Fall-Winter 2017 Archives - Augsburg Now

�� Day

Jessica Mueller — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:18:08 +0000

�� Day was a moment of celebration—a time to honor and appreciate the abiding principles on which Augsburg was founded and an opportunity to consider Augsburg’s commitment to shaping the world for generations to come. Augsburg marked the transition from college to university through a commemorative day full of fun and fellowship. And, although Augsburg College officially became �� on September 1, the campus threw its proverbial hat in the air a few days later—on September 5, the day Augsburg formally welcomed its most diverse incoming class in school history.

Opening Convocation

On September 5, Augsburg’s Class of 2021 rose early to participate in the grand finale of their welcome week: Opening Convocation. New students marched across campus, past rows of cheering faculty and staff, and toward Hoversten Chapel with pride (and maybe a few sheepish grins), to engage in a historic beginning for them and for their school: the commissioning of��’s inaugural first-year class. This year’s event featured elements linked with��Augsburg’s commitments to faith, diversity, and vocation: Lutheran hymns, interfaith blessings, and international flags representing the countries from which Augsburg students come. President��Paul Pribbenow encouraged new Auggies to do justly, love mercy, walk humbly … and follow him on Twitter. And that was just the beginning.

A Moment to Remember

Following Opening Convocation, the Class of 2021 processed from the chapel to the quad where they were met by stilt walkers, local musicians, Haitian and Somali dancers, and the��smells of dishes as varied and diverse as the neighborhoods surrounding Augsburg’s metropolitan campus. More than 800 students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University convened to feast on sambusas, Mexican tacos, cotton candy, brats and sauerkraut, and, in some cases, all of the above. Students had nearly two hours to take in their surroundings,��grab food, pose at the Auggie photo booth, and assemble hygiene��kits for the Augsburg Health Commons, which serves unsheltered persons throughout Minneapolis. Many even had time to read a proclamation, signed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, naming September 5, 2017, �� Day.

A University of the City

In the afternoon, more than 500 students, faculty, and staff gathered in small groups and dispersed throughout Minneapolis to listen to, learn from, and volunteer with local partners and nonprofits with ties to Augsburg. In total, the Class of 2021 donated nearly $35,000 in service work at more than 20 Twin Cities locations. The entire string of events—from the convocation, to the celebration, to the service-learning opportunities—demonstrated that Augsburg’s name change was much more than updated monument signs (though they do look nice), letterhead, and websites. The name change was a collaborative effort to share��Augsburg’s story—the narrative of a place that’s deeply embedded in its community, that richly lives out its traditions, and that points to a bolder vision of what a student-centered, urban university can be … small to its students, and big for the world.

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The fatherhood bonus and the motherhood penalty

Kate H. Elliott — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:16:19 +0000

Michelle Budig ’93 is an award-winning professor and author whose research interests focus on gender, employment, labor markets, earnings, stratification, and family.

Michelle Budig’s story is deeply woven into her pioneering research to expose gender inequality and examine family policies in the workforce.

The product of an outspoken dental receptionist and a pious electrician— who staked the yard with opposing political signs—Budig learned from a young age to question, wonder, and voice her beliefs. In preschool, for example, she insisted her class change the lyrics of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to remove “and with the girls be handy.”

But despite her early and strong advocacy for girls’ rights, Budig still believed that as an adult she would have to choose between motherhood and a meaningful career. Indeed, at 22, she married her Augsburg sweetheart, nurse practitioner Peter Landstrom ’91, but then waited almost 20 years—until after she secured tenure as a sociology professor—to adopt their daughter, Lucy. Her beliefs about how things should be were tempered by her understanding of how things actually are.

It may be no surprise, then, that Budig focused her scholarly research on the impact of parenting across gender—specifically the wage inequities between fathers and mothers across the pay scale. Her latest findings, currently making rounds in The New York Times and the like, assert that although the gender pay gap is decreasing (women now make about 76 cents for every man’s dollar), wage inequalities among parents who work are increasing.

