflect on my deep gratitude for the privilege to serve this remarkable institution for the past 20 years—an experience marked not only by institutional milestones, but by the countless relationships, stories, and shared commitments that have shaped our common journey.

Augsburg has always been more than a university. It is a community where faith seeks understanding, where diversity is embraced as a gift, and where education is grounded in a profound sense of purpose. Over the years, I have witnessed our students’ courage and resilience, our faculty’s dedication to teaching and scholarship, and our staff’s unwavering commitment to hospitality and care. Together, we have made Augsburg a living expression of its mission.

We have navigated challenges that tested us—moments of uncertainty, societal upheaval, and the evolving landscape of higher education. And yet, again and again, this community has responded with creativity, compassion, and conviction. We have deepened our commitments to equity and inclusion, strengthened our academic programs, and expanded the ways we live out our calling in the city and the world.

What I will carry with me most are the moments that cannot be measured: conversations with students discovering their vocations, gatherings that celebrate our many cultures and identities, and the quiet acts of service that reveal who we are at our best. These are the signs of a community rooted in something enduring and hopeful.

As I prepare to step away from this role, I do so with great confidence in Augsburg’s future. The challenges ahead are real, but so too are the opportunities—and this community is more than capable of meeting them with integrity and imagination. Augsburg’s mission remains as vital as ever, and its people are its greatest strength.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in me, for the work we have shared, and for the ways you continue to live out Augsburg’s values each day. It has been an honor to serve alongside you. When I conclude my 21 years of service at the end of next year, I will leave this role with a full heart, hopeful for all that lies ahead for Augsburg University.

Faithfully yours,
Paul C. Pribbenow