Mathematics professor Suzanne Dorée received the Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics at the Mathematical Association of America award ceremony on January 17, 2019. Dorée was recognized for her success in teaching effectiveness at Augsburg and for her national work with the Mathematical Association of America, the Charles A. Dana Center, and a number of presentations and workshops on campuses throughout the U.S.
Augsburg wrestlers will celebrate 70 years of wrestling history at Thursday night’s “Battle of the Burgs,” an annual battle between Augsburg University and Wartburg College.
Augsburg Wrestling Coach Jim Moulsoff spoke with KSTP about the tradition. “It’s a great rivalry. It’s been Augsburg or Wartburg that’s won the last 26 national titles in Division III wrestling. It’s always an honor to compete against those guys,” he said. “It’s real. It’s a real rivalry.”
The reporter also spoke with Augsburg star wrestlers Lucas Jeske and Ryan Epps, who won individual national titles last year.
“It’s really inspiring and just being able to be a part of that is really big. I just want keep adding to [the wall of trophies] and making the past generations of wrestlers proud,” Epps told KSTP about what it is like to be part of this annual tradition.
The “Battle of the Burgs” will take place at Augsburg University on Thursday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m. at Si Melby Hall.
(Updated March 5, 2019)
This week Augsburg University concluded a review, initiated in October 2018, of student reports about the leadership, culture, and environment of specific classes and in a specific program area. This review involved a wide-ranging set of issues beyond the single classroom incident that was the subject of public discussion and news coverage.
Because of its commitment to respecting confidentiality of student and personnel information, the university does not intend to publicly share factual details about the full scope of the concerns reported, but confirms that its actions during the review process were not based solely on the publicly reported classroom incident.
The conclusion of this review resulted in changes to the instructor’s leadership and teaching assignments in the specific program area, while affirming that future course assignments and instructional load would remain in alignment with the contractual obligations between the instructor and the university.
The following statement outlines the process and conclusion of this review.
Process and resolution
On October 31, 2018, Augsburg leadership began to receive reports related to a classroom incident and to the experiences of students in a specific program area at the university. In response, the university immediately set in motion the process for investigating such situations.
Through this process, Augsburg leadership heard from more than 30 individuals, some of whom who had submitted non-anonymous reports through a variety of available mechanisms, including personal interviews and the university’s Student-Faculty Bias/Discrimination reporting process. The information gathered raised a variety of issues relating both to the particular classroom incident as well as to student experiences beyond that specific event.
In early January, it was concluded that the informal resolution process was insufficient for achieving an appropriate resolution in this case, and the university’s chief academic officer initiated the formal resolution process. As outlined in Augsburg’s Faculty Handbook, the formal process requires consultation with the university’s faculty-elected Committee on Tenure and Promotion and provides a means for faculty to review the administration’s actions as well as to provide input on appropriate next steps.
Based upon all of this input, the university determined outcomes taking into account the broader set of concerns raised by students. As noted above, the outcomes included changes in leadership and instructional roles in a specific program area. Any personnel discussions related to this process will remain confidential.
In addition to the faculty process, Augsburg’s chief academic officer charged a team of faculty, students, and multicultural student services staff to review the specific program area about which concerns had been raised. That review is focused on the program’s vision, structure, and curriculum, and is expected to extend beyond the current academic year.
Throughout this process, Augsburg remained committed to supporting students’ academic success. Augsburg’s equity commitment, approved by the Augsburg Board of Regents in April 2018, states that “Augsburg must fully embrace the challenge of being the institution its students need today, creating culturally relevant learning spaces and opportunities that build students’ agency to lead change at Augsburg and in their communities.”
Beyond the specific reviews described above, Augsburg leadership recognized that the experience raised important questions about inclusiveness at Augsburg more generally. A variety of institution-wide efforts are underway as a result—including student-led initiatives, faculty-led discussions, and more. A student survey was launched as part of a curricular inclusivity study. A faculty and staff work group was formed to review proposed general education requirements to support intercultural learning. Time was dedicated on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for workshops and intercultural competence development across campus.
“We know that the work of fostering an inclusive learning environment is ongoing, and we are fully committed to it,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “We are grateful to the students, faculty, and staff who have spoken courageously to raise campus awareness, who have engaged in actively listening to the issues being expressed, and who have called for changes that advance our equity work. Augsburg will address this important topic like it has many other critical issues in our 150-year history: We will acknowledge and engage the topic, not shrink from it, and work together to make the university better.”
Augsburg University recently became one of 1,000 accredited four-year colleges and universities that have adopted the test-optional admissions policy, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. International applicants should still be aware that the policy doesn’t always apply to students who attended high school outside of the U.S. At Augsburg, international applicants must submit minimum scores for one standardized test in order to meet the English proficiency requirement for admission. “The only difference is related to English proficiency,” said Devon Ross, Augsburg Director of Undergraduate Admissions, in the article.
Read full report at the U.S News website.
More than 800 Augsburg University undergraduate students were named to the 2018 Fall 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.
View the 2018 Fall Semester Dean’s List.
Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a news announcement template.
Abbey Ulrich of Wayzata spoke with Kare 11’s Pat Evans about her journey to sobriety during high school. Ulrich and her parents credit P.E.A.S.E. Academy for the support she received and for encouraging her to apply to Augsburg University to continue recovery post high school. “It’s not where you’ve been, it’s where you are and where you’re going, and where you’re going is good. You’re in a good place right now. You’re at Augsburg which has a great program for people in recovery” the broadcaster told Ulrich.
“I didn’t plan on going to college until StepUp at Augsburg was an option” Ulrich responded.
The Star Tribune showcased Augsburg’s work to build an inclusive learning community as the student body has become increasingly diverse.
There is much challenging work underway, and we are grateful for the many student voices and perspectives helping shape Augsburg’s response to the very real issues of discrimination in our world.
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder highlighted Augsburg University students Arianna Jones, Camille McCoy, Tamara McLenore, Camryn Speese, and Kaezha Wubben, who at their Nov. 19 game against University of Wisconsin-Superior made history after becoming the first five African-American starters at a college basketball game in Minnesota, the story said. The writer described the twelve women of color on the team of 19 as the “diverse dozen.”
“In the MIAC there’s not many of us out there playing. A lot of them are sitting on the bench.” said starter Speese, in the article. “I’ve been here since the beginning…making it a point of getting people of color at our school, which is the most diverse school in the MIAC.”
Augsburg History Professor Bill Green was interviewed by Prairie Public about his new book “The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876.”
Green has published articles, op-ed pieces, and book chapters on history, law, and education, and he has previously published books on race and civil rights in Minnesota history. He also has served as a past president of the Minneapolis Public Schools.
After 100 days of traveling and studying the Mississippi River, students returned to Minnesota on Dec. 2.
The group had a welcome back celebration on Dec. 6 at Augsburg’s Marshall Room. They shared their experiences, showed videos, and even sang. Kristy Ornelas, one of the 15 participating River Semester students, documented the group’s semester-long journey is a series of five videos uploaded to her YouTube channel. In these videos, students share their day-to-day life during the second River Semester. The first was in 2015.
“The fact that we’ve been able to spend 100 days together in a really small tight-knit group is nothing I’ve ever done and the challenge and rewards of this experience is nothing I could ever imagine,” said student Spoir Delmain, in the video titled “What a Wonderful World.”
“I think family is the best way to know how to call our group, and I feel that way because we take care of each other in different ways. We’ve learned how to support each other, cheer each other on, or cry on each other’s shoulders,” Delmain said.
Watch Kristy Ornelas’ River Semester series on her YouTube channel.
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