Overall, fathers incur an average wage increase of more than 6 percent with each child, while women experience, on average, a 4 percent decrease in salary per child. Fatherhood, ultimately, is considered a “valued characteristic, signaling perhaps a greater work commitment, stability, and deservingness,” said Budig, Sociology Department chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mothers, on the other hand, are often perceived as “exhausted and distracted at work,” rendering them less productive.

Beyond perception, other significant contributors to the discrepancy include that women often take time off to care for children and bypass higher wages for mom-friendly roles. “Kids are seen as a privilege, not a right, so if you want to have them, you must pay the price,” Budig said, referencing a view some hold. But it’s not as simple as “dads make more, moms make less,” Budig said. Using sophisticated statistical techniques on a large sample of U.S. workers, Budig found that parenting exacerbates earnings inequalities within genders depending on income.

The “fatherhood bonus,” as she calls it, is highest for the most advantaged men—married, white, college graduates with professional jobs. Unmarried, black men in non-professional occupations, for instance, receive minimal—if any—bonus. The motherhood penalty is smallest among women who earn above the 90th percentile of female workers, with women at the very top of the income distribution experiencing no wage penalty. Low-to-average earning women incur the greatest motherhood penalty, Budig found.

“I always thought that women who made the most would have the most to lose, but that is certainly not the case, and it makes complete sense when you consider factors and stressors influencing populations at the top and bottom of the pay scale,” Budig said. “Fathers and mothers earning lower wages often rely on fragile networks of free child care, and when a grandmother or friend is sick or doesn’t show, those parents can’t make it to work. Conversely, parents who can afford it, secure reliable, consistent child care operated by licensed professionals.” Wider wage gaps among lower-earning individuals are exacerbated by the fact that people tend to marry within socio- economic situations, Budig adds, so low-earning couples take greater hits, while highly paid duos keep climbing.

Additionally, lower-earning men and women statistically are more likely to have children, Budig said, which leads to higher penalties for those families.

Accessible child care among policies to close the gap

Budig suggests two policy shifts to reduce the gap: publicly funded, high-quality child care for babies and toddlers and non transferable paid leave for both mothers and fathers. The “nontransferable” part is critical, Budig reiterated, as “evidence suggests that if fathers can transfer leave to a female partner, they will.”

“Access for all to high-quality, reliable, licensed child care options would certainly even the playing field for both parents and children,” Budig said. “Think of all the stress it would alleviate from low-income families relying on less dependable child care. Businesses would likely be more productive with a more resilient, consistent workforce. And children growing up in low-income situations would bene t from the same instruction and care as wealthier families, giving those young ones a stronger start.”

This approach is not new. Many Scandinavian countries, which support publicly funded child care and offer incentivized paternal leave, report smaller or no parental pay gaps. In contrast, countries with entrenched gender roles, like Germany, where new mothers are expected to take a year or more off work, report the highest motherhood penalties. “Workplace policies matter,” Budig said. “Most of my life, I had to choose between being a mother and having a meaningful career, and unless progressive policies are adopted, the parental and economic gaps will persist.”

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked the United States last in a study the intergovernmental organization conducted about the national paid maternity leave policies of its member countries. The average amount of paid leave time for mothers among its 35-member countries was a little more than one year, as of 2016.

Budig notes there is progress on the state level, citing California’s paid family leave, which allows family members to take time off to care for a loved one or to bond with a new child entering their
life (either by birth, adoption, or foster care). Without a comprehensive federal approach, however, Budig warns of the implications of inconsistencies across states.

“It’s encouraging to see states and companies take action, but it leads to inequities among states and industries, which may only add to our country’s increasing divide,” said Budig, who has testified before Congress and the United Nations about the implications of her research. “More universal support will reduce wage gaps, promote greater equality, and better prepare our children to
be productive members of society.”

The culture is shifting as men embrace female roles

But beyond evolutions in policy, Budig sees hope in the young people she interacts with as a professor and mentor. They expect both parties—and want both partners—to be involved in maintaining the household. Single-paycheck families are difficult to sustain, and popular books and blogs are encouraging mothers to shed the mom guilt, cast aside the superwoman expectations, and go order a pizza for dinner.

“Believe me, I get it. Even with the most supportive husband, who as a nurse, experiences his own gender stereotypes, I still slip into unrealistic expectations,” said Budig, who earned a master’s and doctorate in sociology from the University of Arizona. “Our marriage is a constant conversation, and splitting up the chores by room works for us.”

