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Augsburg earns Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification

Carnegie_CEC_digital_seal (1)Augsburg College has received its second Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Institutions are recognized based on evidence of their collaboration with the larger community, which:

  • enriches scholarship, research, and creative activity;
  • enhances curriculum, teaching, and learning;
  • prepares educated, engaged citizens;
  • strengthens democratic values and civic responsibility;
  • addresses critical societal issues; and
  • contributes to the public good.

The Carnegie Foundation’s Classification for Community Engagement is an elective classification. Institutions participate voluntarily by submitting required material as part of an extensive application process. Those materials include but are not limited to a description of the nature and extent of the university’s engagement with the community — local or beyond — plus institutional commitment, its impact on students, staff, and faculty, and an assessment of initiatives geared toward community engagement.

About 8 percent of U.S. degree-granting institutions have earned the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification to date, and Augsburg was one of only eight Minnesota colleges or universities recognized in 2015. Augsburg previously received the Community Engagement Classification in 2008.

The New England Resource Center for Higher Education serves as Carnegie’s administrative partner, and additional information regarding the classification process is available on the NERCHE website.

Augsburg earns dual national community service honors

Augsburg was the only Minnesota college or university named a finalist on the Corporation for National and Community Service’s 2014 Interfaith Community Service Honor Roll as well as on the Corporation’s General Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction.

Augsburg is one of only four colleges nationwide to be named a finalist in the interfaith category, an honor that recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raise the visibility of effective practices in campus community partnerships.

There are four categories for the honor roll: general community service, interfaith community service, economic opportunity, and education. Only four higher education institutions are named recipients of the general President’s Award — a distinction Augsburg held in 2010 — and 16 other schools are named finalists, four in each category.

The Honor Roll recognizes more than 750 colleges and universities for exemplary, innovative, and effective community service programs. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

The interfaith community service category recognized Augsburg for its institution-wide shift toward greater interfaith cooperation and interfaith service. Three project examples connected with this effort include the College’s collaboration with the Interfaith Youth Corps, a group devoted to building the interfaith movement on college campuses; the work of the Augsburg College Interfaith Scholars, of group of Augsburg students who are interested in exploring the religious diversity of the College’s student body, the wider Twin Cities community, and the United States through interreligious dialogue; and an Inclusiveness Reading Circle, a group that supported interfaith intergroup dialogue.

Find additional information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees at nationalservice.gov/HonorRoll.

Recovery Campus magazine interviews StepUP’s Patrice Salmeri

Recovery-Campus-Issue-4-CoverPatrice Salmeri, director of Augsburg College’s StepUP program, was featured in Recovery Campus magazine to discuss her role as incoming president of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.

Salmeri, who has overseen the StepUP program since 2002, began her tenure as president of ARHE in June 2014. Taking on the new role while continuing as director of StepUP has her exactly where she wants to be in life.

“This work is my calling; I have no doubt about it,” she said. “It has been confirmed over and over again. I am exactly where I need to be right now.”

Read Salmeri’s story on the Recovery Campus website.

Star Tribune features Augsburg professor, winner of Tekne award

Minneapolis Star TribuneRod Greder, Augsburg College business instructor and founder of Awear Technologies, was mentioned in the Twin Cities Star Tribune after Awear was named one of 12 companies to receive recognition at the 15th annual Tekne Awards.

The yearly award ceremony, held by the Minnesota High Technology Association, honors individuals and companies that have made significant advancements in technology.

Greder’s company, with help from the University of Minnesota and other partners, develops specialized eyewear for students with learning disabilities.

To read the article,visit the Star Tribune news site.

To learn more about Awear Technologies and other award recipients, visit the Tekne Awards site.

Olivia Muyres ’15 named Player of the Year

PostBulletinOlivia Muyres ’15 was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year.

Muyres, who helped Augsburg win its first MIAC championship, was featured in the Rochester Post-Bulletin for her accomplishments in the Nov. 22 NCAA Division III Tournament. Muyres scored the winning goal in overtime during the first game.

To read more about her achievements, visit the Post-Bulletin news site.

Augsburg named one of five finalists for national interfaith award

HigherEdHonorRollAugsburg College was one of five finalists named to the prestigious President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in the interfaith and community service category.

This is the fifth time that the College has been named to the top tier of recognition—the honor roll with distinction—for this prominent national award. More than 500 schools vied for the 2014 award that celebrates outstanding achievements in and commitment to interfaith and community service work.

In 2010, Augsburg took top honors from among a field of 850 applicants. Read about this campus accomplishment in the story “Augsburg College earns Presidential Award for service learning and community service.”

Augsburg’s StepUP program receives media mention

MinnPostScott Washburn, assistant director for Augsburg College’s StepUP program was mentioned on Minnpost.com.

The StepUP program, which aims to help students with histories of addiction thrive on campus, was mentioned as part of an article about P.E.A.S.E. Academy, which is a similar local program at the high school level.

Washburn, who is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, said that the biggest threat for students dealing with addiction is being around their nearest and dearest on campus. “We know from research as well as experience that the No. 1 relapse trigger is the influence of peers,” Washburn said. 

Visit the MinnPost website to read the article. Learn more about StepUP on its program site.

Kuoth Wiel ’13 gains wealth of media coverage

GoodLie
Courtesy image

Augsburg College alumna Kuoth Wiel ’13, a star in the feature film “The Good Lie,” has garnered a plethora of media coverage. The film, which was released in Minnesota Oct. 17, has been well received and is generating Oscar buzz.  Augsburg has received several media mentions thanks to Wiel since she was a student at the College when she auditioned for the role.

The film brings to life a fictional yet strikingly accurate story of the ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan. Born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia to Sudanese parents herself, it’s no surprise Wiel found it important to help tell this story. Being a part of the film “…validated all the struggles we had went through,” Wiel said in an MPR news interview.

Wiel has been traveling around the U.S. promoting the film since its September debut at the Toronto Film Festival. The film, along with Wiel and her cast mates, have been featured and covered by media outlets ranging from Minneapolis’ Star Tribune to Rolling Stone magazine.

Below is a list of some of the local and national media coverage on Wiel:

Augsburg named a top school by Military Advanced Education

image001Military Advanced Education has selected Augsburg as a top school in its 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities research study. A record number of schools responded to an extensive survey, and MAE staff evaluated each submission using strict criteria. Schools were evaluated by their achievement in military culture, financial aid, flexibility, on-campus support, and online support services.

The full Guide to Colleges & Universities will be published in a forthcoming issue of Military Advanced Education.

Augsburg named to list of top colleges for older students

bestcolleges1The college planning website BestColleges.com has named Augsburg to its list of the top colleges for older students. Augsburg is ranked No. 9, making it the highest listed Minnesota institution.

In order to create the rankings, BestColleges.com examined all schools with a nontraditional student body of 25 percent or more and then narrowed its list to only those schools that provide a high quality education. The site examined each school’s academics, student engagement, percentage of students above age 25, and programs geared toward nontraditional students. The site trimmed its list to 50 schools by examining institutions’ range of degree programs at the baccalaureate level or higher.