A 2016 PayScale Gender Pay Gap Report found that men still out-earn women in every state in the union, but Vermont is the closest to equality, with women earning 84.8 percent of what men earn overall, as opposed to Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Wyoming where women earn from 71 to 73 percent of their male counterparts’ income. The national average is 76 percent, per the report, which does not factor in years of experience, education, or job title. When such national statistics were first calculated in the 1970s, it was about 60 percent.

Mentors pushed her to live with a ‘heart for service’

Budig lost both her parents nearly two years ago. She often wishes she could talk with her mom about her latest research, knowing her mom would get a kick out of hearing about innovative solutions to promote equality and increase access for women.

“My mom was wildly supportive of my work, but I’ll never forget the first time she read a major study I published about the wage gap. I was driving, and she was in the back seat. She looked up and said, ‘Michelle, everyone knows women earn less than men. That’s what you’ve been working on?’ Gee, thanks, mom,” Budig said. “I think she would have appreciated this last batch of research and what I’m focused on next, which involves female entrepreneurs and a study about the motherhood penalty in Israel.”

Although there is no replacing a drive- and-talk with mom, Budig is not short on inspiring female mentors. At Augsburg, where she majored in English and sociology, Budig sought out educators to support her journey. Sociology Professor has taught Auggies for more than three decades, and Budig certainly stands out.

“Michelle had a seriousness and sophistication about intellectual ideas and work that was exemplary, and being a first-generation student, she never lost sight of the privilege it is to pursue higher education. She set the bar high for herself, and we’ve been following her career ever since,” said Pike, who specializes in��organizational analysis, sociological theory, and research methods. “There is nothing better than seeing one of your students succeed at such a level. Michelle’s a big deal in sociology, speaking at top conferences and advocating for important change. She has a rare ability to convey complex data and theories to general audiences, and we are very proud of her.”

Budig’s Auggie roots run deep, and both she and Landstrom commit themselves to its mission through caregiving and advocating for change. Augsburg gave them a way of looking at the world and approaching life that will never leave them, Budig said.

“The greatest takeaway from Augsburg is our desire—the responsibility, really— to give back and live with a heart for service to others. Every day, we try to live out that change in our personal and professional lives.”

[Top Image]: Budig’s 19-page curriculum vitae details the more than $725,000 in grants she’s received, including some from the National Science Foundation, and lists her articles in professional journals, including the American Sociological Review. She regularly contributes to national and international media outlets, including The New York Times, Money Magazine, and the Washington Post.

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Women of influence

Kate H. Elliott — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:15:45 +0000

“Only priests and participants’ fathers can be anywhere near the pool,” three St. Catherine’s nuns echoed in protest as Augsburg’s 1963 swim instructor, Malcolm “Mac” Gimse, led then-20-year-old Joyce Pfaff ’65 and three other physical education majors onto the pool deck.

Gimse reluctantly exited the building, but as the Auggies lined up at water’s edge, “GO AUGSBURG” boomed from the stands. Pfaff looked up, and there was her instructor, wearing a big smile and a clerical collar.

Call it obstinate or call it resolute, but Pfaff adopted that tenacity—and it helped her climb over, chisel away, and bust down a decade’s worth of walls in women’s athletics and coaching prior to the passage of Title IX, a federal law that allows women access to any federally funded educational program or activity. So, it comes as no surprise that Augsburg’s first women’s athletic director is “beyond proud” that a recent report ties Augsburg with Macalester College as the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s schools with the most female head coaches.

This distinction, out of the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Women and Girls in Sport, is particularly encouraging as national studies point to dramatic decreases in women coaching women’s sports. When Title IX was passed in 1972, women coached 90 percent of women’s collegiate athletic teams. Today, only about 40 percent of those teams are led by female coaches, according to the NCAA.

Augsburg hits national average out of the park

Pfaff coached at a time before women’s athletics were��afforded official equipment or facilities. In fact, Pfaff helped build Augsburg’s first softball field. Today, she remains confident in Augsburg’s ability to advance equality. According to the Tucker Center, Augsburg leapt from having slightly more than 36 percent female head coaches in 2014 to nearly 73 percent in 2017.

“Think of how far we’ve come,” Pfaff said. “Augsburg’s first volleyball coach, Mary Timm ’81, could ‘afford’ to coach for us because she had a full-time job as a day care supervisor, and she used vacation time to travel with the team. Today, Augsburg has more women’s teams (11) than men’s (10), and the Athletic Department works hard to create an equitable, forward-thinking, and inclusive culture.”

Augsburg Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79 and Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks appreciate the Tucker Center’s acknowledgement of Augsburg’s dedication to women’s athletics. University leaders are ever-vigilant in their efforts to support all coaches, staff, and student-athletes in achieving a well-balanced life.

“Coaching demands all of you and more, with 365-day recruiting on top of practices, planning, and leading student-athletes in competition and out in their everyday lives,” said Swenson, who has worked at Augsburg for more than 36 years. “We are committed to work-life integration. The best coaches are ful lled, healthy, and productive members at home and in the community— an approach to life we want to mirror for our student-athletes.”

Anderson Diercks recruits coaches and advises student-athletes interested in transitioning from court to clipboard. She is keenly aware of the factors contributing to the diminishing number of female coaches across the U.S. and emphasizes that even if you’re in a position of success, there’s still room for improvement.

“College athletic departments need to do a better job of recruiting and retaining women coaches through mentoring, professional development, and supportive cultures,” she said. “And it is critically important that this conversation is not just about women coaching women. It should be about women in coaching, which includes women coaching boys and men. It’s vital for all students to see women as role models in all professions, including athletics.”

Popularity of women’s athletics contributes to decline in coaching equity

The NCAA’s findings suggest that a major factor contributing to the decline of women coaching women is, ironically, tied to the boom of women’s athletics. With increased popularity came expanded staffs and higher salaries, attracting men—particularly longtime assistant coaches—to lead women’s teams. And while 60 percent of women’s teams are coached by men, according to the study, women guide only about 3 percent of men’s teams. Roughly 80 percent of collegiate athletic directors are men.

Is a solution to ignore gender? “Absolutely not,” Anderson Diercks said. “Like any dimension of diversity, to ignore or deny a part of someone’s identity does not allow them to show up as their fullest and best self, and then we all miss out. There is richness in diversity, and women are an important part of that diversity, especially in the athletic arena.”

A coaching job is demanding, with long hours, travel, and high expectations, but those pressures can be overcome, Swenson said. The more universities exemplify work-life balance, the more family-oriented student-athletes, regardless of gender, will be drawn to the profession, he added.

Negative perceptions still cast a shadow

Stigmas, misconceptions, and high stakes also contribute to the decline in women seeking and maintaining leadership roles in university athletics, according to the NCAA. Interviews with female coaches across the U.S. drew out comments about increasing demands, assumptions about female coaches’ sexuality, and perceived gender bias. Augsburg Women’s Hockey Head Coach Michelle McAteer said if she could squash an assumption curbing female coaches, it would be the belief that “all women are catty and emotional.”

“Since women hold fewer leadership positions in all realms— from athletics and business to politics—we are put under a microscope and our actions are generalized,” she said. “Women in leadership need to become the norm and not the exception in order to combat these myths so we can get onto the business of empowering those we lead (and winning games).”

And she would know. McAteer, who led the Augsburg women’s hockey team to its highest MIAC finish since the ’90s, played for female coaches throughout her high school and college years. These models of “strength, resolve, and compassion” gave her confidence and an awareness of her role now, as a coach, to model those values for the next generation, she said. “It’s a responsibility I care deeply about.”

For Pfaff, this and other reflections from today’s women coaches signal that the legacy she and others fought to instill is holding strong. Sure, there always is yet another contest to win, she said, but what’s the fun in not having a fight? The best part, for Pfaff, is knowing that Augsburg is on the right side of the field—maybe even the infield she helped grade for Augsburg’s first softball diamond.

It’s vital for all students to see women as role models in all professions, including athletics.

—Kelly Anderson Diercks, associate athletic director

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Nobel Peace Prize Forum

�� — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:15:04 +0000

2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum—Minneapolis

Nobel Peace Prize laureates, world leaders, and renowned peacemakers came together this fall as �� hosted the 29th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum—Minneapolis. As an international peace congress, the Forum united honored guests, students, and community members in considering the globally signi cant, multidimensional nature of peace by examining topics that ranged from disarmament and human rights to economic development and environmental sustainability.

This year’s Forum kicked off with several hundred attendees filling Augsburg’s Si Melby Gymnasium to listen to the incredible, true story of the 2015 Nobel Laureates—leaders who inspired a sharply divided nation to find common ground and, ultimately, form one of the world’s newest democracies.

During a conversation presented in both English and Arabic, representatives of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet described an arduous and inspiring peacemaking model in which members of business, labor, human rights, and law disciplines crafted a sustaining democratic constitution through peaceful dialogue.

Recognized collectively with the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for their contribution to building a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia following the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet is made up of leaders from four key organizations in the north African nation’s civil society. In the tense early moments of the Arab Spring uprisings, the Quartet exercised its role as a mediator and demonstrated the power of civil communication in sensitive political circumstances. Perhaps no other Forum experience better illustrated the event’s overarching theme: Dialogue in Divided Societies.

Nobel Peace Prize Forum art festival

�� has served as the Nobel Peace Prize Forum’s official host since 2012, but in recent years, the event itself has taken place at several conference venues across the Twin Cities. Bringing the Forum back to Augsburg this fall gave global peacebuilders the opportunity to experience the unique, urban beauty of the University’s location and to engage with a large-scale outdoor art exhibition on display across campus.

In the spirit of fostering dialogue during the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, artists from across the United States collaborated on installations that highlighted the layered and often overlapping complexity of finding solutions to global issues. The art exhibition was curated by , assistant professor of art and director of Augsburg’s Design & Agency program, a student-run design studio experience that teaches design thinking and problem-solving in graphic design.

One of the most talked-about installations at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum was a Hex House constructed in Murphy Square. Designed by Architects for Society, a nonprofit seeking to enhance the built environment for disadvantaged communities, the Hex House is a prototype for dignified, low-cost, flexible housing that’s easy to deploy in emergency situations. Given that the Forum dates fell just after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma brought havoc and destruction to the Caribbean, Texas, and Florida, the Hex House was a timely opportunity to see how smart design can address critical community needs.

Building peace in the greater Twin Cities, around the world

Throughout the four days of the 2017 program, attendees participated in dozens of breakout sessions led by globally recognized leaders in the fields of international development and peacemaking. Participants had the opportunity to meet and hear from national and world leaders—including Norwegian Ambassador to the United States Kåre Aas, Tunisian Ambassador to the United States H.E. Fayçal Gouia, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. Other often-recognized presenters at the event included former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who is seeking to end gun violence, and Barbara Bush, who founded the Global Health Corps organization to mobilize young leaders to support health equity.

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum also prompted attendees to consider local peace-building needs, convening conversations focused on present-day issues in the Twin Cities. Students, community members, and facilitators worked through difficult discussions on respecting and honoring sacred spaces, bridging political differences through civil dialogue, and addressing cross-generational injustice. These mediated conversations went beyond campus to places that brought the topics to life. For example, part of the dialogue on preserving Native American sites took place in suburban Eagan at Pilot Knob, an area that was an indigenous gathering place and sacred burial ground for centuries.

“It’s entirely fitting that these important conversations are happening at �� as part of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum,” said the Forum’s Program Director , reflecting on the entire event.

“A university is a place where civic dialogue on difficult topics is not only allowed, but highly encouraged,” said Underhill, an associate professor of political science at Augsburg. “It is only through that kind of dialogue that we are going to move toward any mutual understanding on these issues.”

[Top Image]: Representatives of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet are joined on stage by Peace Scholars and other participants at the closing ceremony of the Forum. [Left] During a break, the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize laureates posed for photos in front of a three-story mural featuring their images along with dozens of other past laureates.

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Curb appeal

Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:12:12 +0000

It would be overly modest to claim that ��’s quad now boasts a splash of color. At more than 82 feet wide, the vinyl graphic installed on Science Hall’s eastern-facing facade is nearly impossible to miss. The design pairs an excerpt from Augsburg’s strategic vision statement with vibrant hues chosen to reflect the accent colors on the exterior of the new Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, which stands northwest of Science Hall and is blocked from view in the quad. One of the priorities outlined in Augsburg’s 2016 campus master plan is to extend the quad from the west edge of campus, through the existing campus��core, and on to Murphy Square. This vision requires the demolition of Science Hall, which will be possible only after departments and program offices now housed in the facility relocate following��the completion of the Hagfors Center. The timeline for this work is not yet determined, so, in the near term, those strolling through the heart of campus or navigating nearby streets will see Science Hall stand as an illustration of Augsburg’s vision to be “small to our students and big for the world.”

Before

After

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Making history visible

rjohn — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:11:27 +0000

In the basement of Wilson Library at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a team of researchers is working to map the history of racial segregation in Minneapolis. The group is unearthing racial restrictions buried in Minneapolis property deeds to create the first comprehensive visualization of historical racial covenants for a U.S. city.

The project, called Mapping Prejudice, started with Augsburg’s Historyapolis Project, which seeks to illuminate the history of Minneapolis and has traced the roots of the city’s present-day racial disparities through historical research. To date, Mapping Prejudice researchers have found around 5,000 property deeds containing language that historically restricted ownership of residential properties by race. Enforcing these restrictions has been illegal in Minnesota for more than 60 years, but the records provide insight into the racial segregation that persists in Minneapolis neighborhoods.

“Minneapolis is known for its parks, high-quality schools, and progressive politics,” said Kirsten Delegard, director of the Historyapolis Project and Augsburg scholar-in-residence. “Yet we have the highest racial disparities in the country.”

Delegard said racial covenants were once pervasive in many U.S. cities and were instrumental in remaking the racial landscape of Minneapolis, which had not always been segregated. As many as 10,000 or more Minneapolis property deeds may contain such racially restrictive language. One of those properties is the Augsburg House, a residence on West River Road in Minneapolis that the University purchased in 1998.

“When I saw the information that the Mapping Prejudice team had compiled for south Minneapolis, I suspected that Augsburg House originally had a racially restricted deed,” said �� President Paul Pribbenow. “Nearly every new development in south Minneapolis in the early 20th century carried those types of restrictions.”
The property’s 1926 deed didn’t initially show up in the project’s electronic search process because the document was handwritten, but Delegard was able to locate the deed manually. The University has sought legal counsel regarding options for clarifying that Augsburg does not support discriminatory restrictions on the property.

“At the same time, we want to ensure we maintain the historical record represented by the deed,” Pribbenow said, “so that we never lose track of the disgraceful manners in which covenants were used to segregate our communities and to inflict real harm on so many.” The Mapping Prejudice project is a massive undertaking, so the group strives to engage volunteers in the work. Many Augsburg students have become involved, including two history students who did semester-long internships last year helping build a digital map display and an entire history class that is working with the project throughout the fall semester this year. Several sociology classes got involved this past spring and summer, helping develop the program’s volunteer outreach strategy. Students from Pribbenow’s honors seminar also helped transcribe deeds this past spring, and a cohort of Augsburg first-year students engaged in the work as part of City Service Day at the beginning of the 2017 academic year.

“We absolutely could not have developed the project without this kind of participation from both students and faculty,” said Delegard, who is continuing to seek funding that will allow the project to get even more students involved in all aspects of the work.

�վ�� to view an interactive map illustrating the spread of racially restrictive deeds across Minneapolis during the first half of the 20th century.

[Top Image]: The Mapping Prejudice team includes Kevin Erhman-Solberg ’15 [left], a University of Minnesota graduate student in geographic information science; Penny Peterson [center], a veteran property records researcher; Kirsten Delegard [right], director of the Historyapolis Project and Augsburg scholar-in-residence; and Ryan Mattke [not pictured], a map and geospatial information librarian from the University of Minnesota.

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University awards 2017

Stephen Jendraszak — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:10:51 +0000

�� is consistently recognized for excellence. This year’s accolades include:

Best Regional Universities: U.S. News & World Report again named Augsburg among the best universities in the Midwest. Rankings are based on factors including average first- year retention rates, graduation rates, class sizes, student-to-faculty ratios, acceptance rates, and more.

Recognition for being student-centered: For the second year in a row, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education ranked Augsburg No. 2 in Minnesota for student engagement in the learning process in their ranking of U.S. colleges and universities. The student engagement score is based largely on results of a student survey that addresses how challenging classes are, whether they foster critical thinking and prompt students to make connections to the real world, and how much interaction the students have with faculty and other students.

Top 25 LGBTQ-friendly Colleges & Universities: Augsburg was named to Campus Pride’s list of the top 25 LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities in 2017. Campus Pride is the leading national organization for creating safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.

Top 50 nationally for contribution to the public good: Augsburg was the No. 2 institution in��Minnesota named by Washington Monthly in its 2017 Master’s Universities rankings. The��list rates schools based upon their contribution to the public good in three categories: social��mobility, research, and service.

Top 25 schools for service-learning: Augsburg has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Top 25 Colleges and Universities for Service Learning. The sole Minnesota school on this list, Augsburg requires volunteering in the community as an instructional strategy. Schools garnering recognition were nominated by fellow institutions, college and university presidents or deans, and chief academic officers.

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Augsburg awarded $475,000 to infuse sustainability in university life

Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:10:36 +0000

�� has new opportunities to live out its commitment to sustainability on campus, in the community, and among institutional partners thanks to nearly half a million dollars in new grant funding from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, a Minnesota-based foundation that believes colleges and universities can serve as models of operational sustainability for society at large. Using the grant award, Augsburg will facilitate student internships and other experiences at sustainability-focused organizations, strengthen and expand course offerings in Environmental Studies, fund student and faculty research, integrate sustainability and wellness across the academic curriculum, and more. “The next breakthrough in sustainability could come from a student majoring in communications, philosophy, or education,” said Allyson Green, Augsburg chief sustainability officer. “For all of us to live on this planet sustainably and equitably, we need all perspectives, experiences, types of knowledge, and skill sets to be part of the work.”

Did You Know?

In 2015, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation contributed $1 million to the campaign to build the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

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Thousands of Auggies. One Augsburg.

Laura Swanson Lindahl '15 MBA — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:10:06 +0000

Augsburg’s 2017 Homecoming celebration was held October 12–14, a festive weekend when alumni, students, and community members took part in more than 35 events, including reunions for the classes of 1967, 1977, 1992, and 2007. In all, more than 600 alumni from different generations visited campus to show their Auggie pride and mark the first Homecoming as ��.

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Board of Regents welcomes new members

�� — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 19:09:14 +0000

At its September meeting, the Augsburg Corporation elected four additional members to the Board of Regents and re-elected three currently serving members. In addition, in accordance with the bylaws for ��, two bishops were appointed as ex-officio board members this fall. �� welcomes these new regents and thanks them for their service.

Elected to a new four-year term in 2017:

Eric J. Jolly��

President and chief executive officer of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. Jolly previously served on the Augsburg Board of Regents from 2008-2015.

Cynthia G. Jones ’81

Senior level advisor for nuclear safety and analysis at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Jones previously served on the Augsburg Board from 2010-2012.

Dean Kennedy ’75

Co-founder and chief strategy officer of Texakoma Oil & Gas Corporation. Kennedy previously served on the Augsburg Board from 2005-2013.

Karolynn Lestrud ’68

Retired photography and publishing industry professional; former board member in historic preservation and performing arts organizations; and active volunteer in arts, education, and theater.

Elected to a second four-year term:

• Wayne Jorgenson ’71, senior vice president of wealth management at UBS Financial Services Inc.
• Dennis Meyer ’78, chief marketing and business development officer at Robins Kaplan LLP
• Pam Moksnes ’79, vice president for gift planning services, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, through the Lutheran Church Extension Fund

Elected to a third four-year term:

• Ann Ashton-Piper, president of the IT consulting firm The Bridgie Group

Appointed as ex-officio members of the Board of Regents for a three-year term:

• The Rev. Patricia J. Lull, bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod
• The Rev. Steven H. Delzer, bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod

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